IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Alfred Alexander Thorn, trading as Charles
Lancaster of 151 New Bond Street, in the county of Middlesex, Gun
Maker for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Alfred Alexander
Thorn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th June 1882.
HENRY ALFRED ALEXANDER THORN, trading as Charles Lancaster, of 151 New
Bond Street, in the county of Middlesex, Gun Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.
This invention relates to improvements in or applicable to breech loading fire
arms the improvements having for object to provide a four barrel arm with only
two hammers to be operated by one or more triggers whereby I am enabled to
supply a long felt want, videlicet, a four barrel arm which may have two barrels
rifled and two barrels for plain shot, each of which pair of barrels may be used
independently.
In carrying out my invention I employ two hammers (or, in the case of
hammerless guns, two tumblers) operated in the usual manner but the noses of the
said hammers or tumblers are hinged or jointed in such a manner that when in
their normal position they are in the proper position to fire one pair of barrels, and
when it is required to fire the other pair of barrels the said noses are moved on
their hinges or joints to the proper position for that purpose. The strikers of each
pair of barrels are placed at the proper angle to receive the blows of the hammers
or tumblers as the case may be. A suitable spring or bolt arrangement is employed
to retain the jointed noses in their respective positions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Alfred Alexander Thorn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th December 1882.
HENRY ALFRED ALEXANDER THORN trading as Charles Lancaster of 151 New
Bond Street, in the county of Middlesex, Gun Maker, "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
This invention relates to improvements in or applicable to breech loading fire
arms the improvements having for object to provide a four barrel arm with only
two hammers to be operated by one or more triggers whereby I am enabled to
supply a long felt want, videlicet, a four barrel arm which may have two barrels
rifled and two barrels for plain shot, each of which pair of barrels may be used
independently; or a two barrel arm on the "under and over" principle, with one
hammer and lock.
In carrying out my invention I employ two hammers (or in the case of
hammerless guns, two tumblers) operated in the usual manner but the noses of the
said hammers or tumblers are hinged or jointed in such a manner that when in
their normal position they are in the proper position to fire one pair of barrels, and
when it is required to fire the other pair of barrels the said noses are moved on
their hinges or joints to the proper position for that purpose. The strikers of each
pair of barrels are placed at the proper angle to receive the blows of the hammers
or tumblers as the case may be. A suitable spring or bolt arrangement is employed
to retain the jointed noses in their respective positions.
•
In order to enable my invention to be better understood I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1
represents a side elevation shewing my improvements applied to a four barrel gun
the hammers being cocked and with their noses in the position for firing the upper
barrels; figure 2 similar views (partly in section) shewing the hammers down or
at bearer after firing; figures 3 and 4 side views shewing the noses of the
hammers set to fire the lower pair of barrels; figure 5 is a plan shewing one
hammer cocked as in figure 1, and one hammer down or at bearer as in figure 2;
figures 6 and 7, similar views to figures and 3 but shewing the haminers
provided with sliding instead of hinged noses; figure 8 a sectional view shewing
the hammer down or at bearer; figure 9 detached front view of one of the
hammers shewn in figures 6, 7 and 8. The several figures are drawn to a scale
of about half full size and similar letters in all the figures are used to represent
similar or corresponding parts.
I will first describe the arrangement, shewn in figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
a, a, are the hammers operated in the usual manner by the triggers b, b; c, c, are
the noses of the hammers the said noses being hinged to the hammers at d, so as
to allow of the noses being moved on their hinges for the purpose of firing either
the upper or the lower pair of barrels as hereinafter described; e, e¹, are the needles
or strikers and f, is a lever pivotted at 9, the reduced ends of the said lever taking
into slots in the needles or strikers as shewn so that when one of the needles or
strikers has received the blow of the hammer it is moved inwards so that its head
will be flush with the breech and the lever f, moving on its pivot g, will move the
head of the other needle or striker outwards from the breech, thereby preventing
the accidental discharge of both barrels simultaneously; the needles or strikeru aro
placed at the proper angle to receive the blows of the hammers. A suitable spring
such as that shewn at h, is employed to retain the hinged noses c, in their respective
positions.

page_text: By this arrangement when the hammers a, have their noses set in their normal
position as shewn in figure 1, they will when fired strike the needles or strikers e,
of the upper pair of barrels as shown in figure 2, but, when the said noses are set
in the position shewn in figure 3, they will when the gun is fired strike the
needles or strikers e¹, so as to discharge the lower pair of barrels as shewn in
figure 4.
It will thus be seen that each pair of barrels may be used independently of the
other pair.
In the arrangement shewn in figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 the hammers a, are each
provided with two noses or projections c, c¹, on a slide i, sliding in a dovetail
groove in the face of the haminer; j, knob for sliding or setting the noses or
projections c, c¹, in the position for striking the upper or lower needles or strikers
as required; h, is the spring for keeping the slide in the position to which it is set.
The operation is substantially the same as that hereinbefore described for the.
arrangement shewn in figures 1 to 5, for example, in figures 6 the slides are
shown in their normal or raised position for firing the upper pair of barrels; if
required to fire the lower pair of barrels the slides i, are moved down into the
position shewn in figures 7, and 8, so that when the gun is fired the noses or
projections c', will strike the lower needles or strikers so as to fire the lower pair of
barrels.
The arrangement for haminerless guns will be understood without further
description.
'
In two barrelled guns on the "under and over" principle only one lock and one
hammer are required.
Having thus described my said invention and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect I wish it to be understood that What
I claim is :-
Firstly. Hinging or jointing the noses of the hammers or tumblers of breech
loading fire arms as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Secondly. The peculiar construction of hammer for breech loading fire arms in
which the nose of the hammer is hinged or jointed thereto as hereinbefore described
and represented in figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawing.
Thirdly. The modified arrangement in which the noses of the hammers are
jointed slide wise thereto as hereinbefore described and represented in figures 6
to 9 of the accompanying drawing.
In Witness whereof Ị the said Henry Alfred Alexander Thorn have hereto
set my hand and seal this twenty-seventh day of December in the year of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty two
HENNI, A. A. THORN. (1.S.)