IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Vernon Needham, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, and George Hinton, of Birmingham aforesaid,
Gun Finisher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING
SMALL ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Vernon Needham and
George Hinton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st
February 1879.
JOSEPH VERNON NEEDHAM, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Manufacturer, and GEORGE HINTON, of Birmingham aforesaid, Gun Finisher.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
Our Invention has reference to breech loading small arms having internal or
concealed hammers, and our said Invention consists of the improvements herein-
after described in the breech loading small arms, whereby the accidental discharge
of the gun consequent upon the failure or wearing of the notch or bent in the
tumbler of the hammer, or the disengagement of the sear from the said notch, or
bent by a blow on the gun or otherwise is prevented, the liberation of the hammer
and the discharge of the gun not taking place until by pressure on the trigger the
mechanism hereinafter described has been operated upon.
We will describe our Invention as applied to a drop down gun.
At the back of the break off and working in a plane parallel to the break off we
place a nearly vertical safety lever, the upper end of this lever being pressed
outwards, that is, from the middle of the break off towards the outside of the gun.
The head of this lever is turned into a horizontal direction, and when the hammer
of the gun is raised, the lever is pressed by its spring so as to bring the said
horizontal part of the lever between the hammer and the break off. When the
lever is in this position the hammer cannot fall sufficiently far to discharge the
gun; on the top of the trigger is a horizontal arm which bears against the lower
arm of the safety lever described. The said lower arm of the safety lever being either
inclined or turned nearly at right angles to the other part, the pressure of the
finger on the trigger causes the horizontal arm at the top of the trigger to act upon
the lower arm of the safety lever, and thereby to withdraw its upper end from the
Prine 6d1

page_text: front of the hammer. The pressure of the finger on the trigger liberates the
hammer in the usual way and discharges the gun.
In safety apparatus as usually constructed it is necessary prior to pressing the
trigger for discharging the gun to operate specially on the safety apparatus, and if
this be neglected the gun is not discharged when the trigger is pressed.
In guns constructed according to our Invention the safety apparatus operates to
prevent the discharge of the gun under all circumstances excepting when the
trigger is pressed upon, the pressure of the finger on the trigger to discharge the
gun first throwing the safety apparatus out of action, and then liberating the
hammer.
Instead of making the safety lever operate in front of the hammer, its upper end
may be made to engage with the haminer at its side or at its back with nearly the
same effect.
Or in place of the lever described a sliding bolt may be operated by the trigger
in ways essentially the same as those described with reference to a lever.
Instead of making the safety lever or bolt lock the hammer, they may be made
to lock the tumbler or the sear.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Vernon Needham and George Hinton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th August 1879.
JOSEPH VERNON NEEDHAM, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Manufacturer, and GEORGE HINTON, of Birmingham aforesaid, Gun Finisher.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
Our Invention has reference to breech loading small arms having internal or
concealed hammers, and our said Invention consists of the improvements herein
after described in the said breech loading small arms, whereby the accidental
discharge of the gun consequent upon the failure or wearing of the notch or bent in
the tumbler of the hammer, or the disengagement of the sear from the said notch or
bent, by a blow on the gun or otherwise, is prevented, the liberation of the hammer
and the discharge of the gun not taking place until by pressure on the trigger the
mechanism herein after described has been operated upon.
We will describe our Invention as applied to a drop down gun.
At the back of the break off and working in a plane parallel to the break off, we
place a nearly vertical safety lever, the upper end of this lever being pressed
outwards, that is, from the middle of the break off towards the outside of the gun.
The head of this lever is turned into a horizontal direction, and when the hammer
of the gun is raised, the lever is pressed by its spring so as to bring the said
horizontal part of the lever between the hammer and the break off. When the
lever is in this position the hammer cannot fall sufficiently far to discharge the
gun. On the top of the trigger is a horizontal arm which bears against the lower
arm of the safety lever described. The said lower arm of the safety lever being
either inclined or turned nearly at right angles to the other part, the pressure of
the finger on the trigger causes the horizontal arm at the top of the trigger to act
upon the lower arm of the safety lever, and thereby to withdraw its upper end
from the front of the hammer: The pressure of the finger on the trigger liberates
the haminer in the usual way and discharges the gun.
In safety apparatus as usually constructed it is necessary prior to pressing the
trigger for discharging the gun to operate specially on the safety apparatus, and if
this be neglected the gun is not discharged when the trigger is pressed.
In guns constructed according to our Invention the safety apparatus operates to
prevent the discharge of the gun under all circumstances, excepting when the
trigger is pressed upon, the pressure of the finger on the trigger to discharge the
gun first throwing the safety apparatus out of action, and then liberating the
hammer.
Instead of making the safety lever operate in front of the hammer, its upper end
may be made to engage with the hammer at its side or at its back with nearly the
samé effect.
Or in place of the lever described, a sliding bolt may be operated by the trigger
in ways essentially the same as those described with reference to a lever.
Instead of making the safety lever lock the hammers, it may be made to lock
the sear.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our Invention is to be performed.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, represent in longitudinal section, partly in elevation, the
breech end of a drop down double barrel gun provided with safety mechanism
constructed according to our Invention, and Figure 4 is a back elevation of the
break off in combination with the hammers and safety levers; Figure 5 represents
the trigger and its nearly horizontal arm detached; Figure 6 represents one of the
haminers detached, and Figure 7 represents one of the safety levers detached.
In Figure 1 the hammer of the lock mechanism is represented in its discharged
position, the safety lever having been withdrawn out of action to permit of the

page_text: descent of the said hammer. In Figures 2 and 3 the horizontal part of the safety
lover is represented situated between the hammer and the break off, and the said
hammer thus prevented from acting upon the striker to discharge the gun, the sear
being shown disengaged from the bent.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 7.
Each of the barrels and locks of the double barrel gun is provided with safety
mechanism constructed according to our Invention, but as the said safety mechanisms
resemble one another we will only describe that in connection with one of the
barrels and locks.
'a is the vertical safety lever at the back of and working in a plane parallel to
the face of the break off b. The head of the lever a is turned into a horizontal
direction, and has on that face which is presented to the hainmer c a projection d
of a shape and size proper to engage with a corresponding depression or notch e in
the head of the hammer c, as hereinafter described. The head of the safety lever a
is pressed outwards or from the middle of the break off towards the outside of the
gun, as exhibited in the left hand safety lever of Figure 4 by the action of the
trigger f; or an independent spring may be employed to press the head of the lever
outwards, or into the position last described. The trigger f of the lock mechanism
is provided with a nearly horizontal arm g (see Figure 5). The extreme end of
this arm is rounded at h, and the said rounded end engages in a slot i in the lower
arm of the safely lever a. By pressing upon the trigger fits nearly horizontal
arm g, h, acting upon the lower arm of the safety lever a lifts the said safety lever
into the vertical position exhibited at the right hand side of the gun, Figure 4, and
when the trigger is loosed its horizontal arm g, h, tends to force the safety lever a
when at liberty to move into its inclined position or position of safety.
When the hammer c is raised froin the break off in the act of cocking or partly
cocking it, the safety lever a falls or takes the position represented in Figures 2
and 3, and the left hand lever in Figure 4, and the horizontal part of the safety
lever a is thereby brought between the hammer and the break off, the projection d
on the said horizontal part of the safety lever engaging with the notch e in the
hammer should the said hammer be only partially cocked, or the sear be accidentally
disengaged from the bent in the said hammer. When the safety lever is in this
position the hammer is locked by it, and cannot fall sufficiently far to act upon the
striker to discharge the gun (see Figure 3), and whether the hammer be partially
or fully cocked the safety lever is always interposed between it and the break off.
When the trigger fis pressed to discharge the gun (the hammer c having been
raised to full cock, and the notch removed from the shoulder of the safety lever) the
first movement of the trigger causes its arm g, h, to act upon the lower arm of the
safety lever a, and withdraw the upper end of the said safety lever from the front
of the hammer. The said hammer is now free from obstruction, and the further
pressure on the trigger liberates the hammer in the usual way and discharges the
gun, as illustrated in Figure 1; thus it will be understood that the safety lever a
is, after the hammer has been partially or fully cocked, always interposed between
it and the break off, and the withdrawal or throwing out of action of the safety lever
does not take place to permit of the fall of the hammer until the trigger is pressed
to discharge the gun.
In addition to the advantages possessed by our Invention hereinbefore pointed
out, it has the further advantage that when applied to guns in which the conccaled
hammers are automatically cocked, or cocked by the raising of the breech ends of
the barrels for charging the gun, the partial opening of such guns does not fully
cock the hammers, and on closing the barrels the hammers fall and may accidentally
discharge the gun. In such cases our safety levers are interposed between the
hammers and the break off, and the accidental discharge of the gun is prevented.
Figures 8 and 9 represent in longitudinal section a drop down gun provided with
another, arrangement of our Invention. In Figure the safety lever is in the
position which it occupies after the hammer has been discharged, and in Figure 9
the said lever is represented in the position which it occupies when the hammer

page_text: has been partly cocked, the sear being shown disengaged from the bent; Figures 10
and 11 represent the lock plate carrying the safety lever, Figure 10 showing the
said safety lever in its depressed or non-acting position; and Figure 11, the same
in its raised or acting position; Figure 12 represents an edge view of the lock
plate and lock mechanism; and Figure 13 represents the safety lever attached.
In this arrangement the safety lever i is jointed to the lock plate / instead of to
the break off. The said safety lever i works in a slot in the lock plate (see
Figures 10 and 11), the acting end m of the safety lever being turned at right
angles to the other part, and projecting from the said plate. The end m of the
safety lever is situated at the breast part of the hammer das represented, and the
said end m has a shoulder upon it, and the breast of the hammer is furnished with
a corresponding shoulder n, with which the shoulder m on the safety lever may
engage, as represented in Figure 9. Under the long arm of the safety lever i is a
spring p. This spring lifts the safety lever into its acting position, Figure 11,
when at liberty to move. The end m² of the short arm of the safety lever i crosses
and bears upon the trigger f when the safety lever is in its acting position,
Figures 9 and 11. On the discharge of the hammer d, its shoulder n bears upon
the shoulder m of the safety lever and the said safety lever is carried down to its
lowest position, and the spring p is compressed, as represented in Figures 8 and 10.
On cocking the hammer & its shoulder n is removed from off the shoulder m of the
safety lever, and the latter is lifted by its spring p, and the shoulder of the said
lever when the hammer is only partially cocked is made to engage with the ham-
mer, as represented in Figure 9. The hammer is thereby put into a position of
safety and cannot fall to discharge the gun until the trigger is pressed. After the
hammer & has been fully cocked its shoulder n is disengaged from the shoulder m
of the safety lever, and on pressing the trigger fit raises the short arm of the
safety lever by acting upon the cross bar m³, and the long arm of the said lever is
depressed, and the projection on the latter removed from the front of the pro-
jection n on the hammer, as illustrated in Figure 8. The hammer is now free to
fall to discharge the gun.
Figures 14 and 15 represent the arrangement of our Invention in which a sliding
bolt is used instead of a lever, Figure 14 representing the safety bolt in its acting
position, and Figure 15 the same in its withdrawn position; q is the safety bolt
pressed upwards into its acting position by a coiled spring 7 bearing at one end
against the head of the bolt, and at its other end against the fixed abutment & on
the break off. The breast of the hammer d has a shoulder upon it which takes into
a notch in the head of the safety bolt q. The trigger ƒ is furnished with a hori-
zontal arm f³, the free end of which engages with the stem of the bolt. When the
hammer & has been discharged the safety bolt is held by the discharged hammer in
the depressed position represented in Figure 15. On cocking the hammer & its
breast is removed from the safety bolt, and the said bolt is raised by its spring 7,
and the recess in the head of the bolt engaged with the shoulder at the breast of
the hammer, and the said hammer cannot fall sufficiently far to operate upon the
striker and discharge the gun, as illustrated in Figure 14. After the hammer has
been raised to full cock its shoulder is withdrawn from the head of the safety bolt,
and by pressing the trigger f the said bolt is depressed by the action of the arm ƒ³
of the said trigger into the position represented in Figure 15, and the hammer is at
liberty to fall and discharge the gun.
Figure 16 represents the arrangement of our Invention, in which the safety lever
is made to lock the sear, and also prevent the rebound of the main spring; t, t², is
the safety lever (shown separately in Figure 17) having the cranked figure repre-
sented and swinging at ts, under the strap of the break off. By means of a light
spring the said safety lever, when at liberty to move, is made to take the position
represented in the Drawing. When in this position the cross bar of the long arm t
of the lever crosses the long arm of the sear v, and prevents the said sear being
raised to discharge the gun. The cross bar of the other and shorter arm t of the

page_text: safety lever crosses the main spring w, and prevents its rebound and the discharge
of the gun. The lock mechanism is thus locked at two points.
The trigger f is furnished with a nearly vertical arm u, the upper end of which
bears against a stuḍ m on the safety lever. When the trigger f is pressed to
discharge the gun the first movement of the said trigger causes its prolonged arm u
to act upon the stud.m on the safety lever, and turn the said safety lever on its
joint towards the break off. The two arms t, t, of the said lever are thereby
removed from off the sear and main spring respectively, and the further movement
of the trigger withdraws the sear from the bent in the hammer and the said
hammer falls and discharges the gun. The arm 2 of the safety lever may be
dispensed with. In this case the sear only is locked.
.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 16 we have represented our improved safety apparatus
in conjunction with mechanism for cocking the hammers operated by the breech
ends of the barrels, but we wish it to be understood that our Invention is applicable
to all kinds of drop down guns and other guns having concealed or internal hammers,
whether the said hammers be cocked by a lever operated by hand or otherwise
operated, or be automatically cocked on opening the gear for londing.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves
to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our Invention.
But we claim as our Invention:-The improvements in mechanism for preventing
the accidental discharge of breech loading small arms having internal or concealed
hammers herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, mechanism for the purpose described consisting essentially of a
safety lever or sliding bolt or bar, which on the cocking of the hammer is made to
block or obstruct the fall of the said hammer and thereby prevent the accidental
discharge of the gun; the safety lever, bolt, or bar being thrown out of action by
the operation of the trigger when the latter is pressed upon to discharge the gun,
the several parts being constructed, arranged, and working substantially as described
and illustrated; also the construction and arrangement of the safety lover and parts
connected with it for locking the sear or sear and main spring, substantially as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Vernon Needham and George Hinton,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOSEPH VERNON NEEDHAM. (L.S.)
GEORGE HINTON.
(1.8.)'