IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: TROVISIONAL
I, WALTER BENTLEY of Ledsam Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS to be as follows:—
"
My invention has reference to small arms of the kind commonly called drop
down guns, and my said invention consists of the improvements hereinafter
described in top lever mechanism for effecting the bolting down of the breech ends
of the barrels for discharge, and liberating the said breech ends.
Top levers of the ordinary construction usually turn in a horizontal plane upon
the tang or strap and is operated by turning aside the said lever for the opening of
the barrels for reloading.
My improved top lever mechanism is constructed as follows. On the tang of the
break off I joint a lever which turns in a vertical plane; that is, in a plane at
right angles to the break off, the front end of the lever is jointed by a horizontal
joint pin passing through knuckles formed on a strap or tang; and also near the
front end of the underside of the said lever a depending curved arm is situated
which acts upon the curved upper side of a rocking crank lever, jointed horizontally
in the body of the arm, the lower end of the said rocking lever takes into and
works the sliding bolt which engages with the underlumps on the barrels.
The top grip or bolt which takes into the prolonged rib situated on the breech
ends of the barrels is operated also by the depending arm on the underside of the
lever but at a position above the point where the arm acts upon the rocking lever,
a coiled spring presses upon the front edge of the depending arm described so as to
effect the return movement on the liberation of the lever. The end of the lever
when in its normal position stands away from the tang.
To liberate or unfasten the barrels from the break off for loading, it is only
necessary for the user of the arm, to depress vertically the lever upon the tang
when the curved arm on the underside of the said lever operates the rocking arm
and so effects the withdrawal of the bolt from the lumps on the barrels, and at the
same time the downward motion of the depending arm also withdraws the top grip
bolt from out of the prolonged rib, by a projection on the underside of the lever
acting upon an incline on the grip bolt, which withdraws the said bolt from
the prolonged rib, the return movement being effected by the front edge of the

page_text: depending arm thereby effecting the complete unbolting of the body from the
barrels which can now turn upon their joint on the fore end for reloading.
On the liberation of the lever, the parts resume their normal positions by the
return movement of the depending arm effected by the spring; ready for the
closing of the barrels.
Dated this tments fifth do. of Ac 1001
I, WALTER BENTLEY of Ledsam Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL ARMS," and' in what manner the same is to be 1
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention has reference to small arms of the kind commonly called drop
down guns, and my said invention consists of the improvements bereinafter
described in top lever mechanism for effecting the bolting down of the breech ends 2
of the barrels for discharge, and liberating the said breech ends.
.
Top levers of the ordinary construction usually turn in a horizontal plane upon
the tang or strap and is operated by turning aside the said lever for the opening of
the barrels for reloading.
My improved top lever mechanism is constructed as follows. On the tang of the 2
break off I joint a lever which turns in a vertical plane; that is, in a plane at right
angles to the break off, the front end of the lever is jointed by a horizontal joint
pin passing through knuckles formed on a strap or tang; and also near the front
end of the underside of the said lever a depending curved arm is situated which
acts upon the curved upper side of a rocking crank lever, jointed horizontally in 3
the body of the arm, the lower end of the said rocking lever takes into and works
the sliding bolt which engages. with the underlumps on the barrels.
The top grip or bolt which takes into the prolonged rib situated on the breech
ends of the barrels is operated also by the depending arm on the underside of the.
lever.but at a position above the point where the arm acts upon the rocking lever, 3
a flat spring presses upon the front edge of the depending arm described so as to.
effect the return movement on the liberation of the lever.. The end of the lever:
when in its normal position stands away from the tang.

page_text: To liberate or unfasten the barrels from the break off for reloading, it is only
necessary for the user of the arm, to depress vertically the lever upon the tang
when the curved arm on the underside of the said lever operates the rocking arm
and so effects the withdrawal of the bolt from the lumps on the barrels, and at the
same time the downward motion of the depending arm, also withdraws the top
grip bolt from out of the prolonged rib, by a projection on the underside of the
lever acting upon an incline on the grip. bolt, which withdraws the said bolt from
the prolonged rib, the return movement being effected by the front edge of the
depending arm; thereby effecting the complete unbolting of the body from the
barrels which can now turn upon their joint on the fore-end for reloading.
On the liberation of the lever, the parts resume their normal positions by the
return movement of the depending arm effected by the spring, ready for the closing
of the barrels.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section, figure 2 in front elevation,
and figure 3 in plan, a breech loading drop down gun containing my improvements,
the parts being in the positions which they respectively occupy when the gun is in
its bolted position with the barrels closed. Figure 4 represents the arm with the
barrels open, the locking bolt being withdrawn, and the lever on the tang depressed.
Figure 6 represents partly in section a portion of the lever and the tang strap.
Figure 7 represents an elevation of the tang strap separately and its knuckle joint,
and figure 8 is a plan of the upper side of the same. Figure 10 is a section and
elevation of the bolt, figure 11 is a section, elevation and end view of the crank
lever for operating the bolt. Figure 12 is a section, elevation and underside plan
of the top lever. Figure 13 is an end view of the same, and figure 14 is the spring
for bringing the parts back to their normal positions.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the Drawings.
a is the breech body of the arm, and b is a hand lever turning in a vertical plane
upon the tang strap o; that is, the lever b turns in a right angle to the break off,
with its forward end jointed and turning upon the horizontal joint pin or
fulcrum 6, which joint pin passes through the knuckles con the tang strap c; and
near the front end, and upon the underside of the said lever b is a depending
arm b³ made in one piece with the lever. This arin acts upon the curved end or
upper side of a rocking cranked lever d which turns upon a horizontal joint
pin d passing laterally through the body of the arm. The lower end d' of this
rocking lever takes into a recess e³ of the bolt e, and by the rocking movement
imparted to the rocking lever by the arm & withdraws the locking bolt e from the
lumps ff on the undersides of the barrels g. The arm 63 of the lever on the tang
works through an opening c on the tang strap. h is a spring, the standside of
which is affixed to the back of the breech body by a screw pin, or by other
means. The free end of the said spring presses upon the back of the bolt which
lies within a recess e³ made to receive it, the other parts of the gun are of the
ordinary construction.
To withdraw the bolt, in order to liberate or unfasten the barrels from the
breech body or from the break off or underlumps on the barrels for reloading,
depress the lever d (in the direction indicated by the arrow) into the position as
represented in figure 4, when the arm 6 presses upon the curved end d³ of the
cranked lever d turning it upon its fulcrum d³ and bringing its other arm d* nearer
to the end of the body of the arm, and so withdrawing the bolt e by its curvilinear
backward motion, which allows the barrels g to fall and the breech ends to be
raised, for ejecting the spent cartridge cases and for reloading; that is to say, the
parts of the arm take the respective positions represented in figure 4. On relieving
pressure from the lever on the tang, the spring h which has become compressed by
the backward movement of the bolt, and in virtue of the force thus stored up

page_text: ..
within it, the free end on being liberated presses back the locking bolt and the
parts resume (on the shutting down of the barrels,) their normal positions, as
represented in figures 1..2 and 3 of the Drawings.
i
When a double grip is required in guns having a prolonged rib, the bolt for
effecting the necessary bolting down is worked from the front upper part of the
depending arm b³.
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
i
First The improvements in top lever mechanism for unlocking the barrels from 1
the breech body by withdrawing the locking bolt or bolts by a press down or
fulcrumed lever moving in a vertical plane from the face of the tang strap. The
Baid lever is provided with a depending arm which acts upon the upper end of-a
cranked lever, while the lower end withdraws the locking bolt or bolta. The parts
resume their normal positions by a spring, substantially as and for the purpose 1
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The improvements in breech loading small arms, top lever mechanism
consisting of a press down lever b, joint pin 6ª, and arm 63 which works a rocking
bolt or lifter & turning upon a centre d³ and provided with arms d³ d' combined
with-the-spring-h-and-bolt-e,-the-parts-being-constructed,-arranged, combined and
operating in the manner substantially as and-for-the-purpose-herein-described-and-
set forth.