IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas William Webley of the firm of P. Webley and
Son of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturers for an
invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas William Webley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th March 1882.
THOMAS WILLIAM WEBLEY of the firm of P. Webley and Son of Birmingham in
the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturers, "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING
SMALL ARMS
"
My invention consists first of the following improved mechanism for locking
down the barrels of breech loading small arms of the kind called drop down guns.
I employ a side hand lever acting through an opening in the underside of the
body The depression of this lever draws back the lower bolt which takes into the
lump on the underside of the barrels, the return motion of the said bolt being
produced by a coiled spring The lower bolt is connected to a top bolt taking into
the prolongation of the rib between the barrels. In order to secure the more
effectual working of the said top bolt, I also provide it with a coiled spring at
its rear which spring is compressed on the withdrawl of the bolt and by its
tension assists in urging forward the top bolt on the shutting down of the breech
ends of the barrels.
My invention consists secondly of a safety apparatus for preventing the accidental
discharge of breech loading small arms, constructed as follows. I employ in addition
to the ordinary sear and bent a small bolt the acting end of which is turned at
right angles. This bolt slides in recesses in the bridle and lock plate and is urged
towards the tumbler by a spring its turned end crossing the back of the tumbler.
A notch or recess is made in the back of the tumbler and before the hammer
reaches its full cock position the ends of the said bolt snaps into the said notch or
recess and the hammer is locked. Before the gun can be discharged the said bolt
must be withdrawn. This may either be effected by the trigger acting on a lever
connected with the said bolt, or by a lever connected with a projection on that part

page_text: of the gun grasped in firing. In the former case the trigger liberates the safety
bolt just before acting on the sear, and in the latter case the safety bolt is withdrawn
by grasping the gun preparatory to firing.
My invention consists thirdly of safety apparatus for preventing the accidental
discharge of breech loading small arms, constructed in the following manner.
Crossing the body of the gun, and immediately in front of the tumbler is a rod
capable of a sliding motion but incapable of a rotatory motion. Part of this rod is
cylindrical in figure and part flat. When by the sliding of the rod the cylindrical part
is brought in front of the tumbler the tumbler is blocked and the hammer cannot
fall. When the flat part is in front of the tumbler the tumbler is free to move and
the gun can be discharged. The said rod carries an incline on which the rear end
of the lower locking bolt acts so that when the gun is opened for charging the
locking bolt acting on the said incline slides the safety bolt into the safety position
in which position it is left on the closing of the gun for firing. Before the gun can
be discharged the bolt must be moved so as to bring its flat part opposite the
tumbler. This may be effected by pressing on a button on the external end of the
bolt, or by pressing on the end of a lever occupying the position of the ordinary
sight leaf.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas William Webley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th September 1882.
THOMAS WILLIAM WEBLEY of the firm of P. Webley and Son of Birmingham in
the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturers "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING
SMALL ARMS "
My invention consists, first, of the following improved mechanism for locking.
down the barrels of breech loading small arms of the kind called drop down guns.
I employ a side hand lever acting through an opening in the underside of the body.
The depression of this lever draws back the lower bolt which takes into the lump.
on the underside of the barrels, the return motion of the said bolt being produced
by a coiled spring. The lower bolt is connected to a top bolt taking into the
prolongation of the rib between the barrels. In order to secure the more effectual
working of the said top bolt, I also provide it with a coiled spring at its rear,
which spring is compressed on the withdrawel of the bolt and by its tension assists
in urging forward the top bolt on the shutting down of the breech ends of the
barrels.
My invention consists secondly of a safety apparatus for preventing the accidental
discharge of breech loading small arms constructed as follows. I employ in addition
to the ordinary sear and bent, a small bolt the acting end of which is turned at
right angles. This bolt slides in recesses in the bridle and lock plate and is urged
towards the tumbler by a spring, its turned end crossing the back of the tumbler.
A notch or recess is made in the back of the tumbler and before the hammer
reaches its full cock position the end of the said bolt snaps into the said notch or
recess and the hammer is locked. Before the gun can be discharged the said bolt
must be withdrawn. This is effected by the trigger acting on a lever connected
with the said bolt, the trigger liberating the safety bolt just before acting on
the sear.
My invention consists, thirdly, of safety apparatus for preventing the accidental
discharge of breech loading small arms constructed in the following manner.
Crossing the body of the gun and immediately in front of the tumbler, is a rod
capable of a sliding motion but incapable of a rotary motion. Part of this rod is
cylindrical in figure and part Hat. When by the sliding of the rod the cylindrical
part is brought in front of the tumbler, the tumbler is blocked and the hammer
cannot fall. When the flat part is in front of the tumbler the tumbler is free to
move and the gun can be discharged. The said rod carries an incline on which the
rear end of the lower locking bolt acts so that when the gun is opened for
charging, the locking bolt acting on the said incline slides the safety bolt into the
safety position in which position it is left on the closing of the gun for firing.
Before the gun can be discharged the bolt must be moved so as to bring its flat part
opposite the tumbler. This may be effected by pressing on a button on the external
end of the bolt or by pressing on the end of a lever occupying the position of the
ordinary sight leaf.
Instead of an incline on the safety bolt for the locking bolt to act upon as above
described, a coiled spring may press the safety bolt outwards. When the safety
bolt is pressed inwards a flat spring falls into a depression in the safety bolt and
fixes its position for firing. To put it into its safety position the rear end of the
locking bolt acting on the foot of the spring raises it from the depression and the
safety bolt springs outwards.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent in longitudinal vertical section, the body of a drop

page_text: down gun containing locking mechanism of the kind described under the first head
of my improvements, the lower and upper locking bolts being représented in their
shot position in Figure 1 and in their withdrawn position in. Figure 2; Figure 3
represents a plan of the body; Figure 4 a horizontal section and Figure 5 an end
elevation of the same; Figure 6 represents the top bolt with its pusher and spring,
and Figure 7 represents the bottom bolt. The same letters of reference indicate
the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
:
a is the bottom bolt which takes into the lumps on the underside of the barrels
and is the top bolt which takes into the prolonged rib between the barrels, the
two bolts a and b being connected together by the connection at c. The bottom
bolt a is worked by a lever on the side or underside of the gun the return motion
of the said bolt being produced by a spring not shown in the drawing. As the
bottom bolt a is withdrawn from the lumps on the underside of the barrels, the
top bolt b is at the same time withdrawn from the rib between the barrels. For
effecting the more efficient working of the top bolt ba coiled spring is used.
This spring is situated in a hole or recess in the tange and is situated around the
stem of the pusher f the head of which engages with a nick in the back of the top
bolt b.
+
• When the top bolt bis withdrawn by means of the bottom bolt a, the coiled
spring d is compressed as represented in Figure 2 and as the bottom bolt a makes
its return motion the tension of the spring & acting through the pusher f assists in
urging forward the top bolt into its shot position as represented in Figures 1
and 4.
In
Figures and 9 represent in side elevation and Figure 10 in edge view, drawn
to a large scale, a gun lock containing safety apparatus constructed according to
my invention; Figures 11. 12. 13. 14. 15 and 16 represent parts of the same.
Figure 8 the hammer is represented in its discharged position and in Figure 9 in its
cocked position. In Figures 8 and 9 the bridle of the lock is omitted.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 8 to 16.
a is the lock plate, shown separately in combination with the bridle bin
Figure 11; c is the hammer shown separately in Figure 12 and d is the main
spring of the same, shown separately in Figure 13; c is the sear, shown separately
in Figure 14, and fis the sear spring; g is the safety bolt, shown separately in
Figure 15. The said bolt has a turned end g² which crosses the tumbler of the
hammer c. The part g of the bolt slides in a recess a² in the lock plate a and the
turned end g works in a hole or opening 63 in the bridle b of the lock; hi is a
small cranked lever turning on the centre k, shown separately in Figure 16. The
end of the arm of the lever works in the seat g³ at the inner end of the sliding
bolt g and the other arm i of the lever (which arm i is situated at right angles to
'the arm ) crosses the upper arm of the sear e, the said sear being cut away at e²
(see Figure 14) to permit of the motion of the cranked lever h, i. A spring
bearing upon the arm i of the cranked lever h, i tends to force the bolt g, g² into
its locking or safety position Figure 9. In the back of the tumbler of the hammer c
is a recess or notch m for the turned end g² of the safety bolt to engage with.
When the hammer c is in its discharged position, the safety bolt and parts con-
nected with it occupy the position represented in Figure 8. On cocking the
hammer c its tumbler bearing against the turned end g² of the safety bolt presses
back the said bolt and just before the hammer reaches its full cock position the
said end g² of the bolt snaps, by the action of the spring and lever h, i, into the
recess or notch m in the tumbler and the hammer is fixed or locked in its cocked
position as represented in Figure 9. The safety bolt g, g2, must be withdrawn
before the gun can be discharged. This is effected by the action of the sear e.
will be seen by an examination of Figure 10, that the arm of the safety bolt
lever h, i crosses the upper arm of the sear e and when the said upper arm of the
sear is lifted by pulling the trigger, the said sear arm lifts the arm i of the safety
bolt lever and causes the latter to withdraw the safety bolt just before the sear is
liberated from the bent in the tumbler of the hammer.
It

page_text: Figures 17 and 18 represent longitudinal sections of the body of a drop down.
gun containing safety apparatus constructed according to another part of my
invention; and Figures 10 and 20 are cross sections of the same taken at the back.
of the break off. In Figures 18 and 20 the sliding safety rod is represented in its
safety position and in Figures 17 and 19 in its withdrawn position. Figures 21
and 22 represent the safety rod detached. The same letters indicate the samo
parts in Figures 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22; a is the hammer of the gun and b is
the safety rod crossing the body of the gun and situated immediately in front of
the hammer. The said rod b is pushed outwards into the safety position repre-
sented in Figures 18 and 20 by the coiled spring c (see Figure 20). When in this
position the cylindrical part 6 of the safety rod comes opposite the hammer a and
the said hammer cannot fall upon the striker & to discharge the gun. When tho
safety rod is pressed inwards by acting upon the milled head 62 outside the gun, a
flat part 63 of the safety rod is, brought opposite the hammer a as illustrated in
Figures 17 and 19 and the hammer a can fall to discharge the gun. The safety
rod is held in the last described or withdrawn position by means of the flat spring e
snapping into the recess f in the safety rod. The said flat spring e is furnished
with a heel e² for the purpose hereinafter explained. After the discharge of the
gun the safety rod is permitted to return to its safety position by the action of the
lower locking bolt g of the gun. It will be seen by an examination of Figures 19
and 20 that the heel e² of the spring e is situated behind one side of the cross head
of the locking bolt g so that on withdrawing the said bolt to open the gun, the
head of the bolt acting upon the heel e² of the spring e lifts the said spring out of
the recess in the safety rod when the latter is shot in its safety position Figures
18 and 20 by the coiled spring c. Thus, on the opening of the gun the safety rod
is released and put into its safety position, the hammer being permitted to fall
only after the safety rod has been pushed inwards by hand, the said rod being
retained in its withdrawn position until the next opening of the gun by the flat
spring c.
"
The coiled spring c and flat spring e, e² may be omitted and the sliding rod be
put into the position of safety Figures 18 and 20 on the opening of the gun by
means of the locking bolt acting upon an incline on the safety bolt so as to bring
the cylindrical part of the rod opposite the hammer as hereinbefore particularly
explained. The safety rod is withdrawn by pressing it inwards by the milled
head so as to bring the flat part opposite the hammer.
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
"
:-
First The improvement in double barrel drop down small arms in which a
lower locking bolt and a top locking bolt are used hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 both inclusive of the accompanying Drawings; that is
to say, the combination with or addition to the top bolt of the double bolt of a
coiled spring for assisting in urging the said top bolt forward on the shutting
down of the barrels substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly-The improvements in safety apparatus for preventing the accidental
discharge of breech loading small arms herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 8 to 16 both inclnsive of the accompanying Drawings; that is to say, the
construction and combination of the parts marked g, g², g, h, i, 1 of the safety bolt
for engaging with the back of the cocked hammer, the said bolt and parts connected
with it working in and being situated on the lock plate and operating substantially
as described and illustrated.
Thirdly The improvements in safety apparatus for preventing the accidental
discharge of drop down small arms hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 17 to 22 both inclusive of the accompanying drawings; that is to say, the
sliding safety rod described and represented situated at the back of the break off, the
said sliding safety rod being put into its safety position by the action of the under

page_text: locking bolt on opening the gun and put into its non-acting position by hand, the
several parts being combined and working substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas William Webley have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fifteenth day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.