Improvements in the Ejecting Mechanism of Breech Loading Drop Down Small Arms.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 11th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Ejecting Mechanism of Breech Loading Drop
Down Small Arms.
I WILLIAM HENRY BRIGHTON of No. 13 Court Price Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Gun Action Filer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention
to be as follows:-
My invention consists in constructing and arranging in the ways hereinafter
described the ejecting mechanism of breech loading drop down sinall arms whoreby
the ejecting of the case of an exploded cartridge is effected by mechanism simple in
construction and not liable to get out of order.
My invention is applicable both to single and double barrel guns.
I will describe my improvements as applied to a single barrel the application of
my improvements to a double barrel gun consisting of a duplication of the parts.
According to one of my improvements I construct the ejecting mechanisin in the
following manner. On a pin or axis on the fore end of the gun a hammer for striking
the end of the leg of the extractor turns. The said hammer is furnished with a strong
spring which when the hammer is at liberty to move drives it forcibly against the end
of the leg of the extractor and ejects the case of the spent cartridge. The said
ejecting hammer is forced back its spring brought into a state of tension and the
hammer cocked or held in that position and at the proper time liberated so as to strike
the leg of the extractor in the following manner.
When the breech end of the barrel is shut down after charging the head of the
extractor coming against the face of the break off the extractor is pressed back and
the leg of the said extractor forces back the ejecting hammer putting its spring into
a state of tension. This position of the ejecting hammer is maintained so long as the
breech end of the barrel is shut down. But before the breech end of the barrel is
raised after firing it is necessary that the ejecting hammer should be cocked or held in
the position described and uncocked or liberated only when the breech end of the
barrel has been partly raised and that only after the gun has been fired.
The cocking of the gun is effected in the usual manner by the raising of the breech
end of the barrel forcing back the cocking rod and cocking the hammer of the gun
the shutting down of the barrel bringing back the cocking rod of the gun nearly but
not quite back to its original position. In connection with the ejecting hammer is a
locking catch which by rising locks and by falling liberates the ejecting hammer.
The raising of the locking catch is effected by a quadrant lever one end of which is
engaged under the said catch the other end being situated opposite the end of the
cocking rod of the gun. The depressing of the locking catch is effected by a
small lever carried by the fore end one end of which lever enters a recess in the
knuckle of the break off and the other is situated over the locking catch.
The action of the parts is as follows:-On the raising of the breech end of the
barrel for charging the cocking rod of the gun is pushed back in the usual way and
the hammer of the gun cocked. When after the introduction of a cartridge the
breech end of the barrel is shut down the extractor is forced back the ejecting hammer
being raised into its cocked position but not yet cocked or temporarily fixed in that
position. When the gun is discharged the cocking hammer drives forward the
cocking rod the latter acts on the quadrant lever raising the locking catch and locking
the ejecting hammer. On raising the breech end of the barrel for reloading the small
lever carried by the fore end one end of which lever occupies a recess in the knuckle
of the break off is operated by its end striking against the bottom of the recess and
its other end depressing the locking catch liberates the ejecting hammer which forcibly
striking the end of the leg of the extractor ejects the cartridge case. From the

page_text: foregoing description it will be understood that the discharge of the gun fixes the
ejecting hammer n its cocked position ready for its sudden liberation and striking of
the leg of the extractor on the raising of the breech end of the barrel and that when
the gun has not been discharged the lifting of the breech end of the barrel does not
eject the unexploded cartridge. In other words there is no ejection excepting after
firing.
When the fore end is removed for cleaning the gun or for other purpose the ejector
hammer is loose and in putting the fore end again in its place the said ejector hammer
requires to be held back. To effect this I employ a sliding rod having an external
thumb plate. When this rod is pressed by its thumb plate an incline on the said rod
raises the catch and holds back the ejecting hammer.
manner.
gun
According to another of my improvements I modify the mechanism in the following
side of
The ejecting hammer has a rectilinear motion in a tube on the upper
the fore end the hammer being urged forward by a helical or coiled spring. The
hammer is pushed to full cock position by the pushing of the leg of the extractor on
shutting down the breech end of the barrel. A spring catch or stop is raised to hold
the ejecting hammer at cock by a rod passing through the body of the and
actuated by the fall of the hammer of the gun. On the fore end is a lever the
upper end of which bears against the rear end of the ejecting hammer spring.
The lower end of the said lover bears against a sliding rod actuated by an incline
upon the hinge joint of the gun action so that on raising the breech end of tho
barrel the said rod is forced forwards so as to operate the lever described and
compress the ejecting spring. By the further motion of the said rod an incline on
it depresses the catch which held the ejecting hammer cocked. The liberated
hammer by the action of its spring strikes the leg of the extractor and ejects the
case of the spent cartridge. The action of this modification is essentially the same as
that of the first described arrangement.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1889.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Ejecting Mechanism of Breech Loading Drop
Down Small Arms.
I WILLIAM HENRY BRIGHTON of No. 13 Court, Price Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gun Action Filer, do hereby declare the nature of my inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists in constructing and arranging in the ways hereinafter
described the ejecting mechanism of breech loading drop down small arms whereby
the ejecting of the case of an exploded cartridge is effected by mechanism simplo in
construction and not liable to get out of order.
My invention is applicable to single and double barrel guns.
I will describe my improvements as applied to a single barrel gun the application
of my improvements to a double barrel gun consisting of a duplication of the parts.
According to one of my improvements I construct the ejecting mechanism in the
following manner-On a pin or axis on the fore end of the gun a hammer for
striking the end of the leg of the extractor turns. The said hammer is furnished
with a strong spring which when the hammer is at liberty to move drives it
forcibly against the end of the leg of the extractor and ejects the case of the
spent cartridge. The said ejecting hammer is forced back, its spring brought into
a state of tension and the hammer cocked or held in that position and at the proper
time liberated so as to strike the leg of the extractor in the following manner.
When the breech end of the barrel is shut down after charging, the head of the
extractor coming against the face of the break off the extractor is pressed back

page_text: and the leg of the said extractor forces back the ejecting hammer putting its spring
into a state of tension. This position of the ejecting hammer is maintained so
long as the breech end of the barrel is shut down. But before the breech end of
the barrel is raised after firing, it is necessary that the ejecting hammer should
be cocked or held in the position described and uncocked or liberated only when
the breech end of the barrel has been partly raised, and that, only after the gun has
been fired.
The cocking of the gun is effected in the usual manner by the raising of the
breech end of the barrel forcing back the cocking rod and cocking the hammer
of the gun, the shutting down of the barrel bringing back the cocking rod of the
gun nearly but not quite back to its original position. In connection with the
ejecting haminer is a locking catch which by rising locks and by falling liberates
the ejecting hammer. The raising of the locking catch is effected by a quadrant
lever one end of which is engaged under the said catch, the other end being
situated opposite the end of the cocking rod of the gun. The depressing of the
locking catch is effected by a small lever carried by the fore end, one end of which
lever enter a recess in the knuckle of the body and the other is situated over the
locking catch.
The action of the parts is as follows: On the raising of the breech ond of the
barrel for charging, the cocking rod of the gun is pushed back in the usual way and
the hammer of the gun cocked. When after the introduction of a cartridge the
breech end of the barrel is shut down the extractor is forced back the ejecting hammer
being raised into its cocked position but not yet cocked or temporarily fixed in that
position. When the gun is discharged the discharging hammer drives forward the
cocking rod, the latter acts on the quadrant lever raising the locking catch and locking
the ejecting hammer. On raising the breech end of the barrel for reloading, the
small lever carried by the fore end, one end of which lever occupies a recess in the
knuckle of the body, is operated by its end striking against the bottom of the recess
and its other end depressing the locking catch liberates the ejecting hammer which
forcibly striking the end of the leg of the extractor ejects the cartridge case.
When the fore end is removed for cleaning the gun or for other purpose, the
ejecting hammer is loose and in putting the fore end again in its place, the said
ejecting hammer requires to be held back. To effect this I employ a sliding rod
having an external thumb plate. When this rod is pressed by its thumb plate an
incline on the said rod raises the catch and holds back the ejecting hammer.
According to another of my improvements I modify the mechanism in the following
manner. The ejecting hammer has a rectilinear motion in a tube on the upper side
of the fore end, the hammer being urged forward by a helical or coiled spring. The
hammer is pushed to its full cock position on opening the breech end of the barrel.
A spring catch or stop is raised to hold the ejecting hammer at cock by a rod passing
through the body of the gun and actuated by the fall of the hammer of the gun. On
the fore end is a lever the upper end of which bears against the rear end of the
ejecting hammer spring. The lower end of the said lever bears against a sliding rod
actuated by an incline upon the hinge joint of the gun action so that on raising the
breech end of the barrel the said rod is forced forwards so as to operate the lever
described and compress the ejecting spring. By the further motion of the said rod
an incline on it depresses the catch which held the ejecting hammer cocked. The
liberated hammer by the action of its spring strikes the leg of the extractor and ejects
the case of the spent cartridge. The action of this modification is essentially the
same as ibat of the first described arrangement.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation the
breech end of a drop down gun containing ejecting mechanism constructed according
to one of the arrangements of my invention, the barrel being represented shut down,
the gun discharged, the ejecting hammer in its cocked position and locked by the
action of the cocking rod upon the quadrant lever of the ejecting mechanism :

page_text: Figure 2 represents a portion of the gun showing the respective positions which the
parts of the ejecting mechanism occupy before the ejecting hammer has been locked
or held in its cocked position by the discharge of the gun and Figure 3 represents
the barrel raised from the break off, the ejecting hammer released and the
extractor in its advanced or ejecting position after the spent cartridge case has been
ejected.
Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 represent detached parts of the gun as hereinafter
described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
and 7.
a is the ejecting hammer by which the log or rod 6 of the extractor is operated
upon to eject the spent cartridge case; a² is the strong spring of the ejecting hammer;
c is the locking catch (shown separately drawn to a larger scale in Figure 5)
having a rising and falling motion for locking or holding the ejecting hammer a in
its cocked position and for releasing the said ejecting hammer at the proper time.
The lower part of the locking catch c is hooked as represented, its hooked end when
the said catch is raised, engaging with the heel of the ejecting hammer a as
represented in Figure 1 and holding the said ejecting hammer in its cocked
position is a lateral extension or shoulder on the locking catch c against which
shoulder the small or releasing lever e acts to take the sliding catch out of action
for releasing the ejecting haminer a. The cylindrical stud or stem c³ at the upper
part of the locking catch e works in a hole in the fore end iron and acts as a
guide to the locking catch in its sliding motion. The locking catch is retained in
its raised or lowered position by a spring arm, the end of which bears against it
at the notches ¹ (see Figure 5); d is the quadrant lover (shewn separately drawn
to a larger scale in Figure 4) turning on the centre, against the lower arm or
shoulder d³ of which lever, the inclined end of the cocking rod facts to turn the
said quadrant lever on its centre. The upper arm or shoulder d' of the quadrant
lever d is situated under the shoulder or lateral extension c² of the locking catch c
and by acting upon the said shoulder the quadrant lover raises the locking catch
and locks in its cocked position the ejecting hammer a. The small lever e for
pressing down the locking catch c and releasing the cocked ejecting hammer on the
opening of the gun is centred over the quadrant lever d. One arm of the said
small levere is situated over and bears upon the shoulder c² of the locking
catch c and the other arm is situated in the recess at g at the joint end of the body h
of the gun.
The ejecting hammer a and its spring, the locking catch c, the quadrant lever d and
the small releasing lever e are carried by the "fore end" of the gun, and the cocking
rod is situated and works in the body of the gun. The cocking rod f is acted
upon by the hammer of the gun lock in the usual way. Before the gun has been
discharged the inclined end of the cocking rod f has the position at the joint end of
the body represented in Figure 2 and after the gun has been discharged the cocking
rod has the more advanced position given to it represented in Figure 1.
h
1 will now describe the action of the parts.
On raising the breech end of the barrel for reloading the gun as illustrated in
Figure 3 the cocking rod is pushed back in the usual way and the gun is cocked.
The cartridge having been introduced into the open barrel the breech end is shut
down and the extractor and its rod or leg bare forced back by the face of the break
off acting against the hook of the extractor The forcing back of the extractor rod
or leg b causes it to force back and raise the ejecting hammer a into its cocked position
as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 but the said hammer is not yet cocked or temporarily
hold in that position as illustrated in Figure 2. When the gun is discharged the
hammer of the lock drives forward the cocking rod into the position represented in
Figure 1. By the driving forward of the cocking rod fits inclined end acts on the
shoulder of the quadrant lever d turning the said lever on its centre d².
upper arm or shoulder d of the quadrant lever is thereby made to bear under the
shoulder of the locking catch c and raise the latter and cause it to lock the ejecting
The

page_text: 6
haminer a in its cocked position, the several parts of the ejecting mechanism now
having the respective positions represented in Figure 1. In order to reload the
discharged gun and eject the spent cartridge case, the breach end of the barrel is
raised as illustrated in Figure 3. As the barrel is raised the extractor rod b is first
acted upon by the starter k and the spent cartridge case is started from the barrel.
When the barrel has been fully opened, the rear arm of the small or releasing lever e
strikes against the bottom of the recess g in the joint end of the body h, in which
recess it works, thereby raising that arm of the said lever and depressing the opposite
arin. The latter arm depresses the locking catch and liberates the ejecting haminer a
which forcibly striking the end of the leg or rod of the extractor ejects the spent
cartridge case, the several parts of the ejecting mechanism now having the respective
positions represented in Figure 3. From the foregoing description and by reference
to the accompanying drawings it will be understood that the disebarge of the gun
fixes the ejecting hammer a in its cocked position ready for its sudden liberation and
striking of the leg b of the extractor on the raising of the breech end of the barrel
and that when the gun has not been discharged the lifting of the breech end of the
barrel does not eject the unexploded cartridge in consequence of the ejecting hammer
not being held in its cocked position. In other words, there is no ejection excepting
after firing.
'
The action which I have described with respect to one barrel of the gun takes
place with respect to each of the barrels of a double gun, a divided extractor of the
ordinary kind in that case being used.
The spring sliding rod of the "fore end" of the gun which I use for holding the
ejecting hammers in their cocked position when the "fore end" is removed for
cleaning the gun or for other purposes is represented detached in side elevation in
Figure 6 and plan of underside in Figure 7; 1 is the sliding rod on the fore end iron
pressed backwards or out of action by the coiled spring m and having a knob or
head n on its outer end for pressing it forward or into action. The acting end of the
sliding rod is forked at p, p and the extreme end of each branch of the fork is
inclined. Before the foru end is removed from the gun the sliding rod / is pushed
inwards; the inclines at the ends of the branches of the fork p, p are thereby made
to pass under the shoulders c³, c' and raise the locking catches c, c which engaging
with the ejecting hammers a a in the manner herein before described hold them back
or in their cocked positions.
In order to simplify the parts of and give compactness to the ejecting mechanism
the quadrant lever and the locking catch may be made in one piece.
This modification of my invention is represented in longitudinal section in
Figure 8 and a plan of underside of the fore end in Figure 9.
In the said
Figures 8 and 9 the gun is represented discharged and the locking catch engaged
with the heel of the ejecting hammer for holding the said hammer in its cocked
position.
Figure 10 represents the ejecting hammers and the springs of the same carried in
a box which is fixed to the fore end; Fig. 11 represents in side elevation and plan of
underside the combined quadrant lever and locking catch detached, drawn to a larger
scale, the small releasing lever of the mechanisu being represented in conjunction with
the plan view of Figure 11; Figure 12 represents the releasing lever detached, drawn
to the same scale as Figure 11.
a is the ejecting hammer and a the spring of the same carried in the box at
secured to the fore end iron by the screw a the position of the said box in the fore
end iron being determined by the guide pins at a taking into holes in the said iron;
d is the quadrant lever and c is the locking catch made in one piece with the said
lever, the said locking catch in this modification consisting of the cross arm c which
arm (when the quadrant lever d is turned on its centre d³ by the advance of the
cocking rod f. after the discharge of the gun) rises behind the heel of the ejecting
hammer a as seen in Figure 8 and holds the said ejecting hammer in its cocked
position is the small or releasing lever turning on the same centre & as the
combined quadrant lever d and locking catch o. The front arm of the said small
:

page_text: releasing lever e is situated over the locking catch c and the rear arm is situated in a
recess at the joint end of the bo ly h. In double barrel guns a single releasing lever e
only is used for operating both the locking catches. The combined locking catch and
quadrant lever is maintained in its two positions respectively by the friction of a flat
spring d bearing on the part Figure 11.
The action of this modification is the same as that of the arrangement I have
first described and the description 1 have given of the action of the said first
arrangement applies equally to the modification represented in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11
and. 12.
In cocking the ejecting hammers of this modification by the fore end I use a sliding
rod on the fore end similar to the sliding rod represented in Figures 6 and 7, the
inclined ends of the fork of which sliding rod engage either with inclines on the
locking catches c or under the said catches to turn the quadrant levers d on their
centres to cause the said catches to lock the cocked ejecting hammers. The inclined
ends of the fork of the sliding rod on the fore end may operate upon levers and the
latter upon the catches c to hold the ejecting hammers in their cocked positions before
removing the fore end.
Figures 13, 14, and 15 represent longitudinal sections of a drop down gun
containing the modification of my invention in which a rectilinear or sliding spring
ejecting hammer is employed. In Figure 13 the barrel is represented shut down,
the hammer of the lock discharged and the spring catch or stop raised to hold the
ejecting hammer at cock.
In Figure 1 the barrel is represented partly raised and the ejecting hammer
brought into a state of tension and in Figure 15 the breech end of the barrel is
represented fully raised from the break off, the spring catch or stop withdrawn from
the ejecting hammer and the said hammer in the position it occupies after it has
ejected the spent cartridge case.
Figures 16, 17, and 18 represent parts of the ejecting mechanism drawn to a large
scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
and 18.
a is the leg or rod of the extractor and bis the sliding or rectilinear ejecting
hammer; c is the coiled spring of the said hammer b. The sliding ejecting hammer b
is pushed back to the position represented in Figure 13 by the leg a of the extractor
on closing the barrel: d is the spring catch or stop (shewn separately in Figure 16)
which is raised in front of the sliding ejecting hammer b to hold the said hammer in
its cocked position. The spring catch d is maintained in its raised and lowered
positions respectively by the spring bolt d' having a bevelled end which takes either
into a V-shaped notch in the cross-piece d³ of the catch d (see Figure 15) or engages
under the hottom of the said cross piece (see Figures 13 and 14); e, e² is a lever
(shewn separately in elevation and plan in Figure 18) for lifting the catch d in front
of the ejecting hammer. The said lever e, e is operated upon to cause it to lift the
said catch by means of the cocking rod f, on the discharge of the gun, acting upon
the lower arin of the said lever as represented in Figure 13, the upper arme of the
suid lever acting upon the catch d; is a sliding rod the front end of which bears
against the lower arm of the lover and the upper arm of the said lever bears against
the end of the ejecting hammer spring c. By the turning of the said lever h upon
its centre the spring c is compressed and the cocked or held back sliding hammer bis
put into a state of tension. The rear end of the sliding rod g is inclined and on first
opening the gun as represented in Figure 14, the incline at the joint end of the
body of the gun operates on the inclined end of the sliding rod g and advances
the said rod and through the lever the coiled spring c is compressed. In the
sliding spring compressing rod g is a slot g² in which the cross piece d' of the spring
catch d works.
When the breech end of the barrel has been fully raised as represented in
Figure 15 the action of the incline i on the body k has advanced the sliding rod g
sufficiently far to cause the inclined end g³ of the slot y³ to act upon the curved

page_text: part of the cross piece d³ of the catch d. The said catch is thereby depressed or
withdrawn from the front of the cocked ejecting hammer which being released
strikes the leg a of the extractor and ejects the case of the exploded cartridge as
represented in Figure 15.
It will thus be understood that in this modification the sliding ejecting hammer
is pushed back but not put into a state of tension on the closing of the gun by
the leg of the extractor, the said ejecting hammer only being put into its operative
position or held back independently of the extractor leg by the discharge of the gun;
and that the opening of the gun first puts the cocked hammer in a state of tension
and the further opening of the gun causes the cocked hammer in a state of tension to
be released and the case of the exploded cartridge ejected from the barrel as herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 13, 14, and 15.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in the ejecting mechanism of breech loading
drop down small arms
33
-
First. The construction and combination of the quadrant lever and rising and
falling catch for holding or locking the ojecting hammer in its cocked position by the
action of the cocking rod on the discharge of the small arm, the ejecting mechanism
being inoperative until after the discharge of the small arm, the several parts of
the ejecting mechanism being arranged and acting substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. The combination with the quadrant lever and rising and falling catch, of
the releasing lever described and illustrated for depressing the rising and falling
catch and releasing the ejecting hammer on the opening of the small arm substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accom-
panying drawings.
Thirdly. The modification of the ejecting mechanism herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings in which
the quadrant lever operated by the cocking rod and the catch for holding the
ejecting hammer in its cocked position are made in one piece and turn on the same
centre.
Fourthly. The modification of the parts of the ejecting mechanism herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, of the accompanying
Drawings in which a spring sliding or rectilinear ejecting hammer is held in its
cocked position by a rising catch operated by a lever from the cocking rod on the
discharge of the small arm and the spring of the said sliding ejecting hammer is first
compressed and the said hammer afterwards released to eject the spent cartridge case
on opening the small arm by the action of the mechanism represented in the said
Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18.
Lastly. The combination with the fore end of the small arm of a forked spring
sliding rod the extreme ends of the branches of the fork being inclined for lifting
directly or through a lever the catches of the ejecting mechanism and thereby cocking
or holding back the ejecting hammers before the removal of the fore end substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 and the modification
of the same.
T
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