Year: 1895

page_text: I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Camp Hill Grange, Nuneaton, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to single-trigger mechanism for double-barrel drop-down
guns and rifles.
The single-trigger mechanisms hitherto invented sometimes bring about the
almost simultaneous release of both locks or are extremely complicated.
The object of the present invention is to provide an efficient, simple and
inexpensive device for enabling any number of cartridges to be fired in succession
from the first barrel and for enabling a cartridge in each barrel to be fired
by twice pulling the same trigger.
Single-trigger mechanism constructed according to my invention may be so
combined with the safety-bolt that when the safety-bolt is pushed back to lock the
trigger said mechanism is moved into its normal position.
In the way in which I prefer to carry out my invention, I mount a lifter on the
safety-bolt. The forward end of the lifter has a pivot which works in a slot in
the safety-bolt. The trigger may have two blades; the safety-bolt being placed
between them. The lifter is pressed forward by a spring and downward by another
spring.
On the lever which operates the fastening bolt being turned preparatively to
opening the gun or rifle, the safety-bolt pushed back and locks the trigger
and carries the lifter into its normal position. When the thumb-slide is actuated
to release the trigger, the safety-bolt is moved forward, thus releasing the lifter,
but the forward movement of the lifter is arrested by the first sear-tail-that is,
the sear-tail of the lock pertaining to the first barrel. When the trigger is
pulled, the first sear-tail is raised by the lifter; the fallen tumbler keeping said
sear-tail in an elevated position. After the pressure of the finger has been
removed, the lifter slips under the elevated sear-tail and slides along the safety-
bolt until the pivot is at the end of the slot; the lifter being then in position for
raising the second sear-tail.
Instead of the forward movement of the lifter being arrested by the first
sear-tail, it may be arrested by the first safety-sear-tail. The first sear-tail may
then press the lifter down; a separate spring for pressing the lifter down being
dispensed with.
The lifter may be mounted to slide on the trigger instead of on the safety-bolt,
or it may be pivoted to the trigger.
The lifter need not be operated by the safety-bolt, as it can be forced back by
the fastening bolt and held by the first sear-tail or safety-sear-tail. If the lifter be
held back by the sear-tail, the forward barrel-lump should be filed on the circle.
If, however, the lifter be held back by the safety-sear-tail, the forward barrel-
lump need not be filed on the circle.
This invention also relates to ejecting mechanism for throwing out the empty
cartridge-case or cartridge-cases.
In the fore-end, I pivot two cams; each cam having a spring bearing against it.
These cams are cocked by the upper portion of the extractor-post and are

page_text: tripped partly by stops on sliding main-springs or other slides and partly by a stop
near a notch on the lower portion of the extractor-post.
If the unfired gun or rifle be opened, the cams remain cocked; the extractor-post
forcing out the split extractor.
When the fired gun or rifle is opened, the cams bear against the stops on the
sliding main-springs or other slides and are turned on their pivot far enough to
cause them to come at the termination of the opening movement into contact with
the stop on the lower portion of the extractor-post. If only one cartridge has
been fired, only one cam is tripped.
Stops on the action-body may be employed instead of the stop on the
extractor-post.
Dated the 18th day of June 1895.
Improvements in Drop-down Guns and Rifles.
I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Camp Hill Grange, Nuneaton, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, 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 ejecting mechanism for throwing out the empty
cartridge-case or cartridge-cases.
In the fore-end, I pivot two cams; each cam having a spring bearing against it.
These cams are cocked by the upper portion of the extractor post and are
tripped partly by stops on sliding main-springs or other slides and partly by a
stop near a notch on the lower portion of the extractor-post.
If the unfired gun or rifle be opened, the cams remain cocked; the extractor-
post forcing out the split extractor.
When the fired gun or rifle is opened, the cams bear against the stops on
the sliding main springs or other slides and are turned on their pivot far enough
to cause them to come at the termination of the opening movement into contact
with the stop on the lower portion of the extractor-post. If only one cartridge
has been fired, only one cam is tripped.
Stops on the action-body may be employed instead of the stop on the extractor-
post.
The accompanying drawings show my improved ejecting mechanism applied
to a gun having the firing mechanism contained within slots in the action-body.
Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section illustrating
mechanism pertaining to the right-hand barrel; the tumbler being cocked and the
stop on the sliding main-spring in its inactive position.
Fig. 2 is a similar view representing the mechanism after the firing of the
gun; the stop on the sliding main-spring having advanced into position for acting
on the cam.
Fig. 3 shows the cam in cross section on the line x in Fig. 7, the pin on which
the cam is pivoted, the spring that bears against the cam, and the extractor-post
with the stationary stop projecting from it; the limbs being in the positions
they occupy when the gun is closed.
Fig. 4 illustrates the altered position of the cam after the fired gun has been
partly opened.
Fig. 5 represents how the tripping of the cam is finished by the stationary
stop at the termination of the opening movement.
Fig. 6 shows the position assumed by the cam on the unfired gun being fully
opened.

page_text: Fig. 7 is a front view of the right-hand cam.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of said cam.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the extractor-post.
The cam A A' A' is pivoted on a pin B in the fore-end C, and has a spring D
bearing against it.
This cam is cocked by the point E of the extractor-post and is tripped partly
by a stop F' on the sliding main-spring F and partly by a stop E' near a notch E
on the extractor-post.
If the unfired gun be opened, the cam A. A¹A' remains cocked; the point Ex of
the extractor-post forcing out the split extractor G far enough to enable the
cartridge to be removed by hand. The toe A2 of the cam enters the notch E';
neither of the stops F and E' being brought into use.
When the fired gun is opened, the arm A¹ of the cam bears against the movable
stop F and the cam is turned on its pivot B far enough to cause the toe A³ of the
partly-tripped cam to come at the termination of the opening movement into
contact with the stationary stop E¹, which finishes the tripping of the cam,
permitting the spring D to cause the cam to strike the end of the split extractor G
already partly withdrawn by the point Ex of the extractor-post and thus effect
the ejection of the empty cartridge-case.
The left-hand cam (not shown in the drawings) works independently and is
actuated partly by a stop on the left-hand sliding main-spring and partly by the
stop E¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. For drop-down guns and rifles, ejecting mechanism made or operating
substantially as described.
2. In ejecting mechanism for drop-down guns and rifles, the employment of cams
carried by the fore-end which are tripped partly by stops moved by the firing
mechanism and partly by a stationary stop or stops, substantially as described.
3. In ejecting mechanism for drop-down guns and rifles, the employment of cams
carried by the fore-end which are tripped partly by stops on sliding main-springs
and partly by a stop on the lower portion of the extractor-post, substantially as
described.
Dated the 18th day of March 1896.
JAMES W. SMALLMAN.