Single Trigger Guns.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Single Trigger Guns.
FREDERICK BEESLEY, 2, St. James's Street, London, S.W., Gunmaker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention relates to double barrel guns, and rifles, having single triggers:
and has for its objects to obviate the necessity of an intermediate pull being
given to the trigger, whereby some part of the mechanism is actuated: and
also the reciprocating motion of the trigger after the first barrel is fired: either,
or both of which movements, are common to most guns of this class.
By the side of the trigger, 1 pivot the quadrant of, a wheel, or disk,
moveable vertically through about the fourth part of a circle, and through
a curved slot in which, a projection on the side of the trigger extends
to regulate their respective motions. A slide or rod extends backwards.
from the locking bolt or lever of the gun which on opening the latter forces
the quadrant to revolve backwards on its axis, against the action of a spring
constantly tending to urge it forwards, and it is retained in such backward
position, until the firing of the first barrel is effected. The projection on the
trigger is then lifted out of a recess on the edge of the curved slot, into which
it had fallen on cocking the gun, and the quadrant is at liberty to revolve
forwards under the urgency of the spring, the curved slot allowing its passage
round the projection: having moved onwards to its fullest extent, another
recess on the opposite edge of the slot, for the reception of the projection, allows
the trigger to be pulled further, backwards and upwards, to discharge the second
barrel. A small wheel, or pinion, acting on the surface of the quadrant, and
controlled by a light spring may be used to regulate, and time its movement,
so as to prevent the too rapid firing of the second barrel after the first discharge.
Dated the 19th December 1898.
FREDCK. BEESLEY.
I, FREDERICK BEESLEY, of 2, St. James's Street, in the County of London,
Gun Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to double-barrel guns and rifles having single triggers,
and has for its objects to obviate the necessity of an intermediate pull being given
te the trigger whereby some part of the mechanism is actuated and also the

page_text: reciprocating motion of the trigger after the first barrel is fired either or both
of which movements is or are common to most guns of this class.
By the side of the trigger I pivot a quadrant or disc, moveable in a vertical
plane through about the fourth part of a circle, and through a curved slot in which
a projection on the side of the trigger extends to regulate their respective motions.
A slide or rod extends backwards from the locking bolt or lever of the gun,
which, on opening the latter, forces the quadrant or disc to revolve backwards
on its axis against the action of a spring which constantly tends to urge it
forward and it is retained in such backward position until the firing of the
first barrel is effected, whereupon the projection on the trigger is lifted out of a
recess in the edge of the curved slot, into which it had fallen on cocking the
gun, and the quadrant or disc is at liberty to revolve forwards under the urgency
of the spring, the curved slot allowing its passage round the projection. Having
moved onwards to its fullest extent another recess on the opposite edge of the
slot allows the trigger to be pulled further backwards and upwards to discharge
the second barrel. A small wheel or pinion acting on the surface of the quad-
rant or disc and controlled by a light spring may be used if required, to regulate
and time its movement, so as to prevent the too rapid firing of the second
barrel after the first discharge.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 1
to 4 are side elevations looking from the left hand of the gun showing four
different positions of the parts.
Fig. 1 shows the parts in position for firing the right barrel;
Fig. 2 shows the same after firing the right barrel and as locked by the
first pull on the trigger;
Fig. 3 shows the trigger mechanism locked by the reaction of the recoil;
and
Fig. 4 shows a further position of the parts which are now ready for firing
the left barrel.
Figs. 5 and 6 are partly perspective views of the trigger and quadrant or
disc respectively;
Fig. 7 shows a modification of the quadrant piece, and
Fig. 8 shows in side elevation a modification of the trigger mechanism.
The same letters of reference are used to denote the same or corresponding
parts in all the figures in the drawings.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, A is the trigger plate, B the trigger, bearing on
its upward and backward extension, projections B1 and B2, and pivotted to the
box U. D is the quadrant or disc pivotted to the trigger plate at E. F is a
spring carried by the projection B, round which it is coiled for greater elas-
ticity, and its lower end acts against a projection D¹ on the side of the quadrant
or disc 1 (see Fig. 6), so that it serves the two-fold purpose of actuating both
the trigger B and the quadrant or disc 1) as required. G is a thrust rod to act
against the quadrant at 12. The projection B1 on the trigger B, which is
preferably provided with an enlarged or T shaped head as shown in Fig. 5,
passes through the slot H in the quadrant or disc. The backward angles of
said projection 131 are rather acute, so as to readily engage with the inequalities,
noteles, or steps H³, shown in Fig. 6, in such slot H for the purpose of retarding
the movement of the quadrant in a forward direction. The slot H has a recess H
downwards at its forward end, and a recess H³ upwards at its rearward extremity
with serrated edges H¹ over all, or a portion of, its length. J¹ represents the
sear tang of the right lock resting on the upper edge of the trigger blade, and J²
represents the sear tang of the left lock projecting through a hole in the
trigger blade, which hole bis of such size that the trigger may move upwards
some distance without moving the tang J.
The action will be as follows. Fig. 1 shows the parts in position for firing
On pulling the trigger the tang J will be lifted to fire the right barrel, and the
projection B on the trigger will also be lifted out of the recess H in the

page_text: quadrant or disc 1) and, while the right barrel is firing, its rear acute angle will
engage the serrations H on the upper edge of the curved slot H in the disc
or quadrant D and the trigger B and quadrant will be locked together in the
second position shown in Fig. 2. On relieving the pressure on the trigger
after the first pull the spring F acting against the projection D₁ on the quad-
rant or disc 1) will urge the same forward to the position shown in Fig. 4, but
should there be any re-action of recoil causing a pull on the trigger, the
quadrant or disc will be locked in the third position shown in Fig. 3. In either
case it will be evident that an appreciable period of time must elapse between
the time of firing the first and the second barrel, such period being the time
occupied by the quadrant or disc in travelling from the second position, Fig. 2,
to the fourth position, Fig. 4; so that it is quite impossible to fire off both
barrels simultaneously, the quadrant or disc serving as a time regulating
device to regulate the time between the successive firing of the two barrels.
It is obvious that the serrations H on the upper edge of the curved slot H
are not absolutely necessary as the locking of the parts in the second and third
positions (see Figs. 2 and 3) may be effected by the jamming of the projec-
tion B on the trigger against the upper edge of the slot H, in the quadrant
or disc, but I have found it is advantageous to serrate the upper edge of the
slot.
When the parts are in the position, Fig. 4, the recess H³ in the quadrant or
disc will be over the projection 131 on the trigger, whereupon the trigger
may be further lifted. On doing so, the lower edge of the hole in the trigger
blade, having meanwhile come into proximity with the sear tang J2, will lift
it, and discharge the left barrel. On opening the gun to reload, the thrust
rod G, being pushed back by the locking bolt of the gun or other means, will
force the quadrant or disc backwards to its fullest extent, thereby compressing
tho spring 1', the action of which on the trigger will cause the projection Bi
thereon to drop into the recess H2 in the quadrant or disc and retain the quad-
rant in its backward and original position as first noticed.
It will also be obvious that instead of using a slotted quadrant or disc I)
engaging a projection B on the trigger, the trigger may have a curved slot
with the recesses H3 and H³ reversely arranged to those shown in the drawings,
such curved slot H engaging a projection such as B¹ on the quadrant or disc 1).
The quadrant or disc 1) may be thrust backwards by a connection from the
lever of the gun, the safety bolt, one of the cocks, or other moving parts on
opening the gun. And it may be suspended from a fixed point above the
trigger, or may move the reverse way to that illustrated, and in place of the
quadrant or disc D having a circular motion about a pivot or centre, a straight
slide having a straight line motion in suitable guides may be used, said slide
having a straight slot with recesses therein engaging a projection on the trigger
blade in the manner before described.
The slot in the quadrant or disc D may be varied in shape, or the quadrant
may be controlled by a spring and pinion running on its outer surface. In
Fig. 7 I have shown a modification in which the slot H in the quadrant is
stepped upwards, about midway of its length, at h, to impede the too rapid
passage of the slot over the projection B on the trigger, and to aid in locking
the parts should there be any reaction of recoil. In Fig. 8 I have shown
another arrangement to prevent the too rapid passage on the slot, this consists
in making the outer edge of the quadrant or disc in the form of a rack d and
causing same to engage a pinion which is held in a suitable frame, not shown,
and pressed against the rack d by means of a light spring. In this form also
the quadrant and the trigger are actuated and controlled by separate springs f
and, and separate springs may be used with the form described with reference
to Figs. 1 to 6, although I prefer the single spring F there shown.
The mechanism herein before described may be made selective by arranging
the sear tangs J¹ and J in the same horizontal plane and adopting a thick

page_text: trigger, having a vertical pivot passing through, controlled from outside by a
lever convenient for the finger, and carrying on the inner end a suitable exten-
sion piece bearing projections to engage either of the locks first as may be
desired by the operator: the other following in due course; as described in my
Patent Specification No. 5404 of 1897, and shown in Figs. 3 and 4 thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In single-trigger double barrelled guns a slotted quadrant or cam pivotted
to the trigger plate or other fixed part and moving in a vertical plane through
the arc of a circle, a projection on the trigger blade engaging said slot in said
quadrant or cam and controlling the movements of the trigger for the successive
discharge of the two barrels of the gun.
2. In single-trigger double-barrelled guns the combination of a trigger, a
quadrant or slide connected to said trigger by a projection on one of them
engaging a slot in the other and a spring on said trigger acting on both the
trigger and the quadrant or slide substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
3. In single-trigger double-barrelled guns of the kind indicated in Claim 1
hereof, the application of one spring alone to effect the two-fold purpose of
urging the quadrant and the trigger to perform their respective movements
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
4. In single-trigger double-barrelled guns means substantially as herein
described for firing two barrels of one gun by a backward movement of the
trigger so avoiding any forward play or reciprocating movement of the finger,
as set forth.
F. W. GOLBY,
Patent Agent, 36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.