IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ATTACHING AND DETACHING CERTAIN
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Hollis, Gun Manufacturer, of Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ATTACHING AND DETACHING CERTAIN

page_text: the barrels, extending forward from the joint or breech block, technically
termed the fore end of the stock, and which part is fitted with a metal
strap curved and fitted to the knuckle or joint on which the barrels
work and move from their straight position for firing to a sloping
position for charging; and at the fore end, instead of securing the con-
nection with the barrel by a lateral or side bolt passing through a
rectangular aperture at or near the fore end, and through a corresponding
aperture formed in a projecting lug secured to the bottom of the barrel
or between the two barrels, I purpose altogether avoiding the use of the
lateral bolt and rectangular aperture, and applying a direct detent
having an action parallel and in a line with the barrels, and acted on by
a suitable spring, the lug before named being inclined with the face of
the detent and cut under to receive the end of the same, whilst to the
front or exposed end of the bolt or detent I apply a knob conveniently
shaped to form a finish to the fore end, thus in use the detent is freed
from its engagement by the finger and thumb applied to the knob last
named and pulling it in the direction of the barrels, when the fore end
of the stock will be free for removal, its replacement being effected
by applying it in position when the bevel end of the detent will snap
over the fore end of the lug and secure it by the elastic force of the
spring used for its retention.
As an equivalent in some cases this direct acting detent may be
operated on by being wormed in the shank, and fitted with a circular nut
chased or roughed on its periphery, the turning of which will withdraw
or apply the direct acting detent as desired, obviating the necessity of a
spring; and this same means may be substituted generally for the
laterally applied rectangular bolt now commonly used for securing the
barrel or barrels to the fore end of the stock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ebenezer Hollis in the Great Seal Patent Office on 30
the 15th September 1873.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Ebenezer Hollis, Her special licence that I,
the said Ebenezer Hollis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Ebenezer Hollis, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF ATTACHING
AND DETACHING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE STOCKS OF BREECH-LOADING AND OTHER
SPORTING GUNS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Ebenezer Hollis, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ebenezer Hollis, 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 (that is to say) :-
My improvements relate to the description of sporting guns, whether
single or double barrel, known as the Lefaucheux or fall down snap gun,
and is restricted to the means or mode of holding that part of the stock
laying under or between the barrells, extending forward from the joint or
breech block, technically termed the fore end of the stock, and which
part is fitted with a metal strap curved and fitted to the knuckle or joint
of the breech block on which the barrels work and move from their
straight position for firing to a sloping position for charging; and at the
fore end, instead of securing the connection with the barrel or barrels by
à lateral or side bolt passing through a rectangular aperture at or near
the fore end, and through a corresponding aperture formed in a pro-
jecting lug or loop secured to the bottom of the barrel or between the
two barrels, I purpose altogether avoiding the use of the lateral bolt

page_text: and rectangular aperture, and applying a direct detent having an action
parallel and in a line with the barrels, and acted on by a suitable spring
or combined spring and lever, the lug or loop before named being
inclined with the face of the detent and cut under to receive the
engaging part or end of the same; whilst to the front and exposed end
of the bolt or detent I apply a knob or conveniently shaped part to
form a finish to the fore end as well as to actuate the detent. Thus in
use the detent is free from its engagement by the finger and thumb
applied to the knob or part last named, and pulling it from the direction
of the barrels, when the fore end of the stock will be freed and simul-
taneously removed, its replacement being effected by applying it in
position when the bevel end of the detent will snap over the corre-
sponding bevelled fore end of the lug or loop and secure it by the elastic
force of the spring used for its retention.
As an equivalent in some cases this direct acting detent may be
operated on by being wormed in the shank and fitted with a circular nut
chased or roughed on its periphery, the turning of which will withdraw
or apply the direct acting detent as desired, thus obviating the necessity
of a spring; and this same means may be substituted generally for the
lateral rectangular bolt before referred to as applied to guns otherwise
constructed as referred to in the title, as for instance sporting guns con-
structed on any of the known principles of breech-loading, such as the
Snider, Henry Martini, or even muzzle-loaders, more particularly double
barrel muzzle-loaders which admit of the ramrod laying underneath and
between the combined barrels.
But in order to be clearly understood as to the nature and object of
my Invention, I will refer to the Drawings hereunto annexed, aided by
the figures and letters marked thereon, and which I will now proceed to
describe, observing that the same parts as they occur in different views
are indicated by the same letter of reference.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a bottom view; Fig. 2, a top view; and Fig. 3, a part
sectional view representing the metal portions for part insertions and
attachment to the fore end of the stock for a double barrelled gun con-
structed on the Lefauchiex principle, and possessing after being attached a

page_text: gun proper by engaging or relieving a detent in connection with the
loop secured between and beneath the barrels, which in this example I
have represented as being effected by combining the detent A with the
lever B, which working on an axis at C, the projecting part D moves
backward and forward the detent by laying and working in a recessed
part, as here shown, and which reduced part is represented at Fig. 4.
F is a loop or lug brazed or otherwise united underneath and between
the barrels, which loop passes freely through the plate G as also through
the spring H, as best seen in a flat view at Fig. 2, and in edge view at
Fig. 3; this spring exerts its force on a projecting shank marked a,
which spring has a tendency to keep the lever in the position shewn,
and in which view the engaging part of the bolt A is represented
engaged with the loop F, but by pulling the lever B down the bolt A
will be carried forward and the loop disengaged so that the fore end of
the stock to which this part may be attached may be removed from the
gun preparatory to removing the barrels. The extreme end of the
lever B as represented at I, I, I, is roughened or chequered for the more
ready adhesion on the application of the user's fingers for operating on
the lever, which lever is represented detached in a side view at Fig. 5.
Fig. 6 represents a side view of a double barrelled breech-loading gun
on the Lefauchiex principle, a system of construction well understood
among gun manufacturers and sporting men adapted for the use of
central fire cartridges in contradistinction to pin cartridges, a part of the
stock and barrels being shown broken away for the convenience of space,
a portion of the wood of the fore end marked J being removed for the
purpose of shewing as much of Fig. 3 as necessary for explaining its
practical application; with the exception, in this view I am enabled to
shew the plate K, between two of which the lever B works on the axis C,
but have altered the terminal end of the lever to shew that its form may
be varied according to the taste of the workman, and have expressed its
ready use by representing a finger applied to it by which the lever may
be pulled down, thereby carrying forward the detent or bolt A. (only but
partially exhibited in this Figure) from the loop F in order that the fore
end of the stock may be thereby disengaged and removed from its con-
nection with the gun; and this same arrangement I have exhibited at
Fig. 7, which represents a side view of a breech-loading sporting gun
constructed on the Snider action principle, in which view I have repre-
.

page_text: sented as adapted to this construction of arm the same
means for
disengaging the barrel from the stock as exhibited at Figures 3 and 6,
with the termination of the lever hollowed or concaved out for receiving
the end of the finger as here shewn, pulling the lever down for relieving
the detent from the loop, and thereby disengaging the fore end from the
barrel; thus expressing the facility my Invention affords for the
stripping or the disconnecting or connecting the barrel or barrels with
their respective stocks.
.
Instead of actuating the detent with a lever as herein-before described,
I have represented an arrangement of the metal parts in the bottom
view at Fig. 8, where the detent is designed to be removed or disengaged
from the loop by applying a knob at the end of the bolt extending
beyond the wood of the fore end, so that by pulling the knob in the
direction of the arrow sufficient to overcome the force of the hclical
spring L, L, the detent or catch of the bolt M will be pulled forward
from its engagement with the loop, not shewn in this Figure. Fig. 9
represents the same arrangement in a side view with part of the wood
of the fore end broken away for the purpose of better exhibiting its
application, which may be supposed to have been relieved from the
loop P by the bolt M having been pulled forward for that purpose, and 1
as a consequence is now disengaged and may be removed.
The attendant parts I have not described in detail, as they are well
understood by both practical workmen and users of guns, who will
understand that the parts shewn are adapted for a fall down or Lefauchiex
principle of breech-loading; but the same arrangement for engaging and
disengaging the stock and barrel are likewise applicable to breech-loaders
otherwise constructed.
At Fig. 10 I have exhibited the metal parts of a detent constructed for
engaging the loop at each end, that is, having the quality of a double
detent acted on simultaneously by the simple application of the finger to
the terminal flat knob R. I effect this by placing a detent in a hollow
barrel S shewn in section secured to the metal plate T, which detent is
advanced forward by the elastic force of a small helical spring, and
thereby operates on another or auxiliary detent shewn in a detached
view at Fig. 11, and which works in a longitudinal direction through;
the thin part of the loop, as at Fig. 12, which represents a partly side

page_text: sectional view of this arrangement with a portion of the fore end of the
stock removed for exhibiting the action as well as the loop U as repre-
sented in connection with the barrels, the one shewn being marked V.
The part W in connection with the knob R may be termed the actuater,
for by pressing it with the finger or thumb the part W will be brought
in contact with the intermediate or auxiliary detent Y, which being
forced will retire within the cavity of the loop, and simultaneously force
back within the barrel S the detent Z, so that the fore end may be
removed; the pressure being taken from the knob R will allow the
detent Z, auxiliary detent Y, and actuater W to assume the position
shewn by the force of the helical spring in the box S, so that when the
fore end is again applied in position the inclined end of the loop will
operate on the parts described, and assume the position shewn.
For facilitating the stripping of single barrel guns, the plan adopted
as exhibited at Fig. 13 will be found simple, inexpensive, and highly
efficient; in this case the detent A¹ is tapped on the shank which works
through fixed studs B¹ and C³, and a portable stud D' between which
and its companion C³ a screw E¹ works knarled on its edge, the turning
of which will withdraw or advance the detent into a corresponding notch
of a loop not shewn, as the Figure explains its own action to any ordinary
skilled workman; the metal portion of this Figure as at F' shews that it
is adapted for a single barrel Lefauchiex or fall down gun, but it is
equally applicable to the description exhibited at Fig. 7, or any other
system of construction where cartridges in contradistinction to loose
charges are used.
As muzzle-loading guns are so seldom required, I have not thought it
necessary to exhibit my Invention as adapted to their construction,
which as an arbitrary rule require the provision for a ramrod laying
beneath and continuing the whole length of the barrel; in which case a
double loop may be provided or one of sufficient thickness to permit the
ramrod passing through it, and capable also of receiving one or two
detents on each side, the said detents being united in a convenient
termination or lever for the finger or thumb to operate on in the manner
herein-before set forth.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it understood that
I claim, the various adaptations and mechanical combinations as herein

page_text: fully set forth and described for facilitating the stripping of sporting
guns as of my Invention and to be secured to me by these my in part
recited Letters Patent.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ebenezer Hollis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year of 5
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
JAMES S. COCKINGS,
Patentee's Agent,
16, Ann Street,
Birmingham.
EBENEZER HOLLIS. (L.S.)