IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL FIRE ARMS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Perkes at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1883.
THOMAS PERKES of the Parish of St Pancras in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL FIRE ARMS
"
This Invention relates to improvements in breech loading small fire-arms and
has for its object Firstly-To render the gun perfectly safe until ready for firing.
Secondly To effectually prevent all risk of a live cartridge being ejected from the
barrel until the gun is discharged. Thirdly To an improved arrangement for
locking one or both tumblers on closing the gun and Fourthly to a simple method
of applying a gas check for preventing the gas from entering the locks
My safety mechanism is as follows I attach to the lock plate a safety bolt which
is actuated by a lateral rocking motion and fits into a suitable recess cut in the
lock plate The fore end of such bolt is provided with a hook or projection and
the rear end with an arm that lies against the trigger blade while the tumblers
are furnished with hooks or projections which when they are at full cock engage
with the fore end of the safety bolt so as to intercept them should they fall thus
effectually preventing the accidental discharge of the gun-Such safety bolt is
disengaged from the tumbler by the blade of the trigger pressing against the arm
formed on the rear end of the bolt which causes the fore end to rock into the plate
(which may either be recessed or plain) thus leaving the tumblers free to fall when
the trigger is pulled-Or instead of this arrangement I attach to the plate a bolt
which has an upward sliding or rotary motion imparted thereto by the triggers
One end of this bolt lies in a notch cut in the tumbler while the other end is
provided with an arm that rests upon the trigger blade so that when the triggers
are pulled the bolt is raised from the tumbler-If preferred such safety bolts may
be mounted upon the tang of the action instead of upon the lock plate
I also attach either to the tang or to the trigger safety a top slide which is
actuated by the leg of the slide-This latter instead of being solid is jointed so that
DG11

page_text: when the trigger is pulled the trigger blade comes in contact with the slide leg
and pressing it forward allows the tumbler to fall-This loose trigger safety stem
may be made in one with the tumbler safety and when the top slide is moved on
this stem locks the triggers Or instead of actuating such safety by the triggers I
may adopt other means for so doing.
The second part of my invention relates more particularly to ejector Guns and
has for its object a novel method of applying Stops for the purpose of retaining
the live Cartridge in the barrels until the Gun is discharged-To effect this I drill
two holes in the breech of the action one for each barrel into which I fit suitable
slides which are actuated by levers jointed into the back of the action and engaging
with the lower-ends-of-the slides one for each lock-The mode of removing
these stops to allow the Cartridge to be ejected is by the tumbler-or-its-equivalent.
fulling upon the rear end of the lever, thus bringing the stop flush with the top
of the action-While in this position the gun is unbolted and opened for the
purpose of cocking and reloading; and in order to hold the Stop in a neutral
position while this is being done I form upon the lower end of cach stop a projec-
tion which engages with shoulders or bosses formed on the grip lever or bolt or its
equivalent which latter locks into the stop till the Gun is closed when the stop
rises to its former position above the action on being released by the lever or bolt
returning to lock the Gun
The third part of my invention has for its object the locking one or both
tumblers by raising the barrels. when closing the Gun For this purpose I affix to
any part of the lock, or action, or cocking rod, a lever or slido actuated by rods
worked by the fore end-When the gun is being closed the rod is pressed back or
drawn forward according to the formation of the fore end The tumbler lever or
its equivalent has a recess or spur formed in or upon it; a corresponding recess
or spur being formed upon the cocking slide or rod into which it engages. for the
purpose of cocking the tuinbler-The.cocking is effected by the rod or slide bearing
against the fore end which forces the rod backwards thus causing it to engage
with the lever on the tumbler by means of the spurs or projections locking together
and so forces the tumbler into full cock When the Gun is nearly closed and tho
tumbler cocked the barrels come in contact with studs fitted into the action which
studs bear at one end upon the tumbler lever and so throw it out of gear to allow
the Gun to be discharged-When the barrels are opened the cocking rod is free to
move forward to its former position thus enabling the tumbler lever to engage with
the Cocking rod by means of the locking parts being in position so as to cock the
gun again when the barrels are closed-These rods and levers may also be actuated
by the barrel or lump by forming projections upon the rods or levers and extending
them into the slot of the action and making them bear upon an incline or bearing
in or upon the lump when they will have the same effect as described above.
When the barrels are opened the cocking rods are controlled by springs
The fourth part of my invention relates to a simple mode of preventing Gas
from being forced into the locks-To prevent this I cut in the face of the action
a shallow slot the width of the cap or cup in the base of the Cartridge right across
the face of the action which allows the Gas to pass frecly away.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Perkes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th December
1883.
THOMAS PERKES of the Parish of St Pancras in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL FIRE-ARMS
"
This Invention relates to improvements in Breech-loading small fire arms and
has for its object Firstly to render the gun perfectly safe until ready for firing
Secondly To effectually prevent all risk of a live cartridge being ejected from the
breech until the gun is discharged and Thirdly To an improved arrangement for
cocking one or both tumblers on closing the gun
My improved safety mechanism is as follows I attach to the lock plate a safety
bolt (1) which when actuated either by the blade of the trigger (2) or the hook (3)
of the tumbler as presently described has a rocking motion-This safety bolt fits
into a recess cut in the lock plate (5) and is provided at its fore end with a hook
or projection (6) and at its rear end with an arm (7) that lies against the trigger
blade. When the tumbler is at full cock the tumbler hook (3) engages with the
hook (G) of the safety bolt whereby in the event of the tumblers falling they are
intercepted and so effectually prevent the accidental discharge of the gun-Such
safety bolt is disengaged by the trigger blade pressing against the arm (7) formed
on the rear end of the bolt which causes the foro end to rock into or on the plate
which may either be recessed or plain thus leaving the tumbler free to fall when
the trigger is pulled
Or the safety bolt may be mounted upon the tang of the action or upon the
trigger plato instead of upon the lock plate. Attached either to the tang or to
the trigger safety is a top slide (8) which is actuated by the leg (9) of the slido
which leg is jointed so that when the trigger is pulled the trigger blade comes in
contact with such jointed leg which leg acts on the rear arm of the safety bolt
thereby pressing it forward and allowing the tumbler to fall This jointed leg
may if preferred however be made in one with the tumblor safety and when the
top slide is moved such jointed leg locks the triggers.
The second part of my invention relates more particularly to ejector guns and
has for its object a novel method of actuating the stops for the purpose of retaining
the live cartridge in the barrel until the gun is discharged-To effect this I drill
two holes in the breech of the action one for each barrel into which I fit suitable
stops (10) which are actuated by levers (11) jointed into the back of the action
one for each lock and engaging with the lower ends of the stops-To allow the
cartridge to be ejected such stops are actuated by the tumblers or their equivalents
falling upon the rear end of the lovers. This brings the stops flush with the top of
the action as shewn in Figures 5-6 While in this position the gun is opened for
the purpose of cocking and reloading and in order to hold the stops in a neutral
position while this is being done I form upon the lower end of each such stop a
projection (12) which engages with bosses or shoulders (13) formed on the grip
lever bolt or its equivalent which bolt acts as a detent on the stops till the gun is
closed when the stops on being released by the lever or bolt returning to lock the
gun, rise to their former position above the action
The third part of my invention has for its object the cocking of one or both
tumblers by raising the barrels when closing the gun-For this purpose I affix to
any part of the lock or cocking rod or action two sliding levers (14) (one for each
barrel actuated by rods (15) worked by the fore end (16) or by the lump or barrels
as presently described. These sliding levers are pivotted either to the rods (15)

page_text: or to the tumblers. When the gun is being closed the rods (15) are pressed back
or drawn forward according to the formation of the fore end-On closing the
barrels the cocking is effected by the fore end (16) bearing against the rods (15)
which latter force the levers (14) backwards against projections (17) formed on the
tumblers and so force the tumblers into full cock When the gun is nearly closed
and the tumblers cocked the sliding levers come in contact with studs or pro-
jections (18) fitted into or formed on the action which studs or projections bear at
one end upon the sliding levers (14) and so throw them out of gear to allow the
gun to be discharged When the barrels are opened the sliding levers and rods
(14-15) are free to move forward thus enabling such sliding levers to engage
with-the-tumblers_as_shewn in Figure 1 Or this arrangement may be reversed so
as to cause the rods (15) to engage with the projections.(17)_on_the_tumblers as
shewn in Figure 7 thus cocking the gun. Or such levers and rods may be actuated
by the barrels or lump by forming projections upon the rods or levers and extending
them into the slot of the action and making them bear upon an inclino or bearing
in or upon the lump when they will have a similar effect as shewn in Figures 3. 4.
If preferred only one sliding lever and rod may be employed for cocking both
tumblers by simply adjusting such lever and rod so as to actuate both tumblers
When the barrels are open the cocking rods are controlled by springs (19) as
seen in Figures 3 and 4 or by any suitable equivalents The arm of the sliding
lever (14) may if preferred be extended to a sufficient degree as shewn at Figure 8
to engage either with the fore. end or the barrel thus dispensing with the lever
rod (15)
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention I would have it understood that what I claim as novel and of my
invention is
Firstly The improved method of actuating the safety bolt by means of the
trigger substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before specified.
Secondly The improved mechanism for retaining the -live. cartridge_in_ the
barrel consisting of stops (10)-levers (11) and grip lever bolt or its equivalent all
combined arranged and fitted substantially as hereinbefore specified
Thirdly With regard to the third part of my invention I claim as novel the
principle of cocking the tumblers by means of the fore end substantially as herein-
before described and shewn but I do not confine myself to the preciso details
hereinbefore specified as the same admit of modification without departing from
such principle
Fourthly I also claim as novel the actuating the levers and rods (14)—(15) or
the levers (14) when extended as herein before described by means of the barrels
or lump substantially as hereinbefore specified.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Perkes have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twentieth day of December in the Year of Our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
SKATTLA