IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS to be as follows:-
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT of the firm of W. and C. Scott and Son of
Premier Gun Works Lancaster Street 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 has reference to drop down guns having internal hammers com-
monly called hammerless guns and my said invention consists of the improvements
hereinafter described in the cocking mechanism of the said hammerless guns.
In double barrel drop down guns having internal hammers which are auto-
matically cocked by the raising of the breech ends of the barrels for opening the
gun considerable power has to be exerted to cock both the hammers of the double
gun The object of my invention is principally to facilitate the cocking of the gun
by dividing the power required to cock both the hammers between the opening
and closing of the gun that is I arrange the cocking mechanism so that one of the
haminers shall be cocked on opening the gun for charging and the other hammer
shall be cocked on closing the gun after charging,
For cocking one of the hammers by the opening of the gun say that for the left
hand barrel employ any of the well known automatic cocking mechanisms used
for that purpose but I cock the other hammer on closing the gun by means of
mechanism constructed and acting substantially as follows.
Working in an opening in the body of the gun is a horizontal cocking rod
extending from the side of the hammer to near the joint end of the body a coiled
spring around the said rod tending to force it forward that is towards the muzzle
end of the barrels. At the joint end of the "fore end" of the gun and situated in
a line with the said cocking rod a small cranked lever is jointed having motion in
a vertical plane. This lever is V shaped so that the ends of its arms are turned
in the same direction the upper arm being considerably longer than the lower arm.
The said long arm of the lever projects from the joint part of the fore end and
works in a cut away part in the upper face of the body of the gun. In the curved
end face of the joint of the tody a slot is made in which the end of the lower arm
of the lever works. The front end of the cocking rod is notched or cut away on
its underside and the upper side of the end of the upper arm of the lever is
similarly cut away so that the two parts may engage with one another.
When the barrels are closed the notched end of the upper arm of the lever is
engaged under the notched end of the cocking rod and the end of the short arm of

page_text: the lever is at the top of the slot in the face of the joint end of the body. On opening
the gun one of the hammers is cocked by mechanism constituting no part of my present
invention As the barrels are opened the "fore end" partaking of their curvilinear
motion causes the long arm of the lever to be withdrawn from under the cocking
rod but just before the barrels are fully opened the short arm of the lever bears
against the bottom of the slot in which it works. The said lever is thereby made
to turn on its centro lifting its upper long arm and bringing it opposite the end of
the cocking rod. On closing the gun the upper arm of the lever which is now in
contact with the cocking rod forces backwards the said cocking rod and causes its
rear end to act upon a projection on the side of the hammer and cock the said
hammer the sear of the lock engaging with the bent of the hammer in the ordinary
way. As soon as the sear has engaged with the bent and the gun has been fully
closed the long arm of the lever escapes from the end of the cocking rod and the
latter by the action of its spring is forced forward leaving the cocked hammer
free to fall the forward motion of the cocking rod causing its notched end to be
reengaged with the notched end of the lever. Thus one of the hammers is cocked
on opening the gun and the other hammer is cocked on closing the gun, thereby.
dividing the power required to cock the double gun.
"
Although I prefer to apply the mechanism described to one of the hammers of
the double gun yet the said mechanism may be applied to both the hammers. In
this case both hammers are cocked on closing the gun.

page_text: I, WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT of the firm of W. and C. Scott and Son of
Premier Gun Works, Lancaster Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Gun Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
--
My invention has reference to drop down guns having internal hammers com- .
monly called hammerless guns and my said invention consists of the improvements
herein after described in the cocking mechanism of the said hammerless guns.
In double barrel drop down guns having internal hammers which are automati-
cally cocked by the raising of the breech ends of the barrels for opening the gun,
considerable power has to be exerted to cock both the hammers of the double gun.
The object of my invention is principally to facilitate the cocking of the gun by
dividing the power required to cock both the hammers between the opening and
closing of the gun; that is, I arrange the cocking mechanism so; that one of the
hammers shall be cocked on opening the gun for charging and the other hammer
shall be cocked on closing the gun after charging.
For cocking one of the hammers by the opening of the gun, say, that of the left
hand barrel, I employ any of the well known automatic cocking mechanisms used
for that purpose but I cock the other hammer on closing the gun by means of
mechanism constructed and acting substantially as follows:-
Working in an opening in the body of the gun is a horizontal cocking rod
extending from the side of the hammer to near the joint end of the body, a coiled
spring around the said rod tending to force it forward, that is, towards the muzzle
end of the barrels. At the joint end of the "fore end " of the gun and situated in
a line with the said cocking rod, a small cranked lever jointed having motion in
a vertical plane. This lever is V shaped so that the ends of its arms are turned
in the same direction, the upper arm being considerably longer than the lower arm.
The said long arm of the lever projects from the joint part of the fore end and
works in a cut away part in the upper face of the body of the gun. In the curved
end face of the joint of the body, a slot is made in which the end of the lower arm
of the lever works. The front end of the cocking rod is notched or cut away on its
underside and the upper side of the end of the upper arm of the lever is similarly
cut away so that the two parts may engage with one another.
When the barrels are closed the notched end of the upper arm of the lever is
engaged under the notched end of the cocking rod and the end of the short arm of
the lever is at the top of the slot in the face of the joint end of the body. On
opening the gun, one of the hammers is cocked by mechanism constituting no part
of my present invention. As the barrels are opened the "fore end" partaking of
their curvilinear motion causes the long arm of the lever to be withdrawn from
under the cocking rod but just before the barrels are fully opened the short arm of
the lever bears against the bottom of the slot in which it works. The said lever is

page_text: thereby made to turn on its centre lifting its upper long arm and bringing it
opposite the end of the cocking rod. On closing the gun the upper arm of the
lever which is now in contact with the cocking rod forces backwards the said
cocking rod and causes its rear end to act upon a projection on the side of the
hammer and cock the said hammer, the sear of the lock engaging with the bent of
the hammer in the ordinary way.
As soon as the scar has engaged with the bent and the gun has been fully closed
the long arm of the lever escapes from the end of the cocking rod and the latter by
the action of its spring is forced forward leaving the cocked hammer free to fall the
forward motion of the cocking rod causing its notched end to be reëngaged with
the notched end of the lever.
Thus one of the hammers is cocked on opening the gun and the other hammer is
cocked on closing the gun, thereby dividing the power required to cock the double
gun.
Although I prefer to apply the mechanism described to one of the hammers of
the double gun yet the said mechanism may be applied to both the hammers. In
this case both hammers are cocked on closing the gun.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be perforined.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent longitudinal vertical sections, partly in elevation,
of the breech end of a double barrel drop down gun containing cocking mechanism
constructed according to my invention, the sections Figures 1, 2 and 4 being taken
through the cocking mechanism-of-the-right-hand-barrel-and-the-section-Figure-3-
being taken through the cocking mechanism of the left hand barrel. In Figure 1
the hammer of the right hand barrel is represented in its discharged position and
the cocking rod and cocking lever in their normal positions. In Figure 2 the
hammer is represented in its cocked position and the cocking rod about to make its
return notion and the cocking lever in the act of escaping from the cocking rod
and in Figure 4 the hammer is represented in its cocked position and the cocking
rod in its back or withdrawn position. In Figure 3 the hammer of the left hand
barrel is represented in its discharged position and the cocking mechanism in its
normal position; Figure 5 represents in longitudinal section the breech ends of the
barrels in the act of ascending and Figure 6 the same in the act of descending and
the cocking rod just about to be forced forward to cock the hammer; Figure 7
represents in plan and Figure 8 in end elevation the body of the gun the barrels
being removed; Figure 9 represents in plan and Figure 94 in side elevation the fore
end detached; Figure 10 represents the cranked or cocking lever detached and
Figure 12 represents in plan of underside the body and barrels, the fore end being
removed.
ند
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawings.
a is the right hand barrel of the double gun furnished with cocking mechanism
constructed according to my invention and b is the left hand barrel furnished with
cocking mechanism which constitutes no part of my invention; c is the body of the
gun and d the fore end; e is the hammer of the right hand barrel a and f is the
hammer of the left hand barrel b; g is the cocking rod working in the body c for
operating upon the hammer é and is the cocking rod for operating upon the
hammer f the said cocking rods g, h being forced forward or towards the muzzle
ends of the barrels by the coiled springs represented around the said rods.
cocking rod of the hammer is forced backwards on the opening of the gun by
means of the roller carried by the fore end d acting upon the inclined outer end
of the cocking rod h. The mechanism for operating upon the rod g.for cocking the
hammer e on closing the gun is constructed as follows:-
The
At the joint point of the fore end d is a small cranked lever i, 2 (shown
separately in Figure 10) turning on the pin or centre and having motion in a
vertical plane. The two arms i, 2 of the said lever are turned in the same direction

page_text: the upper arm i being considerably longer than the lower arm i* as represented.
The longer arm i of the lever projects from the joint part of the foro end d and
works in a cut away part in the upper face of the body c of the gun. In the curved
face of the joint end of the body c is a slot in which the end of the lower arm i
of the lever works the said lower arm passing through a slot in the bearing part
of the fore end das represented in the drawings. Across the said slot / is a stop m
for the short arm to bear against. The front end of the cocking rod g is notched
or cut away on its underside and the upper side of the top arm i of the lever is
similarly cut away so that the end of the said arm i may engage under the end of
the cocking rod. The cocking lever is pressed down so that its upper arm i when
nt liberty to move takes a bearing on the joint pin of the barrels (see Figures
1 and 4) by the spring n acting on a lump at the joint part of the lever.
The action of the parts is as follows: When the barrels are closed and the ġun
discharged the parts of the cocking mechanism of the right hand barrel a occupy
the positions represented in Figure 1, where it will be seen that the notched end of
the upper arm of the lever is engaged with the notched end of the cocking
rod g and the end of the short arm i of the lever is at the top of the slot / and
bears against the cross stop m. On opening the gun the hammer f of the left
hand barrel b is first cocked by the roller k on the fore end d acting upon the
cocking rod h and the latter upon a projection f on the hammer f, the cocking
rod g of the hainner of the right hand barrel a being unoperated upon by the
descent of the barrels but the cocking lever i, i of the right hand barrel has the
following motions given to it by the descent of the barrels. As the barrels are
opened the fore end d partaking of the curvilinear motion of the said barrels, the
lever i, 2 carried by it takes in succession the positions represented in Figures 5
and 6. As the lever i, de-cends with the fore end, the long arm of the said
lever is withdrawn from under the notched end of the cocking rod g and just
before the barrels are fully opened the end of the short arm of the lever bears
against the bottom of the slot . The continued descending motion of the barrels
to fully open the gun now causes the lever (in consequence of the arm i
bearing against the bottom of the slot ) to turn upon its centre 3 thereby lifting its
upper long arm i and bringing it opposite the end of the cocking rod as illustrated
in Figure 6. On closing the gun the upper arm i of the cocking lever, which
arın is now in contact with the end of the cocking rod g, forces backwards the
said cocking rod and causes its rear end to act upon a projection e² on the side of
the hammer e and cock the said hammer as illustrated in Figure 2, the sear p of
the lock engaging with the bent of the hammer in the ordinary way. As soon as
the sear p has engaged with the bent of the hammer and the gun has been fully
closed, the long arm i of the lever escapes from the cocking rod g and the said rod
by the action of its compressed spring is forced forward leaving the cocked hammer
free to fall, the forward notion of the cocking rod causing its notched end to be
reëngaged with the notched end of the arm i of the lever, the several parts now
occupying the respective positions represented in Figure 4.
In Figure 2, the barrel a is represented as fully shut down but it must be under-
stood that the position of the cocking rod g and arm i of the lever i i, are those
which they occupy immediately before the barrels are fully closed.
The hammer f of the left hand barrel b is in this way cocked on opening the
gun and the haminer e of the right hand barrel a cocked on closing the gun,
thereby dividing the power required to cock the double gun.
In place of the cocking mechanism represented in Figure 3 for cocking the
hammer of the left hand barrel as the gun is opened, any of the other well known
cocking mechanisms which cock the hammer on the opening of the gun may be
used in combination with the cocking mechanisin' constituting my invention.
Figure 13 represents in plan and Figure 14 in end elevation the body of a
double gun and Figure 15 in plan the fore end of the same provided with cocking
mechanisin constructed according to my invention for cocking both the hammers
on closing the gun. In this case, two cocking levers i, 2; i, are carried by the

page_text: fore end d and the outer ends of both cocking rods g are notched as described with
respect to the cocking rod of the right hand barrel.
Instead of making the cranked or cocking lever have motion in a vertical
plane it may have a side motion or motion in a horizontal plane.
This modification of my invention is illustrated in vertical section in
Figures 16 and 17 and plan of the body and fore end in Figures 18 and 19;
Figure 20 represents an end elevation of the body and Figure 21 an end elevation
of the fore end and Figure 22 represents the cocking lever separately.
In Figures 16 and 18 the cocking rods are shown in their forward or normal
positions after the hammers have been discharged and in Figures 17 and 19 the
said rods are represented in the act of cocking the hammers; q, q' is the cranked
cocking lever carried by the fore end d and having a limited side or lateral motion
in the said fore end. The two arms of the cocking lever are at right angles to one
another and the vertical arm q² carries a stud which works in the slot s in
the joint end of the body c. The inner side of the stud 7 is rounded and the outer
side of the slot s is inclined and the top of the slot a is inclined or cut away at 8².
By incans of the stud r and inclined parts of the slot 8 the side or lateral motion is
automatically given to the cocking lever q q' for causing it to operate upon the
cocking rod and withdrawing it from the cocking rod at the proper times. The
end of the cocking rod g has a side notch instead of a bottoin notch as in the
arrangement first described.
When the hammer has been discharged the cocking lever and cocking rod occupy
the positions represented-in-Figures-16-and-18-the-end-of-the-horizontal-arm-q-of-
the lever engaging with then otched side of the cocking rod g. When the gun is
opened the cocking lever descending with the fore end withdraws the end of its
arm from the notched side of the cocking rod g and on the barrels reaching their
nearly open position the cocking lever is turned aside by the action of the stud?
against the inclined side of the slot s in which the stud works. By this side motion
of the lever its horizontal arm is brought into a line with the end of the cocking
rod g as illustrated in Figures 17 and 19 and on closing the gun the said arm » pushes
back the cocking rod g and cocks the hammer in the manner herein before described.
On the hammer reaching its fully cocked position the curved side of the stud r
bears against the junction of the inclined top 8 of the slot 8 with the other part
of the slot, thereby causing the cocking lever to be turned aside in the opposite
direction to that described so as to withdraw the end of its arm q from the end of
the cocking rod g and permit the latter to take its forward or normal position for
the descent of the hammer, the cocking rod and cocking lever now occupying the
positions represented in Figures 10 and 18.
<
The turning aside of the cocking lever into the position Figures 16 and 18 after
the hammer has been cocked and the stud has reached the inclined top of the
slot 8, may be assisted by the pressure of the cocking rod y, the notched end of
which is rounded for pushing aside the cocking lever.
The cocking lever i, having a vertical motion and the cocking lever 7, 2ª
having a side or horizontal motion may be applied to single barrel guns as well as
to double barrel guns.
•
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 of Improvements in the cocking mechanism of drop down guns having
internal hammers, commonly called hammerless guns:-
First Facilitating the cocking of double barrel drop down guns by the com-
bination of the mechanism by which the hammer of one of the barrels is cocked
on opening the gun with mechanism for cocking the hammer of the other barrel
on closing the gun, the last named mechanism consisting essentially of the cranked
cocking lever, i, carried by the fore end, the lower short arm of the said lever
working in a slot in the joint end of the body the said cocking lever and the
cocking rod being constructed, arra. ged and acting substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Secondly The modification herein before described and illustrated in Figures 16
to 22 both inclusive of the accompanying Drawings in which the cocking lever
has a limited side or lateral motion instead of a vertical motion.
Thirdly The application of the cocking mechanisms claimed in the first and
second claims to the cocking of the hammers of single barrel guns and double
barrel guns on closing the guns after charging.
Dated this Eleventh day of December 1884.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT.