IMPROVE- MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Mathews, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
Sealed the 21st February 1873, and dated the 30th August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Mathews at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th August 1872.
I, SAMUEL MATHEWS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to breach-loading small-arms, in which the
breech ends of the barrels are opened and closed for loading and dis-
charge either by the turning of the said barrels upon a joint, the motion
being in a vertical plane, or by the raising and lowering of a block
jointed to the breech ends of the barrels, the said block when shut
down to close the breech ends of the barrels entering a shoe situated at
the rear of the barrels.

page_text: In guns of the former class, and which are commonly called drop-
down guns, I fix down the barrels either by a double bolt' or single bolt,
constructed and operated as herein-after described.
When I employ a double bolt I make the upper bolt of the said
double bolt slide through an opening in the face of the break off, and
take into a recess in the rib between the barrels. The lower bolt engages
in a recess in the lump on the under side of the barrels. The two bolts
are parallel, and are connected together by a connecting piece at right
angles to them. The said connecting piece joins their rear ends. The
said bolts are urged forward by a spring, and their acting ends are
inclined on the upper sides, so that when the barrels are shut down the
said bolts are first pushed back, and then snap into the reccsess in the
rib and lump. The said double bolt is withdrawn either by a lever
working on the tang of the break off, or by a lever working on the under
side of the gun. In the former case the lever works in a plane parallel
to the tang of the break off, the axis on which the lever turns passing
through the break off. A crank pin on the under side of the boss or.
enlarged head of the lever is jointed to one end of a connecting rod
under the tang, the other end of which connecting rod is jointed to the
double bolt.
When the lever works on the under side of the gun it moves in a
plane at right angles to the plane of the tang of the break off. The
upper end of the said lever moves in a recess formed in the break off,
and passes through a slot in the lower bolt. The axis on which the said
lever turns is a pin passing transversely through the body of the gun.
The upper end of the lever is jointed to the front of the connecting
piece of the double bolt at its middle. By pressing forward the thumb
piece of the lever on the under side of the gun the double bolt is with-
drawn.
When I use a single bolt I make it engage with the lump on the
under side of the barrels. In this case I employ a lever working on the
tang of the break off. The under side of the head of the lever is pro-
vided with a cross slot, in which a cranked arm engages. The lower
end of this cranked arm takes into a recess in a raised block on the
upper side of the rear end of the bolt. The said recess is not over the
middle of the bolt, but is situated on one side thereof. By turning the

page_text: lever aside the bolt is withdrawn. The said bolt is urged forward by a
spring.
The method described of actuating the single bolt may also be used
for actuating double bolts, and the methods described of actuating the
double bolt may be used to actuate a single top bolt.
་
In guns in which a hinged block is employed to open and close the
breech I construct and operate the extractor in the following manner :—
The acting end of the extractor consists of the usual hook or forked
piece, and carries two parallel arms, which are situated respectively
under the knuckles of the hinged block. The ends of the said arms are
concave, and the ends of the knuckles have convex projections upon
them. When the said block is thrown back to nearly its full extent to
open the breech the said convexities of the knuckles engage in the
concavities of the said arms, and slide forward the extractor.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Mathews in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
MATHEWS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give.
and grant unto me, the said Samuel Mathews, Her special license that
I, the said Samuel Mathews, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Samuel Mathews, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
SMALL-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Samuel Mathews, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: When the lever works on the under side of the gun, it moves in a
plane at right angles to the plane of the tang of the break off. The
upper end of the said lever moves in a recess formed in the break off
and passes through a slot in the lower bolt. The axis on which the said
lever turns is a pin passing transversely through the body of the gun.
The upper end of the lever is jointed to the front of the connecting
piece of the double bolt. By pressing forward the thumb piece of the
lever on the under side of the gun the double bolt is withdrawn.
When I use a single bolt I make it engage with the lump on the
under side of the barrels. In this case I employ a lever working on the
tang of the break off. The under side of the head of the lever is pro-
vided with a cross slot in which a cranked arm engages. The lower
end of this cranked arm takes into a recess in a raised block on the
upper side of the rear end of the bolt. The said recess is not over the
middle of the bolt, but is situated on one side thereof. By turning the
lever aside the bolt is withdrawn. The said bolt is urged forward by
a spring.
The method described of actuating the single bolt may also be used
for actuating double bolts, and the methods described for actuating the
double bolt may be used to actuate a single top bolt.
In guns in which a hinged block is employed to open and close the
breech I construct and operatet he extractor in the following manner :-
The acting end of the extractor consists of the usual hook or forked
piece, and carries two parallel arms, which are situated respectively
under the knuckles of the hinged block. The ends of the said arnis are
concave, and the ends of the knuckles have convex projections upon
them. When the said block is thrown back to nearly its full extent to
open the breech the said convexities of the knuckles engage in the
concavities of the said arms, and slide forward the extractor.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section a drop-down gun
(without the stock), provided with a double bolt, constructed according.
to my Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of the same; and Figure 3 is a
transverse section of the same taken at the face of the break off. .

page_text: Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, represent detached parts of the gun, as
herein-after described.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 9, both
inclusive.
a, b, is the double bolt connected together by the connecting piece c
at right angles to the parallel bolts a, b. The upper bolt a of the double
bolt is shown separately in side elevation, end elevation, and plan, in
Figure 4, and the bottom bolt of the said double bolt is shown separately
in plan and edge view in Figure 5. The connecting piece c of the
double bolt is represented separately in front and side elevation in
Figure 6, and the double bolt a, b, and its connecting piece c are repre-
sented combined together in Figure 7. The upper bolt a is fastened to
the vertical connecting piece c by a stud d on the top of the connecting
piece, taking into a hole in the bolt a, and the bottom bolt 6 is fastened
to the connecting piece c by the screw e, or the screw e may extend
from the bottom to the top of the piece c in place of the stud d. The
upper bolt a works in an opening in the break off 9, and takes into a
recess in the rib i between the barrels, and the lower bolt 6 engages
in a recess k in the lump on the under side of the barrels. The upper
face of the acting end of the bottom bolt is bevilled or inclined, and
the acting end of the top bolt a may also be bevilled or inclined. The
acting end of the top bolt a has a triangular figure, and the recess h in
the rib for receiving the said bolt has a corresponding figure. The
double bolt a, b, is withdrawn, so as to unfasten the barrels by the
lever m, m³, on the under side of the gun. This lever turns in a vertical
plane on the pin or centre n, the thumb plate end m being situated
horizontally and the acting end m³ vertically. The inner end or arm m³
of the lever passes through a slot in the bottom bolt 6 and takes into a
recess p in the connecting piece c of the double bolt.
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The part m of the lever is cranked, the cranked part crossing the
under side of the body in the manner represented in Figure 3. A strong
spring 9 presses on the heel m³ of the lever m, m³, and gives the return
motions to the said lever and the double bolt. The lever m, m2, is
shown separately in Figure 8. r is the ordinary extractor of the gun,
shown separately in Figure 9. The arm m of the lever m, m², may have
the figure of and lie on the trigger guard, instead of having the figure
and position represented.

page_text: To unfasten the barrels of the gun for charging the thumb plate
end m of the lever m, m³, is pressed down in the direction indicated by
the arrow; the vertical arm m³ of the said lever thereby operates upon
the connecting piece c and withdraws the two bolts a, b, simultaneously
from the recesses in the rib and lump and unfastens the barrels. On
shutting down the barrels after loading the nose of the lump pushes
back the bottom bolt 6, and through the connecting piece c withdraws
the top bolt 6 into the break-off and the spring q is compressed. When
the barrels have reached their closed position the double bolt a, b, snaps
by the action of the spring q into its recesses in the rib and lump, and
thereby fastens down the barrels at top and bottom and the gun is ready
to be discharged.
same.
Figure 10 represents in longitudinal section the body of a drop-down
gun in which the double bolt is withdrawn by means of a lever on the
tang of the break off, and Figure 11 is a plan of the under side of the
r is the lever on the tang turning in a horizontal plane on the
centre On the under side of the boss or enlarged head of the lever r
is a crank pin s, the bottom of which is secured to the end of the
connecting rod t under the tang. The front end of the connecting rod t
is secured to the vertical connecting piece c of the double bolt a, b.
The return motion of the double bolt a, b, and lever r is effected by
the double spring u pressing on the end of the rod t. By turning aside
the lever the crank pin 8 operates upon the sliding connecting rod t,
and the latter withdraws the double bolt. On releasing the lever »
the parts return to the positions represented by the action of the
spring u.
Figure 12 represents in longitudinal section another arrangement for
working the bolt, and Figure 13 is a back elevation (partly in cross
section) of the same; Figures 14 and 15 are parts of the same
separately. In this arrangement I make the crank pin of the lever
on the tang engage directly with the connecting piece of the bolt, and
I make the said crank pin adjustable so that the throw of the said crank
pin may be increased or diminished at pleasure. r is the lever on the
tang. In the under side of the boss of the said lever is a dovetail seat ³,.
in which seat a dovetail slide o (shown separately in Figure 15) works.
This slide carries the crank pin w which works in a slot x in the block y
on the side of the vertical connecting piece c of the bolt. When the

page_text: lever r. is turned aside its adjustable crank pin to operates upon the
block y and withdraws the bolt.
Figure 16 represents in longitudinal section, and Figure 17 in plan
of under side, a drop-down gun containing a modification of the arrange-
ment of the double bolt already described. Figure 18 represents a side
clevation and plan of the bottom bolt separately. In this arrangement
the two bolts 1 and 2 move in opposite directions. The top bolt 1
taking into the rib between the barrels is jointed to the top of the
vertical lever 3 in the break-off, the said lever turning on the centre 4.
Jointed to the bottom of the lever 3 is a rod 5 which is secured to the
bottom bolt 2. The bottom bolt 2 consists of a central piece having on
either side of it projections 6, 6, which take into notches or recesses 7, 7,
in the two lumps 8, 8, on the under side of the barrels. The return
motion of the several parts is effected by the spring 10 acting against
the front end of the bolt 2. The said bolt 2 works in a projecting rib 11
made along the middle of the under side of the body.
When the barrels are shut down the two lumps 8, 8, pass through
openings in the body, their bevilled under sides pressing back the bolt 2
towards the muzzle end of the gun; the top bolt 1 at the same time
being withdrawn into the break off through the operation of the rod 5
and lever 3. On completely shutting down the barrels the bottom bolt 2
is pressed backwards and its projections 6, 6, made to snap into the
lumps 8, 8, and the top bolt 1 made to snap into the recess in the rib
between the barrels. The barrels are thereby fastened down at top and
bottom and the two lumps 8, 8, by embracing the rib 11 bind the barrels
firmly to the body. The two bolts 1, 2, are withdrawn- so as to unfasten
the barrels by means of the connecting rod or arm 12 under the tang,
the said rod or arm 12 being secured to or made in one piece with the
vertical lever 3. The end of the rod 12 is jointed to a thumb plate 13
which works in a slot at the end of the tang. By pressing upon the
thumb plate 13, the rod 12 moves in the direction of the arrow, and the
lever 3 is turned on its centre 4. The two bolts 1, 2, are thereby
moved in opposite directions, and simultaneously released from the rib
and lumps in which they respectively engage. Or instead of working
the two bolts 1 and 2 by pressing down the connecting rod or arm 12,
the said rod or arm may have a sliding motion given to it.. Or the bolts
may be withdrawn by means of a lever on the tang. In this case the
arrangement represented in Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15 may be used for.

page_text: operating upon the vertical lever so as to simultaneously release the two
bolts 1, 2.
The improvements described and represented for withdrawing the
double bolts may also be applied to the withdrawing of single bolts.
Figure 19 represents in longitudinal section, and Figure 20 in plan of
upper side, the breech end of a gun in which the breech is opened and
closed by a hinged block turning on the end of the barrel, the said gun
containing extracting mechanism constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 21 represents the block of the gun raised and the extracting
mechanism in action; Figure 22 represents the extractor separately.
a is the breech shoe, and 6 is the hinged closing block%;B c is the
extractor consisting of the usual hook or forked piece. The said
extractor carries two parallel arms d, d, situated respectively under the
knuckles e of the hinged block b.
The ends of these arms are concave,
as represented, and the ends of the knuckles e have convex projections
upon them. When the block b is thrown back to nearly its full extent
to open the breech, the said convexities of the knuckles engage in the
concavities d³, d, of the arms d, d, and slide forward the extractor as
represented in Figure 21. On shutting down the block the extractor is
returned to its normal position.
The knuckles e of the joint of the block may be situated much wider
apart and be made to work on the outside of the parallel arms d, d³.
This arrangement is convenient for barrels of small bore.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein-described and illustrated as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Inven-
tion. But I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The improvements in fastening down the barrels of breech-
loading small-arms of the kind called drop-down guns, herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say fastening down the barrels of
the said guns at top and bottom by means of a double bolt, the parts of
which are constructed and combined substantially as described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The arrangements or combinations of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15

page_text: of the accompanying Drawings for withdrawing or operating the double
or single bolts of drop-down guns.
Thirdly. The combination or arrangement of parts of the double bolt
of drop-down guns herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 16,
17, and 18 of the accompanying Drawings, and also the combination or
arrangement of parts herein-before described and illustrated in the said.
Figures 16 and 17 for withdrawing or operating the said double bolt.
Lastly. The arrangement or combination of parts of extracting
mechanism of guns opened and closed by a block hinged to the breech
end of the barrel herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 19,
. 20, and 21 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Mathews, have hereunto set
-
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
SAMUEL MATHEWS. (L.S.)