Improvements in Breech-loading Small-Arms.
Year: 1897

page_text: · PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-loading Small-Arms.
We, HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND, of 28, Maida Vale, and THOMAS WOODWARD,
of 69, Ashburnham Road, both in the County of Middlesex, Gun Makers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
The object of our invention is to effect improvements in the lock mechanism
of one trigger, double barrelled breech-loading small arms, by means of which
the shifting peice which operates the sears of the right and left hand locks alter-
nately and works upon or is operated by the trigger, is made to move the sear and
intercepting sear of either lock, at the same instant of time, not one before the
other, as may happen (with locks of the ordinary construction, with the intercept-
ing sear close behind or before the true scar) if the shifting piece has not quite
completed its movement from one sear to the other.
This we accomplish in the following manner.
The extreme end of the sear tail or intercepting sear tail, whichever may be
found most convenient is so formed, that the bearing surface, upon which the
shifting piece operates is brought directly into line, with the bearing surface,
upon its corresponding sear or intercepting sear, so that it is impossible, for the
shifting piece, to arrive under one sooner than the other, and consequently, when
the trigger is pulled, there will be no fear of the tumbler or hammer falling into
the interceptor and so prevent the discharge of the gun when required.
The sear tails must be so formed as to leave either sear or intercepting sear
free to act independently of each other in the. usual manner.
Doted this 4th day of Tagamhor 1807
HENRY W. HOLLAND.
THOMAS WOODWARD.
COMILEIL DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-loading Small Arms.
We, HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND, of 28, Maida Vale, London, W., and THOMAS
WOODWARD, of 69, Ashburnham Road, Kensal Rise, London, W., both, in the
County of Middlesex, Gun Makers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
The object of our invention is to effect improvements in the lock mechanism

page_text: of one trigger, double barrelled breech-loading small arms, by means of which
the shifting piece, which operates the sears of the right and left hand locks alter-
nately and works upon or is operated by the trigger, is made to move the sear and
intercepting sear of either lock at the same instant of time, not one before the
other, as may happen, (with locks of the ordinary construction, with the inter-
cepting sear close behind or before the true sear) if the shifting piece, has not
quite completed its movement from one sear to the other.
This we accomplish in the following manner.
The extreme end of the sear tail or intercepting sear tail, whichever may be
found most convenient, is so formed that the bearing surface upon which the
shifting piece operates, is brought directly into line with the bearing surface upon
its corresponding sear or intercepting scar, so that it is impossible for the shifting
piece to arrive under one sooner than the other, and consequently when the trigger
is pulled, there will be no fear of the tumbler or hammer falling into the inter-
ceptor, and so prevent the discharge of the gun when required. The sear tails
must be so formed as to leave either sear or intercepting sear free to act, inde-
pendently of each other in the usual manner.
We find the best method of carrying out this arrangement is to turn the end of
the sear tail or intercepting sear tail over the end of its corresponding sear tail
or intercepting sear tail by means of an U or ☐ shaped bend, so that the bearing
surface of the sears upon which the shifting peice operates, shall lie upon the
same plane, on a line crossing the gun, so that the shifting piece in its movement
must come under the sear and intercepting sear at exactly the same moment of
time.
The drawings annexed shew a portion of a gun, with a lock constructed as
above described and will be more clearly understood by reference to our prior
Specification No. 4893 A.D. 1897 which describes single trigger guns of the type
to which these improvements are applicable.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of a gun, with the right hand lock removed,
only the parts of the left hand lock h necessary to clearly show the construction
are retained. a is the intercepting sear tail, which is slightly raised from its
true position, to shew the manner in which it overlaps the tail of the true sear b,
d is the single trigger, which is mounted upon a pivot g carried by the lump e
upon the trigger plate f.
The shifting piece c c c slides to and fro upon the top of the trigger d and is
provided with studs or lugs el cll upon its right and left hand sides, which operate
upon the sears of the right and left hand locks alternately, the lug c¹¹ is in position
for discharging the left hand lock when the trigger is pulled.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same gun, but with both locks and their mechanism in
their proper positions.
The left hand
lock
h
the right hand
lock
as
it is not
necessary,
this invention,
ordinary manner,
to
is constructed according
in
being constructed the
the construction
to
alter
of
this
lock, as
the lug cupon the shifting peice c passes from under the right hand
sear, after the right hand barrel is fired and then takes up the position shown in
the drawings, ready for firing the left hand barrel and would arrive under the tail
of the true sear b before it arrived under the tail of the intercepting sear a uniess
the construction had been altered in the manner shewn in these drawings.
The corresponding parts are lettered the same in each figure.
Fig. 3 shows the intercepting sear a and the true sear 6 when removed from the
lock, they being slightly separated, to show the method of construction more
clearly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
The formation of the sear tail and intercepting sear tail of the locks of double

page_text: barrelled guns, with one trigger only, in such a manner, that it is impossible for
the shifting piece, to operate the sear, before the intercepting sear, substantially
as described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1898.
HENRY W. HOLLAND.
THOMAS WOODWARD.