An Improvement in Small Arms.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
SMUVIDIONAL DE MULTIVATION.
An Improvement in Small Arms.
JOHN HENRY STOBART BRADLEY, Engineer of 48 & 49 Long Acre, GEORGE
HENRY LEWIS, Engineer, of the same address, and WALTER STEPHEN LEWIS,
Engineer, of the same address, all in the County of London do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists of a gun without triggers, to do away with all accidents,
and consists of a gun, with, or without a locking lever. It has buttons, or pressers
to release the strikers: there are four or more buttons, or pushers, three underneath,
and one or more on the top to be worked with the thumb of the right hand, and
the underneath pushes to be worked with the fingers of the right hand in firing either
from the hip or shoulders. Our invention will apply to pistols revolvers, or rifles.
This gun cannot be discharged accidentally.
Dated this First day of September 1893.
JOHN HENRY STOBART BRADLEY
GEORGE HENRY LEWIS.
WALTER STEPHEN LEWIS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Small Arms.
We, JOHN HENRY STOBART BRADLEY of 33 Thorne Street Lambeth,
Engineer, WALTER STEPHEN LEWIS of 94 Wandsworth Road, Engineer, and
GEORGE HENRY LEWIS of 245 Wandsworth Road, Engineer, all in the County
of Surrey 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 :-
Our invention is intended to so improve the locking or cocking mechanism of
breech loading small arms, and particularly those which are used for sporting
purposes, as to render them more safe to carry and prevent the explosion of the
charge accidentally.
In carrying out our invention we substitute for the usual trigger or triggers a
number of buttons or pushes the tops or ends of which for further security may be
sunk if desired below or level with the top and bottom plate of the lock chamber
so that there are no projecting parts or some of these pushes may be sunk and
others slightly project.
In place of the usual hammers we substitute sliding spring-controlled strikers
concealed within the lock and so arrange that unless two of the buttons or pushes
are pressed simultaneously that is to say one from the top and one from below the
lock chamber, the striker, which has previously been pushed back into position or
cocked by the lowering of the barrels for the purpose of inserting the cartridge,
remains in position retained by upper and lower claws attached to levers pivotted
within the lock and actuated by the pushes or buttons.
Either the upper or lower claw is sufficient in itself to restrain the forward
movement of the striker so that it will be understood that unless both are released
at the same time the firearm cannot be discharged.
In order to more clearly set forth the nature of our invention we have caused to
C

page_text: be attached to this Specification a sheet of drawings shewing a portion of a breech
loading small ann fitted with our improvements and it will be understood that
although only one side of the lock chamber is shewn and therefore only one striker
the duplication for a double barrelled small arm is effected by introducing another
lever and claw with its push at the bottom the top claw being made of sufficient
length to engage with both strikers.
Figure 1. is a longitudinal section (part in elevation) of the lock chamber and
firing and ejecting apparatus.
Figure 2. is a plan shewing how the lower levers can be arranged for a double-
barrel small arm.
In constructing our safety locking mechanism we pivot as at A to the top
plate B and about the centre thereof a lever C having at one end a button or
push D the top or end of which passes partially through an opening in the top
plate B and at the opposite end of this lever is a crossbar E extending nearly
across the lock chamber and carrying (for a double barrel) claws E' at each end.
Depending from and fixed to the top plate B. and in front of the pivot A is a
pin F and in the lever C. is a hole F¹ in which the pin F engages, round the pin F
is a spiral spring F2 keeping the claw-end or crossbar of the lever C normally in
position for retaining the striker L hereafter described.
To the bottom plate we pivot one or two other levers as at G G₁one on either
side of the lock chamber for a double barrel small arm as shewn in Figure 2. (and
these may one or both be bent if desired so as to allow space for the pushes) these
levers Hand I are constructed in a similar manner to the upper lever C but with
one claw Hand 1' only on each and work on pins J. J¹ round which are springs K.
tending to keep the claws normally in engagement with the striker L; the buttons
or pushes M. M' are sunk in the same manner as the upper button or push D or if
desired they may project below the plate. To each of the side plates N. if for a
double barrel we secure a block or boss O through a hole in which works the
tail P of the striker Q which is further held in position and guided by smaller
blocks or projections R. on the plate N. The striker Q is kept normally close up
to the firing pin a by a spiral spring S round tail P. the operating end of the
striker is widened out or shaped like a T and near its extremity or head is cut
away as shown at U. U so as to form projections with which engage the top and
bottom claws E' and H' when the striker has been forced back or cocked as will be
described.
In order to push back the strikers Q we arrange in the breech block cams or
tumblers V pivotted at V₁ and operated by pins W passing through channels W₁
and having bevelled projections X against or over which rest rollers Y mounted on
the fore iron so that when the barrels are unlocked and the muzzles depressed
for the purpose of reloading the rollers Y run over the bevelled ends of the pins W
pushing them backward against the cams or tumblers V and so tilting them and
causing them to press against the strikers Q and force them back until the claws E¹
and H engage with the indents or channels U. U (the edges being bevelled or
rounded to allow passage in this direction only) and the striker is thus held firmly
until both the top lever C and the lower lever H, (or I) or both of them together,
are operated by buttons D and M (or M') simultaneously when the striker (or
strikers) is released and coming violently in contact with the firing pin a discharges
the cartridge.
On the relocking of the breech to barrels after reloading the rollers Y return
above the ends of the pins W and the tumblers or cams V may then be returned to
their upright position by the spring Z.
In double barrelled firearms, the two barrels may be fired simultaneously by
pressing the two buttons at the bottom of the breech in addition to the top
button.
The unlocking and locking of the barrels and ejecting of cartridge cases may be
effected in any well known mauner.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. In breechloading small arms the use of top and bottom or opposite pushes, in
place of triggers, so arranged that unless both are operated simultaneously the
firearm will not be discharged substantially as hereinbefore described and with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
2. In breechloading small arms the combination of a spring impelled sliding
striker or strikers with clawed and oppositely disposed levers operated by pushes
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and as illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of June 1894.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
32, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.