IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: We GEORGE HACKETT of N° 34 Lower Loveday Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Gun Manufacturer and EDWARD BELCHER of Manton's Mill
Great Charles Street Birmingham aforesaid Machinist do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
be as follows:-
"
to
The said invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner hercin-
after described the parts of breech loading small arms of the kind commonly called
drop down guns whereby the cocking of the internal or concealed hammers and
the actuating of the scar safety mechanism are automatically effected by the
raising of the breech ends of the barrels for charging the gun.
The said improvements are especially adapted to double barrel small arms but
are also applicable to single barrel small arms.
As the mechanism of a double barrel small arm consists essentially of the
duplication of the mechanism of a single barrel small arm we will describe the said
improvements as applied to one barrel.
When
The cocking of the hammer is effected in the following manner.
On the rear
part of the fore end is a projection which on the raising of the breech end of the
barrel presses inwards a horizontal rod sliding in the body of the gun. The rear
end of this rod is jointed by a link to the front or breast of the hammer.
the said rod is pressed back or inwards it forces back the hammer to a position
Bomewhat beyond the full cock position and on shutting down the breech end of
the barrel the hammer is retained in its cocked position by the sear taking into its
bent. Upon the said rod is the mainspring which consists of a helix or coil of
strong hardened and tempered steel wire. The front end of the coiled spring
bears against a fixed collar on the pin and the rear end of the said spring bears
against a loose or sliding collar on the said pin. The rear end of the rod slides in
a collar fixed in the body of the gun near the breast of the hammer the loose
collar on the pin bearing against the said fixed collar. On the raising of the
breech end of the barrel the pressing inwards of the rod puts the spring into a
state of tension in which position it is retained by the sear until by the action
of the trigger the sear is disengaged from the bent when the spring expands
draws down the hammer and causes it to strike and discharge the cartridge The

page_text: momentum which the hammer acquires carries it beyond the neutral point and after
striking the cartridge it retires so far as to withdraw its acting end within the face
of the body of the gun and permit the rising of the breech end of the barrel. The
Bear safety mechanism and parts connected therewith are constructed as follows.
The rear end of the sear has a light vertical rod jointed to it. Upon the heel of
the joint a spring bears and presses the upper end of the said rod in the direction
of the butt of the gun. On the underside of the tang of the gun is a fixed
depending piece or plate with which the top of the light vertical rod engages the
top of the rod having a slot into which the said piece enters. This slot is of less depth
at its front part than at its back part and when the front part of the slot is under
the depending piece the said rod and consequently the sear to which it is jointed
cannot rise When the trigger is pressed its first action is on the heel of the light
vertical rod pressure on which throws the top of the said rod forwards and brings
the deep part of its slot under the depending piece. The said rod and with it the
sear can now rise by the further action of the trigger and discharge the gun. By
this mechanism the accidental discharge of either of the barrels of a double barrel
gun by the jarring produced by the discharge of the other is prevented as neither
sear can rise to disengage itself from its bent till its own trigger is pressed upon.
Dated this twenty second day of July 1885.

page_text: Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.
.
We GEORGE HACKETT of N° 34 Lower Loveday Street, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, and EDWARD BELCHER of Manton's Mill,
Great Charles Street, Birmingham, aforesaid Machinist, 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 :-
The said invention consists in constructing and arranging in the manner herein-
after described the parts of breech loading small arms of the kind commonly called
drop down guns, whereby the cocking of the internal or concealed hammers and
the actuating of the sear safety mechanism are automatically effected by the
raising of the breech ends of the barrels for charging the gun.
The said improvements are especially adapted to double barrel small arms but
are also applicable to single barrel small arms.
As the mechanism of a double barrel sinall arm consists essentially of the
duplication of the mechanism of a single barrel small arm we will describe the said
improvements as applied to one barrel.
The
The cocking of the hammer is effected in the following manner. On the rear
part of the fore end is a projection which on the raising of the breech end of the
barrel presses inwards a nearly horizontal rod sliding in the body of the gun.
rear end of this rod is jointed by a link to the front or breast of the hammer.
When the said rod is pressed back or inwards it forces back the hammer to a
position somewhat beyond the full cock position and on shutting down. the breech
end of the barrel the hammer is retained in its cocked position by the sear
taking into its bent. Upon the said rod is the mainspring which consists of a
helix or coil of strong hardened and tempered steel wire. The front end of the
coiled spring bears against a fixed collar on the rod and the rear end of the said
spring bears against a loose or sliding collar on the said rod. The rear end of the
rod slides in a collar fixed in the body of the gun near the breast of the hammer,
the loose collar on the rod bearing against the said fixed collar. On the raising of
the breech end of the barrel the pressing inwards of the rod puts the spring into
a state of tension in which position it is retained by the sear until by the action of
the trigger the sear is disengaged from the bent when the spring expands, draws
down the hammer and causes it to strike and discharge the cartridge. The
momentum which the hammer acquires carries it beyond the neutral point and
after striking the cartridge it retires so far as to withdraw its acting end within
the face of the body of the gun and permit the rising of the breech end of the
barrel.
The sear safety mechanism and parts connected therewith are constructed as
follows:-The rear end of the sear has a light vertical rod jointed to it. Upon
the heel of the joint a spring bears and presses the upper end of the said rod in
the direction of the butt of the gun. On the underside of the tang of the gun is
a fixed depending piece or plate with which the top of the light vertical rod
engages, the top of the rod having a slot into which the said piece enters. This
slot is of less depth at its front part than at its back part and when. the front

page_text: part of the slot is under the depending piece, the said rod and consequently the
Bear to which it is jointed cannot rise. When the trigger is pressed its first action
is on the heel of the light vertical rod pressure on which throws the top of the
said rod forwards and brings the deep part of its slot under the depending piece.
The said rod and with it the sear can now rise by the further action of the trigger
and discharge the gun.
The top of the vertical rod may engage with a slot in the tang instead of with
a fixed depending piece or plate. By this mechanism the accidental discharge of
either of the barrels of a double barrel gun by the jarring produced by the
discharge of the other is prevented as neither sear can rise to disengage itself from
its bent till its own trigger is pressed upon.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing
the manner in which this invention is to be performed.
In
Figures 1 and 2 represent partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal
vertical section the breech end of a double barrel drop down gun containing
cocking and sear safety mechanisms constructed according to this invention.
Figure 1 the barrels of the double gun are represented shut down and the hammers
in their discharged positions and in Figure 2 the barrels are represented raised
from the face of the break off for recharging the gun, the hammers in their cocked
positions and the sear mechanism brought into its safety position by the cocking of
the hammers.
The other Figures represent parts of the gun detached and modifications of the
sear safety mechanism and fore end operating parts. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the drawing.
For convenience of description we will only describe the mechanisms applied to
one of the barrels of the double gun. The cocking mechanism consists of the
following parts. Sliding in the body a of the gun is an inclined rod b having
around it the coiled main spring c. The front end of the coiled main spring c
bears against the fixed collar d screwed onto the sliding rod b and the rear end of
the said spring bears against a loose or sliding collar e on the said rod. The rear
end of the sliding rod b works in a tubular collar ffixed in the body a of the gun
near the hammer g, the loose collar e on the rod b bearing against the said fixed
tubular collar f. The collar fis fixed in the body of the gun by a cross pin as
seen in Figure 2. The sliding rod band coiled spring c with the fixed and loose
collars d, e and tubular collar fare shown detached from the gun in Figures 3
and 4.
It will be seen by reference to Figure 2 that the head or rear end of the rod b is
enlarged and fits closely in the tubular collar f the said enlargement or head of the
rod bhaving a diameter a little greater than that of the hole in the loose collar e so
that when the enlarged part or head of the rod b leaves the tubular collar fin its
forward motion it can act upon and force the loose collar e forward upon the rod b.
The rear end of the sliding rod b is jointed by the link to the front or breast of
the hammer g above the joint pin on which the said hammer turns. When the
sliding rod b is pressed back or inwards by the opening of the gun in the manner
hereinafter explained it forces back the hammer g into a position somewhat
beyond the full cock position and the said hammer is retained in its cocked
position by the sear i taking into the bent in the said hammer; k is the sear spring
pressing upwards the acting or front arm of the sear for causing it to engage with
the bent in the hammer. The pressing back of the sliding rod b on the opening of
the gun is effected by the shoulder or projection on the swivelling piece m
(shown separately in Figure 5) bearing against the front end of the said rod b.
The swivelling piece m turns loosely on the joint pin n of the barrels and is
connected to the fore end n' by the screw pin p fixed to the fore end, the head or
projecting part of the said screw pin p engaging with a recess in the said swivelling
piece m. A portion of the fore end n' carrying the screw pins p. p for operating
the cocking rods b, b is represented in side elevation partly in section in Figure 6
and end elevation in Figure 7. Or instead of actuating the cocking rods b through

page_text: the swivelling pieces m,.m projections r, r on the fore end, as represented in side
elevation in Figure 8 and end elevation in Figure 9, may act directly on the front
ends of the cocking rods b, b.
L
The gun having been discharged the several parts occupy the respective positions
represented in Figure 1. In order to recharge the gun the barrel is unfastened by
operating upon the top lever in the usual way. On unfastening the barrel the
breech end rises from the break off and the projection p on the fore end n acting
through the swivelling piece m (or the projection Figures 8 and 9 on the fore
end) presses inwards the sliding rod band compresses the coiled main spring c
between the fixed and loose collars d, e on the said rod. As the sliding rod is
pressed inwards it operates through the link h úpon the hammer g and cocks the
said hammer which is retained in its cocked position by the sear i the parts now
occupying the respective positions represented in Figure 2. On closing the barrel
the shoulder of the swivelling piece m, or the projection r, is withdrawn from the
sliding rod b and the gun is ready to be discharged. On pressing the trigger the
sear iis disengaged from the bent in the hammer when the compressed main
spring c expands, draws down the hammer g and causes it to act upon the striker s
and discharge the cartridge as illustrated in Figure 1. As the coiled spring c
expands, the rod b slides through the loose collar e and fixed tubular collar. The
momentum which the hammer acquires carries it beyond the neutral point and
after acting upon the striker the said hammer retires slightly backwards or
rebounds so as to withdraw its acting end sufficiently back to permit of the retiring
of the striker when the breech end of the barrel is raised.
We are aware that sliding rods having main coiled springs around them actuated
by the opening of the gun have been used for cocking and discharging the hammers
of drop down guns and we lay no claim to such rods and mainsprings excepting
when they are used in conjunction with the appliances and arranged as herein
before described and illustrated.
We will now describe the sear safety mechanism. To the rear end of the
scar a light vertical rod t is jointed. This vertical rod is represented separately
in Figure 10. The upper end of the rod t is notched or has a shoulder t and the
lower or joint end has a heel t on which the spring t bears the said spring tending
to press the upper notched end of the said rod t in the direction of the butt end of
the gun and cause its notch or shoulder t² to engage with the edge of the recess u
in the tang of the gun as represented in Figure 2 which position the upper end of
the safety rod t takes when the gun is cocked. On pressing the trigger, its first
action is on the heel t³ of the vertical or safety rod t pressure on which heel turns
the said rod in a forward direction so as to disengage the notch at its top from
the edge of the recess u and bring the end of the said rod under the said recess and
permit the rising of the said rod.
The further pressure upon the trigger lifts the rod t and sear arm the top of
the said rod passing into the recess u and the gun is discharged as illustrated in
Figure 1.
On opening the gun the rod t is automatically brought into its position of safety
by the action of the hammer upon the sear i; that is, the rising of the sear to
engage with the bent causes the depression of the sear arm and safety rod t and
the latter is withdrawn from the recess u and its notch made to engage with the
edge of the said recess u in the manner represented in Figure 2. The sear arm 22
cannot now rise and the accidental discharge of the gun is prevented, or of either
of the barrels in case of a double barrel gun by the jarring produced by the dis-
charge of the other as neither sear can rise to disengage itself from its bent till its
own trigger is pressed upon.
When a thick tang is used we prefer to employ the slot u in it for the top of the
safety rod t to engage with and take into but when a thin tang is used we employ
in place of the slot u the fixed depending piece or plate v, represented in Figure 11,
with which the slotted end t of the rod t (shown separately in Figure 12) engages.
The slot in the rod is of less depth at its front part than at its rear part and when
11

page_text: the front part of the slot is under the depending piece the said rod t and conse-
quently the sear cannot rise. When the trigger is pressed its action upon the heel t
throws the top of the rod forwards and brings the deep part of its slot under the
depending piece vas illustrated in Figure 11. The rod and sear can now rise for
discharging the gun.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we claim as
the said invention -
First. The construction and combination of the parts herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for automatically cocking the internal
or concealed hammers of drop down guns or small arms on the raising of the breech
ends of the barrels for charging the gun or small arm; that is to say, making on
the sliding cocking rod, actuated from the fore end of the gun and linked to the
hammer above the joint pin, fixed and loose collars d and e against which the ends
of the coiled main spring bear and the combination therewith of the enlarged rear
end of the cocking rod and fixed tubular collar f for the purpose and substan-
tially as described and illustrated; also the combination with the parts claimed in
the prior claim of the arrangements for actuating the sliding cocking rod on
opening the gun.
Secondly. The construction and combination of the parts herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for automatically actuating the sear
safety mechanism of drop down guns or small arms on opening the gun or small
arm for recharging; that is to say, jointing to the rear arm of the sear the vertical
rod t, t, t³ notched or slotted at its top for engaging with a recess in the tang of
the break off or with a fixed depending piece or plate on the said tang, for the
purpose and substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this Sixth day of Amil 10OR