IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Williams, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
Scaled the 16th July 1875, and dated the 6th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Williams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th April 1875.
I, JOHN WILLIAMS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gun
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to breech-loading small-arms of the kind
called drop-down guns, and my said Invention consists of the con-
struction and arrangement of parts herein-after described for fastening
down the barrels of the said guns for discharge and liberating them for
charging.

page_text: between the barrels. The upper and one of the vertical sides of this
lump are plain, but the other vertical side is curved or bevilled. In the
face of the break-off I make a slot of a size and figure proper when the
barrels are shut down to permit of the lump on the ends of the barrels
passing through the said slot into a chamber or recess at the back of the
break-off On the tang of the break-off a lever is jointed, the said lever
having motion in a horizontal plane. The fore short end of this lever
The extremo
enters and works in the recess described in the break-off
end of the short arm of the lever is bevilled or inclined on one side, the
bevilled side of the said end of the lever being presented to the bevilled
side of the lump on the face of the barrels. By means of a double
or other spring the lever is pressed to its normal position in the
break-off.
The action of the parts is as follows:-The breech ends of the barrels
boing raised from the break-off for charging and tho-charge having been
introduced, the breech ends of the barrels are shut down against the
face of the break-off. In shutting down the barrels the lump on their
face enters the slot in tho break-off, and its inclined side coming in
contact with the inclined face of the short arm of the lever the latter is
forced back, and when the ends of the barrels are firmly scated against
the face of the break-off the said lump is below the level of the end of
the lever, and the said end of the lever by the action of the spring
described snaps over and scats itself upon the top of the said lump, and
thereby firmly holds down the barrels. By turning aside the lever by
means of its thumb plate its short arm may be removed from over the
lump on the barrels, when the latter aro released and may be raised for
charging.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILLIAMS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gun Manufacturer,
send grecting.

page_text: our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Williams, Her special license that
I, the said John Williams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Williams, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
SMALL-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Williams, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and causo
the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Williams, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say -
My Invention has reference to breech-loading small-arms of the kind
called drop-down guns, and my said Invention consists of the con-
struction and arrangement of parts herein-after described for fastening
down the barrels of the said guns for discharge and liberating them for
charging.
On the face of the breech ends of the barrels I make a small lump or
projection, the said lump or projection being situated midway between
the barrels. The upper and one of the vertical sides of this lump are
plain, but the other vertical side is curved or bevilled. In the face of
the break-off I make a slot of a size and figure proper, when the barrels
are shut down, to permit of the lump on the ends of the barrels passing
through the said slot into a chamber or recess at the back of the
break-off. On the tang of the break-off a lever is jointed, the said lever
having motion in a horizontal plane The fore short arm of this lever
enters and works in the recess described in the break-off The extreme
end of the short arm of the lever is bevilled or inclined on one side, the

page_text: bevilled side of the said end of the lever being presented to the bevilled
side of the lump on the face of the barrels. By means of a double
or other spring the lover is pressed to its normal position in the
break-off.
The action of the parts is as follows:-The breech ends of the barrels &
being raised from the break-off for charging and the charge having
been introduced, the breech ends of the barrels are shut down against
the face of the break-off. In shutting down the barrels the lump on
their face enters the slot in the break-off, and its inclined side coming
in contact with the inclined face of the short arm of the lover the 1
latter is forced back, and when the ends of the barrels are firmly seated
against the face of the break-off the said lump is below the level of the
end of the lever, and the said end of the lever by the action of the
spring described snaps over and scats itself upon the top of the said
lump and thereby firmly holds down the barrels. By turning aside the 1
lever by means of its thumb plate its short arm may be removed from
over the lump on the barrels, when the latter are released and may be
raised for charging.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal
vertical section the breech end of a drop-down gun (the stock, locks,
and other parts being omitted) containing fastening mechanism con-
structed according to my Invention, and Figure 2 is a plan partly in
horizontal section of the same, the barrels being represented fastened
down ready for discharge, Figure 3 represents the same view as
Figure 2, but with the barrels unfastened.
Figure 4 represents an elevation of the breech ends of the barrels
detached, and Figure 5 is a plan of the under side of the same.
Figure 6 represents a side elevation; and Figure 7, in' plan of under
side the fastening lever detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several
Figures of the Drawing.
a, a, are the barrels turning on the joint at b, as usual On the face
of the breech ends of the barrels a and mudway between them is a lump

page_text: or projection c, the bottom and one of the vertical sides of which are
curved or bevilled, as best scen in Figures 4 and 5. This lump c when
the barrels are shut down works in a vertical slot d in the face of the
break-off e, f, f, is the fastening lover turning horizontally on tho
axis g on the tang of the break-off, the said lever being pressed into its
normal or fastening position by the double spring / acting upon the
axis y of the said lever (sco Figures 1 and 2). The handle end ƒ² of
the lever ff, works on the tang of the break-off, and the fore short
arm fenters and works in a horizontal recess ¡ in the break-off e, the
slot & in the face of the break-off opening into the said recess (soc tho
horizontal sections). The upper and lower faces of the fore end ƒ of
the lever work closely in the said recess, the upper and lower faces of
the said recess acting as bearings for the said fore end ƒ of the lover.
The extreme end of the short end or arms of the lever is bevilled or
inclined at, the said bevilled part of the lever being presented to
the bevilled side of the lump c on the barrels a
When the barrels are locked down, as represented in Figures 1 and 2,
the bevilled lump c is situated below the inner short arm of the lever,
and the end of the said short arm ƒ scats itself upon the top of the
bevilled lump c and firmly holds down the barrels.
To release the barrels the handle end of the lever f, ƒ³, is turned
aside into the position represented in Figure 3. The short inner arm f
is thereby removed from off the lump c and the barrels are released and
are free to rise for charging, as illustrated in Figure 3. After the chargo
has been introduced into tho barrels the breech ends of the said barrels
are shut down against the face of the break-off c. In shutting down
the barrels the lump c on their face enters the slot d in the break-off,
and its inclined or bevilled side coming in contact with the inclined
face of the short arm ƒ of the lever the latter is forced aside and
made to take the position represented in Figure 3. The breech ends of
the barrels can now descend, and when they have seated themselves
firmly against the face of the break-off the lump c is situated below the
level of the end of the short armƒ of the lever, and the said end of tho
lever by the action of the spring / snaps over and seats itself upon the
top of the said lump and thereby firmly holds down the barrels, as illus-
trated in Figures 1 and 2.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood, that J

page_text: do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention the improvements in
mechanism for fastening down and releasing the barrels of drop-down
guns, herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say, fastening down and releasing the said banels by
means of a lever ƒ, ƒ³, ƒ³, working in a flat recess or chamber in tho
break-off, the end of the fore arm of the said lever seating itself upon
or being removed from off the top of a bevilled lump on the face of the
barrels, substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Williams, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
JAMES CARTER COOPER,
Liverpool.
JNO. -WILLIAMS. (L.S.)