IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Harrison, of the Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Gunmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 10th May 1864, and dated the 1st February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Harrison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
February 1864.
I, EDWARD HARRISON, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Gun-
maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is intended to provide a ready means of locking and fixing
the barrels to the breech-piece screwed to the stock, and of releasing and
raising the barrels for the purpose of loading, and also of raising the hammers.
to half-cock.
For this purpose my Invention consists in the application of a lever, placed
for convenience round a portion of the trigger guard, such lever being acted
upon by a spring, and having its fulcrum fixed underneath the barrels in the
lower part of the breech-piece. This lever has on one of its ends a catch
which enters the locking piece fixed on the under side of the breech end of the
barrels, and another end of the said lever is formed so as to act on the lower
part of the said locking piece in order to raise the barrels (which act on a
fulcrum) for the purpose of loading. On another arm of the said lever is

page_text: connected a swivel or link, which is also connected at its other end with a
short lever having its fulcrum fixed in the breech-piece, and also having a
forked end acting upon two pins or pegs for the purpose of raising the
hammers to half-cock. These pins or pegs may be again withdrawn from the
hammers by the action of two spiral springs or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Harrison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HARRISON, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Gunmaker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Edward Harrison, Her special license that I, the
said Edward Harrison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Harrison, my executors, administrators, 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 FIRE-ARMS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Harrison, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause .the same. to. be filed in the Great Seal- Patent
Office within six calendar months next and. immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Harrison, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is. to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Breech-loading Fire-arms" is intended
to provide. a ready means of locking and fixing the barrels to the breech-piece
•

page_text: screwed to the stock, and of releasing and raising the barrels for the purpose
of loading, and also of raising the hammers to half-cock.
For this purpose my Invention consists in the application of a lever, placed
for convenience round a portion of the trigger guard, such lever being acted
upon by a spring, and having its fulcrum fixed underneath the barrels in the
lower part of the breech-piece. This lever has on one of its ends a catch
which enters the locking piece fixed on the under side of the breech end of
the barrels, and there is a projection at the same end of the said lever which
is formed so as to act on the lower part of the said locking piece in order to
raise the barrels (which act on a fulcrum) for the purpose of loading. On
another portion or arm of the said lever is connected a swivel or link, which
is also connected at its other end with a short lever having its fulerum
fixed in the breech-piece, and also having a forked end acting upon two
pins or pegs for the purpose of raising the hammers to half-cock. These
pins or pegs are again withdrawn from the hammers by the action of the'
spring on the lever.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by
the aid of the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts
above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a gun with the outside cut away so as to exhibit the
breech and other portions of the gun, the breech being opened for loading;
Fig. 2 represents the same parts in their respective positions when the
breech is closed; Figs. 3 to 11 represent some of the parts in detail. In'
all these several Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts.
A is the breech end of the barrel; B is the locking piece or steel fixed on
the under side thereof; C is the breech-piece or body of the action secured to
the stock in the usual way; D is the pin or pivot in the same on which the
barrels turn when unlocked; E is a solid piece of metal formed in the said
breech-piece or body for the purpose of receiving the thrust of the barrels on
their reaction after the discharge. This piece of metal is formed with a
curve at the back, the radius of which extends from the centre of the piñ ·D,
in order that the locking piece B, being formed with a corresponding curve in
front, may by its movement on the pin D be brought down so as to close in
solidly on the back of the piece E, as shewn in Fig. 2. By the foregoing form
and arrangement of the parts B and E the usual strain upon the pivot D of
the barrels by the discharges of the gun is prevented, the pivot D being free

page_text: to act merely as a hinge for the barrels without having to sustain pressure in
a horizontal direction; F is a lever which for convenience is placed round a
portion of the trigger guard, and is employed for the purpose of fastening
down and also of releasing and raising the breech end of the barrels as
required. This lever has its fulcrum at G fixed in the lower part of the breech
piece or body of the action C underneath the barrels ; H is a catch on one end
of the lever F, which is formed so as to enter the locking piece B and hold
down the barrels when the lever is in the position shewn in Fig. 2; I is a
projection on the same end of the lever F, which by the depression of the lever
handle is caused to press against the under side of the locking piece B, and
raise the breech end of the barrels a sufficient height to allow the front end of
the same to fall by their gravity to the extent required, which is limited by
two studs on the fore end piece K working in slots on the knuckle of the
breech-piece or body C; L is a strong spring fixed to the body C (and shewn
detached at Figs. 6 and 7) for the purpose of bringing back the lever F to its
position of rest when the breech ends of the barrels are raised. For this
purpose the spring is formed with a hook on its end, which fits on to a tooth or
projection on the lever F, and by the reaction of the spring draws down that
end of the lever and carries the catch H forward into the suitably formed
cavity at the back of the locking piece B. To another portion or arm of the
lover F is connected a swivel link M, which is again connected to a lifter N
working on a pivot at O fixed in a lug formed on the back part of the body C.
This lifter N is a short lever with a forked end and having on each side of
the fork a flange n which passes through a slot in each of a pair of lifting pins
or pegs P, which are capable of rising and falling in cylindrical cavities in the
body C immediately underneath the hammers Q. By means of this arrange-
ment of the parts when the bandle of the lever F is depressed the end of the
lifter N connected to the swivel link M is carried downwards, thereby raising
the reverse end with the flanges n, n, thereon and with them the lifting pins
or pegs C, by the rising of which the hammers are raised to half-cock.
Fig. 3 represents the lever F detached; Fig. 4, the locking piece; Fig. 5, in
plan and elevation the breech-piece or body of the action; Fig. 6, the lever
spring in elevation, and Fig. 7 the same in plan; Fig. 8 the fore end piece;
Fig. 9, the swivel link for connecting the lever F with the lifter; Fig. 10, the
lifter in plan view; Fig. 11 one of the lifting pins or pegs. The action of the
lever F in raising the breech end of the barrels and putting the hammers at
half-cock is as follows:-By, depressing the lever handle, the catch H on the
lever is withdrawn from the locking piece B, and at the same time the pro-
jection I is caused to raise the same until the fore ends of the barrels, acting

page_text: by gravity, cause them to turn on the pivot D to the extent limited by the
studs on the fore end piece K arriving at the end of the slots on the knuckle
of the breech-piece or body C, as shewn in Fig. 1. By this movement of the
lever F the flanges n of the lifter N are caused to rise, and carry with them
the lifting pins or pegs.P, and thereby to raise the hammers to half-cock.
Then the barrels are again locked by raising their fore ends and consequently
bringing down the breech end; by which the locking piece B is brought in
contact with the catch H of the lever F, which lever is thereby forced back,
when the reaction of the spring L causes the lever to return into the position
shewn in Fig. 2. It will likewise be seen on reference to the same figure that
the locking piece B is solidly fixed against the curved piece in the body C
so as to resist all strain in a horizontal direction caused by the discharge of
the gun.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of
my Invention is, the combination of parts herein-before described, consisting
of a lever adapted both to raise and to lock the barrels as required by acting
on the suitably formed locking piece thereof in the manner described, such
lever being also adapted to raise the hammers to half-cock by means of a lifter
and lifting pins as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Harrison, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
5 Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
50, Chancery Lane,
Patent Agent.
EDWARD HARRISON. (L.S.)