Improvements in Single Trigger Double Barrel Guns.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Single Trigger Double Barrel Guns.
We, CHARLES OSBORNE ELLIS and EDWARD WILLIAM WILKINSON, trading as
Charles Osborne and Company, of 12 and 14, Whittall Street, in the City of
Birmingham, Gun Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in single trigger double barrel guns,
and more particularly to such guns wherein a switch arm is made to travel from
beneath the one sear to a similar position beneath the other sear, which said
arm is raised with the trigger and thereby lifts the sear.
According to this invention upon the upper side of the trigger is a pivoted arm
which may be moved to a position beneath either of the sear levers, or a sliding
piece may be used instead of such arm. This arm or slide may be operated by
means through the movement of the safety mechanism in one direction, and by
spring in the other direction, or by other suitable available means such as a lever
or slide operated from the external. This arm when moved beneath the right hand
sear is there locked by a sliding spring bolt, while the mechanism which has
brought it into such a position may be removed out of the way; consequently when
firing the right barrel the said arm is raised above such bolt and when free there-
from is thrown over towards the other side. Preferably it is retained in a mid-
position by reason of its arrest against a pivoted spring lever or slide carried upon
the safety mechanism slide. This lever or slide is so shaped with an upwardly
inclined taper, that when the involuntary or recoil second pull of the trigger
takes place, the said lever is pushed backward to permit of the raising of the
switch arm until a certain point is reached, when it is free to pass into its final
left hand position beneath the left sear. Beneath this lever and lying upon the
upper surface of the trigger guard plate is a sliding plate whose fore end is
arranged so that the front point of the arm shall rest against it but when the
said arm is raised by the trigger it is lifted clear of it. This slide is connected
to the spring bolt which holds the switch arm in such a manner that a backward
or withdrawal movement of the bolt, also withdraws the slide so as to leave a free
course for the arm to switch clear over to the left sear. This withdrawal move-
ment may be effected in several, ways by sliding projections being carried there-
from to the exterior, but one way we prefer is to provide a slide forward of the
bolt, having a reversed trigger like lever motion imparted thereto by which the
said slide may be pushed backwards when desired.
Again, upon the trigger block and above the aforesaid switch arm, are now
pivoted two levers (preferably but one may be used) having somewhat a scissor
like motion, the jaws of which at the one end enclosing an upstanding peg upon
and from the switch arm, while the other ends each operate a cross slide or bolt.
These cross sliding bolts are carried in the block, and are projected outwards
upon each side by a spring or springs, and further provided with upward pro-
truding peg against which acts the ends of the levers. Such bolt projection may

page_text: be made and carried upon the levers direct. These projections are made to enter
corresponding holes in, or to rest upon the sear levers to lock them.
Its action is therefore somewhat thus:-Upon the opening of the gun, the
safety mechanism in its motion pushes the switch arm over to the right sear, and
is there retained by its spring bolt. When about to fire the arm, the safety
mechanism is again moved forward out of the way. If now fired, with the pull-
ing of the trigger, the arm is also lifted above and free of its bolt, and is then
thrown direct over to the mid-position, and in the recoil action a second or
involuntary pull of the trigger next throws the switch arm beneath the left sear,
when a further trigger pull will fire the second barrel. Simultaneous with these
movements the cross sliding sear bolts are made to operate as follows: --When
the switch arm is pushed over to the right barrel sear, it also acts upon the lever
above it so as to withdraw the locking bolt from the right sear, but ensures the
forward or locking position of the bolt into the left sear, and vice versa. Conse-
quently the sear for the barrel not to be fired is always safely locked, but is auto-
matically unlocked by the movement of the switch arm in its passage from the
che sear to the other.
Should it be desirous to fire the left barrel first, the switch arm is readily
thrown over from (its initial position) the right, by withdrawing the retaining
bolt by means of the reversed trigger like lever as before described. If again
having fired the left barrel first and then wishing to fire the right without open-
ing the gun, this may be done by drawing back the safety mechanism or other
similar means as before intimated by which the arm is pushed back to the right
sear.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicants Agent.
We, CHARLES OSBORNE ELLIS and EDWARD WILLIAM WILKINSON, trading as
Charles Osborne and Company, of 12 and 14, Whittall Street, in the City of
Birmingham, Gun Manufacturers, 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 ;-
-
This invention relates to improvements in single trigger double barrel guns,
and more particularly to such guns wherein a switch arm is made to travel from
beneath the one sear to a similar position beneath the other sear, which said
arm is raised with the trigger and thereby lifts the sear.
In order to more clearly describe this our invention we have appended hereunto
an illustrative drawing upon which are figures and numbers of reference, similar
numbers referring throughout the several views to the same thing or part, and
in which:-
Fig. 1, is a side view, and Fig. 2, is a general plan view of the invention, both
showing the switch arm in position to fire the right barrel.
Fig. 3, shows the switch arm in the intermediate position,
Fig. 4, shows the switch arm in position to fire the left barrel.
Figs. 5 and 6 show detailed side and plan views of the trigger and switch arm.
Figs. 7 and 8 show detached views of the intermediate arresting lever and
sliding plate, Fig. 8, being a sectional plan view on line A-B Fig. 7.

page_text: Figs. 9, 10 and 11, are detail side, end, and plan views of the sear locking
levers device, Fig. 12 being a sectional view on line C-D Fig. 11.
Figs. 13 and 14 are enlarged edge and side views of the intermediate arrest-
ing lever.
Figs. 15 and 16 are enlarged side and plan views of the sliding plate.
Fig. 17 shows the relative positions of arresting lever and switch arm in the
intermediate position, and Fig. 18, shows their position at the point when the
arm is free to pass to the extreme left.
Fig. 19, shows the withdrawal of arresting lever &c. to permit passage of switch
arm to left sear without first firing the right barrel.
Fig. 20, shows in part section the relative position of sliding bolt to the sliding
plate.
Referring to the drawings:-20, is the trigger plate. 21, is the trigger pivoted
at 22. 23, is the trigger guard, part of which is removed for convenience of space.
24 is the right hand sear lever, and 25 the left hand ditto. 26 is the safety slide
which is operated in the usual manner by the external thumb piece 27. Upon
the upper side of the trigger 21, is a pivoted arm 28, which may be moved to
a position beneath either of the sear levers 24 and 25 (or a sliding piece may be
used instead of such arm). This arm 28, is pushed over to the right as shown
in Fig. 2, by the cam 29, in the rearward safety" movement of the slide 26,
and by spring pusher 30, (see Figs. 1, 3, 4, 9 and 10) in the other direction. This
arm 28, when moved beneath the right hand sear as seen in Fig. 2, is there locked
by the catch 31, upon the sliding spring bolt 32, while the safety mechanism which
has brought it into such a position is now pushed forward (as shown) out of the
way consequently when firing the right barrel the said arm is raised above such
catch 31, and when free therefrom is thrown over towards the other side. This
arm 28, is retained in a mid-position as seen in Fig. 3, by reason of its arrest
against a pivoted spring lever 33 (or slide) carried upon the safety mechanism
slide as seen in Fig. 1. This lever is so shaped with an upwardly inclined taper
part 34 (see Figs. 13, 14,) that when the involuntary or recoil second pull of the
trigger takes place, the said lever is pushed backward by means of the raising
of the switch arm 28, until such taper part is cleared, when it is free to pass into
its final left hand position beneath the left sear, as seen in Fig. 4. Beneath this
lever 33, and lying upon the upper surface of the trigger guard plate 20, is
a sliding plate 35, whose fore end 36 lies behind the projection 37, of the lever 33,
as shown in Figs. 7 and 18 &c. The end 38 of this slide lies behind the spring
bolt 32, see Fig. 20, so that a backward or withdrawal of the bolt 32 also with-
draws the slide 35, so as to leave a free course for the arm 28, to switch clear over
to the left scar. This withdrawal movement may be effected by the sliding pro-
jection 39, which is carried therefrom to the exterior. The lever 33, is pushed
forward by the spring push slide 40; or other spring device.
The operation therefore of the parts thus far described is as follows:―The
gun having been opened, charged and closed, the safety slide 26, is pushed for-
ward out of safety, as seen in Fig. 2. It will be here noticed that the switch
arm 28, is retained by the tooth 31 of bolt 32, and lies beneath the end of the
sear 24.
If the trigger is now raised the right hand barrel is fired, and in doing
so, the arm 28. is raised above and free of the tooth 31, when it is thrown over
to the left by spring push 30, but is arrested by lever 33, against which it rests
as seen in Fig. 17. By a second pull of the trigger-which is almost sure to be
done involuntary by the recoil-the switch arm 28, is again raised, and in its
motion up the inclined surface 34, the lever 38, is moved backward until the
position is reached as shown in Fig. 18. when the arm is now clear to pass under
the left sear, as seen in Fig. 4, ready for firing that barrel, by a third pull. If
however it is desired to fire the left barrel first, then by withdrawing the bolt 32,
by means of the lump 39, the tooth 31 is drawn clear of the arm 28, and at the
same time, the bolt head 32, also pushes back the plate 35, which in its turn also
draws back the lever 33, as seen in Fig. 19 clear of the path of the arm 28, and

page_text: thus permits its passage completely to beneath the left sear, ready for firing the
same.
Again, upon the trigger block 47, and above the aforesaid switch arm 28, are
now pivoted two levers 41 and 42 (one only however may be used) pivoted at 43,
and having somewhat a scissor like motion, the jaws of which at the one end
enclosing an upstanding peg 44, upon the switch arm 28, while the other ends
operate cross slides or bolts 45 and 46. These cross sliding bolts are carried in
the block 47, and are projected outwards upon each side by a spring 48 (or springs)
and further provided with upward protruding pegs 49, against which acts the
ends of the levers 41 and 42. Such bolt projections 45 & 46, may if desired be made
and carried upon the levers direct. These projections are made to enter corre-
sponding holes in, or to rest upon, the sear levers 24 and 25 to lock them.
Hence when the switch arm 28, is pushed over to the right barrel sear as seen
in Fig. 1, it also acts upon the lever 42, above it, so as to withdraw the locking
bolt 46 from the right sear 24, but ensures the forward or locking position of the
bolt 45, into the left sear 25, and vice versa. Consequently the sear for the
barrel, not to be fired, is always safely locked, but is automatically unlocked by the
movement of the switch arm in its passage from the one sear to the other.
If again having fired the left barrel first and then wishing to fire the right
without opening the gun, this may be done by drawing back the safety mechanism
or other similar means, by which the arm 28, is pushed back to the right sear.
We are aware that already a switch arm similar to that herein shown at 28,
has been used upon the trigger together with sliding bolt 32, and therefore we
do not claim them in and of themselves, but:-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In single trigger double barrel guns the combination with the trigger 21,
the switch arm pivoted thereon and adapted to move to a position beneath either
of the two sear levers 24 and 25, and with the safety slide 26, of the lever 3,
with inclined recess surface 34, and spring push 40, all constructed and operating
substantially as set forth and shown, and for the purposes specified.
2. The combination with the trigger 21, arm 28, and sliding bolt 32, and
lever 33, of the sliding plate 35, adapted with end 36 to engage with lever 33,
and end 38, to be operated by bolt 33, all substantially as set forth and for the
purposes specified.
3. The combination with the trigger 21, arm 28, having peg 44, of bolts 45, 46,
adapted to lock sear levers 24 and 25, with levers 41 and 42, such levers being in
two parts as shown, or in one piece as described, operating substantially as set
forth and shown.
Dated his 2nd day of February 1899
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicants' Agent, 158, Edmund Street, Birmingham.