IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hoggetts Tisdall, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS.”
Sealed the 25th November 1879, and dated the 31st May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hodgetts Tisdall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1879.
WILLIAM HODGETTS TISDALL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind called drop
down guns, and my said Invention consists of the improvements herein after
described in the said drop down guns.
My Invention consists, first, of the following arrangements or combination of
parts for working the sliding bottom bolts of the said guns-I use a sliding bolt
taking into the lump or lumps on the underside of the barrels as usual, but I make
at the rear end of the said bolt an opening, and form on one side of the said opening
a short toothed rack parallel with the longer sides of the bolt. I use a top lever on
the tang for working the bolt, the said top lever being provided with a long axis
which passes through and turns in the break off. The said top lever and axis are
made by preference solid or in one piece. The extreme bottom or inner end of the
axis of the top lever is made into a pinion, which pinion is situated in the opening
described at the rear end of the sliding bolt, and the teeth of the said pinion engage
with the teeth of the rack at one side of the said opening.
By turning aside the top lever on the tang the pinion on the end of its axis
gearing with the rack on the bolt gives the required withdrawing motion to the
bolt with great force; the barrels are thus unfastened, and their open breech ends
rise from the break off for charging. The snapping motion of the bottom sliding
bolt is effected, and the top lever returned to its normal position on the tang by a
spring acting upon the axis of the said top lever.
The improvements described in working the sliding bottom bolts may be applied
either to guns having the ordinary external hammers cocked by hand or to guns
having internal or consealed hammers. In the latter case the rear end of the
sliding bolt is turned up, and constitutes a cross bar, the ends of which are situated in

page_text: front of the internal hammers and near the tumblers of the said hammers, so that
on turning or moving the hand lever to withdraw the bolt to open the gun, the
back motion of the said bolt effects the cocking of the internal hammers simul-
taneously with the unfastening of the barrels.
Instead of using a top lever in conjunction with the rack and pinion arrange-
ment described for working the sliding bottom bolt a bottom lever or a side lever
may be employed in place of the said top lever.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in safety mechanism
for preventing the accidental discharge of the internal hammers of such drop down
guns as are fastened down by a sliding bottom bolt :-
The said safety mechanism consists principally of a bar situated across the rear
of the body of the gun, and in front of the breasts of the internal hammers. This
safety bar turns in bearings in the lock plates, carrying the internal hammers, and
one end of the said bar passes through the lock plate, and is provided with a small
lever for moving the said bar by hand. The said bar is flat or nearly flat in cross
section, and in the middle of the said bar is a recess, nearly dividing the bar at its
middle. One of the edges of the bar is cut completely away by the said recess,
and the face of the recess at the broad part of the bar is inclined. On the rear of
the sliding bottom bolt is a stud of a size proper to pass into the recess in the
safety bar when the latter is in a certain position, as hereinafter described.
When the safety bar is so turned that it is so situated vertically, that is, when
its broad face is presented to the front of the hammers, the said bar does not inter-
fere with the motion of the hammers, and the lutter can descend to operate
upon the strikers. When the safety bar is turned through a quadrant so that it is
situated horizontally it prevents the hammers falling upon the strikers. When the
safety bar is turned through a second quadrant in the same direction it is thrown
out of action, as herein after explained.
The safety bar is turned into the second described or safety position automatically
on cocking the hammers by means of the stud on the rear end of the sliding bolt
acting upon the incline at the face of the recess or cut away part of the bar, that is
to say, when the gun has been discharged, the safety bar is situated vertically, or in
the first described position, and when the sliding bolt is withdrawn to unfasten
the barrels and cock the internal hammers the stud on the sliding bolt enters the
recess in the safety bar, and by bearing on the inclined face of the said recess tilts
or turns the said bar through a quadrant so as to cause it to take a horizontal
position and prevent the hammers falling upon the strikers. Thus, the withdrawal
of the bolt puts the safety bar into its acting or safety position and prevents the
accidental discharge of the gun. Before the gun can be discharged it is necessary
to turn the safety bar by its small external lever into its vertical position, in which
position it permits the hammers to fall upon the strikers.
When it is wished to put the safety bar in such a position that it cannot be
acted upon by the sliding bolt the said bar is turned through a semi-circle from its
first described or vertical position, that is, it is inverted so as to bring that edge of
the bar which was uppermost undermost. By this change of position of the safety
bar the open edge of the recess in the middle of the said bar is brought opposite
the stud on the sliding bolt, and the said stud on the sliding bolt making its back
movement enters the open edge of the recess, but does not operate upon the bar.
The safety bar is preserved in the position to which it is brought either by the
hand or by the action of the bolt by means of a spring.
My improved safety mechanism may be applied to all kinds of drop down guns
having sliding bottom bolts and internal or concealed hammers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Hodgetts Tisdall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th November 1879.
WILLIAM HODGETTS TISDALL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind called drop
down guns, and my said Invention consists of the improvements herein after
described in the said drop down guns.
My Invention consists, first, of the following arrangements or combinations of
parts for working the sliding bottom bolts of the said guns.
I use a sliding bolt taking into the lump or lumps on the under side of the
barrels as usual, but I make at the rear end of the said bolt an opening, and form
on one side of the said opening a short toothed rack parallel with the longer sides
of the bolt. I use a top lever on the tang for working the bolt; the said top lever
being provided with a long axis which passes through and turns in the break off.
The said top lever and axis are made by preference solid or in one piece. The
extreme bottom or inner end of the axis of the top lever is made into a pinion,
which pinion is situated in the opening described at the rear end of the sliding bolt,
and the teeth of the said pinion engage with the teeth of the rack at one side of
the said opening. By turning aside the top lever on the tang, the pinion on the
end of its axis gearing with the rack on the bolt gives the required withdrawing
motion to the bolt with great force. The barrels are thus unfastened, and their
open breech ends rise from the break off for charging. The snapping motion of the
bottom sliding bolt is effected, and the top lever returned to its normal position on
the tang by a spring acting upon the axis of the top lever.
The improvements described in working the sliding bottom bolts may be applied
either to guns having the ordinary external hammers cocked by hand, or to guns
having internal or concealed hammers.
In the latter case the rear end of the sliding bolt is turned up and constitutes a
cross bar, the ends of which are situated in front of the internal hammers and near
the tumblers of the said hammers, so that on turning or moving the hand lever to
withdraw the bolt to open the gun, the back motion of the said bolt effects the
cocking of the internal hammers simultaneously with the unfastening of the
barrels.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in safety mechanism
for preventing the accidental discharge of the internal hammers of such drop down
guns as are fastened down by a sliding bottom bolt:-
The said safety mechanism consists principally of a bar situated across the rear
of the body of the gun, and in front of the breasts of the internal hammers. This
safety bar turns in bearings in the lock plates carrying the internal hammers, and
one end of the said bar passes through the lock plate, and is provided with a small
lever for moving the said bar by hand. The said bar is flat or nearly flat in cross
section, and in the middle of the said bar is a recess nearly dividing the bar at its
middle. One of the edges of the bar is cut completely away by the said recess, and
the face of the recess at the broad part of the bar is inclined. On the rear of the
bottom sliding bolt is a stud of a size proper to pass into the recess in the safety
bar when the latter is in a certain position, as herein after described.
When the safety bar is so turned that it is situated vertically, that is, when its
broad face is presented to the front of the hammers, the said bar does not interfere
with the motion of the hammers, and the latter can descend to operate upon the
strikers.
When the safety bar is turned through a quadrant so that it is situated
horizontally, it prevents the haminers falling upon the strikers. When the safety

page_text: bar is turned through a second quadrant in the same direction, it is thrown out of
action as herein after explained.
The safety bar is turned into the second described or safety position auto-
matically on cocking the hammers by means of the stud on the rear end of the
sliding bolt, acting upon the incline at the face of the recess or cut away part of the
bar, that is to say, when the gun has been discharged, the safety bar is situated
vertically or in the first described position, and when the sliding bolt is withdrawn
to unfasten the barrels and cock the internal hammers, the stud on the sliding bolt
enters the recess in the safety bar, and by bearing on the inclined face of the said
recess tilts or turns the said bar through a quadrant, so as to cause it to take a
horizontal position and prevent the hammers falling upon the strikers; thus the
withdrawal of the bolt puts the safety bar into its acting or safety position, and
prevents the accidental discharge of the gun. Before the gun can be discharged it
is necessary to turn the safety bar by its small external lever into its vertical
position, in which position it permits the hammers to fall upon the strikers.
When it is wished to put the safety bar in such a position that it cannot be
acted upon by the sliding bolt, the said bar is turned through a semi-circle from its
first described or vertical position, that is, it is inverted so as to bring that edge of
the bar which was uppermost, undermost. By this change of position of the safety
bar, the open edge of the recess in the middle of the said bar is brought opposite
the stud on the sliding bolt, and the said stud on the sliding bolt making its back
movement enters the open edge of the recess, but does not operate upon the bar.
The safety bar is preserved in the position to which it is brought either by the
hand, or by the action of the bolt by means of a spring.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the s
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation the breech end of a double barrel drop
down gun containing bolting down and safety mechanisms constructed according
to my Invention; and Figure 2 represents the same in longitudinal vertical section,
the hammers being represented cocked, and the safety mechanism in position to
permit of the fall of the hammers; Figure 3 is an end elevation partly in cross
section of the gun; and Figure 4 is a horizontal section partly in plan of the same;
Figure 5 represents in side clevation and plan of underside the top lever of the gun
and its pinion for withdrawing the sliding bolt; and Figure 6 represents in side
elevation and plan the sliding bolt detached; Figure 7 represents in plan, side
elevation, and cross section the safety bolt detached; Figures 8, 9, and 10 represent
cross sections of the safety bolt and a portion of the sliding bolt, and exhibit the
positions which the said safety bolt can respectively occupy, Figure 8 showing the
safety bolt in the position which permits of the hammers falling upon the strikers,
Figure 9 showing the safety bolt after it has been turned through a quadrant by
the action of the sliding bolt, and the hammers prevented from falling upon the
strikers, and Figure 10 showing the safety bolt turned out of action. The same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
I will first describe the bolting down mechanism of the gun. a are the barrels ;
and b, the body of the gun; c is the sliding bottom bolt for bolting down the
barrels, the said bolt c working in the body b and taking into a lump or lumps on
the underside of the barrels as usual. At the rear end of the bolt c is an opening d,
and one side of the said opening a short toothed rack e is formed (see the separate
view, Figure 6); f is the top lever by which the bolt c is withdrawn to unfasten
the barrels. The said top lever f is furnished with a long axis f which passes
through and turns in the break off g, the bottom reduced end of the said axis
turning in a bearing made for its reception in the said break off. The said axis fa
of the top lever fis prevented from being withdrawn by the inner ends of two side
screw pins h, h, (which screw pins also serve to fix the locks in their places) taking
into holes in the said axis (see Figures 4 and 5). Near the inner end of the
axis of the top lever is a pinion or a portion of a pinion f*. This pinion f4 when
the top lever and axis f, f2, are in their places, is situated in the opening & in the

page_text: sliding bolt c, and the said pinion f* engages with the teeth of the rack e at one
side of the said opening; i is the spring acting upon the axis f2 for giving the
snapping action to the sliding bolt c and causing the top lever to take its normal
position on the tang. When the lever f is turned aside the pinion f* on the end
of the axis f gearing with the rack e on the bolt c withdraws the said bolt and
unfastens the barrels. On loosing the top lever f the sliding bolt c is returned to
locking position by the action of the spring i. The bolt described and represented
is fitted to be used with guns having internal or concealed hammers, the rear end
of the bolt being provided with a raised cross bar the ends k² k² of which are
situated in front of the internal hammers l, l, carried by the lock plates m, m, so
that when the bolt c is withdrawn to unfasten the barrels, the said ends k², k², of
the cross bar / act upon and cock the said hammers. Thus the withdrawal of the
locking bolt c and the cocking of the hammers are simultaneously effected.
Instead of using a top lever in conjunction with the rack and pinion arrangement
described and represented for working the sliding bottom bolt a bottom lever or
a side lever may be used in place of the said top lever.
The arrangement of parts described for working the sliding bottom bolt may be
applied to guns having the ordinary external hammers as well as to guns having
internal or concealed hammers as shown in the Drawings.
I will now describe the safety mechanism of the gun. n is the safety bar turning
in bearings in the lock plates m, m, and having at one end and external to the lock
plate, a small lever p for moving the said bar by hand. The said bar n is flat and
oblong in cross section, that is, its breath in one direction is nearly double that
in the other direction as represented. In the middle of the safety bar n is a recess
n having the shape best seen in the cross sections, Figures 8, 9, and 10, the said
recess nearly dividing the bar at its middle. The face of the recess at the broad
part is slightly inclined at n³ and the opposite edge of the bar is completely cut
away at n. I use with the safety bar na sliding bolt for fastening down the
barrels, having at the middle of its rear end a stud 9 (see Figure 6) the said
stud being of a size proper to pass into the recess n2 in the middle of the bar n as
herein after explained. When the safety bar n is situated vertically as represented in
the gun, Figure 2, and in the separate view, Figure 8, its broad face is presented to
the front of the cocked hammers, and the said hammers are free to fall sufficiently
far to act upon the strikers and discharge the gun. When the safety bar n is
turned through a quadrant, as represented in the separate view, Figure 9, the said
bar is situated horizontally and prevents the hammers falling upon the strikers.
When the safety bar is turned through a second quadrant in the same direction, as
illustrated in Figure 10, it is thrown out of action. A spring r (see Figure 2)
carried by the lock plate bearing on the end of the safety bar n holds it in the
position to which it has been brought.
In Figure 1 the small lever p of the safety bar n is represented in the position it
occupies when the said bar is vertical and permits the fall of the hammers. The
dotted position at 22 indicates its position when the bar is situated horizontally and
the dotted position at p³ indicates its position when the safety bar has been turned
through a semi-circle from its first position for completely throwing the safety bar
out of action.
After the gun has been discharged the safety bar n occupies the vertical position,
Figures 2 and 8. On withdrawing the bolt c to unfasten the barrels and cock the
hammers, the stud 9 on the rear end of the said bolt acts upon the inclined face n³
of the recess n² in the middle of the safety bar n and turns or tilts the said bar
through a quadrant into the safety position represented in Figure 9, and the
hammers are prevented from falling sufficiently far to act upon the strikers to
discharge the gun. Thus on the withdrawal of the bolt c for unlocking the barrels
and cocking the hammers, the safety bar is automatically turned into its safety
position. Before the gun can be discharged the external lever p of the safety bar
is turned by hand from the dotted position at 2, Figure 1, to the vertical position p
represented in the said Figure 1. The safety bar is thereby brought into its

page_text: vertical position, as seen in Figures 2 and 8, and the hammers are permitted to fall
sufficiently far to act upon the strikers and discharge the gun. When the safety
bar is not required to be used its handle p is turned into the dotted position p³,
Figure 1. The safety bar is thereby moved through a semi-circle and made to
occupy the position represented in Figure 10, in which position it cannot be acted
upon by the stud q of the sliding bolt c, as by the inverting of the safety bar its open
edge n³ is brought opposite the stud q on the bolt so that the said bolt on the back
motion of the bolt enters the said open edge n' but does not operate upon the bar,
as will be understood by an examination of Figure 10, which represents the rear
end of the sliding bolt in its withdrawn position and its stud advanced into the open
edge n* of the safety bar.
prefer to use with the gun indicators s for indicating when the hammers aro
cocked or discharged. These indicators consist of small levers turning on the lock
plates and having motion in a horizontal plane. One end of each lever is furnished
with a stud which can be inade to project through a hole in the lock plate. As the
hammers are cocked they press outwards those arms of the indicating levers carrying
the studs and project the studs from the lock plates, and when the said hammers
are discharged they press upon the other arms of the indicating levers and withdraw
the studs.
My improved safety mechanism may be applied to all kinds of drop down
guns having sliding bottom bolts and internal or concealed hammers, whether
the said hammers be cocked by the back notion of the said sliding bolts or other-
wise cocked.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of improvements in breech loading small arms of the kind called drop down
guns,―
First. The arrangement or combination of parts herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for withdrawing the bottom sliding bolts
of the said drop down guns, that is to say, by means of a pinion or portion of a
pinion on a vertical axis situated in the break off, taking into a rack made on
the side of an opening in the sliding bolt, the pinion axis being worked either
by a hand lever on the tang of the gun or by a hand lever on the side or underside
of the gun.
Secondly. The construction and arrangement of the parts of safety mechanism
for drop down guns having sliding bottom bolts and internal or concealed hammers
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to
say, safety mechanism consisting of a flat bar situated in front of the internal
hammers and capable of a partial rotation so as to present its broad face or narrow
face to the hammers or invert its position at pleasure, the said safety bar being cut
away at its middle in the manner described and illustrated and being automatically
put in its safety position by means of a stud on the sliding bolt acting upon the cut
away part of the bar, as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hodgetts Tisdall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.