IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lionel Gyc, of No. 60, Saint James Street, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS."
Sealed the 23rd August 1878, and dated the 8th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lionel Gye at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th March 1878.
LIONEL GYE, of No. 60, Saint James Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
This Invention has for its object improvement in breech-loading fire-arms.
In breech-loading fire-arms in which the barrels are arranged to turn upon a
transverse pin or axis, and where when the breeches are closed a lump on the under
side of the barrels enters a corresponding recess in the body, as is the case in the
greater number of fowling pieces of recent manufacture, I make use of the lump
for the purpose of raising the hammers to full cock at the time when the breech is
opened.
I form slots in the lump and provide arms upon the hammers which project
forward and enter the slots. The slots are closed at the bottom, preferably by
means of a turn button, and when the breech is opened the lump carries the arms
up with it, and the sears fall in before the arms pass free of the lump. I apply a
bolt to the triggers to prevent their action on the sears when the breeches are open
or whenever the barrels are not properly locked by the locking lever. When the
locking lever is mounted upon the head of the stock, and is moved sideways to
unlock the breeches, I cause it when so moved to actuate a bar sliding transversely
in guides upon the trigger plate, just over the triggers, This bar has notches
formed in it, and it is only when the notches stand over the triggers that they havo
room to act.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Lionel Gye in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th September
1878.
LIONEL GYE, of No. 60, Saint James Street, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms.
In breech-loading fire-arms in which the barrels are arranged to turn upon a
transverse pin or axis, and where when the breeches are closed a lump on the under
side of the barrels enters a corresponding recess in the body, as is the case in the
greater number of fowling pieces of recent manufacture, I make use of the lump
for the purpose of raising the hammers to full cock at the time when the breech is
opened.
The Drawing annexed shews a side view, partly in section, of a double-barrelled
fowling piece constructed to act in this manner.
A are the barrels with a lump. B on their under side as usual; C is a pin which
projects from both sides of the lump; D is an arm on the hammer E of each lock.
The pin C comes below each of the arms D. When the breech is opened by turning
the barrels down in the ordinary manner, as shewn by dotted lines, the pin C raises
the arms D, and moves back the hammers to full cock. The triggers may at this
time be locked by any ordinary arrangement of safety bolt.
When the barrels are locked by a locking lever F, mounted upon the head of the
stock as in the gun shewn in the Drawing, the turning of the lever sidewise to
unlock the barrels may be caused to move the safety bolt and lock the triggers so
as to prevent their action on the sears when the breeches are open or whenever the
barrels are not properly locked by the locking lever; this safety bolt is not shewn
in the Drawing, as such safety bolts for locking the triggers are well known, and
form no part of my Invention.
The locks I use are made with rebounding hammers, as is now well understood, that
is the hammers after being thrown forward to fire the gun spring back a short
distance and leave the small strikers G free to spring back so that they do not
project from the face of the breech after the gun has been fired, consequently they
do not interfere with the opening of the breech.
In order that the gun may readily be taken to pieces whenever required the
pin C is not directly attached to the lump B, but is carried by a link H, which is
pivotted to the lump, as shown.
When it is desired to separate the barrels from the breech the link is turned
into the position shown by dotted lines, so as to bring the pin C from under the arms
D of the hammers.
Ordinarily the end of the lump is covered over by a hinged cap L. When this
cap is turned back on its hinge the pin C can readily be got at.
In place of the hammers acting on independent strikers they might, if preferred,
act directly on the cap of the cartridge; the locks also may be of any ordinary
form.
It will be seen that by the construction herein-before described the barrels
themselves form the lever for setting back the hammers to full cock. They may
either act directly on the arms of the hammers, as shown in the Drawing, or they
may act upon them through intervening levers or links.
In some arrangements of locking action for locking the barrels there is no
lump on the under side of their breech end; in this case I should fit one or
more lumps to the barrels to enable them to act on the hammers as herein-before
described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise construction of gun shown in the Drawing, but that I claim,―
First. The employment of a lump or projection on the barrels to act either

page_text: directly or indirectly on the hammers so as to cock them when the barrels are
turned down to open the breech.
Second. The combined arrangement of breech-loading fire-arm, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lionel Gye, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
LIONEL GYE. (LS.)