IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-COCKING GUNS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher George Bonehill, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELF-COCKING GUNS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher George Bonehill
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1878.
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-COCKING GUNS."
My improvements relate to those kind of guns commonly called drop-down guns,
which are fitted with their hammers within the action; and by my Invention
these hammers are so constructed that the hammer and tumbler are in one
piece.
I provide a stud on the rear lump of the barrels, which is moveable to a small
extent, which is for the purpose of allowing the centre pin to pass it when it is
desired to take the gun to pieces.
When the barrels are opened the stud actuates the said centre pin, which, in its
turn, actuates the tumbler and cock of the gun. At the rear end of this lever I
provide a notch, which, by the action of opening the gun, draws back a safety bolt,
which bolt engages over and above the triggers, and so prevents the piece from
being fired until it is released.
The sears may be of any desired shape, but by preference I construct them
straight, and in a right line with the trigger plate, their forward ends taking
directly under the tumbler. The sear spring is in one piece.
My Invention also relates to the fore end of the gun.
In carrying out my Invention here I construct a cam, which rotates or turns on
a centre pin. This is provided with a double spring, which when turned on the
loop provided, herein-after mentioned, falls upon a flat surface, and so holds it in

page_text: position. On the said loop of the barrels I form a lag or catch, over which the
before-described cam engages.
As a modification of this part of my Invention I sometimes use an ordinary
spring catch.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Christopher George Bone-
hill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th December 1878.
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE BONEHILL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-COCKING GUNS."
My improvements relate to those kind of guns commonly called drop-down guns,
which are fitted with their hammers within the action; and by my Invention
these hammers are so constructed that the hammer and tumbler are in one
piece.
I provide a stud on the rear lump of the barrels, which is moveable to a small
extent, and which is for the purpose of allowing the centre pin to pass it when it
is desired to take the gun to pieces.
When the barrels are opened the stud actuates the said centre pin, which in its
turn actuates the tumbler and cocks the gun. At the rear end of this lever
I provide a notch, which, by the action of opening the gun, draws back a safety
bolt, which bolt engages over and above the triggers, and so prevents the piece from
being fired until it is released.
The sears may be of any desired shape, but by preference I construct them
straight, and in a right line with the trigger plate, their forward ends taking
directly under the tumbler. The sear spring is constructed in one piece.
My Invention also relates to the fore end of the gun.
In carrying out my improvements here I construct a cam, which rotates or turns
on a contre pin. This is provided with a double spring, which when turned on the
loop provided, and herein-after mentioned, falls upon a flat surface, and so it is
held in position. On the said loop of the barrels I form a lag or catch, over which
the before-described cam engages.
As a modification of this part of my Invention I sometimes use an ordinary
spring catch.
That my Invention may be fully understood I have annexed Drawings thereof,
which I now proceed to describe.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a gun constructed according to my Invention
shewing the gun closed.
Figure 2 is a plan of the trigger plate and hammers.
Figure 3 shews the same gun opened; and Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of
a modification of my fore-end fastening.
Figures 5 and 6 shew details herein-after explained; and Figure 7 is a longi-
tudinal section shewing an alternative method of cocking the gun by means of a
lever situated underneath the gun.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures.

page_text: a is the hammer turning upon the centre pin b. The tumbler b' and the cocking
piece b² are formed in one piece with the hammer, as seen in plan in Fig. 2, which
shews the sear c situated underneath that portion of the tumbler with which it
engages. The circular body b' of the tumbler is recessed into the side of the break-
off, and the mainspring, which acts upon the pin d, is also recessed in a similar
manner, the whole being covered by a small external plate secured by screws.
I do not desire to claim as new the formation of the hammer and tumbler in one
piece, except in combination the rest of the mechanism, which I will now proceed
to describe.
In order to render the gun self-cocking by means of the fall of the barrels when
the gun is being opened I provide a lifter e hinged upon a pin e¹, and situated in a
slot formed in the centre of the width of the break-off, so that, as seen in Fig. 2,
the rear and upper end e' of the said lifter touches the cocking pieces 62 of both of
the hammers, the said cocking pieces nearly touching one another in the centre
line of the gun. The forward end e² of the lifter is widened out, as shewn in
Fig. 2, and enters a notch ƒ formed in the under side of the lump f', which is
attached to the under side of the barrels.
When the gun is opened, as seen in Fig. 3, the notched lump f' raises the forward
onde of the lifter e, and cocks the gun, as shewn.
The moveable stud or catch g, which turns upon a pin g¹ within a vertical central.
slot formed in the lump f' is for the purpose of temporarily prolonging the notched
lump f¹, so as to retain contact with the end e² of the lifter during the operation of
cocking the hammers, as seen in Fig. 2, when the lower forward point g² of the
movable catch is pressed rearwards by the rearward face h of the break-off, and
the lifter is seen in contact with the lower rearward extremity g³ of the moveable
catch.
When it is required to take the gun apart by turning the barrels still farther in
the direction of the arrow A (the fore end having previously been removed) the
forward extremity g² of the moveable catch slips over the rounded corner h¹ of the
break-off, and releases the end e² of the lifter.
When the gun is closed, as in Fig. 1, the upper forward extremity g' of
the moveable catch comes in contact with the upper surface h² of the break-off, and
the catch is thereby forced into the position shewn in Fig. 1.
I have however found that the said moveable catch may be dispensed with by
substituting a rather deeper notch in the lump, as shewn at fin Fig. 5, care being
taken that the end es of the lifter will, under the influence of the small spring i,
just snap into the notch f when the gun is closed, and care being also taken that
the lumpf will just clear the lifter when it is required to remove the barrels by
turning them still farther in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 shews a plan of the spring i, the side projection of which acts upon the
under side of the lifter, while the rest of the spring lies alongside of the lifter.
The hammer a may hit the cartridge directly, or through the intervention of a
firing pin, as is well understood.
I will now describe the action of the safety bolt k, the body k of which is flat,
and thin, and has a slight fore-and-aft movement upon the pin l, the slot allowing
of the said movement.
The forward end of the safety bolt takes the form of a round pin, having a
bevelled end ³, which is forced backwards by the cam-shaped end e³ of the lifter e
when the gun is opened. The safety bolt k has a small plate k attached to it,
which travels over the upper tips m, m, of the two triggers m³ (see Fig. 3), and
prevents the trigger from being pulled, and the gun from being fired.
When, however, as shown in Fig. 1, the safety bolt is pushed forward by means
of the finger piece k, the triggers are uncovered, and the gun may be fired. A
spring n acting upon the notched under side of the safety bolt k-retains the latter
in position at either end of its movement.
The sears c may be made of any desired shape, but by preference I make them
nearly straight, and parallel with the trigger plate. The ends c' of the sears lie

page_text: over the lower ends of the triggers, whereby they are lifted when the gun is to be
fired.
Fig. 1 and 3 show one trigger only, but both are seen marked m in Fig. 2.
The scar spring o is formed in one piece with the block o', which is notched for the
safety bolt k. The sear spring is divided for its whole length, as seen in Fig. 2, so
as to act as two springs, namely, one for each sear.
Fig. 7 shews a modification, in which the hammer and tumblor (in one piece), the
mainspring, and the sear are mounted upon a lock plate at the side of the gun.
Fig. 7 also shews a modification, whereby the gun may be cocked by means of
an under lever p pivoted at p¹, so that when its rear end p² is depressed its forward
end p³ lifts the forward end of the lifter e, thereby depressing the rear end e¹ and
cocking the gun.
I will now describe my improved fore end.
In Fig. 1, r is a lump underneath the barrels, having a notch and a tooth-
shaped projection. The cam & is pivoted to the metallic plate t of the fore end,
and is pressed by the spring s¹ in such a manner as to hold the fore end securely in
its place, and at the same time to allow of its forcible removal in the direction
of the arrow B.
When it is desired to replace the fore end the latter is simply pressed into its
place, and the cam s snaps into the notch r¹.
Fig. 4 shows a modification, whereby I dispense with the cam 8, and use only a
spring & having a thickened and rounded end 8 snapping into a notch r¹ in the
lump r.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same may be carried into effect, I desire it to be understood that without
limiting myself to the precise details herein-before described, and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings, I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,―
First. Forming the hammer and the tumbler in one piece in combination with
the other mechanism of drop-down guns herein-before described, and shewn in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. Cocking the hammers of drop-down guns by means of the action of the
lump upon the barrels engaging with a lifter, as herein-before described, and shewn
in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. Actuating a safety bolt by means of the aforesaid lifter, as herein-before
described, and shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. Securing the fore ends of drop-down guns by means of a spring cam, or
by means of a spring only without a cam, as herein-before described, and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher George Bonehill, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
W. JOHN PELLOW,
Clerk to Mr. G. R. Holland,
Birmingham.
C. G. BONEHILL. (L.S.)