IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Middleditch Scott, of the Firm of W.
and O. Scott and Son, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING SMALL-ARMS.”
Sealed the 29th February 1876, and dated the 15th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Middleditch
Scott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 15th September 1875.
I, WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT, of the Firm of W. and C. Scott and
Son, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMs," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, first, to breech-loading small-arms, in which
the discharging mechanism is concealed or contained within the body of
the gun, such guns being commonly called hammerless guns. The
discharging mechanism of this class of guns is cocked by the act of
opening the breech for recharging, and when the gun has been charged
'

page_text: and laid aside there is no visible means of ascertaining the position of
the discharging mechanism. This part of my Invention has for its
object to remedy this defect in the said guns, and consists in making in
one or both sides of the body and stock of the gun or in other con-
venient place or places an aperture or apertures closed or glazed with
glass or other transparent substance through which the position of the
discharging mechanism can be inspected. Or instead of an aperture or
apertures glazed, as described, a small door or hinged opening may be
employed, by opening which the discharging mechanism may be
-inspected; or the hinged door may be glazed. Instead of a hinged door
-a-slide-may be used, by drawing-back-which-the-discharging-mechanism.
may be inspected.
.
My Invention consists, secondly, of mechanism constructed as herein-
after described, for fastening and unfastening the "fore ends" of drop-
down guns. The said mechanism consists of a lever working on the
"fore end," the axis of the said lever carrying on opposite sides inclined
studs or projections. When the fore end is pressed upon the barrels one
of the inclined studs engages under the hook of the lump on the said
barrels and fastens the said fore end to the barrels. The other inclined
stud bears upon a fixed incline on the lump, and has for its function to
start the fore end after it has been unfastened, and thereby to facilitate
its removal. The mechanism is made to have a snapping action by
means of a spring operating upon the axis of the lever. When the fore
end is shut down one of the inclined studs snaps under the hook of the
lump, and when the lever is turned aside to liberate the fore end the
other inclined stud acting against the incline on the lump effects the
starting of the fore end immediately after it has been unfastened.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Middleditch Scott,
Her special license, that I, the said William Middleditch Scott, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Middleditch Scott, 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 Ireland, 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 William Middle-
ditch Scott, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in side elevation
a hammerless gun provided with a glazed aperture or sight hole in the
body or stock for inspecting the position of the concealed hammers of
the said gun; Figure 2 is a cross section of a portion of the body and
stock; and Figure 3 is a back elevation of the metal plate in which the
glazed aperture or sight hole is formed. The said glazed aperture or
sight hole is marked ȧ, and is carried in the separable or detachable
metal plate 6 which is fitted in a correspondingly shaped hole at cin
the side of the body and stock of the gun, the said plate being fixed in
its place by the screws.at d, d. The glazed aperture or sight hole is
made of a strong disc of glass a or of some transparent material, such-as
. quartz or pebble. This disc of glass a is placed over the hole in the
metal plate 6 from the back of the said plate, the edge of the said glass
disc resting against an annular rim made in the said plate b (see the
section, Figure 2). The disc of glass a is fixed over the hole in the
plate 6 by the metal ring 6%, which ring is screwed on the back of the
said plate b. After the disc of glass or other transparent material bas
been fixed in the plate 6 the latter is ready to be attached to the gun;
a glazed aperture is thus formed which is flush or nearly flush with the
outside of the body and stock. A glazed aperture of the construction.
described may be applied to both sides of the body and stock.
b
By an examination of the Drawing it will be seen that the hammers e
can be inspected through the glazed aperture or sight hole at one or
both sides of the gun, and the positions of the said hammers ascertained.
I do not limit myself to the position represented of the glazed aperture:
or sight hole, or to the method of constructing and fixing it to the gun..
Or instead of an aperture or apertures, glazed, as described, a small door
or hinged opening may be employed, by opening which the discharging
mechanism may be inspected; or the hinged door may be glazed.
Instead of a hinged door a slide may be used, by drawing back which
the discharging mechanism may be inspected. This part of my Inven-
tion may be applied to-hammerless guns, in which the barrels are cither

page_text: inclined studs engages under the hook of the lump on the barrels and
fastens the said fore end to the barrels. The other inclined stud bears
upon a fixed incline on the lump, and has for its function to start the
fore end after it has been unfastened, and thereby to facilitate its
removal. The mechanism is made to have a snapping action by means
of a spring operating upon the axis of the lever. When the fore end is
shut down one of the inclined studs snaps under the hook of the lump,
and when the lever is turned aside to liberate the forc end the other
inclined stud acting against the incline on the lump effects the starting
of the fore end immediately after it has been unfastened.
Figure 4 represents a plan of inner or upper side, and Figure 5 a
plan of under or outer side of a fore end fastening constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 6 represents a side elevation of the fore end
fastening detached from the wood part of the fore end.
Figure 7 represents a plan of under side, and Figure 8 a side elevation,
of the barrels of a drop-down gun furnished with a hook and incline for
use with the fastening. a is the lever having a side motion on the fore
end b, the 'said lever being pressed into its normal position by the
spring c bearing on the axis d of the said lever. The motion of the said
lever a is limited by the stop e working in a slot in the said lever. The
axis & of the lever a is prolonged, and the said prolonged axis. carries on
opposite sides inclined studs or projections f. g. On the under side of
the barrels is a lump i having on one side a hook & for fastening the
fore end, and on the other side a fixed incline 7 for starting the fore end.
This hook and incline are seen in Figures 7 and 8. When the fore end 6
is pressed upon the barrels the inclined stud fon the axis a bears
against the inclined side of the hook k and gives a partial rotation to the
said axis d. When the fore end has-seated itself against the barrels the
stud k snaps by the action of the spring c under the said hook k and
fastens the fore end to the barrels. To unfasten the fore end 6 the
lever a is turned aside in the direction indicated by the arrow in
Figures 4 and 5. By this motion the stud f on the axis dis removed
from under the hook k and unfastens the fore end b, and the other
stud g is brought opposite the fixed incline , so that immediately the
fore end has been unfastened the said stud 9 acting against the said
incline effects the starting of the fore end.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner.

page_text: in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
'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 of improvements in breech-
loading small-arms—
'First. The improvements in hammerless guns or small arms in which
'the hammers are concealed or contained in the body of the gun or small
arm herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say, making in one or both sides of
the body or stock of the small arm or other convenient place or places-a-
glazed aperture or apertures, or a hinged door or doors, or a hinged
glazed door or opening, or doors or openings, or a slide or slides, for the.
purpose and substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The combination or arrangement of the parts of mechanism
herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the
accompanying Drawings for fastening and unfastening the fore ends of
drop-down guns.
•
In witness whereof, I, the said William Middleditch Scott, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT. (L.S.)
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.