IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent.
Agents, Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the,
nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS to
be as follows :-
This invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms in which the barrels are
pivoted to the breech-block and arranged to be tilted or swung down when desiring
to load the gun; and also to that class of fire-arms known as "hammerless" guns
in which the hammer is located inside the breech block or stock.
The said invention comprises mechanism so constructed and arranged in com-
bination with the hammer of the gun that the tilting or swinging down of the
barrel will cause the hammer to be moved into its cocked position.
i
It also comprises a locking or safety device for the trigger whereby it is held '
from accidental movement and consequent discharge of the gun if loaded..
It also comprises means for locking the barrels at the rib extension.
It further comprises a novel arrangement of parts to cause a rebound of the
hammer after the gun has been discharged so that the hammer will not interfere
with the raising of the barrel, to reload or for other purposes.
It also comprises the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully
described.
According to this invention the barrels are pivoted to the breech-block.
Lugs are attached to the under side of the barrels and have notches for the
usual bolt of such guns operated by the top snap lever through its spindle. The
hammer which is pivoted to the breech-block, its spring, and the triggers, are all
constructed and arranged as usual in breech-loading fire-arms and needing no more
particular description herein.
A lever or plate is pivoted to the breech block so as to swing vertically thereon,
and in a groove in the breech block under the barrel and to abut by its end against
a horizontal bar to which bar the lover is connected by a link pivoted to said lever
and to the bar. This bar extends backward through an opening in the breech
block and is arranged to bear with its end against a projection of the hammer.
dll....מ

page_text: The pivoted lover has two arms and in an open slot between them a pin of the
cross head of the fore end of the gun can freely play. This pin has a roller upon it
to reduco friction and prevent wear of the parts.
In opening or swinging down the barrels on their pivot the pivoted lever is
carried down by the pin of the cross head bearing against its lower arm, which
movement of the pivoted lever pushes the bar, and by its abutment on the
projection of the hammer the latter is moved into its cocked position inore
particularly where the hammer is hold as ordinarily by its sear.
The movement of the pivoted lever causes the bar to cock the gun, and by its
link connection returns the said bar into its normal position. The pivoted lever is
also arranged at the start in opening the gun to act upon the upper part of the
end of the bar, the bearing then being on its shortest fulcrum in order to exert
more power at such a time to overcome the resistance and friction of the parts.
When swinging the barrels up into their normal or locked position the pin of
the cross-head acts on the upper arm of the pivoted lever carrying with it. the
latter, and through the link draws the bar back to its normal position leaving the
hammer cocked and free to act in the discharge of the gun without interference of
the bar.
In an opening in the breech-block below the bar is the main spring of the
hammer, and to prevent its upper arm bearing on the bar, and thus interfering
more or less with its movements as above described, a stud projects downward
from the upper wall of the opening through an elongated slot in the bar, sufficiently
below the latter for the upper arm of the main spring to rest thereon and not
touch the bar, but leave it free to move as described.
A vertical lever is arranged to swing ou a pivot, on the trigger plate and
between it and the tang. One end of this lover is in such a position relatively to
tho triggers that when moved in the proper direction it will project over and abut
against the upper edges of the triggers and thus hold them against movement,
to prevent the premature discharge of the gun if loaded and the hammers cocked.
The upper end of the vertical lever lies between two arms of a thumb piece or
plate on the upper surface of the tang, the arms projecting downward through a
slot in said tang.
A bar is arranged to slide longitudinally on the under side of the tang and is
guided in its movements and from lateral play by a slot near its inner end playing
over a pin in the tang, and at its other end by a slot through which the arms of
the lever project.
·
A pin is firmly secured to the arm of a thumb piece, and when the sliding bar
is in its working position it lies in a notch or depression in the underside of the
said sliding bar, and when in such notch, the bar, being of a springy nature, is
held firmly and against accidental movement. One end of the sliding bar is bent
up and is arranged to rest in notches in the under side of the tang in the move-
ments of the bar as hereinafter described.
43x
Pushing the sliding bar forward moves the vertical lever so as to secure the
triggers from movement and this movement of the sliding bar is accomplished by
a cam on the spindle of the top soap lever working against the end of said bar
when the top snap lever is swung in the direction to unbolt the gun. By such
movement the end of the vertical lever is swung over the upper edges of the
triggers, in which position the bar and levers remain, being there held by the
engaging of the end of the sliding bar in the notch of the tang.
A horizontal plate or bolt is provided adapted to swing horizontally on a pivot
in the upper part of the breech-block and having an arm which engages in a notch
in the upper part of the spindle of the top snap lover. By turning the top snap
lever in the direction to bolt the gun the horizontal plate will move on its pivot
and its end engage in an open slot in the extension rib of the barrels and thus in
combination with the usual bolt of the gun the barrels will be trobly locked and
secured, and swinging the top snap lever to unbolt the gun swings the end of the

page_text: horizontal plate out of the open slot, at the same time the usual bolt of the gun
disengages from the notches of tho lugs when the barrels can be swung down.
By this invention the tilting or swinging down of the barrels cocks the hammer
at the same time the triggers are locked to prevent their accidental movement, and
when the barrels are returned to their locked or closed position the hammers are
left cocked, the triggers held from movement, and the bar returned to its original
and normal position where it cannot interfere with the movements of the hammer
in the discharge of the gun.
The bar can be pivoted directly, to the plate if desired, but in such case the
socket for the connecting pivot in the plate or bar must be elongated in the right
direction; the friction roller or pin can also be dispensed with although it is
preferable to use such, and the fore end can engage with the arms of the plate in
any suitable manner.
In this class of fire-arms the nose of the hammer necessarily strikes forward
of the end of the breech in order to enter the cap or primer of the cartridge in the
barrel and if the hammer should remain in such position the rear end of the barrel
could not be raised to open the breech. To obviate this the hammer is caused to
rebound, after it. has struck the cartridge, sufficient for its nose to clear the end
of the breech.. For this purpose the hammer has an arm, projecting against the
under side of which the end of the upper arm of the spring can bear; the arm being
lengthened for such purpose.
To prevent wear, the arm has a friction roller for the spring-arm to lie against,
and the spring-arm at its bearing end is rounded.
After the hammer has struck the cartridge to discharge it, the spring, by its
arm, acts to move the hammer back until.the said arm comes to rest against its
stud, the nose then being inside of the end of the brecch-block.
The bar may be hinged directly to the plate, thereby dispensing with the link.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltino, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS" and in what
Banner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to breech loading fire-arms in which the barrels are
pivotted to the breech-block and arranged to be tilted or swung down when it is
desired to load the gun, and also to that class of fire arms known as "hammerless
guns in which the hammer is located inside the breech block or stock.
"
The said invention comprises mechanism so constructed and arranged in com-
bination with the hammer of the gun that the tilting or swinging down of the
barrel will cause the hammer to be moved into its cocked position; a locking or
safety device for the trigger whereby it is held from accidental movement and con-
sequent discharge of the gun if loaded; and means for locking the barrels at the
rib extension.
It further comprises the combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully
described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through one of the barrels of a double-
barrel breech-loading gun constructed according to this invention, the stock being
removed, and showing in side view the mechanism, for cocking the gun and also
the mechanism for locking or securing the triggers from accidental movement, the
barrels being closed and bolted, the hammers uncocked and the triggers in
condition for operation.
Figure 2, is a similar sectional view to figure 1, but showing the barrels
opened and in position for loading the same, the hammers as cocked and the
triggers secured from accidental movement.
Figure 3, is a plan view of a portion of the gun partly in horizontal section,
Figuro 4, is a view similar to figure 3, but with the operating parts in a different
position.
Figure 5, is a horizontal section on the line 5-5-figure 1.
Figure 6 is a cross section of the gun barrels and an end view of the cross head
of the fore end,
Figure 7, is a section on the line 7, 7, figure 1.
Figures 8, and 9, are a plan and sectional view of a detail to be hereinafter
referred to.
Figure 10 is also a sectional view of a detail.
A, A, represent the barrels of a breech loading gun pivotted at a to the breech
block B.
C represents the tang and D the trigger plate of the breech block B by which
the breech block is secured to the stock in the usual manner, but not shown in the
drawings.
E E are lugs attached to the under side of the barrels A, having notches b, b
for the usual bolt of such guns operated by the top snap lever F through its
spindle G.

page_text: H, is the hammer pivotted at d to the breech block B; J its spring and K K the
triggers, all of which are constructed and arranged for operation as usual in breech
loading fire arms and therefore need no more particular description herein.
L is a lever or plate pivotted at f to the breech block so as to swing vertically
thereon in a groove g in the breech-block under the barrel, A, and to abut by its
end h² against a horizontal bar N to which bar the lever is connected by a link M
pivotted to said lever at hand to the bar at L. This bar N extends backward
through an opening c and an opening O in the breech-block, and is arranged to
bear by its end m against a projection n of the hammer H.
The lever L has two arms P and Q, and in the open slot between them a pin R
of the cross head S of the fore end of the gun can freely play.
This pin R has a roller upon it to reduce friction and prevent wear of the parts.
In opening or swinging down the barrel A on its pivot, as shown in figure 2,
the lever L is carried down with it by the pin R of the cross head S bearing against
its lower arm Q, which movement of the plate L pushes the bar N. By the
abutment of the latter on the projection n of the haminer, the bammer is moved
into its cocked position, all as shown in figure 2, more particularly, wherein the
hammer is held as ordinarily by its sear U. The movement of the lever L causes
the bar N to cock the gun, and by its link connection returns the bar N to its
normal position for operation again. The lever L is also arranged at the start in
opening the gun to act upon the upper part of the end of the bar N, the bearing
then being on its shortest fulcrum in order to exert more power at such time to
overcome the resistance and friction of the parts.
Swinging the barrels up into their normal or locked position, the pin R of the
cross head S acts on the upper arm P of the lever L, carrying with it the lever L,
and, through the link M, drawing the bar N back to its normal position, as shown
in figure 1 for again cocking the hammer when desired, thereby leaving the
hammer cocked and free to act in the discharge of the gun without interference of
the bar N.
In the opening O in the breech-block with and below the bar N is the main
spring J of the hammer, and to prevent its upper arm r bearing on the bar N and
thus interfering more or less with its movements as above described, a stud s
projects downward from the upper wall t of the opening O through an elongated
slot u in the bar N sufficiently below the bar N for the upper arm r of the main
spring J to rest thereon and not touch the bar N but leave it free to move as
described.
V is a vertical lever arranged to swing on a pivot w of a projection of the trigger-
plate D and between it and the tang C. One end of this lover is in such a
position relatively to the triggers that when moved in the proper direction it will
project over and abut against the upper edges y of the trigger K as shown in
figure 2, and thus hold them against movement to prevent the premature discharge
of the gun if loaded and the hammer cocked.
The upper end of the lever V lies between two arms a' and b¹ of a thumb piece
or plate W on the upper surface of the tang C, the said arms projecting downward
through a slot d¹ in said tang.
Y is a bar arranged to slide longitudinally on the under side of the tang C and
guided in its movements and prevented from playing laterally by a slot f¹ near its
inner end u playing over a pin gl in the tang, and at its other end by a slot y¹
through which the arms a' b¹ project.
is a pin firmly secured to the arm 61 of thumb-piece W, and when the bar Y is
in its working position it lies in a notch or depression m' in the under side of the
bar Y, and when in such notch the bar, being of a springy nature, is held firmly
and against accidental movement.
The end n of the bar Y is bent up, as shown, and is arranged to rest in
notches and in the underside of the tang in the movements of the bar as
hereinafter described,

page_text: Pushing the bar Y with the arms a¹ b¹ moves the lever V so as to securo
the triggers from movement, and this movement of the bar Y is accomplished by a
cam u on the spindle G of the top snap lever working against the end u* of said
bar when the top snap lever is swung in the direction to unbolt the gun, and by
such movement the end,x of the lever V is swung over the upper edges y of the
trigger K, in which position the bar and levers remain, being there held by the
engaging of the end n' of bar Y in the notch t¹ of the tang, all as shown more
particularly in Figure 2.
To relieve the triggers the thumb piece W is pressed towards the top snap lever
which will force, through the arm 6' and the pin x, the bar Y and lever V back
into the position shown in figure 1, the end n of the bar Y moving from its
notch into, and then resting in, the notch r³.
To disconnect the lever V and prevent it from securing the triggers as described,
in the movement of the top snap lever the thumb-piece W is pushed still farther
forward or as far as it can go, which removes the pin from the notch m² in the
bar Y into a notch ¹ in said bar, carrying with it, by the arm b¹, the upper end of
lever V, and thus the other end of the lever will be swung so far out of position
as not to have any effect on the triggers should the bar Y be then moved in the
operation of the lever F, all as shown in Figure 10.
Z is a horizontal plate or bolt adapted to swing horizontally on a pivot at a³ in
the upper part of the breech block, and having an arm b³ which engages in a
notch in the upper part of the spindle G of the top snap lever.
Turning the top snap lever in the direction to bolt the gun the plate Z will
move or swivel on its pivot and its end f engage in an open slot g³ in the
extension rib A¹ of the barrel, and thus, in combination with the usual bolt of the
gun, the barrels will be trebly locked, and secured; and swinging the top snap lever
to unbolt the gun swings the end of plate Z out of the open slot g² at the same
time the usual bolt of the gun disengages from the notches 6 of the lugs, when the
barrels can be swung down.
By this invention the tilting or swinging down of the barrels cocks the hammers;
at the same time the triggers are locked to prevent their accidental movement;
and when the barrels are returned to their locked or closed position the hammers
aro left cocked, the triggers held from movement, and the bar N returned to
its original and normal position, where it cannot interfere with the movements of
the hammer in the discharge of the gun.
The arrangement of the bar Y and lever V to be operated by the top-snap lever
secures perfect safety of the gun against accidental discharge when loaded. To
discharge the gun the simple movement of the thumb-piece by hand as described
suffices to relieve the triggers, when they can be operated as desired. The extra
locking plate secures the locking of the gun beyond peradventure, all of which
advantages are obvious, as well as others, and need no mention.
In this class of fire-arms the nose a³ of the hammer necessarily strikes forward of
the end b³ of the breech, in order to enter the cap or primer of the cartridge in the
barrel, and if the hammer should remain in such position the rear end d³ of the
barrel could not be raised to open the breech.
To obviate this the bammer is caused to rebound, after it has struck the
cartridge, sufficient for its nose to clear the end of the breech, and in figure 11 is
shown a means of accomplishing this result.
The hammer H has an arm f³ projecting as shown, against the under side
of which the end g³ of the upper arm h³ of the spring can bear, the arm being
lengthened for such purpose.
To prevent wear the arm has a friction roller for the spring arm h³ to
lie against and the spring arm h³ at its bearing end is rounded as shown.
After the hammer has struck the cartridge to discharge it, the spring by its
arin h³ acts to move the hammer-back until said arm comes to rest against its
stud 1³ the nose then being inside of the end 63 of the breech block B.

page_text: In the same view is shown the arm N as hinged direct to the plate L at
m³ dispensing with the link.
The upper arm P to the lever plate L can also be dispensed with if desired but it.
is preferable to have it for the reasons stated.
Connecting the bar N to the lever plate L by link M, enables the bar to move as
described in a straight line, and in a socket c, in the end of the breech-block, which
need only be large enough in cross section for the bar N. near its end attached to
the link to freely move therein; suck link overcomes the necessary lateral movement
of the bar if pivotted directly to the lever L, thus the socket o can be smaller and
more easily made than if more or less elongated as would be necessary to allow for
such lateral movement, and less metal is cut away, thereby preserving the strength
of the breech block.
The bar N can however be pivotted directly to the plate L if desired, but in
such case the socket for the connecting pivot in the plate or bar must be elongated
in the right direction. The friction roller or pin R can be dispensed with, but it is
preferable to use such, and the fore end of the gun can engage with the arms of
the plate L in any suitable manner.
The haminer and its operating bar N, and connecting parts are duplicated for
the other barrel of the gun.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First In a breech-loading gun, the combination with its foro end, of a lover
pivotted to the breech-block and connected to a bar N by a link M, a hammer H
acted on by the bar N to bring it into a cocked position, and mechanism for
securing it in such position, substantially as described.
Second In a breech-loading gun, the combination of its fore end having a pin R,
a lever L pivotted to the breech-block and having an arm P, a bar N, a link M
connecting said bar and lover L, a haminer H acted on by the bar N to bring it
into a cocked position, and mechanism for securing it in such position, substantially
as described.
Third In a breech-loading gun, the combination of its fore ond having a pin R,
a lever L pivotted to the breech-block and having an arm Q, a bar N, a link M
connecting said bar and lever L, a hammer H acted on by the bar N to bring
it into a cocked position, and mechanism for securing it in such position,
substantially as described.
Fourth In a breech-loading gun, the combination of its fore end having a pin R,
a lever L pivotted to the breech-block and having arms P and Q, a bar N, a link M
connecting said bar and lever L, a hammer acted on by the bar N to bring it
into a cocked position, and mechanism for securing it in such position, substan-
tially as described.
Fifth In a breech-loading gun, the combination of its fore end provided with
a friction-roller, a lever L pivotted to the breech-block and having arms P and Q,
a bar N, a link M connecting said bar and lever L, a hammer acted on by said bar
to bring it into a cocked position, and mechanism for socuring it in such position,
substantially as described.
Sixth In a breech-loading gun, the combination of the main spring J, the
breech-block provided with stud & bearing on the main spring, the hammer H, the
bar N slotted to receive the studs and sliding to strike the hammer to bring it into
a cocked position, means for sliding said bar, and mechanism to hold the hammer
in its cocked position, substantially as described.
Seventh In a breech-loading gun, the combination of the trigger K, the lever V
pivotted to project over the upper edge of the trigger when moved in one
direction, the sliding bar Y to secure the trigger from movement, and the swinging
top snap lever F provided with the spindle G having a can u¹ working against the
end of bar Y to move the bar, substantially as described,

page_text: Eighth In a breech-loading gun, the combination with the trigger K, of a
pivotted lever V adapted to abut against said trigger, a sliding thumb-pieco W
provided with arms a¹ and b' to bear against opposite sides of the upper end of
said lever, a sliding bar Y on the under side of tang C adapted to move arms a¹
and b, and a lever F provided with a cam u¹ to bear against bar Y to move the
same, substantially as described.
Ninth In a breech-loading gun, the combination with the trigger K of a lever V,
a thumb piece W having arms a' and b', a bar Y having a projection n², a notch r
in tang C, a pin in arm b' and a notch m¹ in said bar Ỷ, substantially as described
for the purpose specified.
Tenth In a breech-loading gun, the combination with the trigger K, of a lever Y,
a thumb-piece W having arms a¹ and b', a bar Y having a projection n¹, notch t¹
in tang C, a pin on arm b¹, and a notch m² in said bar Y, substantially as, and
for the purpose, specified.
Eleventh In a breech-loading gun, the combination with a trigger K, of a
lever V adapted by one end to abut against said trigger and by its other end to bo
operated by arins alb, a thumb piece W, and a sliding- bar Y having a notch
for engagement with a pin l on the arm b' of said thumb picce W, substantially
as described.
Twelfth In a breech-loading gun, the combination with the rib-extension A' at
the rear of the barrels, of a plate or bolt Z pivotted at one side of the contre line
of the rib-extension and provided with an arm 6ª engaging in a notch d² in
spindle G of top snap lever F, substantially as described.
Thirteenth In combination with the hammer H provided with an arm ƒ³, of the
spring J arranged to bear by one arm on said hammer and by its other arm h³ to
bear against said arm f³ of the hammer, substantially as, and for the purpose,
specified.