Improvements in Drop-down Guns and Rifles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Loft 15th Mov 1000.
ELL
A
1000
Improvements in Drop-down Guns and Rifles.
I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Camp Hill Grange, near Nuneaton, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to double-barrel drop-down hammer or hammerless
guns and rifles having trigger mechanism of the kind described and claimed in
the Specification filed in pursuance of my Application for Letters Patent
No. 11,342, dated 18th May, 1898.
When the right tumbler-bent and the right sear-nose are properly shaped,
the right trigger may be pressed forward to the full extent (against the pressure
of the right arm of the trigger-spring) and permitted to fly back and hit the
right sear-tail any number of times with impunity. But in weapons which are
not of the best quality there is frequently a dragging pull-off, and then if the
right trigger be pressed forward to the full extent and allowed to fly back a
certain number of times (perhaps nine or ten) the series of blows acting on the
right sear-tail would bring about step by step the release of the right lock.
In order to protect the right sear-tail, a guard-spring may be utilized to absorb
the blow of the right trigger. This guard-spring may bed along the trigger-
plate below the split trigger-spring; an inclined spur on its forward end engag-
ing with an incline at the end of a slot in the right trigger-blade.
In guns and rifles fitted with safety sears, the right safety sear-spring may
also serve as a guard-spring if the right safety sear-tail be a little lower than
the right sear-tail.
The trigger-actuating lever may be provided with a stop for limiting the
movement of the right trigger; this stop extending into the right slot in the
trigger-plate. The pivot for the rear end of said lever may project from a
pivot-piece screwed to the trigger-plate; lateral play being prevented by the
engagement of the stop with the aforesaid slot.
The guard-spring, the split trigger-spring and the pivot-piece may all be
secured to the trigger-plate by the same screw.
The right trigger may be made in two parts jointed together near that point
on the rear part which
bears against the right sear-tail; the left
trigger being in one piece as usual. The two triggers would be
pivoted to the lump on the trigger-plate in the ordinary way by the trigger-
pin. A split trigger-spring screwed to the trigger-plate may pass through a
hole in said lump; one of the arms of this trigger-spring engaging with the
rear part of the right trigger and, in addition to holding that part in contact with
the right sear-tail, having a tendency to keep the two parts of the right trigger
extended the other arm engaging with the left trigger.
When the rear part of the right trigger is in its normal position, it can only
urn about the axis of the joint in a forward direction. Consequently, on the
ight trigger being pulled backward, the two parts of that trigger move together.
with the axis of the trigger-pin as the centre of motion, and lift the right sear-

page_text: tail. But, while that sear-tail (after said trigger has been pulled and released)
descends into a position slightly lower than the normal one, the front part of the
said trigger, having bedded against the trigger-plate, remains stationary; the
rear part (under the pressure of the aforesaid sear-tail) advancing, with the
axis of the joint as the centre of motion, until the extreme forward position is
attained. Owing to the change from the axis of the trigger-pin to the axis of
the joint as the centre of motion, a slight downward movement of the right
scar-tail brings about a considerable forward movement of the rear part of the
right trigger.
1
1011 1
1000
Improvements in Drop-down Guns and Rifles.
I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Camp Hill Grange, near Nuneaton, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement: —
This invention relates to double-barrel drop-down hammer or hammerless
guns and rifles having trigger mechanism of the kind described and claimed in
the Specification to my Letters Patent No. 11,342, dated 18th May, 1898.
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. I is a side elevation of trigger mechanism of the kind referred to fitted
with a guard-spring; the triggers being in their normal positions.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the right trigger detached.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the combined split trigger-spring and pivot-piece.
Fig. 4 is a corresponding view showing the recess for the rear end of the guard-
spring.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the trigger-actuating lever.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of said lever.
Fig. is a plan of the guard-spring.
Fig. S is a view that explains how the right safety scar-spring may be utilized
to absorb the blow of the right trigger.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a modification of my new trigger mechanism;
the right trigger being made in two parts.
Fig. 10 is a similar view with the lower part of the right trigger in its advanced
or extreme forward position.
Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the right trigger illustrating how the two parts
are jointed together.
Fig. 12 is a plan of one part of the right trigger.
Fig. 13 is a corresponding side elevation.
Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the other part of the right trigger.
When the right tumbler-bent and the right sear-nose are properly shaped, the
right trigger may be pressed forward to the full extent (against the pressure of
the right arm of the trigger-spring) and permitted to fly back and hit the right
sear-tail any number of times with impunity. But in weapons which have
become worn or are not of the best quality there is frequently a dragging pull-
off, and then if the right trigger be pressed forward to the full extent and allowed
to fly back a certain number of times (perhaps nine or ten) the series of blows
acting on the right sear-tail would bring about step by step the release of the
right lock,
..

page_text: In order to protect the right sear-tail A, a guard-spring B may be utilized to
absorb the blow of the right trigger R. This guard-spring may bed along the
trigger-plate C below the split trigger-spring; an inclined spur 6 on its forward
end engaging with an incline r at the end of a slot r' in the right trigger-blade.
There must be a space, as indicated in Fig. 1, between the right trigger-blade and
the right sear-tail A when said trigger-blade is resting against the spur b. L is
the left trigger.
In guns and rifles fitted with safety sears, the right safety sear-spring may also
serve as a guard-spring if the right safety sear-tail A be normally a little lower
than the right sear-tail A as represented in Fig. 8.
The trigger-actuating lever D may be provided with a stop d for limiting the
movement of the right trigger R; this stop extending into the right slot in
the trigger-plate C. The pivot e for the end of the lever D may project
from a pivot-piece screwed to the trigger-plate; lateral play of the lever D being
prevented by the engagement of the stop d with the aforesaid slot.
The guard-spring, the split trigger-spring and the pivot-piece may all be
secured to the trigger-plate by the same screw. The split trigger-spring and
the pivot-piece may be combined as shown in the drawings. The combined
split trigger-spring and pivot-piece E and the guard-spring B are secured to
the trigger-plate C by the screw E.
The slight pressure of the right arm of the split trigger-spring, when the
mechanism through neglect has become rusty or clogged. might not be sufficient
to cause the right trigger to return to its normal position directly the right
lock is recocked.
To obviate in a hammerless gun or rifle any danger of the right trigger stick-
ing in its advanced or extreme forward position, a slide F (Fig. 1) may be
placed between the end F of the under bolt and the right trigger-blade, so
that, when the under bolt is withdrawn, the right trigger would be forced back.
The slide F, if applied to a hammer gun or rifle, would not however be so
effective, because, although it might free the right trigger to commence with,
that trigger, instead of remaining back, as in a hammerless gun or rifle, would,
owing to the right lock not having been cocked, be urged forward again (directly
the under bolt snapped home) by the pressure of the right sear-tail upon the
trigger-actuating lever; and there would consequently still be a chance of said
trigger sticking in its advanced or extreme forward position when the time
arrived for the right lock to be cocked.
The right trigger may be made in two parts R¹ and R* (Figs. 9 to 14) jointed
together near that point on the part R which bears against the right scar-
tail A the left trigger L being in one piece as usual. The two triggers R R*
and L would be pivoted to the lump C₁ on the trigger-plate C in the ordinary
way by the trigger-pin G. A tongue 1 on the part R may work in the right
slot in the trigger-plate C and help to keep said part R* in place. A split
trigger-spring I screwed to the trigger-plate may pass through a hole in the
lump Cone of the arms of this trigger-spring engaging with the part R¹ of
the right trigger and, in addition to holding that part in contact with the
right scar-tail A, having a tendency to keep the two parts of the right trigger
extended the other arm engaging with the left trigger L. The extension of
the parts R and R* may be limited by a toe on the part R¹ bearing against a
step on the part R*. as seen in Fig. 11.
When the part R of the right trigger is in its normal position (Fig. 9), it
can only turn about the axis of the stud in a forward direction. Consequently,
on the right trigger being pulled backward, the two parts R and R* of that
trigger move together, with the axis of the trigger-pin G as the centre of motion.
and lift the right sear-tail A. But, while the right scar-tail A (after the right
trigger has been pulled and released) descends into a position (Fig. 10) slightly
lower than its normal one, the part R* of the said trigger, having bedded against
the trigger-plate C, remains stationary: the part R₁ (under the pressure of

page_text: the right sear-tail A) advancing, with the axis of the stud as the centre of
motion, until the extreme forward position is attained. Owing to the change
from the axis of the trigger-pin G to the axis of the stud as the centre of
motion, a slight downward movement of the right sear-tail A brings about a
considerable forward movement of the part R₁ of the right trigger.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
-
1. In drop-down guns and rifles fitted with two triggers arranged near to-
gether, the trigger mechanism being so made that after the first trigger has been
pulled and released said trigger is automatically caused to advance and leave
considerably more space between the triggers than there was originally, pro-
tecting the right sear-tail substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2,
3, 4, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In drop-down guns and rifles fitted with two triggers arranged near to-
gether, the trigger mechanism being so made that after the first trigger has been
pulled and released said trigger is automatically caused to advance and leave
considerably more space between the triggers than there was originally, mount-
ing the trigger-actuating lever substantially as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6
of the accompanying drawings.
3. In drop-down guns and rifles fitted with two triggers arranged near to-
gether, the first trigger, after having been pulled and released, being auto-
matically caused to leave considerably more space before the second trigger
than there was originally, making the trigger mechanism substantially as de-
scribed with reference to Figs. 9 to 14 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 15th day of Max. 1900.
JAMES W. SMALLMAN.