Improvements in the Ejecting Mechanism of Sporting Guns and Rifles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 15th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Ejecting Mechanism of Sporting Guns and
Rifles.
I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Nuneaton, in the County of Warwick, and
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the ejecting mechanism of sporting guns and rifles.
In the "Westley Richards" gun, and in the one described in the specification to
Letters Patent granted to me and numbered 1,281 of 1887, each spring-mechanism
in the fore-end is retained in the cramped position by an ejector-sear, which in the
one case is tripped by a slide in the action-body and in the other by a solid projection
on the main spring or by a pivoted stop. In the present invention, I dispense with
the ejector-sear properly so called and employ instead thereof a cam or lever which
engages with and holds the spring-mechanism in the fore-end for the requisite period
and is caused to release the same at the proper time by means of a stop forming part
of or attached to the action-body or by the extractor-cam or -post. After the gun
has been fired, the cam or lever is moved into the path of the part by which it is
operated by contact with a sliding main spring, or a pivoted lever or a sliding rod
held in or moved into the active position by the tumbler or by some other limb in the
lockwork. That is, the cam or lever above referred to, whilst the tumblers are being
cocked, is in contact with and caused to rotate a certain distance (though not far
enough to release the ejecting mechanism) by the main spring or the device which
serves to establish communication with the lock; the cam or lever being further
rotated, for the purpose of liberating the ejecting mechanism, by contact with a part
of the gun unconnected with the lockwork, instead of being tripped by a stop forming
part of the main spring or operated by the lock, as is the case with the ejector-sear
in the other inventions cited above. The cam or lever used in this ejector, in order
to. release the ejecting mechanism, is rotated during the greater or a considerable
part of the time the barrels are falling; the ejector-sear hitherto employed being
on the contrary left undisturbed until towards the termination of the falling
movement.
Although the timing of the parts should be adjusted in the manner indicated
above, the same may be altered without departing from the principle of my
invention.
When spiral ejector-springs are employed, a movable bracket may be used for the
purpose of varying the tension of or releasing such springs.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Ejecting Mechanism of Sporting Guns and
Rifles.
:
I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Nuneaton, in the County of Warwick, and
Mostyn Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
.
"This invention relates to the ejecting mechanism of drop-down sporting guns and¨
rifles.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents partly in side elevation and
partly in section ejecting mechanism adapted for being liberated, after-the locks are

page_text: cocked, by contact with the action-body. The gun to which it is applied is closed and
fired. Fig. 2 is a similar view shewing, after the commencement of the opening of
the gun, the ejecting mechanism still. in its normal position; the split extractor
having, however, been started out by the extractor-post. In Fig. 3, the gun is nearly
open, the locks are cocked, and the retaining device appertaining to each ejecting
mechanism has been moved, by contact with the sliding main spring, into position for
being, liberated by a second stop on the completion of the opening movement. In
Figs. 4 and 5, the gun is fully open; in the former view, the ejecting mechanism has,
and, in the latter view, has not been liberated. Figs. 6 and 7 shew a second stop
formed. on an extractor-cam instead of in the action-body. The retaining device is
substantially the same as in the preceding figures: it is, however, represented partly
in section; the arm which communicates with the lock being omitted. Figs. 8 and 9
illustrate similar mechanism; the second stop being formed on an extractor-post
instead of on an extractor-cam. Figs. 10 to 13 are diagrammatic views. In Fig. 10,
a sliding rod is employed instead of a sliding main spring for acting on the retaining
device. In Fig. 11; a slide, operated as described in the specification to Letters
Patent No. 11,623 A.D. 1887, is used for rotating, during the opening of the gun,
the retaining device into the position represented in Fig. 3. In Fig. 12, a lever held
by the tumbler, as described in the specification to Letters Patent No. 5,834, A.D. 1887,
is employed for engaging with the retaining device after the commencement of the
opening of the gun. In Fig. 13, the retaining device is shewn in connection with a
hammer-like arm.
In the "Westley Richards" gun, and in the one described in the specification to
Letters Patent granted to me and numbered 1,281 of 1887, each spring-mechanism
in the fore-end is retained in the cramped position by an ejector-sear, which in the one
case is tripped by a slide in the action-body and in the other by a solid projection on
the main spring or by a pivoted stop. In the present invention, I disponse with the
ejector-sear properly so called and employ instead thereof a cam or lever (heretofore
and hereafter referred to as the retaining device) operated by two stops. The retaining
device a engages with and holds back the corresponding spring-mechanism a¹ a² in
the fore-end a for the requisite period (that is, until the cartridge has been fired and
the lock cocked) and is caused to release the said mechanism at the proper time (that
is, after the cocking of the lock) by means of a shoulder or stop such as c on the
action-body, or by a stop carried by the fore-end, such as c¹ on the extractor-cam d,
or on the extractor-post d¹. After the cartridge has been fired, the retaining
device a is moved into the path of the stop c, or c¹, or c² by contact with a stop 6 on
the sliding main spring, or a stop b¹ on a pivoted lever, or a stop 63 on a sliding rod
or slide; the stop b, or b¹, or 6' being inoperative when the gun has not been fired.
That is, the retaining device a, whilst the tumbler is being cocked, is in contact with
and caused to rotate a certain distance (though not far enough to release the ejecting
mechanism aforesaid) by the main spring or the device which serves to establish
communication with the lock; the retaining device being further rotated, for the
purpose of liberating the ejecting mechanism, by contact with a part of the gun
unconnected with the lockwork, instead of being tripped by a stop formed on the
main spring or operated by the lock, as is the case with the ejector-sear in the other
inventions cited above. The retaining device is caused to engage with the spring-
mechanism a¹ a² by a spring such as a The retaining device used in this ejector,
in order to release the ejecting mechanism, is rotated during the greater or a
considerable part of the time the barrels are falling; the ejector-sear hitherto employed
being on the contrary left undisturbed until towards the termination of the falling
movement.
The retaining device a may be used in connection with spring-mechanism
comprising a hammer-like arm actuated by a double flat spring as used in the
"Westley Richards" gun and illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 13. Under such
circumstances, the retaining device is thrown partly out of engagement with
the notch or bent in the said arm by the stop b, or 61, or 2, and finally liberated
by the stop c, or c¹ or c²; as will be readily understood.

page_text: Instead of the stop b, or b¹, or b³, any known means capable of acting in a similar
way may be employed for rotating the retaining device preparatively to the same
being liberated by the stop c, or c'; or c².
Although the timing of the parts should be adjusted in the manner indicated above,
the same may be altered without departing from the principle upon which the present
improved ejecting mechanism is constructed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that, on account
of Penn & Deeley's specification No. 6,913, A.D. 1888, and Holland & Robertson's
specification No. 16,691, A.D. 1888, I do not claim broudly a retaining device
actuated by two independent stops, but what I do claim is :-
1. In a drop-down sporting gun or rifle, the combination, with a sliding main
spring, of a shoulder or stop formed in or carried by the body or action, the sliding
main spring being used during the opening of the gun or rifle to move the retaining
device into position for being liberated by the shoulder or stop at the termination of
the opening movement, substantially as described.
"
2. In a drop-down sporting gun or rifle fitted with ejecting mechanism by which
the empty but not the full cartridge-case or cases is or are ejected, the construction
of each lock aud corresponding ejecting mechanism in such a manner that, upon the
cartridge being fired, a stop is moved into or held in position fo the retaining device
of the ejecting mechanism to arrive in contact therewith during the first part of the
opening movement, so that such retaining device may be thereby brought into position
to come at the termination of the opening of the gun or rifle against and be liberated
by a second stop carried by the fore-end, substantially as described.
3. In each lock and corresponding ejecting mechanism of a drop-down sporting
gun or rifle, the combination, with a stop which, upon the cartridge being fired, is
moved into or held in position for the retaining device of the ejecting mechanism
to arrive in contact therewith during the first part of the opening movement, of a
second stop on the extractor-cam or -post, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated this 20th day of January 1890.