IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun and Pistol Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS.”
Sealed the 7th May 1872, and dated the 15th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1871.
I, JOHN THOMAS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
and Pistol Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to breech-loading small-arms of the kind called
drop-down guns or guns in which the barrels turn in a vertical plane
upon a joint on the body, the open breech ends of the barrels being
held against the face of the break-off for discharging and raised from
the said break-off for loading.

page_text: My Invention consists of the combination or arrangement of parts
herein-after described for fastening down the barrels of the said guns to
the body for firing, and releasing them for loading.
I make in the middle of the face of the break-off a longitudinal slot,
in which a sliding bolt works. At the back of the said bolt is a spring,
which urges the bolt towards the face of the barrels. Between the breech
ends of the barrels and projecting from their face is a lump, the vertical
face of which lump is curved and the top or horizontal face flat or inclined.
When the barrels are shut down this lump takes into a recess in the
break-off below that in which the sliding bolt works. The sliding bolt
is actuated from the tang of the gun by a cranked lever turning in a
vertical plane. One arm of this lever lies on the tang while the other
arm passes nearly vertically through the break-off and takes into a slot
in the sliding bolt. When the barrels are shut down the lump pro-
jecting from their breech ends pushes back the sliding bolt until the
top of the said lump is below the sliding bolt, when the said sliding
bolt is shot forward by its spring and its end made to bear upon the
top or upper face of the said lump; the barrels are thereby securely
fastened down. To withdraw the bolt and unfasten the barrels the
thumb plate end of the lever on the tang is lifted vertically; the inner
arm of the lever is thereby made to withdraw the bolt from the barrels
and remove its end from the lump on the said barrels. The barrels
being thus unfastened turn upon their joint and expose their open
breech ends for loading.
In order to compensate for the wear of the sliding bolt and lump on
the barrels their bearing faces may be inclined, and the sliding bolt
adjusted in a more forward position by means of a screw under the arm
of the lever on the tang; by depressing this screw more or less its head
permits the lever to throw forward the sliding bolt and make its inclined
lower face accurately fit upon the inclined upper face or top of the
lump:
Instead of withdrawing the sliding bolt by a vertical motion of the
lever on the tang the withdrawal of the said bolt may be effected by a

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOMAS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun and Pistol
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Thomas, Her
special license, that I, the said John Thomas, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Thomas, 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 John Thomas, 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 Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Thomas, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to breech-loading small-arms of the kind called
drop-down guns or guns in which the barrels turn in a vertical plane
upon a joint on the body, the open breech ends of the barrels being held
against the face of the break-off for discharging and raised from the
said break-off for loading.

page_text: My Invention consists of the combination or arrangement of parts
herein-after described for fastening down the barrels of the said guns to
the body for firing, and releasing them for loading.
I make in the middle of the face of the break-off a longitudinal slot,
in which a sliding bolt works. At the back of the said bolt is a spring,
which urges the bolt towards the face of the barrels. Between the
breech ends of the barrels and projecting from their face is a lump, the
vertical face of which lump is curved and the top or horizontal face flat
or inclined. When the barrels are shut down this lump takes into a
recess in the break-off below that in which the sliding bolt works. The
sliding bolt is actuated from the tang of the gun by a cranked lever
turning in a vertical plane. One arm of this lever lies on the tang,
while the other arm passes nearly vertically through the break-off and
takes into a slot in the sliding bolt. When the barrels are shut down
the lump projecting from their breech ends pushes back the sliding bolt
until the top of the said lump is below the sliding bolt, when the said
sliding bolt is shot forward by its spring, and its end made to bear upon
the top or upper face of the said lump; the barrels are thereby securely
fastened down. To withdraw the bolt and unfasten the barrels the
thumb plate end of the lever on the tang is lifted vertically; the inner
arm of the lever is thereby made to withdraw the bolt from the barrels
and remove its end from the lump on the said barrels. The barrels
being thus unfastened turn upon their joint and expose their open
breech ends for loading.
In order to compensate for the wear of the sliding bolt and the lump
on the barrels their bearing faces may be inclined and the sliding bolt
adjusted in a more forward position by means of a screw under the arm
of the lever on the tang. By depressing this screw more or less its head
permits the lever to throw forward the sliding bolt and make its inclined
lower face accurately fit upon the inclined upper face or top of the
lump.
Instead of withdrawing the sliding bolt by a vertical motion of the
lever on the tang the withdrawal of the said bolt may be effected by a
horizontal or side motion of the said lever.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal vertical sections (partly in
elevation) of the breech end of a breech-loading drop-down gun, the
bolting down and releasing mechanism of which is arranged or combined
according to my Invention; Figure 1 representing the barrels bolted
down, and Figure 2 the barrels unbolted; Figure 3 represents the bolt
separately, and Figure 4 the actuating lever separately. The same letters
of reference indicate the same parts in the said Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
a, a, are the barrels, and 6 is the break-off, against the face of which
the breech ends of the said barrels bear when shut down; c is the
sliding bolt working in and filling up a longitudinal slot d in the middle
of the break-off b, the said bolt being urged towards the breech ends of
the barrels by the spring e pressing on the rear end of the bolt; fis the
lump between the barrels a and projecting from their breech ends, on to
which lump the sliding bolt c takes to fasten down the barrels. The
vertical face of the lump fis curved, and the top or horizontal face is
flat or slightly inclined. When the barrels are shut down the lumpf
takes into a recess at 9 below the slot d in which the sliding bolt c
works. h, i, is the cranked lever by which the sliding bolt c is worked,
the said lever turning in a vertical plane on the pin or centre h³. The
longer arm or thumb plate end h of the lever lies on the tang of the
gun, while the other and shorter arm i passes nearly vertically through
the break-off b and takes into a slot c³ in the sliding bolt c.
The acting
end of the arm i is rounded, and nearly fills up the slot c³ in the bolt,
as represented in the Drawing. On shutting down the barrels after
loading the gun the inclined face of the lumpf pushes back the sliding
bolt c until the top of the said lump is below the bottom of the sliding
bolt, as seen in Figure 2. When the parts are in this position the sliding
bolt c is urged forward by its spring e, and the fore end of the bolt is
made to snap and bear upon the top or upper face of the said lumpf,
as seen in Figure 1, and thereby very securely fasten down the barrels.
To withdraw the bolt c and unfasten the barrels the thumb plate end h
of the lever is lifted vertically, as illustrated in Figure 2; the short
inner arm i of the said lever is thereby made to withdraw the bolt c from
off the projecting lumpf and unfasten the barrels. On the withdrawal
of the bolt c to the position, Figure 2, the unfastened barrels turn on
their joint and expose the open breech ends for loading. The part k of
the tang acts as a stop to limit the height to which the
be lifted to unfasten the barrels.
lever h, i, can

page_text: In order to compensate for the wear of the sliding bolt c and
lumpf the bearing faces of the said bolt and lump may be inclined and
the sliding bolt adjusted in a more forward position by means of a screw
under the arm h of the lever. This screw is not shown in the Drawing.
By screwing the screw more or less in the tang its head permits the
lever to throw forward the sliding bolt and make its inclined lower
face accurately fit upon the inclined upper face or top of the lump.
Instead of the screw described a fixed projection may be made on the
tang, which projection may be filed away as occasion may require for
the adjusting of the bolt. The adjusting screw may be inserted in the
face of the sliding bolt instead of in the tang. This arrangement is
represented in Figure 3^, where the said adjusting screw is marked c³;
or instead of the screw c³ a projecting solid piece may be left on the
face of the bolt c, and the required adjustment effected by filing away
the said projection to the necessary extent. This modification is repre-
sented in Figure 3B, where the projecting solid piece on the face of the
bolt is marked c*.
Instead of inserting the screw c³ in or making the solid projection c*
on the face of the bolt they may be applied to the face of the barrels,
or to the lump on the barrels, or to the face of the extractor with the
same effect. The method of adjustment described may be applied to
all snap guns having sliding bolts.
Instead of placing the lever h, i, on the tang of the gun, as repre-
sented in the Drawing, the said lever may be situated on the under side
of the gun, the handle or thumb plate end h being curved to fit the
guard. In this arrangement the short arm i of the lever passes upwards
through the body of the gun and takes into a slot or recess in the
under side of the bolt c, instead of in the upper side, as shown in the
Drawing.
Figure 5 represents a longitudinal vertical section, and Figure 6 a
plan of under side of the breech end of a drop-down gun, in which the
sliding bolt is withdrawn by a horizontal or side motion of the lever
instead of by a vertical motion of the lever, the barrels being shown
bolted down; Figures 7 and 8 represent the same with the barrels
unbolted; and Figures 9 and 10 represent the two parts of the
actuating lever. The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

page_text: In this arrangement of my Invention the cranked lever turns in a
horizontal plane, the short horizontal arm of the lever engaging in a
recess in the side of the sliding bolt instead of the nearly vertical arm
of the lever engaging in a recess in the top or bottom face of the bolt,
as in the arrangement already described.
In the said Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, c is the sliding bolt; f the
projecting lump on the breech end of the barrels a; i is the short arm
of the actuating lever h, i, engaging in the recess in the side of the
bolt c; h is the axis on which the lever h, i, turns, the arm i and
thumb plate or handle end h of the lever being connected together by
the screw pin h³ taking into the said axis h³.
By an examination of the Drawing it will be seen that the two arms
of the lever h, i, work in a horizontal plane, or in a plane parallel or
nearly so to the tang of the gun.
The sliding bolt c is urged forward by means of the spring e (omitted
in Figures 5 and 7) bearing upon a shoulder on the axis ³ of the lever.
To withdraw the bolt c the thumb plate end of the lever is turned
aside or in a horizontal plane, as represented in Figures 7 and 8. The
short arm of the lever is thereby moved from the position represented
in Figures 5 and 6 to that represented in Figures 7 and 8, and the
sliding bolt c is withdrawn from off the lump f and the barrels are
unbolted.
The action of the bolt c to fasten down the barrels is the same as that
described with respect to the first described arrangement. The thumb
plate end of the actuating lever may either be situated on the tang,
as shown in the Drawing, or on the under side of the body.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
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 of the kind called drop-down guns,—
Firstly. The combination or arrangement of the spring sliding bolt c,
lumpf, and actuating lever h, i, herein-before described and illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying Drawings, for fastening
down the barrels of the said guns for firing, and releasing them for

page_text: loading, whether the thumb plate end of the actuating lever be situated
on the tang of the gun or on the under side of the gun.
Secondly. The combination or arrangement of the spring sliding
bolt c, lumpf, and actuating lever h, h³, h³, i, herein-before described
and illustrated in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the accompanying
Drawings, for fastening down the barrels of the said guns to the body
for firing, and releasing them for loading, whether the thumb plate end.
of the actuating lever be situated on the tang of the gun or on the
under side of the gun.
Thirdly. The combination or arrangement of parts herein-before 1
described and illustrated for adjusting the sliding bolts of drop-down or
snap guns, that is to say, by the use of a screw or fixed projection
either on the tang of the break-off, or on the front of the sliding bolt,
or on the face of the barrels or lump on the barrels or extractor, the
said screw or projection being used in combination with inclined bearing 1
faces in the sliding bolt and lump.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN THOMAS. (L.S.)