IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF FIRE ARMS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Adams, of Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF FIRE ARMS."
Sealed the 22nd July 1879, and dated the 20th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Adams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March 1879.
WILLIAM ADAMS, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIREARMS."
This Invention relates to that class of breech loaders known as." break down."
guns, and has for its object the locking of the hammers by the action of the
lever, which withdraws the locking bolt. Hitherto in cocking the hammers by
this means the power required to act upon the lever has been excessive, and it is
for the purpose of rendering the working of the lever more easy that the present
Invention is designed. When employing a lever below the stock for withdrawing
the sliding bolt I fix on the opposite ends of the pivot pin of the lever clutches
having two radial teeth on their outer faces. The pivot pins of the hammers I
fit with similar clutches which interlock respectively with the clutches on the,
pivot pin of the lever, thus the axes of the hammers and lever will be all in line.
The hammers, notwithstanding their clutch connection with the lever, will be free
to move forward under the impelling force of the main spring independently of the
lever. When the lever is pulled down to drop the barrel after firing and permit of
the recharging of the gun the clutch teeth of the lever will bear against the clutch
teeth of the hammer spindles and lift the hammers into the cocked position; the
return motion of the lever however will leave the hammers in their cocked position.
By thus connecting the lever with the hammers in the line of their centres of
motion the lever is caused to act directly on the bammers and with the least possible
expenditure of force. In adapting this improvement to guns which have a top
lever for working the sliding bolt I form the clutches which actuate the hammers in
one piece, with an arm standing up intermediate of the clutches and carrying a
friction bowle at its extremity. The locking bolt of the gun'I bend upwards at its
rear end to bear against the bowle of this arm when it is drawn back by the top.
lever to drop the barrels. This back movement of the cocking bolt will lock the
clutches and thereby cause them to cock the hammers, as before explained.
It should be remarked that the above described arrangements are equally
applicable to what are known as hammerless guns (guns with internal hammers)
and to guns with external hammers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
September 1879.
WILLIAM ADAMS, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-ARMS."
This Invention relates to that class of breech-loaders known as "break down"
guns, and has for its object the cocking of the hammers by the action of the
lever which withdraws the locking bolt. Hitherto in cocking the hammers by
this means the power required to act upon the lever has been excessive, and
it is for the purpose of rendering the working of the lever more easy that the
present Invention is designed.
It may be here remarked that my Invention applies both to guns which have the
bolt with drawing lever below the stock and above the stock. In Sheet I. of the
Drawings I have shewn in several views the Invention as adapted to a gun
of the first mentioned class. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of so
much of the gun as will serve to explain my improvement, the barrels being,
locked and the hammers down; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the hammers cocked
and the locking bolt drawn back; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in
the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1. The barrels A are locked in the usual manner by the
sliding bolt B. C, C, are the hammers, pivotted as usual to the lock plates,
and D is the lever by which the hammers. are cocked and the sliding bolt.
withdrawn E is the trigger plate, upon the inner face of which two lugs e, e,
(shewn best in the detached views Figures 4) are formed. These lugs serve as
bearings for the pivot pin d of the lever D, and they are so situate as to bring this,
pivot pin in line with the axes of the hammers. The lever D works freely through
a longitudinal slot in the trigger plate as usual, with a round ended finger d* taking
into a slot in the sliding bolt. On opposite ends of the pivot pin d are
clutches d', d, which are braced together by a cross bar d² (see the detached.
views Figures 5). This cross bar drops into a notch d³ formed on the lever (see
Fig. 6), and when in place the pivot pin d is passed through the clutches d¹, the
lugs e, and the lever D, thus securing the several parts together. On the face of
these clutches two radial teeth are formed, and into these clutches take similar
clutches c, c, fitted to the pivots of the hammers (in the manner to be presently
described with reference to Sheet II.) so that when moved they will carry round
the hammers with them.
The hammers it will be understood will by reason of the construction of the
clutches which connect them with the lever D be free to move forward under the
impelling force of their main springs independently of that lever. When, however,
the lever is pulled down to drop the barrels after firing and permit of the recharging
of the gun the clutch teeth of the lever will bear against the clutch teeth of the
hammers and lift the hammers into the cocked position. On its return motion the
lever will leave the hammers in their cocked position, the teeth of the clutches d'
retiring from the teeth of the clutches c. By connecting the lever with the hammers
in the line of their centres of motion, as clearly shewn in Fig. 3, the lever when
depressed to unlock the barrels will act directly on the hammers and with the least
possible expenditure of force.
In adapting my improvement to guns which have a top lever for working the
sliding bolt I form the clutches, which actuate the hammers with an arm standing
up intermediate of the clutches and connected with the rear end of the sliding bolt
so as to receive a rocking motion therefrom for cocking the hammers.
This arrangement is shewn in several views in Sheet II. of the Drawings. Fig. 7
is a longitudinal section of the breech end of the gun, and Fig. 8, a transverse
vertical section taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 7. The letters of reference used in
Sheet 1. are employed to indicate corresponding parts in these Figures. The

page_text: lever D is mounted on a spindle which passes down through the "lump" and
carries at its lower end a radial arm which lies in a groove made in the under face
of the sliding bolt B, and by the rocking of the lever D the bolt receives its sliding
motion. This motion I transmit through a friction bowl carried by the bolt to the
finger * standing up from between the clutches d', d', and I thus impart to those
clutches the requisite axial motion for effecting the cocking of the hammers.
Figures 9 shew in side and back views the clutches d' with their finger for
receiving a rocking motion through the drawing back of the locking bolt, and
Figures 10 shew in side and end views the piece which provides the bearings for the
pivot pin. d of the clutches d'; Figures 11 shew in side and back elevation one of the
hammers C with its pivot projecting from opposite sides of the hammer. This pivot
is made hollow, and squared internally to receive the squared arbor of the clutch c (see
the detached views Figures 12). By thus fitting the clutches to their hammers they
form virtually a part of the same, and admit of the cocking motion of the hammers
being effected with a minimum expenditure of force applied through the unlocking
lever D.
Fig. 13 shews in longitudinal section a modification of the arrangements above
described for transmitting the motion of the lever D to the clutches d¹. This
arrangement, like that last described, has a top lever, and from the lower end of its
spindle project laterally two stud pins f which take into cam shaped notches on the
underside of a block F which is free to slide on the lever spindle. This block
carries on its rear face a projection f¹ which underlies the finger d* of the clutches d².
The block F as the lever spindle is turned (to effect the unlocking of the sliding
bolt) rises under the pressure of the stud pins f upon its cam shaped notches, and
it is guided in this vertical movement by the recess in the "lump" made to receive
it. As the block F rises the projection f' of the block F will tip the finger d* and
thereby impart an axial motion to the clutches d¹, which locking, as before
explained, into the clutches c of the hammers will throw them back into the cocked
position.
It should be remarked that the above described arrangements are equally appli-
cable to what are known as hammerless guns (guns with internal hammers) and to
guns with external hammers.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Firearms," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim transmitting to the hammers of "break down" guns the motion
for rocking the same through clutches mounted in the line of the axis of the
hammers and deriving their motion from the unlocking lever, as and for the purpose
above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Adams, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.