IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gibbs and Thomas Pitt, both of the City and
County of Bristol, Gun Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 6th February 1880, and dated the 15th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gibbs and Thomas
Pitt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th August
1879.
GEORGE GIBBS and THOMAS PITT, both of the City and County of Bristol, Gun
Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS-IN-BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
The chief object of our Invention is to cause the cocking of the hammer
simultaneously with the operation of a safety bolt by the drop action of the barrels,
and the Invention is carried out in substantially the following manner :-
We insert a rod in the action, one end of which is operated by the drop action
and the other end acts upon the hammer, and at the same time upon a safety bolt
or stop. For this purpose we either form a projection upon end of rod or we joint a
double arm to end of rod, one arm acting on the hammer and the other upon
the
locking or safety bolt, the latter (the safety bolt) when in one position, enters a
notch formed in the front of the hammer for its reception, but in the other position
it is down and against the arm on the rod; in any case there must be provided
means whereby the cocking rod may simultaneously act upon the hammer and
safety bolt.
The safety bolt extends across the action and works in bearings or is hinged
thereto, and it is provided on one side with lever for operating saine. There are
projections on the bolt which correspond with the notches in the hammers, so that
when the projections are in the notches the hammers cannot fall on the striker, but
when these projections are out of the notches the hammers can fall in the usual
way. The action would be somewhat similar, though not so safe, without the notches
as with them, the object of the notches is to prevent the outside lever being
capable of being turned. Supposing the trigger or triggers to have been pulled and
the hammer or hammers to have fallen on the safety bolt without the notch the
outside lever could be turned and the hammer would fall on the striker,
but with the notch the bolt cannot be moved until the gun has been recocked.

page_text: The cocking rod is, according to one arrangement, connected at its forward end
by a swivel joint to the fore part, or it may be operated directly from the fore part
without being jointed thereto; in the latter case a spiral or other spring is necessary
to bring the rod back after cocking, so as to allow the hammers free play upon the
strikers. Instead of a simple swivel joint we, in some cases, employ a disc with 5
projection thereon taking through the forepart, the cocking rod being actuated
by the disc.
Guns constructed according to our Invention are cocked and put into a secure
condition for loading by the opening of the barrels.
Until the safety bolt is unlocked by the lever the arm cannot possibly be 1
discharged.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Gibbs and Thomas Pitt in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th February 1880.
GEORGE GIBBS and THOMAS PITT, both of the City and County of Bristol, Gun
Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
The chief object of our Invention is to cause the cocking of the hammers and the
operation of a safety bolt by the drop action of the barrels, and the Invention is
carried out in substantially the following manner :-
We insert a rod in the action, one end of which is operated by the drop action,
and the other end acts upon the hammer and upon a safety bolt or stop. For this
purpose we either form a projection upon end of rod, or we joint a double arm to
end of rod, one arm acting on the hammer and the other upon the locking or safety
bolt, the latter (the safety bolt) when in one position enters a notch formed in the
front of the hammer for its reception, but in the other position it is down and
against the arm on the rod.
The safety bolt extends across the action and works in bearings or is hinged
thereto, and it is provided on one side with lever for operating same. There are
projections on the bolt which correspond with the notches in the hammers, so that
when the projections are in the notches the hammers cannot fall on the striker, but
when these projections are out of the notches the hammers can fall in the usual
way. The action would be somewhat similar, though not so safe, without the notches
as with them, the object of the notches is to prevent the outside lever being
capable of being turned. Supposing the trigger or triggers to have been pulled and
the hammer or hammers to have fallen on the safety bolt without the notch
the outside lever could be turned and the hammer would fall on the striker, but
with the notch the bolt cannot be moved until the gun has been recocked.
The cocking rod is according to one arrangement connected at its forward end by
a swivel joint to the fore part, or it may be operated directly from the fore part
without being jointed thereto, in the latter case a spiral or other spring is necessary
to bring the rod back after cocking, so as to allow the hammers free play upon the
strikers. Instead of a simple swivel joint we, in some cases, employ a disc with
projection thereon taking through the fore part and resting on the barrels,
so that the discs and rods are actuated by the barrels without the fore part,
Guns constructed according to our Invention can be cocked and put into a secure
condition for loading by the opening of the barrels.
Until the safety bolt is unlocked by the lever the arm cannot possibly be
discharged.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a view in side elevation, and Figure 2
is a view in longitudinal section of so much of a breech loading fire-arm as will be
necessary to illustrate the manner in which we prefer to carry our Invention into
effect. According to one modification, Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section
showing the barrels open for the reception of the cartridges, and the hammers
cocked; Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section of another modification; and
Figures 5 and 6 are views detached of the locking or safety bolt. Similar letters of
reference refer to like parts in all the Figures. a, in Figure 2, shows one of the cocking
rods, the other rod being on the opposite side of the action, and not seen in the
Drawings, as will be well understood when such rods are applied to double barrel
fire-arms. a is a projecting limb on cocking rod; b shows one of the hammers
6¹, notch in hammer for cocking rod; c is the locking or safety bolt, we do not
limit ourselves to the form of bolt; c, the projections thereon; d is the notch in
hammer, into which the projection c² on locking or safety bolt enters, as will be
hereafter more fully described. In Figure 1 e is the outside lever for operating the
locking or safety bolt that is to arrest the fall of the hammers or to leave them free
to fall; f is the fore part against which one end of the cocking rod a abuts; g shows
i

page_text: the spiral spring for bringing back the cocking rod when the latter is acted on
directly by the fore part f, and m is the spring for regulating the position of the
safety bolt, c, Figure 5, being the groove in this latter in which the spring m
works. h, Figure 4, shows the disc arrangement for communicating the motion to
the cocking rods a, according to this modification; h¹ is the link connecting the
cocking rod a and disc h together; k is the pin on which the disc and barrels are
hinged; is the projecting part on disc h, on which the barrels act, as hereafter;
more fully described, in other respects this modification is similar to that before
described; is the lever for opening the barrels.
The action of the fire-arm is as follows at Figure 2:—The barrels being opened
by the top lever i the following movement of parts take place. As soon as the
barrels begin to open the cocking rods a simultaneously have motion communicated
to them, and as the barrels go down, the pressure of the forepart f on the ends of
the cocking rods a pushes the hammers to cocked position, and when necessary, at
the same time the projection c¹, on the cocking rods acts on the projection con
the safety bolt c, and carries the same opposite the notch d in the hammer, so that
the hammer cannot fall on the striker until the position of the projection c² is
changed, which is accomplished by means of the lever e aforesaid. The position
of the projections c² on the safety bolt, when the latter is in the safe position is
best seen in Figure 3. The spiral spring on the rod a carries it back when the gun
is closed.
The action of firearm shown at Figure 4, is as follows:-The barrels (being
opened by the top lever i) bearing on the projection of disc h, which through
the link h' imparts motion to the cocking rod a which cocks the hammer and
operates upon the safety bolt in the manner before described, with reference to the
previous Figures, and the link h¹ draws the rod back when the gun is closed.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our "Improvements in breech
loading fire arms,"
First. The employment of a direct acting cocking rod or rods operated by the
fore part or by the barrels without the fore part, for acting directly on the hammer
or hammers and for cocking same, and for setting safety bolt to safe position
simultaneously with the opening of the barrels, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The combination with the fore part or the barrels of a cocking rod or
rods, for the purpose of putting the locks to cocked position, or to put the safety
bolt in the safe position in or in connection with drop down guns fitted with grip
or snap action, all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The combination of a disc and swivel joint with the fore part or barrels,
for the purpose of actuating the cocking rod or rods, all constructed and acting as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, together with any mere modification or modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Gibbs and Thomas Pitt, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of February, in the
: vear of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.