IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE ARMS
Year: 1882

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,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Alfred Alexander
Thorn at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th January
1882.
cf
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 has reference to further improvements on an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to me No. 1242 dated 21st day of March 1881, the
present improvements having for object to diminish the draw or draft on the
trigger in cocking and releasing the hammer bolt.
For this purpose the lock mechanism or action is constructed substantially as
described in the Specification of my said former Letters Patent, but I now employ
a split or double trigger, to which I adapt a lever so connected to the trigger plate
or the trigger guard that the act of gripping the gun will operate the lock action
and withdraw the hammer bolt to its fullest extent ready to be released by pulling
the second trigger.
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 15th July 1882.
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 has reference to further improvements on an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to me No 1242 dated 21st day of March 1881, the

page_text: present improvements having for object to diminish the draw or draft on the
trigger in cocking and releasing the hammer bolt.
For this purpose the lock mechanism or action is constructed substantially as
described in the Specification of my said former Letters Patent, but I now employ
a split or double trigger, to which I adapt a lever so connected to the trigger plate
or the trigger guard that the act of gripping the gun will operate, the lock
action and withdraw the hammer bolt to its fullest extent ready to be released by
pulling the second trigger, or the lever may be dispensed with and the hammer
bolt be withdrawn by pulling the trigger with the second finger.
In order to enable my Invention to be better understood I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing in which Figure 1, is
a sectional elevation of the lock mechanism of a four barrelled gun provided with
my improvements the parts being in their normal position or at half cock; Figure 2,
similar view the parts being in the position of full cock; Figure 3, elevation
shewing a lever arrangement adapted to the trigger.
The construction and operation of the lock mechanism or action are substantially
the same as those described in the Specification of my said former Letters Patent
and therefore need no description.
a, and b, represent the split or double trigger which I now employ. The lifting
sear c, is hinged to the back portion of the double trigger; this back portion b,
which I call the lifting trigger is held by the second finger so that when the gun
is gripped the trigger will be pulled into the position shewn in Figure 2, and will
thereby operate the lock action so as to withdraw the hammer bolt to full cock
ready to fire; the front or firing trigger a, is hung or hinged in the centre of the
lifting trigger b, and works under the lifting sear c, in such a manner that (the
parts being in the position shewn in Figure 2) when pulled by the fore finger it
removes the sear c, from the bent of the tumbler d, and the hammer bolt is driven
forward by the main spring.
The pull of the firing trigger a, is similar to that of the trigger of an ordinary
gun and if not pulled the tumbler drops to the rebound half cock on the release of
the lifting trigger b, from the pressure of the second finger.
In Figure 3, instead of the lifting trigger b, being operated by the second finger
as hereinbefore described I provide it with a lever e, which can slide under the
trigger plate so that when the gun is gripped the lever e, will pull the lifting
trigger b, and cock the gun.
Or I may employ a rod passing through the stock and so connected to the
lifting trigger as to cock the gun by the pressure of the shoulder against the said
rod.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same what I claim is :-
The improvements in breech loading fire arms as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Alfred Alexander Thorn have hereto
set my hand and seal this Fourteenth day of July in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.