IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERLESS GUNS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN of Camp Hill Grange, Nuneaton, in the county
of Warwick, Mining Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERLESS GUNS to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to facilitate the cocking of the locks, and after;
wards by a very simple arrangement to render it impossible for an explosion to
take place until the trigger is pulled.
The one tumbler I cock by means of the lover that also actuates the bolting
mechanism, and the other by means of the barrels either in opening the gun or
closing it.
In some guns both tumblers are cocked by the lever, in others by the barrels.
Owing to the division of labour found in my invention only about half the power
necessary to move the lever in the former instance need be used, and only about
half the force required in the latter case to move the barrels need be applied:
The details of the mechanism used either in conjunction with the lever or the
barrels to cock the tumblers, varies according to the description of gun to which
my principle is applied.
To prevent an accidental discharge until the trigger is pulled, I prolong the
trigger blade until, when the tumbler is at full cock, it engages with a stud or
projection on the same.
:
If the scear is accidentally jarred out of the full cock notch, & the tumbler falls,
the stud on the latter catches against the prolonged portion of the trigger-blade
(which may if thought requisite take a bearing against the action). The gun can
now be fired by pulling the trigger in the ordinary way (the prolonged portion of
the trigger-blade acting as a. sccar), or the trigger-blade and the projection on the
tumbler may be so formed that before an explosion can take place the tumbler
must be recocked.
The prolonged portion of the trigger-blade is provided with an inclined plane
over which, before the scear enters the full cock notch, the projection on the
tumbler passes. With certain forms of trigger-bolts, the forward portion of the
trigger-blade must be capable of springing at least the height of this inclined
plane

page_text: This arrangement does not interfere with the pull of the trigger or add to the
number of pieces in the lock, and in case the tumbler is jarred off, it is intercepted
and held at some distance from its centre.
I claim :
The principle of raising the one tumbler separately, by means of the lever; and
the other tumbler separately, by means of the barrels.
Allowing a prolongation of the trigger-blade itself to act as an intercepting block
before the tumbler, until the trigger is pulled.
Dated this 24th day of March A.D. 1884.
I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Camp Hill Grange, Nuneaton, in the County
of Warwick, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERLESS GUNS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
To prevent a discharge until the trigger is pulled, I prolong the trigger blade
until, when the gun is cocked, it engages with a stud or projection on the tumbler.
The prolonged portion of the trigger blade is marked A in Figure 1, and can either
be rigidly connected with the trigger or not, according to the description of trigger
bolt employed. In order that the notch A¹ may readily engage with the aforesaid
stud or projection on the tumbler, this stud or projection during the process of
cocking slides along the part marked A', and the part A' can be made an inclined
plane, or it can be filed on the circle struck from the tumbler pivot.
In Figure 1 the prolonged part of the trigger blade is provided with the tail A',
and acts as a second scear; if preferred, it can be pivoted to the action instead of
the trigger plate.
The most simple way of rigidly connecting the prolonged part of the trigger
blade with the trigger, is shown in Figure 2; they can, however, be in one solid
piece. I then make that portion of the trigger plate between the triggers
removeable, as shown in Figure 3, and secure its rear end by means of a screw.
The part marked A in Figure 1 can be mado thin enough to spring laterally in
order to allow the stud on the tumbler to pass into the notch A¹, but the notch A¹
can be left the same width as before.
The ordinary scear can be altogether dispensed with, and the safety arrangement
illustrated in Figure 1 used in its place; if it is pivoted to the action instead of
the trigger plate, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, an even pull-off can be insured;
with the centres arranged as illustrated, the gun cannot be jarred off. The bent is
much further than usual from the tumbler pivot, therefore less allowance is required
for backslide, the tumbler has consequently a longer throw, and there is less
friction.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1) Using a prolongation of the trigger blade (whether the aforesaid prolongation
is a solid part of the trigger or not) as an intercepting block before the tumbler
until the trigger is pulled; and allowing the aforesaid prolongation, or a second
scear attached to the trigger plate, to be in contact with the tumbler when the
latter is uncocked.
(2) Allowing the prolongation, or second scear, to spring laterally in order to
engage with the tumbler.
(3) The use of the special form of scear, pivoted to the action, drawn in
Figure 4; and allowing it to be in contact with the tumbler when the latter is
uncocked, substantially as shown in Figure 5.
(4) The improvements in hammerless guns or rifles substantially as illustrated in
the accompanying drawings,
Dated this 22nd day of December 1884.