IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Alfred Alexander Thorn, trading as Charles
Lancaster, of 151, New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Alfred Alexander
Thorn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1881.
HENRY ALFRED ALEXANDER THORN, trading as Charles Lancaster, of 151, New
Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.”
This Invention relates to the improvements hereinafter described in breech-
loading fire-arms having more than one barrel.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a hammer bolt having a number of
grooves or slots (corresponding with the number of barrels to the arm) parallel
with the axis of the bolt, a corresponding number of inclined grooves or slots
being also formed between the straight slots, the said slots opening into one
another; the end of the hammer bolt is formed with one or more inclined pro-
jections for the purpose hereinafter described; the hammer bolt is also provided
with a collar to allow of the bolt being withdrawn by the trigger a given distance
to sufficiently compress the spring which operates the bolt, the trigger blade being
formed with an inclined surface or slot, so that when the bolt has been withdrawn
the required distance it is free to be driven forward by its spring. A spring is
provided having a stud which fits into the herein-before described grooves or slots,
the said spring being so placed as to always tend to rotate the hammer bolt.
The action is as follows:-The hammer bolt being withdrawn by the trigger,
as herein before described, and released will be driven forward by its spring, and
one of the said projections on the front end of the bolt will be driven against the
striker or strikers and explode the cartridge; the stud of the herein-before
described spring is now in one of the inclined grooves, and as the hammer bolt is
withdrawn the bolt is rotated by the said spring and stud the required distance
to bring the projection on the front end of the bolt opposite the next barrel, and
80 on.
A suitable spring is provided for effecting the rebound of the hammer bolt after
ito impont with the strikzen

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance-of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Alfred Alexander Thorn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th September 1881.
"
HENRY ALFRED ALEXANDER THORN, trading as Charles Lancaster, of 151, New
Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker. IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.”
This Invention relates to improvements, hereinafter described, in breech-loading
small arms of the kind called drop-down guns, the object of the improvements
being to provide a novel and simple lock mechanism or action with only one
trigger for fire-arms having more than one barrel, the arrangement being also
applicable to arms having only one barrel.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a hammer bolt having a number of
grooves or slots (preferably four, or corresponding in number with the number of
barrels to the arm) parallel with the axis of the bolt, a corresponding number
of inclined grooves or slots being also formed between the straight slots, the said
slots opening into one another; the end of the hammer bolt is formed with one
or more projections for the purpose hereinafter described; the hammer bolt is also
provided with a collar to allow of the bolt being withdrawn by the trigger a given
distance to sufficiently compress the spring which operates the bolt, the lever or
tumbler operated by the trigger blade being formed with an inclined surface or
slot, so that when the bolt has been withdrawn the required distance it is free
to be driven forward by its spring, or the lever or tumbler operated by the trigger
blade may pass in a slot in the hammer bolt, and the bolt be formed in two parts,
one turning on the other. A spring is provided having a stud which fits into the
herein before described grooves or slots, the said spring being so placed as to always
tend to rotate the hammer bolt.
But to make my Invention better understood, I will now proceed to describe the
same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side
elevation of a lock mechanism or action constructed according to my Invention,
and suitable for a drop-down gun having four barrels, the parts being in their
normal position, that is to say, the position they would occupy after the gun has
been fired; Figure 2, similar view, shewing the parts in the position which they
take by the trigger being pulled back and just before the firing of the gun; Figures
3 to 9, details. Similar letters in all the Figures represent similar or corresponding
parts.
a is the usual break off; b, the tang of the same; and c, the trigger plate;
d, d³, are uprights forming bearings in which can slide and turn what I term the
"hammer bolt," e, e'. This hammer bolt may be formed in two parts, as shewn in
Figures 1 and 2, and also in the detached views at Figures 4 and 5, which represent
respectively a longitudinal section and a plan of the hammer bolt; the front part e
of the bolt is bored out as shewn, so that it can revolve on the reduced end of the
part of the bolt. f. f. are the grooves or slots (four in number) parallel with the
axis of the bolt, and g, g, are the inclined grooves or slots (also four in number) and
communicating with the said longitudinal slots, as shewn; h is the projection on
the fore end of the hammer bolt, also shewn in cross section at Figure 3; ¿ is the
spring fixed to the upright d, provided with a stud or pin i, which fits into the
herein before described grooves or slots in the hammer bolt; jis the lever or tumbler
operated by the trigger lever k pivotted to the trigger 7, the nose on the upper end of
the said lever k working in the curved slot m in the lever or tumblerj; the upper end
of the tumbler passes through a slot in the bolt e¹. n is the main spring swivelled
to the upper end of the lever o of the tumbler j, the other end n² of the spring n

page_text: being arranged as shewn to operate on the projection p of the tumbler for the
purpose hereinafter described; q, spring for keeping the nose of the lever k within
the slot m; r, spring for bringing the trigger and lever k back to their normal
position after each discharge.
The action is as follows, the parts being in the position shewn in Figure 1:—
The trigger being pulled back will, by means of the lever k and tumbler j, draw
back the hammer bolt e, e¹, into the position shewn in Figure 2, and the part e of
the bolt by means of the stud held in one of the inclined grooves g by the spring i
will revolve the fore part of the bolt and its projection h, so as to bring it from
the position marked 1 in Figure 3 to the position shewn in dotted lines and
marked 2; the trigger being still pulled, the stud will come into the next longi-
tudinal groove or slot (f, Figure 2), and the nose of the lever / being pushed out
of the alot m by the breast of the tumbler the bolt will be free to be driven forward
by the main spring n, and the projection h impinging against the striker in line
with it will explode the cartridge, the rebound of the hammer bolt being effected
by the end n³ of the main spring n operating on the projection p of the tumbler
so as to place the arm at half cock or clear of the striker.
The gun having been discharged as herein before described, the stud will be.
brought into the rear end of the next inclined groove or slot g, the nose of the
lever I will be carried by its spring back into the slot m of the tumbler j, and the
trigger may be again pulled so as to fire the next barrel, and so on, the projection
of the hammer bolt taking respectively the positions shewn by the dotted lines
marked 3 and 4, Figure 3, that is to say, revolving a quarter of a revolution at each
pull of the trigger.
As has been already stated, Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing represent the
action for a four barrel gun. In the case, however, of a two barrel gun I prefer to
form the hammer bolt with two projections h, as shown in plan and end view at
Figures 8 and 9, the number of slots ƒ and g remaining the same, so that each pull of
the trigger would discharge a barrel, although the bolt would only be rotated a
quarter of a revolution at each pull of the trigger, or the number of slots may be
varied so as to correspond with the number of barrels of the arm, as will be well
understood.
Instead of forming the hammer bolt in two parts, as hereinbefore described, I
sometimes form it in one piece, as shewn in the detached views at Figures 6 and 7.
In this case the tumbler jis slotted so as to pass on each side of the bolt which
latter is provided with a collars to allow of the bolt being withdrawn by the trigger
and also to allow of the whole of the bolt rotating to discharge the different barrels
successively. The operation is otherwise the same as that described when referring
to Figures 1 and 2,
For a gun with more than four barrels the number of the slots or grooves f
and g in the hammer bolt would be increased so as to correspond with the number
of the barrels.
For one barrel the bolt would require no projections, but the end of the bolt
would strike the pin at each movement.
For fixing the parts of the lock or action so as to prevent the arm being
accidentally discharged when not in use, I employ any suitable arrangement, such
as a small lever pivotted to the underside of the tang of the break off and operated
by a suitable thumb lever.
Any suitable known arrangement may be employed for bolting and releasing the
barrels.
Although I have described and shewn my Invention as applied to a gun, it will
be understood that the Invention is equally applicable to pistols.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention, but
what I claim is,―
Firstly. The combination of parts forming the breech action of a breech loading

page_text: small arm having more than one barrel constructed so that each of the barrels may
be successively discharged by a lock or action having only one trigger, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the Drawing, the arrangement being
also applicable with suitable modifications to arms having only one barrel.
Secondly. In a lock or action for breech loading small arms constructed as herein-
before described I claim the peculiar construction of the hammer bolt formed either
in one or two parts for allowing of the several barrels of the arm being successively
discharged, as hereinbefore described and represented in the Drawing.
Thirdly. The combination with the herein before described hammer bolt of a
trigger lever such as k and tumbler such as j, arranged and operating substantially 1
as described and illustrated in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Alfred Alexander Thorn, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
G. F. REDFERN,
Patent Agent,
4, South St.,
Finsbury.
HENRY A. A. THORN. (L.S.)