Improvements in Small Arms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1896
Complete Soucification Lott 10th No
4000
Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Lott, 13th Nov., 1996 Accepted, 2nd Jan.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Small Arms.
We, GEORGE MCKOEN, Manufacturer, of Lansdowne House, Parsifal Road,
West Hampstead, GEORGE LEWIS, Engineer, of 123 High Street, Peckham,
both in the County of London, and WALTER STEPHEN LEWIS, Engineer, of
32 Ashford Terrace, New Swindon, in the County of Wilts, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention to be as follows:-
The object of such said invention is to make certain improvements in the
arrangement and construction of the locking or cocking mechanism of small arms,
which are so constructed that buttons or pushes take the place of triggers for the
purpose of releasing the hammers or strikers, and especially small arms_manu-
factured in accordance with the specification and drawings attached to Letters
Patent No. 16468, bearing date the 1st September 1893, and granted to John
Stobart Bradley, George Henry Lewis, and Walter Stephen Lewis, such Letters
Patent being now duly assigned to us.
In the specification referred to, the mech anism is described as arranged, so that
both barrels of the fire arm may, if desired, be discharged simultaneously, and it
is possible that this may occur when not desired by the operator. Moreover, it
may be found inconvenient to fire the two barrels by means of two separate finger
pushes.
Now by our present invention we seek to prevent this, and also to simplify the
mechanism by using only one top or thumb push and one bottom or finger push or
button, in place of the two lower or finger pushes, (one for each barrel) described
in the aforesaid Specification of Letters Patent No. 16468 of 1893.
In carrying out our invention, as applied to a double barrelled fire arm, we pivot to
the top plate a bent lever one arm of which is forked, and so formed that the fork-
arms extend sideways over a considerable portion of the lock-chamber, and the
extremities are shaped to engage with projections on a pair of spring claws
situated above the two strikers and helping to retain the same in their cocked
position, the said two upper claws being acted on by the fork of the lever
simultaneously.
When the strikers have been forced back by the opening of the breech, they
are held in position by claws both above and below, each pair consisting of two
short arms pivoted at the rear to the side plate, the front of each arm having a
pawl or tooth, which is kept normally up against the striker by means of a bent
spring or the like attached to the side plate, and is thus able to ride over and lock
with a shoulder or projection formed on each striker when said strikers are pushed
back and the fire arm cocked.
The lower retaining claw of each striker has also a projection, acted upon in
rather a different manner from the upper one, by means of a device so constructed
that each lower claw is released alternately, that is to say, the second or, say,
left hand striker cannot be released by pressing the lower push until the right
hand striker has been released and the barrel discharged. For this purpose we
ix at or near the centre of the lock chamber and on the bottom plate a short
vertical pin or spindle, and on this mount a loose sleeve or block at the top of
which are formed at right angles to the barrels two projections or short arms

page_text: (giving the sleeve the appearance of a T in elevation) which engage with the
projections on the two lower claws alternately. The sleeve is kept normally
raised a little by means of a spring and is capable of being depressed by means of
one end of a bent lever pivoted to the bottom plate and operated by the lower
button or push. In order that these T projections aforesaid may act alternately
on the lower claws, and not simultaneously, the sleeve carrying the projections is
made to partially revolve so that the said projections although at right angles to,
or transverse of the barrels when the fire arm (or the right-hand barrel) has been
discharged, are slightly turned from this position by the forcing back of the right-
hand striker, when the fire arm is cocked. For this purpose we attach rigidly to the
top of the vertical spindle a short arm projecting forwardly (or a shaped arm
may be used), and at its extremity mount a short rocking vertical lever, the upper
part of which forms a pivot or spindle on which revolves a short collar thickened
out or flanged at its top. The lower arm carries a projection (or may simply be
bent up to form a projection) which engages in a vertical slot cut into a foot
projecting froin the lower part of the sleeve or block before described, by means
of which the rocking motion is imparted to it, and the arms moved so as to
alternately engage with the projections on the lower claws which are arranged so
as to meet them.
The rocking lever aforesaid is kept normally in position by means of a spring,
so that the revolving collar may not be presed upon by the head of the striker, but
when the head comes in contact with the same on being forced back or cocked, the
said collar together with its spindle is pushed and held back, so causing one of
the T projections to come over, or opposite to, the projection on the lower claw,
say, the right-hand one. On the right-hand striker being released by pressing the
top and bottom pushes, its head clears the flange of the collar, whereupon the
latter returns to its normal position, presenting at the same time the opposite
T projection to the corresponding projection on the other lower claw, say, the
left-hand one, when a second pressure of both top and bottom pushes will release
the remaining or left-hand striker.
Tinted this 11th dor of Fahruary 1906
STANLEY, POPPLEWELL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Small Arms.
We, GEORGE MCKOEN, Manufacturer, of Lansdowne House, Parsifal Road,
West Hampstead, GEORGE LEWIS, Engineer, of 123 High Street, Peckham,
both in the County of London, and WALTER STEPHEN LEWIS, Engineer, of
32 Ashford Terrace, New Swindon, in the County of Wilts, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to make certain improvements in the arrangement
and construction of the locking or cocking mechanism of small arms, which are so
constructed that buttons or pushes take the place of triggers for the purpose of
releasing the hammers or strikers, and especially small arms manufactured in
accordance with the specification and drawings attached to English Letters Patent
No. 16468, bearing date the 1st September 1893, and granted to John Stobart
Bradley and others, such Letters Patent being now held by us under a deed of
assignment.
In the specification referred to, the mechanism is described as arranged, so that

page_text: both barrels of the fire-arm may, if desired, be discharged simultaneously. It is
possible, however, that this may occur when not desired by the operator. More-
over, it may be found inconvenient to fire the two barrels by means of two separate
finger pushes.
Now, by our present invention, we seek to prevent this, and also to simplify the
mechanism by using only one top or thumb push, and one bottom or finger push or
button, in place of the two lower or finger pushes (one for each barrel) described
in the aforesaid Specification of Letters Patent No. 16468.
We will describe our invention as applied to a double barrelled fire-arm, reference
being made to the accompanying sheet of drawings, on which several views of our
improved mechanism appear.
Figure 1 shows the interior of the breech, but many parts are omitted so as to
exhibit clearly the action of the pushes and levers which constitute the chief
features of our present invention.
Figure 2 shows a left-hand side plate with striker and retaining claws
attached.
Figure 3 is a plan showing the manner in which the upper retaining claws are
released.
The strikers A A', which strike against the firing pins in order to discharge the
fire-arm, are secured to the side plates B B' by means of bearings CC CC, and
each carries a shoulder D D at top and E (Figure 2) at bottom, or in other
suitable position, so that when the strikers are forced back by the opening of the
breech, they will be held in such position by means of upper claws FF, and
lower claws G. Each pair consists of two short arms pivotted at and g to one of
the side plates B or B', the front of each arm having a claw or tooth kept normally
against the striker, ready to drop over the shoulder by means of a bent spring HH
(Figure 2) or the like attached to the side plate.
It will be seen that the upper and lower claws F and G both retain the
striker A, and the release of one of them alone will not suffice to set free said
striker.
In carrying ont our invention, in so far as it relates to the upper claws, we pivot
to the top plate J a bent lever K, one arm of which is forked, and so formed that
the fork-arms K' and K' extend sideways over a portion of the lock-chamber, and
the extremities are shaped to engage with projections p pl upon the pair of spring.
claws FF, situated above the strikers A A' so that said
ppl over acts upon the
two said upper claws simultaneously. The opposite end of the lever K is pressed
downwards by a spring-controlled push or button L (Figure 1)..
Our method of, and device for releasing the lower claws, are illustrated by
Figures 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Figure 4 being a front view, showing the right-hand striker uncocked, and
the left-hand striker head only dotted, in order to disclose the retaining
claws; and
Figure 5 a plan of same, the two upper claws and left-hand striker being
omitted.
Figures 6 and 7 are similar to Figures 5 and 6, but show the right-hand striker
in its cocked position ready for firing.
Each of the lower retaining claws G has also a projection g or g², acted upon in
rather a different manner from the upper one, by means of a device so constructed
that each lower claw G is released alternately, that is to say, the second or (say)
left-hand striker A cannot be released by pressing the lower push M (Figure 1):
until the (say) right-hand striker A' bas been released and the barrel discharged.
For this purpose, we fix, at or near the centre of the. lock chamber, and on the
bottom plate N, a short vertical pin or spindle O, and on this we mount a loose
sleeve or block P, at the top of which are formed at right angles to the barrels,
two projections or short arms Q Q', which engage with the projections q g' on the
lower claws alternately. The lower part of the sleeve or block P is controlled by
one end of a bent lever R, pivotted to the bottom plate and acted upon by the lower

page_text: button or push M; but in order that those said projections q g' on the lower claws
shall be acted upon alternately and not simultaneously, the sleeve P is made to
partially revolve, so that the said projections QQ', although at right angles to, or
transverse of, the barrels, when the fire-arm (or the right-hand barrel) has been
discharged, are slightly turned from this position, by the forcing back of the
right-hand striker A', upon the fire-arın being cocked. For this purpose we
attach rigidly to the top of the vertical spindle O, a short arm S. projecting
forwardly, and carrying at its extremity a short rocking vertical lever T, the upper
part t of which, forms a pivot or spindle, on which revolves a short collar U
carrying a flange u. The lower end of said rocking lever carries a projection V
(or may be bent up), which engages in a vertical slot, cut into a foot v, projecting
from the lower part of the sleeve or block P before described, by means of
which, the rocking motion is imparted to it, and the arms Q Q¹ moved so as to
alternately engage with the projections g q¹ on the lower claws which are arranged
so as to meet them.
The rocking lever T aforesaid is furnished with a spring W, by which means the
revolving collar U is kept normally in the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 ; but
it is pushed aside by the striker head A' on the latter being forced back or cocked,
as shown in Figures 6 and 7, so causing the projection Q to move clear of its
corresponding projection 9 on the claw G, and the projection Q to be over or
opposite to its corresponding projection g' of the lower claw, restraining, say, the
right-hand striker A'. On the latter being released by pressing the top and
bottom pushes L and M, the head of said striker A¹ clears the flange u of the
collar U, which thereupon returns to its normal position, presenting, at the same
time, the opposite projection Q to the corresponding projection 9 on the lower
claw G, restraining, say, the left-hand striker A, when a second pressure of both
top and bottom pushes L and M will also release said striker A.
Although we have described our present invention in connection with one top
or thumb push and one lower or finger push, we would say that the two pushes
may be placed oppositely or thereabouts in other positions nearer to one side or
the other, if desired, or in any manner that may be most convenient for reaching
and operating.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is :-
1. In breechloading double barrelled small arms, the use of one top or thumb
push and one bottom or finger push or cf two pushes otherwise oppositely disposed,
so arranged that pressure upon one of them alone will not discharge the loaded
fire-arm, but when both are pressed simultaneously twice over, the two barrels will
thereby be discharged in succession, by means of the mechanism such as hereinbefore
described and substantially as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. In breechloading double barrelled small arms having a pair of spring impelled
strikers, the combination of two upper or equivalent retaining claws F F operated
from a push L through the medium of a forked lever K with two lower or
equivalent retaining claws G operated in succession from a single push M through
the medium of a lever R actuating a sliding block or sleeve P bearing pro-
jections QQ, each engaging only one at a time with its particular claw, by reason
of said block or sleeve revolving slightly on the release of one striker A, by the
means and substantially in the manner bereiubefore described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
3. For the purpose of causing the lower or equivalent push to act upon the two
lower retaining claws alternately, the use of a rocking lever T actuated by the
striker head A and compelling the lever-controlled block or sleeve P to revolve
slightly on its axis and thereby cause its two projections QQ' to assume a
different position with relation to their respective retaining claws, substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 4. The improvements in the arrangement and construction of the locking or
cocking mechanism of small arms having safety buttons or pushes substantially
in the manner herein before set forth and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 12th day of November 1896
STANLEY, POPPLEWELL & Co.,
7 & 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Chartered Patent Agents.