Year: 1888

page_text: I WILLIAM WEM of 21 Rothwell Buildings, Tottenham Court Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
-
The objects of this invention are to simplify the construction of the cartridge
ejector mechanism of break-down guns, and at the same time to render its action
more smooth than heretofore.
In order to attain these objects, I mount, in the fore end of the gun, a cam lever,
or, in the case of a double barrelled gun, a pair of cam levers, which, pressing on the
rod or rods of the cartridge ejectors, will first start the cartridges, and then expel
the same (if exploded) out of the gun.
Each cam lever is formed with a tail piece or projection below its fulcrum, for the
purpose of taking onto a lip of the knuckle joint when the gun is opened, and thereby
ensuring the rocking forward of the cam lever to start the cartridge.
Bearing on the back of each cam lever is a flat spring secured to the fore end, and
capable, as the cam lever is rocked, of riding over it, so as to secure a purchase on
the cam lever below the fulcrum thereof, for the purpose of throwing the cam lever
forward and expelling the dead cartridge.
On the outer side of each cam lever a recess is formed to receive an elastic stop
mounted in the fore end, and having a wedge shaped extremity for the purpose to be
presently explained.-This recess is of sufficient length to permit of the rocking of
the cam lever from its normal or quiescent position to a position sufficiently forward
to start the cartridge. When, however, the cartridge is desired to be discharged, the
stop is withdrawn from the recess, leaving the cam lever free to answer the pressure
of its underlying spring.
Fitted to the "action," is a pair of sliding rods in line with the breast of the
hammers, so arranged that when their respective haminers fall, they will be thrust
forward. The outer ends of these rods are wedge shaped, and their use is to underrun
the ends of the elastic stops of the cam. levers, and lift them out of their recesses.
Thus, as soon as a cartridge is fired by the fall of the hammer, the rod of that

page_text: hammer will be slidden forward, and caused to release the cam lever from its stop.
The act of opening the gun will then cause the cam levers to tip, and start the
cartridge, and the further movement of the cam levers will put them in such a
position relatively to their impelling springs, as to enable those springs to act.
The cam lever which has been released from its stop will now discharge its dead
cartridge from the gun, while the other cam lever, held fast by its spring stop, will
act no further upon its cartridge ejector.
The re-adjustment of the parts I do not make dependent on the act of thrusting
back the cartridge extractor, but I provide a bridge piece across the opening of the
knuckle joint, which, on the closing of the gun, will bear upon a projection at the
upper part of the cam levers, and thrust them back to their normal position.
The closing of the gun will also cause the withdrawal of the advanced rod, and
release the spring stop, which will then fall back into its recess.
Dated this 29th Fahrnary 1888

page_text: CUM LEIE DI MULTIVATION.
An Improved Cartridge Ejector Mechanism for Break-down Guns.
I WILLIAM WEM of 21 Rothwell Buildings, Tottenham Court Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Gun Maker, 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 :—
The objects of this invention are to simplify the construction of the cartridge
ejector mechanism of break-down guns, and at the same time to render its action
more smooth than heretofore.
The means for attaining these objects is clearly shown in the accompanying
drawing, which illustrates the application of the invention to a double barrel
sporting gun.
Fig. 1 is a partial side view of the gun fitted with my improved cartridge ejector
mechanism.
Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the same, the wood work being removed;-and
Fig. 3 is a front view of the "action," with the barrels removed.
In these Figures, A is the fore end of the gun. B B are the barrels. C is the
so-called "action," to which the barrels are hinged, and D D the locks.
The barrels are fitted with independent extractors bb, the rods of which are borne
against by cam levers a a mounted in the fore end A, and actuated by propelling
springs a a¹.
The construction of these cam levers is illustrated at Figs. 4, which represent
opposite sides and a back view of one of these cam levers.
The action of these cam levers is first to start their respective cartridges, and then
to propel them, if exploded, out of the gun.
It will be seen that each cam lever is formed with a tail piece or projection 1, below
it's fulcrum 2, for the purpose of taking onto a lip c of the knuckle joint when the
gun is opened, and thereby ensuring the rocking forward of the cam levers to start
the cartridge.
Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that each cam lever is borne upon at back by a
flat spring a', which is secured to the fore end.-This spring is capable, as the cam
lever is rocked, of riding over it, so as to secure, by reason of the angular form of the
back, a purchase on the cam lever below the fulcrum thereof, as indicated by the
dotted lines in Figs. 4, for the purpose of throwing the cam lever forward and
expelling the dead cartridge.
On the outer side of each cam lever, a recess 3 is formed to receive an elastic
stop a, mounted in the fore end, and having a wedge shaped extremity for the
purpose to be presently explained.-This elastic stop is shown detached in three views
at Figs. 5.-The recess 3 is of sufficient length to permit of the rocking of the cam
lever (while still locked) from its normal or quiescent position, to a position suffi-
ciently forward to start the cartridge.-When, however, the cartridge is desired to
be discharged, the stop is withdrawn from the recess, leaving the cam lever free to
answer the pressure of its underlying spring a¹.

page_text: Fitted to the "action" C, are the sliding rods c¹, shewn detached in two views at
Figs. 6. These rods are situated in line with the breast of the hammers d, to which
they are loosely connected, as shewn in the drawing-Thus, when their respective
hammers fall, they will be thrust forward to assist in the expulsion of the discharged
cartridge. The outer ends of these rods c¹ are made wedge shaped, for the purpose of
under-running the ends of the elastic stops a² of the cam levers, and lift them out of
their recesses. On the fall of one or other of the hammers, the rod of that hammer
will be slidden forward, and caused to release the cam lever a from its spring stop a².
The act of opening the gun, for the purpose of re-loading, will cause the cam levers to
tip, and start the cartridges, by reason of the tails 1, of those levers catching, as
usual, against the lip c of the action, and the further movement of the arrested cam
levers, due to the dropping of the fore-end, will put them in such a position relatively
to their impelling springs a', as to enable those springs to act.
The cam lever which has been released from its stop a², will now discharge its dead
cartridge from the gun, while the other cam lover, held fast by its spring stop, will
act no further upon its cartridge ejector.
The re-adjustment of the parts I do not make wholly dependent on the act of
thrusting back the cartridge extractor, but I provide a bridge piece c² across the
opening of the knuckle joint, which bridge piece, on the closing of the gun, will bear
upon a projection 4 at the upper part of the cam levers, and thrust them back, leaving
the extractor rods to return them to their normal position.
The cocking of the hammers will, by reason of their connection with the rods c¹,
cause the withdrawal of the advanced rod c', and release the spring stop a²; which
will then fall back into its recess 3, and lock the cam lever, as shewn in Fig. 1.
To provide for the throwing out of action of the ejector mechanism, when, for any
reason, that is not required to be used, I fit into the fore end a screwed pin a³, which,
when screwed inwards, will bear on the spring a', thrusting it clear of the cam levers,
and leave them only to be tipped (for starting the cartridges) by the lip c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner, the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The means above described for locking, releasing, and actuating the cam levers
of cartridge ejector mechanism.
2. The combination of the cam lever with the bridge piece of the "action," as and
for the purpose above described.