IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander, of 14, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS."
-A communication from abroad by Jean-Baptiste Lainé, of Paris,
in the Republic of Tranes Gunsmith
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th March 1875.
I, EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS," a communication to me from abroad by Jean-Baptiste
Lainé, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Gunsmith, to be as
follows:-

page_text: According to this Invention three barrels are disposed in one group,
the third barrel being situate centrally either below or above the other
two; and these three barrels are all fired by two triggers, the central
barrel having a hammer and trigger of its own. The other two barrels
which are disposed after the manner of the barrels of an ordinary
double-barrelled gun, are both fired from the second trigger, which is
caused to operate upon the two lateral hammers alternately by the dis-
placement of a horizontally pivotting lever provided with a lateral
projecting pin at its forward end upon which an incline on the tumbler
of the right-hand barrel operates.
The charge may consist of the usual central-fire cartridges, and the
strikers for the right and left barrels are curved, whilst that for the
central barrel is straight and is actuated by a vertical slide having its
lower end inclined to correspond to a similar incline on the rear end of
the striker. This vertical slide engages with a notch made in the
tumbler of the central hammer. The said strikers serve also as
indicators, showing by their position whether the barrels are charged or
not.
The barrels are exposed at the breech for loading by causing them
to pivot in the well-known manner, and to be locked to the fixed breech
when closed by a catch actuated by a lever situate in front of or
passing along the under side of the trigger guard.
If desired, one or more of the said barrels may be rifled, and the
firing of such barrels may be accomplished by three separato triggers, or
they may be fired together by one trigger only.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of 30
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year

page_text: projecting pin at its forward end, upon which an incline on the tumbler
of the right-hand barrel operates.
The charge may consist of the usual central-fire cartridges, and the
strikers for the right and left barrels are curved, whilst that for the
central barrel is straight and is actuated by a vertical slide having its
lower end inclined to correspond to a similar inclinc on the rear end
of the striker. This vertical slide engages with a notch made in the
tumble of the central hammer. The said strikers serve also as
indicators, showing by their position externally whether the barrels are
charged or not.
The barrels are exposed at the breech for loading by causing them to
pivot in the well-known manner, and to be locked to the fixed brecch
when closed by a catch actuated by a lever situate in front of or passing
along the under side of the trigger guard.
If desired, one or more of the said barrels may be rifled, and the firing
of such barrels may be accomplished by three separate triggers, or they
may be fired together by one trigger only.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical section of
the improved fire-arm taken along the centre line of the supplementary
lower barrel; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same; Figure 3 is
a transverse vertical section taken along the line 3-4, in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a similar section taken along the line 1-2, in Figure 1, and
viewed in the direction of the arrow.
Figure 5 is a detail plan, looking from above, of the trigger plate upon
which is fitted the mechanism for permitting both the lateral barrels to
be fired from one and the same trigger.
In these Figures A, A³, are the two upper barrels placed side by side
with which is combined a third and lower barrel B occupying the centre
of the fire-arm. This group of barrels is mounted in the hinged breech
piece b, and is fixed or locked to the fixed breech C by a catch D which
oscillates on the pin d, and which is actuated by the arm D' situate near

page_text: to the trigger guard. E is the central cock which is adjusted in the
usual manner, and which is acted upon by the mainspring R when the
trigger F is drawn back for firing. The boss of this cock is notched
at e, e³, to engage with the projection g of the vertical sliding piece G,
which terminates at its lower extremity in an incline corresponding to a
similar incline on the exterior of the striker h. When the cock E
descends the slide G also descends and drives the striker against the
priming of the charge in the barrel B. The lateral hammers L, L,
belonging to their respective lock plates act upon curved strikers, ono of
which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. Their action depends upon
the trigger F which serves for the two hammers L and I alternately.
This action is produced by the displacement of the horizontal lever I
which works on a fixed centre or pivot i, and which is provided at its
front end with a pin j acted upon by the inclined plane of the boss n of
the right-hand hammer L. This triple-barrelled gun, the practical
advantages of which are incontestible, is used like an ordinary double-
barrelled sporting gun. The strickers of each barrel serve also as safety
indicators, that is to say, they project so long as the barrels contain
cartridges, and are hidden when the arm is not loaded. One of the
barrels may be rifled to receive the usual rifle bullet, or two of the
barrels may be rifled according to requirement.
I would here observe that I reserve to myself the right of changing
the the order of firing, whether three separate triggers be employed for
the three barrels, or whether all the barrels are fired together, even from
one single trigger.
Figures 6 and 7 represent respectively a side elevation and transverso
vertical section of a gun in which the third barrel is situate above the
two ordinary barrels. These three barrels turn on the pivot x when the
catch lever arm X is moved downwards.
The arrangement of the central cock and the two lateral hammers is
the same as that which is illustrated by the Figures 1 to 5, and the
parts already described under the first arrangement are indicated by like
letters of reference to avoid useless repetition.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I
consider to be novel and original, and thereforo claim as the Invention

page_text: secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the hercin-before described peculiar arrangement and grouping of the
parts of a fire-arm, whereby a light and casily handled triple-barrelled
breech-loading arm is obtained, charged with central-fire or pin
cartridges and provided with two triggers only for the discharge of the
threo barrels separately.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Powley Alexander, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
fivc.
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER. (L.S.)