IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Stephen Law and Joseph Law at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
9th May 1865.
We, STEPHEN LAW, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Gun
Maker, and JOSEPп LAW, of Wolverhampton aforesaid, Gun Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, of the arrangement or combination of the
parts herein-after described for fastening down and releasing the barrels of
such breech-loading fire-arms. as turn in a vertical plane upon a joint on the
fore part of the body, the said fire-arms being commonly called drop down or
snap guns. We fasten down the barrels of the said guns by means of a bolt
turning upon a centre near the top of the break-off, and having motion in a
vertical plane upon the said centre. The bottom of the lever bolt is enlarged,
and forms a catch, the said catch engaging in a recess made in a lump at
The
the extreme ends of the under side of the breech ends of the barrels.
lever bolt is urged forward towards the barrels by means of a spring at the
back of the break-off. When the barrels are shut down the bevilled end of
the lump on the barrels pushes back the bolt, so as to permit of the descent
of the said barrels. The barrels having been shut down to their full extent,
the bolt is urged forward by its spring, and the catch snaps into the lump

page_text: and firmly holds down the barrels. The lever bolt is released from the lump
when the barrels are to be raised for charging by the raising of the hammer
to half-cock in the following way :-Across the break-off, and in front of the
lever bolt, is a horizontal axis, one end of which axis projects from the side
of the gun. The said axis is capable of a motion of partial rotation, as well
as a slight sliding motion, the said axis being pressed outwards when at
liberty to move by a spring. That part of the axis which is situated opposite
the lever bolt is partly cut away.
When the axis is turned in the manner
herein-after explained so that the cut away part is brought opposite the bolt,
the said bolt is urged forward by its spring, and enters the said cut away
part; the lower end or catch of the bolt is thereby made either to engage
with the lump for fastening down the barrels, or is projected into the body
of the gun ready to be forced back by and snap into the lump when the
barrels are shut down. The horizontal axis is partly rotated for the purpose
of releasing the barrels by the following parts:-The projecting end of the
axis is provided with a tooth, and the front of one of the hammers of the gun
has also a tooth made on it. When the gun has been discharged the tooth on
the hammer is situated under that on the horizontal axis. In order to
release the barrels for reloading the hammer is raised to half-cock, in doing
which the tooth on its front lifts the tooth on the axis, and gives a partial
rotation to the said axis. This partial rotation of the axis causes the uncut
part of the said axis to press upon the lever bolt and force its lower end or
catch out of the lump on the barrels, and permit the said barrels to rise from
the face of the break-off. On the tooth of the horizontal axis escaping from
the tooth on the hammer, the said axis returns to its normal position by the
pressure of the bolt, the said bolt re-entering the cut away part of the axis,
its catch being projected into the body. In order that on the discharge of
the
gun the tooth on the hammer may escape that on the axis and pass to
the lower side thereof without giving a partial rotation to the axis, the lower
face of the tooth on the hammer is bevilled, and the outer edge of the tooth
on the axis is also bevilled, so that on the descent of the hammer to discharge
the gun the tooth on the said hammer acts upon the tooth on the axis, and
presses the said axis into the break off by a sliding motion, and thus permits
the tooth of the hammer to pass that on the axis without giving a partial
rotation to the said axis. The tooth on the hammer is then in such a
position that on the raising of the hammer to half-cock it lifts the tooth on
the axis, and gives to the said axis the motion necessary to release the barrels
for charging, as before explained.
Our Invention consists, secondly, of the following improvements in dis-

page_text: charging the cartridges of breech-loading fire-arms by a central-fire action.
Through the face of the break-off a pointed pin or striker works, the said pin
or striker being pressed into a recess in the break-off by a coiled spring.
A vertical bolt working through the break-off acts upon the striker by means
of its bevilled end bearing against the inclined side of a recess cut in the
upper side of the striker. When on the pulling of the trigger the hammer
falls it strikes on the top of the vertical bolt, and causes it to urge forward the
pin or striker, and discharge the cartridge.