IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Charles Green, of South Molton Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Gunmaker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 22nd December 1868, and dated the 3rd September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Charles Green
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd September 1868.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES GREEN, of South Molton Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in breech-loading, drop, and
other guns in which central-fire cartridges are employed.
In the fixed part of the breech I fit a striker to slide freely to and fro
in line with the axis of the barrel in a guide formed on the under side of
the tail piece of the breech. This striker is acted on for exploding the
cartridge by a hammer mounted on a fulcrum in the trigger plate, the

page_text: nose of which hammer projects up through a recess of slot formed in the
striker, said hammer, with which is combined the tumbler, being
operated by a spring, and acted on by the sear and trigger in the usual
A lever forming the trigger guard is mounted on a fulcrum in
the trigger plate in front of the hammer, the upper end of which lever is
provided with a cross head, which on the lower end or trigger guard being
flowered comes into contact with the hammer which it moves back together
with the striker for cocking the gun. The barrel, which is pivoted to
the body of the breech in the usual manner, is provided with a projecting
"catch on its under-side received in a recess and engaging with the end of
-a sliding bolt in the breech piece for locking the barrel; the rear end of
-this bolt is 'hook-shaped and engages with a projection on the upper end
of the lever or trigger guard before mentioned, so that on the trigger
guard being lowered the bolt will be drawn back and the barrel unlocked
for tilting simultaneously with the cocking of the gun. The cartridge
Amay now be inserted and the barrel returned to position, the locking
being effected as before described by the sliding bolt engaging with the
projecting catch on the barrel, a spring with which the trigger guard is
provided to maintain it in position also tending to.keep the bolt looked.
In order to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun I. provide a
transverse pin in the breech piece in front of the striker, which pin, on
being partially rotated by means of a lever with which it is provided,
arrests the striker before it reaches the cartridge. I further provide the
breech piece with a cap or cover suitably attached thereto, which on
being removed will permit of the lock action being seen without
<lismounting it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Charles Green in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 80
CHARLES GREEN, of South Molton Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Gunmaker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-second 30

page_text: year of: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and.
grant unto me, the said William Charles Green,. Her special licenco,
that I, the said William: Charles Green, my executors, administrators,>
and assigns, or such others as.. E, the said William Charles Green, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN. BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon 'the condition (amongst others).
that I,.the said William Charles Green,. my executors or administrators,.
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands.
and seals, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Lotters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I,. the said William Charles Green, 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 following statement, reference being had to the two Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to improvements. in breech-loading, drop, and?
other guns in which central-fire cartridges are employed..
In the fixed part of the breech I fit a striker.to.slide freely to and fro
in line with the axis of the barrel in a guide formed on the under side of
the tail piece of the brocch. This- striker is acted on for exploding the
cartridge by a hammer mounted on a. fulcrum in the trigger plate, the
nose of which hammer projects up through a recess or slot formed in
the striker, said hammer (with which is combined the tumbler) being
operated by a spring. and acted on by the sear and trigger in the usual
manner. A lever forming the trigger. guard is. mounted on a fulcrum
in the trigger plate in front of the hammer; the upper end of this lever
is provided with a cross head; which on the lower end or trigger guard.
being lowered comes into contact with the hammer and moves it back.
together with the striker for cocking the gun. The barrel, which is
pivoted to the stock in the usual manner, is provided with a projecting.

page_text: catch on its under side received in a recess and engaging with the end
of a sliding bolt in the breech piece for locking the barrel; the rear end
of this bolt is hook-shaped and engages with a projection on the upper
end of the lever or trigger guard before mentioned, so that on the trigger
guard being lowered the bolt will be drawn back and the barrel unlocked.
for tilting simultaneously with the cocking of the gun. The cartridge
may now be inserted and the barrel returned to position, the locking
being effected as before described by the sliding bolt engaging with the
projecting catch on the barrel, a spring (with which the trigger guard is
provided to maintain it in position) also tending to keep the bolt-locked.
In order to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun I provide a trans-
verse pin in the breech piece in front of the striker; this pin, on being
partially rotated by means of a lever with which it is provided, arrests:
the striker supposing the hammer to be accidentally released before it
reaches the cartridge. I further provide the breech piece with a cap.
or cover suitably attached thereto, which on being removed will permit
of the lock action being inspected without dismounting it.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown my improvements in
breech-loading fire-arms as applied to a double-barrelled drop gun;
although the improvements are equally applicable to single guns.
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the gun in the cocked position
and ready for firing, a portion of the breech and stock being removed to
show the action of the different parts. The red lines also show the
position of the hammer and striker after the gun has been discharged.
Figure 2 is a plan, the protecting cap or cover being removed, while
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation showing the gun in position for
loading.
A is the breech in which the strikers B are fitted to slide freely to
and fro in line with the axis of each barrel in a guide C formed or fixed
on the tail picce D. Each striker B is acted on for exploding its
cartridge by a hammer E mounted on a fulcrum F in the trigger plate G,
the nose of which hammer projects up through a recess or slot b,
Figure 2, formed in the strikers. The hammer E (with which is
combined the tumbler) is operated by a spring and acted on by the sear
and trigger in the usual manner, both the sear and trigger however, as
well as the other parts constituting the improvements of this Invention,
being mounted in the trigger plate G.
guard mounted on a fulcerum d in
H is a lever forming the trigger
the trigger plate in front of the

page_text: hammer fulcrum F, the upper end H' of lever H being provided with a
cross head e. When the trigger guard H is lowered to the position
seen in Figure 3 by oscillating on its fulcrum d the cross head e will
bear against and move back the hammers E together with the strikers B
for cocking the gun. The barrel, which is pivoted to the stock in the
usual manner, as seen, is provided with a projecting catch f on its
under side, received in a recess and engaging with the end of a sliding
bolt I in the breech piece A for locking the barrel. The rear end of this
bolt I is hook-shaped, as seen, and engages with a hooked projection g on
the upper end of trigger guard H, so that on the latter being lowered
for cocking the gun as above described, the bolt I will be drawn back
and the barrels unlocked for tilting, bringing the parts to the position
shown in Figure 3. The cartridges may now be inserted and the barrels
returned to position, the locking being effected as before described by
the sliding bolt I engaging with the projecting catch f, a spring / with
which the trigger guard is provided to maintain it in the closed position
also tends to keep the bolt I locked; thus by simply opening the
trigger guard H the cocking of both hammers and strikers is effected
simultaneously with the unlocking of the barrels for loading.
In order to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun I provide a
safety pin i passing transversely through the breech piece in front of the
strikers B; this pin i when partially rotated by means of a lever k
with which it is provided will arrest the strikers before reaching the
cartridges should the hammers be accidentally released.
V is a cap or
cover, attached to the breech piece by a screw or other means, so that
when said cover is removed the lock action may be examined without
dismounting it. This cover is also shown separately.
A modification of the above arrangement is represented in the part
sectional elevation, Figure 4, of a double gun in the cocked and closed
position; Figure 5 is a similar elevation in the open or unlocked
position; Figure 6 is a plan of the trigger plate, showing the mode of
mounting the action thereon. Similar letters of reference indicate the
same parts as in the preceding Figures.
In this arrangement the trigger guard H is mounted on the same
fulcrum F as the hammers E, between which it is placed. The cross
head or pin e is also dispensed with, the upper end of trigger guard H
acting on parts m projecting from the hammers. E for cocking the same.
Further, the hook g of lever H instead of simply engaging with the hook

page_text: of bolt I passes completely through a slot formed therein when the
trigger guard is opened, as seen in Figure 5. In this gun the bolt i is.
shown as locking the hammers E instead of strikers B, as before
described.
Figure 7 shows the improvements adapted to a single pistol, the parts
being similarly arranged to those before described, except that I dispense
with the striker B and provide a hammer E, on the nose of which is a
projecting pin for striking the cap of the cartridge. This form of
hammer and striker is also applicable to the firc-arm herein-before
described and represented in Figures 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawings.
The action of this gun is the same as before, the friction however
being considerably reduced.
Although I have described my improvements as applied to what are
termed drop guns, it will be understood that the same mode of cocking
by means of the trigger guard is applicable to other kinds of breech-
loading fire-arms, and I reserve the right of such application..
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention
of improvements in breech-loading fire-arms to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The combination and arrangement of parts described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings annexed.
2ndly. I claim cocking the hammers of fire-arms by means of a
lever formed by the trigger guard operating substantially as hercin-before
described.
3rdly. I claim the modified arrangements of fire-arm on this principle
shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Charles Green, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-
nine