IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING FOWLING PIECES PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry William Holland of New Bond Street and John
Robertson of George Yard Wardour Street both in the County of Middlesex
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING FOWLING PIECES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry William Holland
and John Robertson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
1st January 1883.
HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND of New Bond Street and JOHN ROBERTSON of
George Yard Wardour Street both in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH LOADING FOWLING PIECES AND FIRE ARMS
"
This Invention has for its object Improvements in breech loading fowling pieces
and fire arms.
In fowling pieces which open by the turning of the barrels about a transverse
pin or axis so as to raise the breeches, it is usual for the hammers of both locks to
be raised and cocked in the act of opening the gun.
According to our Invention we divide the labour of cocking between the two
operations of opening and of closing the gun, one lock being cocked in the opening
and the other in the closing.
For the purpose of cocking in the act of closing the gun, we provide a lever at
the side of the body in the cavity which receives the lock. This lever is capable
of turning about a pin or pivot and a slot in it permits of movement endwise for a
short distance. The hinder end of the lever is beneath a projection upon the front
of the hammer and when raised forces the hammer back to the cocked position.
The forward end of the lever has a pin upon it projecting into the opening in the
body which receives the lump upon the barrels, there is a recess formed in the lump
to receive the pin.
The bolt by which the breeches when closed are locked also works in conjunction
with the lever thrusting it forward when the bolt is shot but allowing the lever to
recede when the bolt is withdrawn.
The action then is as follows:-In the opening of the gun, an incline on the
barrel lump thrusts the lever back, a movement which the bolt being out of the

page_text: way the lever is able to make. The lever is now in position to operate when
the breeches are closed. At this time a shoulder at the hinder side of the recess in
the barrel lump comes down upon the pin on the lever turns the lever on its pivot
and the cocking takes place in the manner explained. Then in locking the breeches
when the bolt comes forward an inclined projection upon the bolt acts against the
tail of the lever pushes it forward and depresses its end, thereby leaving the
hammer free and returning the lever to its original position.
The lock which is put to fullcock on the opening of the breech is also operated
by a lever engaging with the barrel lump. The fore end of this cocking fever is
carried up by the lump as the lump rises and its hinder end then presses down on
a projection on the hammer This projection being behind the pivot upon the
hammer, pressure upon it raises the hammer to the cocked position.
In place of allowing the cocking lovers to engage directly with the barrel lump
they may be made to engage with recesses in two auxiliary levers, one on either
side of the lump, these levers being carried upon the joint pin and moving with the
barrels and the barrel lump.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry William Holland and John Robertson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 30th June 1883.
th
HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND of New Bond Street and JoHN ROBERTSON of
George Yard Wardour Street both in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH LOADING FOWLING PIECES AND FIRE ARMS
"
This invention has for its object improvements in breech loading fowling pieces
and fire arms,
In fowling pieces which open by the turning of the barrels about a transverse
pin or axis so as to raise the breeches it is usual for the hammers of both locks to
be raised and cocked in the act of opening the gun.
According to our Invention we divide the labour of cocking between the two
operations of opening and of closing the gun, one lock being cocked in the opening
and the other in the closing.
For the purpose of cocking in the act of closing the gun we provide a lever
at the side of the body in the cavity which receives the lock. This lever is
capable of turning about on a pin or pivot and a slot in it permits of movement
endwise for a short distance. The hinder end of the lever is beneath a projection
upon the front of the hammer and when raised forces the hammer back to the
cocked position.
The forward end of the lover has a pin upon it projecting into the opening in the
body which receives the lump upon the barrels; there is a recess formed in the lump
to receive the pin.
The bolt by which the breeches when closed are locked also works in conjunction
with the lever thrusting it forward when the bolt is shot but allowing the lover to
recede when the bolt is withdrawn.
The action then is as follows:-in the opening of the gun the lever is thrust
back either by an incline on the barrel lump or in other ways, a movement which
the bolt being out of the way the lever is able to make. The lever is now in
position to operate when the breeches are closed. At this time a shoulder at tho
binder side of the recess in the barrel lump comes down upon the pin on the lever
turns the lever on its pivot and the cocking takes place in the manner explained,
Then in locking the breeches when the bolt comes forward an inclined projection
upon the bolt acts against the tail of the lever, pushes it forward and depresses
its end, thereby leaving the hammer free and returning the lever to its original
position.
The lock which is put to full cock on the opening of the breech is also operated
by a lever engaging with the barrel lump. The fore end of this cocking lever is
carried up by the lump as the lump rises and its hinder end then presses down on
a projection on the hammer. This projection being behind the pivot upon the
hammer, pressure upon it raises the hammer to the cocked position.
In place of allowing the cocking levers to engage directly with the barrel lump
they may be made to engage with recesses in two auxiliary levers one on either
side of the lump, these levers being carried upon the joint pin and moving with
the barrels and the barrel lump.
In order that our Invention may be fully understood we will proceed to describe
the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 shew the parts used for setting back the hammer of one of
the locks of a double barrel breech loading fowling piece at the time of closing the

page_text: gun-the above figures shew the parts in the several positions they assume each
time the gun is opened and closed.
Figures 5 and 6 show the parts used for setting back the hammer of the other
lock at the time when the gun is opened.
Figure 7 shows a horizontal section taken through the body along the line A. B
Figure 1.
A is the body carrying at its forward end a pin B for the barrels to turn upon in
the ordinary manner. C. C. are small levers also free to turn upon the pin B-the
underside of the barrels rests on the top of these levers so that when the barrels
are turned around the pin B the levers turn with them. D is a lever lying in the
cavity in the body which receives the main spring end of the lock plate-this lever
is capable of turning about a pin E-the pin passes through a slot in the lever as
shown so that the lever may also be moved a short distance endwise. F is the
hammer of the lock turning on à pin G carried by the lock plate in the ordinary
way we have not thought it necessary to shew a drawing of the lock plate or of
any other parts of the lock as these may be of the ordinary well known con-
struction. Standing out from the inner side of the hammer is a projection H-the
rear end of the lever D comes below this projection-The forward end of the
lever D has a pin D¹ projecting outwards from it this pin comes below the rear
end of one of the levers C-in the rear end of this lever Ċ is a slot C', into which
the pin D¹ enters when the gun is closed. I is a spring pressing upwards against
the underside of the forward end of the lever D-the end of the spring acts against
an incline on the lever so that it not only acts to press upwards the forward end
of the lever D but also to draw this lever backwards. Projecting inwards from
the lever D is a pin K which comes just in front of a projection L' that projects
outwards from the rear end of the locking bolt L. To unlock the gun the bolt is
drawn back by the action upon it (in the ordinary well known way) of a short
arm M' which stands out from an axis M. This axis has secured to its upper end
à levor arm M so that by turning this arm to one side the bolt can be withdrawn.
When the gun has been closed and fired the parts are in the position shown at
Figure 1.
When the bolt has been drawn back and the barrels turned down the lever C
turns with them and so soon as the lever C has been turned into the position
shewn at Figure 2 the spring I draws back the lever D into the position shewn at
Figure 3.
When the barrels are turned to again close the gun the underside of the rear end
of the lever C comes against the pin D at the forward end of the lever D and
turns this lever from the position shewn at Figure 3 into the position shewn at
Figure 4 thereby setting back the hammer until it is caught and retained by the
sear of the lock. The lever D is free to turn into this position at the time when
the gun is being closed because the locking bolt L is at this time held or forced
back by the lump on the underside of the barrels so that the projection L¹ upon it
is then in the position shewn in Figure 4 afterwards so soon as the gun has been
completely closed the locking bolt is forced forward in the ordinary way by a
spring which acts upon the lever arm M². When the bolt is so thrust forwards
the projection L¹ upon the locking bolt comes against the pin K which stands out
from the rear ond of the lever D and forces this lever forwards until the pin D' at
the forward end of the lever D can enter the slot C, in the lever C the lever D is
then free to be turned into the position shewn at Figure 1 by an incline at the
lower part of the projection L' and by the action of the spring I.
Figures 5 and 6 shew the parts for putting back the hammer of the other lock to
full cock at the time when the gun is open. The parts of this lock are carried
by a lock plate secured to the side of the gun in the ordinary manner.
C is the
lever turning with the barrels. D is the cocking lever its forward end engages
with the rear end of the lever C-its rear end passes over the pivot of the hammer
and carries a roller O. which when the rear end of the lever is depressed acts upon

page_text: a projection P which is behind the pivot on the hammer and sets back the hammer
to full cock and this takes place at the time when the gun is opened.
We would remark that in place of the arrangement shewn at Figures 5 and 6
any ordinary way of cocking the hammer at the time of opening the breech may
be employed.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same we would have it understood that we claim as our improvements
in breech loading fowling pieces and fire arms.
First. In double barrel fowling pieces or fire arms which open by the barrels
turning down about a transverse pin or axis the employment of mechanism to set
back to full cock the hammer of one of the locks at the time when the gun is
being opened and of mechanism to set back the hammer of the other lock at the
time when the gun is being closed.
Second. The combination of mechanism for setting back the hammer of a gun
lock to full cock at the time when the gun is being closed substantially as herein
before described.
Third. The combination of mechanism for setting back the hammer of a gun
lock to full cock at the time when the gun is being opened substantially as herein
before described and shewn at Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Henry William Holland have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty ninth day of June in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
DENDY
TITTAR
HOLT AT
TEADY WETTAM HOLT AND
HO
(2,5.)