Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted. 16th Mar., 1889
R
We PETRUS BLACHON and ETIENNE MIMARD, of the firm of Blachon and Mimard,
Gunmakers, No. 3 Place Villeboeuf, St. Etienne, in the Department of the Loire,.
and Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved sporting gun of the hammerless type
presenting the following advantages.
1. The hand of the shooter meets no obstructions in the handling of the fire arm.
2. The key, the working of which permits the pivotting of the barrel, and the cocking,
does not appear, it is a simple button or stud which is pushed by the finger along a
groove, in which it is placed, and which is formed in the curved arm of the trigger
guard.
•
3. The shoulder strap no longer inconveniences the bearer of the gun, as when
shooting it is lodged inside the stock, from which it is drawn when required and into
which it enters automatically when no longer needed.
4. The triggers are hidden, and come out automatically only when the gun is
ready for firing.
5. The barrel is dismounted without the aid of a tool, by the instantaneous
removal of the piece known as the fore part or fore end of the stock provided with
a novel arrangement.
These advantages are due to the mechanical arrangements a summary description
of which follows:-
The interior mechanism is composed of a double elbowed main lever in form of a
reversed Z, the pivot of which is placed at the end of its upper arm at the top of
the block forming breech plate.
The lower arm of this lever issues from the trigger plate at the back of the trigger
guard, of which it bas the curved form, to fit into a groove made in this trigger-
guard, from which projects a knob or stud which is pushed upward by the finger,
until stopped, to work the system.
The main body of this fever rests upon the trigger plate and rises horizontally
when the stud is pushed.

page_text: This movement of the lever determines, in the first place, the withdrawal of the
bolt, which is of the form usually adopted in drop-down guns, as the elbow of this
lever is connected to this bolt by a small joint pin, and the tenons or lumps of the
barrel being disengaged permit its pivoting.
In the second place the cocking of the internal hammers or strikers takes place
directly the bolt is drawn, the movement of this bolt determining the cocking of
these hammers in the following manner.
Each of the hammers is formed of a block with rectangular faces, lodged, and
capable of producing the necessary come and go movement, in the block of the
breech-plate cut out for this purpose. It carries at its upper part a small percussion
rod which may strike the cartridge in the centre of its base, and at its lower part
a long horizontal rod covered with a spiral spring, passed into a hole existing in
the entire length of the part of the stock on which the breech is hinged where the
tenons or lumps of the barrel are lodged.
When the bolt works, actuated by the main lever, it cocks the two hammers, that
is to say it compels them to retire stretching the spiral spring placed upon the rod
of each, by the aid of two wings placed the one on the right the other on the left
which bear upon the lower part of each of the blocks.
The block is then seized and held at its base by a catch or latch forming the end
of the trigger, which it is only necessary to pivot to cause the percussion by the
striker, when the main lever and the bolt has come back automatically into position
by the action of a main spring pressing upon this lever.
The trigger guard is formed of two rings united for placing the finger which is to
press each of the triggers; these latter are sunk in the somewhat broad surface of
these rings and only appear when the hammers are cocked, as the catch of each of
the triggers only forces them to appear when it is in gear with the block of the
hammers.
The supplemental piece termed the fore end comes out, without tools, under the
simple pressure of the finger exerted upon the point of this piece which is placed
under the barrel, as usual, by the following arrangements :-a hinged plate or blade,
like that of a knife, under this piece presses by its end, upon a small tenon placed
under the barrel.
In forcing this piece against the barrel, this plate or blade, originally open
obliquely, closes, and in becoming parallel with the barrel which it touches, it
establishes a firm connection, which only ceases under the pressure exerted by the
finger, as aforesaid, upon the point of the piece, and in a small curve or notch
provided for this purpose.
The strap of the gun is wound upon a barrel or drum with spiral spring, set in the
stock; and when it is desired to use it, the visible part of an inner ring which ends
the strap is nipped with the fingers, and it is easily drawn out, to be secured to a
small hook hidden beneath the barrel. On unhooking this ring, the drum automatically
winds up the strap, which ceases to be any hinderance while shooting.
Dated this Ninth day of May 1888

page_text: Improvements in Sporting Guns.
WO PETRUS BLAOHON and ETIENNE MIMARD of the Firm of Blachon and Mimard,
Gun Makers, No. Place Villeboeuf, St. Etienne, in the Departinent of the Loire
and Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
:-
This Invention relates to an improved sporting gun of the hammerless type,
characterised by various arrangements which give it the following advantages
The band of the shooter no longer meets in the handling of the fire arm the
obstructions existing in ordinary guns.
The key
or lever, the working of which permits the dropping of the barrel, and
the cocking of the strikers, does not appear; it is a simple button or stud which is
pushed by the finger causing it to follow a groove formed in the curved arm of the
trigger guard.
The Shoulder Strap no longer inconveniences the bearer of the gun when shooting;
it is lodged inside the stock, from which it is drawn when required and into which
it onters automatically when no longer needed.
The triggers are concealed, and appear only when the gun is ready for firing.
The dismounting of the barrel is effected without the aid of a tool, by the
instantaneous removal of the piece termed the "fore end" provided with a novel
arrangement.
These advantages aro due to the mechanical arrangements hereinafter described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section shewing the hammers and the "fore end" of the
gun; the hammers being at rest.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the axis of the right hand barrel.
Figure 3 shews (upon a reduced scale) the arrangement lodged in the butt-stock
whereby the play of the shoulder strap is automatic.
When it is desired to load and cock the gun, the pieces are made to pass from the
position which they occupy in Fig. 1 to that in Fig. 2; they work as follows:-
The key C is a lever having its pivot at C, and the bent arm C, of which
is set in a groove formed in the trigger guard p, the shape of which this arm C²
follows exactly so as to be completely concealed, leaving exposed only the
stud or knob (which is pulled by the finger without the hand quitting its grip of
the fire arm. Tho knob Chaving reached the top of the guard, touching the
trigger plate, the key-lever working in the hollow groove or recess made in the
stock, has overcome the resistance of the spring d and has retracted the locking
bolt from engagement with the tenons or lumps of the barrel. The bolt is retained
in its rear position by the simultaneous dropping of the barrel, the front lump of
which carries at an incline for acting on the end of the bolt.

page_text: The part of the lever has a fork formed at its lower end to engage with the
pin Vcarried by the locking bolt.
The movement of the bolt cocks the strikers by the aid of two wings i, i, (see
plan of bolt Fig. 2) placed one on each of the sides of this bolt, and which enter a
notch made towards the base of the head of each of the hammers E.
Each hammer is formed of a block, or head E carrying a small striker e, and a
rode which lodges in a hole made lengthwise and on one of the sides of the action.
Upon this rod is threaded a spiral spring bearing against a collar formed at 24, within
the hole, and held at the other side by a nut u'. The result of this arrangement is
that the break being hollowed to receive the head of the hammers, these latter drawn
by the bolt, as aforesaid, quit the position which they had in Fig. 1 and slide into
the cocking position shown in Fig. 2.
This position is maintained by the grip of the catch or sear 9 (the pivot of which
is at g) which the inclined base of the hammer has pressed in its movement until
this catch, actuated by its spring f, rises catching by its notch the base of the
hammer.
These catches which at the same time form triggers are therefore set upon a
common pivot, which is the transverse rod g¹; and for the convenience of the
sportsman they only appear when the gun is cocked, as at Fig. 2.
In fact, the guard p is formed in one piece of two rings hollowed or cut out so that
each may contain its trigger, as shown Fig. 1, and as the base of the hammers rest
upon the upper part of these triggers which form catches, the result is that they
re-enter their recess or socket when the gun is not cocked; but directly the catches
have by rising a little caught by their notch the base of the hammers, these triggers
come out again from their ring, and may be pressed upon for firing the gun.
It will be understood that when the trigger is pressed, the freed hammer moves
with all the energy given to it by the spiral-spring, and that the percussion of the
cartridge takes place.
The wooden "fore end" D of the gun is provided with a novel system of
dismounting or taking to pieces which permits it being removed and replaced with
the greatest facility, without the aid of any instrument.
This very simple system of fastening is based upon the principle of the coincidence
in right line of a movable point with two fixed points.
In fact the "fore end "iron B has a hinged plate or blade m which is movable
like the blade of a knife on its pivot M. The two fixed points being at M' (joint
pin) and M³ (fulcrum and catching point of the blade upon the tenon or lump t of
the barrel) the result is that to place the "fore end it is necessary (as shown in
dotted lines) to engage the rounded end m¹ of the blade at the fixed point M³ in the
small notch of the tenon t, intended to receive it, and on the other hand place the
part of the "fore end" which fits the joint pin at the other fixed point M². If
the piece is then forced close to the barrel, the movable point M forming the pivot
of the blade m, will rise, passing even beyond the level of the right line (which
further secures the fastening). The fore part of the blade will then have penetrated
to the bottom of the notch t; this blade, becoming completely rigid, ensures an
absolute tightening and closing, and it cannot resume its opening position except
when there has been exerted upon the end F of the "fore-end a pulling action
disengaging the piece and causing it to come back to the position indicated by
dotted lines on the drawing. This operation takes place by the simple pressure of
the finger on the inclined part or bent of the end F, which is provided for this
purpose, and the point M descending below the level of the right line, of which the
fixed points M and M2 are the ends, the unfastening and disengagement take place.
The shoulder strap does not inconvenience the sportsınan when shooting, and is
completely concealed in the butt stock; it is drawn therefrom when it is desired to
pass it over the shoulder and it re-enters automatically at will (see Fig. 3).
Upon an iron bar or plate 1 set in a space formed in the butt stock is carried a
small movable barrel 2 having an inner spiral-spring which stretches when the
shoulder strap 3 is pulled. When it is in the stock it is wound, from the fixed

page_text: point 4 following the line 5 around the barrel the spring of which is unbent or
slackened and the clasp 6 forming the end of the shoulder strap is set flush on the
fitting 7 which is the outlet orifice-To draw out the shoulder strap it is only necessary
to seize with the fingers the two projections 71, 72, of the clasp and to pass this
latter into a small hook or catch brazed under the barrel when it is desired to put it
upon the shoulder.
It re-enters automatically into the butt-stock by the action of the spring, then
stretched, when it is unhooked from the barrel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The arrangement, in the interior of the fire-arm, of the key-lever in form of an
inverted Z, the rear part of which is concealed in the trigger-guard, acting, as
aforesaid, to draw the bolt and permit the dropping of the barrels, and also to cock
the hammers with striker; and subsidiarily, the arrangement of the hammers and of
the bolt so as to be operated by this key-lever.
2. The arrangement of the trigger-guard with double ring, in which are concealed
the rear part of the key-lever, as well as the triggers which form at the same time
catches or sears; and subsidiarily, the arrangement of these latter to present
themselves to the fingers of the shooter only when the gun is cocked, substantially
as above described.
3. The arrangement and combination which permits the piece termed the
"fore-end" to be applied and removed by simple pressure of the fingers, substantially
as described.
4. The arrangement in the butt-stock, of a spring barrel upon which winds
automatically the shoulder-strap of the gun, which is thus concealed, and is drawn
out and hooked to the barrel when it is desired to use it, substantially as described.
Dated this ctn day of February 1007.
For the Applicants,
W. E. GEDGE,
Agent.