Improvements in Hammerless Guns or Small Arms.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hammerless Guns or Small Arms.
1, CARL FREDRIK AHLGREN, of Elfgärde near Upsala, in the Kingdom of
Sweden, Lieutenant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
In almost all the so called hammerless guns now in use the cocking of the lock is
effected by unlocking or locking the barrels, which produce more or less resistance,
having a prejudicial influence upon the facility of loading and upon the management
in general.
Such a gun must moreover always be carried cocked, a circumstance which will
in all probability eventually prove prejudicial to the main-spring as well as to the
other parts of the lock irrespective of the inconvenience of the constant snapping
of the locks, when the barrels are unlocked for other purposes than loading.
The safety device of these guns consists generally of a bolt which in cocking is
pushed over the triggers and which previous to firing must by means of a button
accessible on the top, be pushed forward (disconnected). If this bolt by negligence
is not brought back into its safety position in case the gun was not fired the gun is
unsecured.
The arrangement which forms the subject of the present invention has for its
object to remove from hammerless guns the above-mentioned inconveniences.
Thus the cocking of the lock takes place quite independently of the opening or
closing of the gun, whereby this is effected very easily; the gun can be loaded
without needing to be cocked for this reason but it may also be cocked when
loading if so desired without any particular movement simultaneously with the
closing of the gun.
The object of the safety mechanism is to effectually prevent any involuntary
firing, for instance by a careless manipulation of the gun or by its being exposed to
shocks or blows, but so that the parts of this safety device respectively, after action
will spontaneously and instantly assume their position of safety. They are more-
over so located that when seizing the handle of the butt-end with the hand for
aiming, they must almost involuntarily be acted upon, whereby no particular
movement for the disconnection is required. The gun is in addition to the common
triggers provided with two other levers or triggers, which when firing is to take
place, must be actuated simultaneously with the former or with either of them.
As such an action cannot reasonably take place without the will of the operator
the gun may be considered provided with an absolute safety device in the
above respect under all circumstances. The breech-closing mechanism of the gun
is the ordinary one having a top lever, which by means of a bolt locks the barrels
at the breech.
The cocking and safety mechanism is arranged in the following way.
In the
middle between the two gun locks, that is in the middle of the handle of the butt-
end, there is a pivoted lever the rear end of which extends outside of the underside
of the butt-end handle, where it is made of such a shape as to fall ready into the
hand. On the fore end of the lever is pivoted a head which at the fore end is
provided with two friction rolls corresponding to their respective planes projecting
one from each hammer or striker. Close above the pivoted lever the fork-shaped
pawl is pivoted, the legs of which hang down one at each side of the said lever.

page_text: The pawl is actuated by a spring which tends to turn the pawl forward.
In the
case under consideration this action is imparted to the head by the pawl acting
upon a projection at the back of the head. In this way the head is held firmly in
such a position, (which is one of its extreme positions) that the friction roller will
always be over the plane. A displaceable bolt is arranged in the known way, by
means of which the locking between the barrels and the breech is effected. At the
rear end of the same bolt is fixed a spring, the free end of which being immediately
in front of the legs of the pawl, acts with the same end upon the lower side of the
pivoted lever. The said lever is further provided with a projection concentric
with the pivot which projection in one position of the lever projects immediately
over the rear extensions of the triggers. Over the same extensions are also
arranged the lower ends of two arms mutually connected. The arms are, pivotally
connected with the lever accessible at the top of the butt-end handle straight under
the thumb and pivoted at its rear end to a pin.
When the hammers are to be full cocked the rear end of the pivoted lever is
pressed up against the butt-end handle. By this means the head is lowered as may
easily be understood and the friction rollers act upon the planes so as to effect the
requisite turning of the hammer. When the turning has proceeded a little more
than to full cock the friction rollers glide off the edge of the planes at the same
time as the usual bolt snaps into the full cock. Simultaneously the shoulder of the
pawl passes over a shoulder on the upper edge of the pivoted lever, whereby the
said lever is compelled to retain the position now occupied by the same and likewise
the friction rollers, without hindrance of which the hammer can freely strike down,
when the gun is to be fired. The gun is however perfectly secured by the
projection and the arms resting upon the posterior extensions of the triggers.
Consequently these obstacles must be removed in order to be able to move the
triggers and this is effected by seizing the handle of the butt-end with a full grasp
and actuating simultaneously the levers. The projection as well as the arms
are thereby turned, as may be easily understood each in its direction out of the
way of the above mentioned extensions of the triggers, and these may now, in the
continued action of the levers be actuated as usual so as to disconnect the levers
from full cock with the result that the hammers will strike.
In order to be able to again bring the hammers to full cock, the pivoted lever
must return to the former position, which cannot take place unless the shoulders be
disengaged one from the other. This occurs when the barrels are unlocked for the
sake of re-loading or the top lever is turned a little. By this means the bolt will
be pushed back and the rear end of the affixed spring acts upon the pawl so that
this in its order is swung backwards, affording opportunity for the pivoted lever
actuated from below by the same spring with the fore end and the head fixed
thereon, to raise above the plane of the hammers. This return of the lever is by
no means prevented by the head, which can turn off the rear part of the hammer in
the way.
When the barrels are again locked the bolt is pushed forward and the
pawl will actuate the head from behind as already described.
Through the top of the head a screw acting upon the pivoted lever can be
screwed in, by means of which screw the position of the head with relation to the
lever can be adjusted. Such an adjustment may for some reasons be necessary, as
for instance if after some time the projections of the hammers have been worn so
that the head glides over them before the gun is full cocked.
The described mechanism offers still a kind of safety device. It may be
advantageous, when the gun is not in use, to put the mechanism in such a position
that the hammers can be cocked only by the action of the pivoted lever just
described. This adjustment to a position of safety is effected in the following
manner; The hammers are first brought to full cock as described whereupon the
barrels are unlocked and lowered a little under the continued action of the hind
part of the pivoted lever. Then the hammers are let down in the same way as at
firing. The barrels are again locked whereby the pawl, which has been swung
back, moves forward and the shoulders will engage again thus preventing the fore

page_text: part of the lever from moving upwards. Consequently the hammers remain
unaffected, however much the lever may be actuated. Cocking of the hammers
cannot after adjustment to this position of safety take place, unless the lever is
moved again into the other position. The manipulation required for effecting this
latter is very simple and consists only therein that the top lever at the fore end of
the butt-end handle, which is connected with the bolt is turned slightly to the side.
The bolt then returns and for the reason first mentioned the shoulders disengage
so that the lever becomes free and jumps up, whereupon the cocking of the
hammers can take place.
In order to prevent accidental firing at such times when the hammers in spite of
the presence of the safety mechanism now described as for instance when, owing to
a violent shock on the gun or for some other reason, the tooth of the lever should
glide out of the catch without the trigger having been actuated, there is still
another safety device. This consists of two pivoted bell crank levers located
close to the back of the breech. The upper ends of these are provided with
shoulders located in front of the breast of each hammer and catching the hammers
when striking so that the latter do not encounter the firing pins. The fore end of
extensions projecting forwards from the triggers rest upon the lower ends of the
said levers. Besides the breech is provided with a double spring tending to turn
the upper ends of the said levers outwards. When firing the shoulders must
however be brought out of the way, and this is just what occurs when the triggers
are actuated, as the extensions of these, which then evidently move downwards act
upon the said levers in such a way that the shoulders are swung towards each other
out of the way of the hammers.
ليوم
1904
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, CARL FREDRIK AHLGREN, of Elfgärde near Upsala, in the Kingdom of
Sweden, Lieutenant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
imanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
In almost all the so called hammerless guns now in use the cocking of the
lock is effected by unlocking or locking the barrels, which produce more or less
resistance, having a prejudicial influence upon the facility of loading and upon the
management in general.
Such a gun must moreover always be carried cocked, a circumstance which
will in all probability eventually prove prejudicial to the main-spring as well as
to the other parts of the lock irrespective of the inconvenience of the constant
snapping of the locks, when the barrels are unlocked for other purposes than
loading.
The safety device of these guns consists generally of a bolt which in cocking is
pushed over the triggers and which previous to firing must by means of a button
accessible on the top, be pushed forward (disconnected). If this bolt by negligence
is not brought back into its safety position in case the gun was not fired the gun is
unsecured.
The arrangement which forms the subject of the present invention has for its
object to remove from hammerless guns the above mentioned inconveniences.
Thus the cocking of the lock takes place independently of the opening or closing
of the gun, whereby this is effected very easily; the gun can be loaded without

page_text: being cocked for this reason but it may also be cocked when loading if so desired
without any particular movement simultaneously with the closing of the gun.
The object of the safety mechanism is to effectually prevent any involuntary
firing, for instance by a careless manipulation of the gun or by its being exposed
to shocks or blows, but so that the parts of this safety device respectively, after
action will spontaneously and instantly assume their position of safety. They are
moreover so located that, when seizing the handle of the butt-end with the hand
for aiming, they must involuntarily be acted upon, whereby no particular movement
for the disconnection is required. The gun is in addition to the common triggers
provided with two other levers or triggers, which when firing is to take place,
must be actuated simultaneously with the former or with either of them. As such
an action cannot reasonably take place without the will of the operator the gun
may be considered provided with an absolute safety device in the above respect
under all circumstances. The breech-closing mechanism of the gun is the
ordinary one having a top lever, which by means of a bolt locks the barrels at the
breech.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a gun showing the safety-mechanism
with the parts in the position occupied by them when the gun is half cocked.
and
Figure 2 represents the mechanism in the same way when the gun is full cocked,
Figure 3 is a detail arrangement.
The cocking and safety mechanism is arranged in the following way.
In the
middle between the two gun locks, that is in the middle of the handle of the butt-
end, there is a lever 1 pivoted at 2 the rear end of which extends below the
underside of the butt-end handle, where it is. made of such a shape as to fall ready
into the hand. On the fore end of the said lever is pivoted a head 3 which at
its extremity is provided with two friction rolls 4 corresponding to their respective
planes 6 projecting one from each hammer or striker 5. Close above the pivoted
lever 1 the fork-shaped pawl 7 is pivoted, the legs of which hang down one at
each side of the said lever 1. The pawl is, in the manner shown in the drawing
actuated by a spring 8 which tends to turn the pawl forward. In the case
represented in Figure 1 this action is imparted to the head 3 by the pawl acting
upon a projection at the back of the head. In this way the head is held firmly in
such a position, (which is one of its extreme positions), that the friction roller 4
will always be over the plane 6. 9 is a displaceable bolt arranged in the known
way, by means of which the locking between the barrels and the breech is effected.
At the rear end of the same bolt is fixed a spring 10, the free end of which being
immediately in front of the legs of the pawl 7, acts with the same end upon the
lower side of the pivoted lever 1 (see Figure 2). The said lever 1 is further
provided with a projection 11 concentric with the pivot 2, which projection in one
position of the lever represented in Figure 1 projects immediately over the rear
extensions of the triggers 12. Over the same extensions are also arranged the
lower ends of two arms 13 pivoted at 2 and mutually connected. The arms are,
as indicated in the drawing pivotally connected with the lever 14 accessible at the
top of the butt-end handle straight under the thumb and pivoted at its rear end to
a pin 15.
When the hammers are to be full cocked the rear end of the pivoted lever 1 is
pressed up against the butt-end handle. By this means the head 3 is lowered as
may easily be understood and the friction rollers 4 act upon the planes 6 so as to
effect the requisite turning of the hammer. When the said hammer has been
turned a little more than to full cock, the friction rollers 4 glide off the edge of
the planes 6 at the same time as the usual bolt snaps into the full cock. Simul-
taneously the shoulder 16 of the pawl 7 passes over a shoulder 17 on the upper
edge of the pivoted lever 1, (see Figure 2), whereby the said lever 1 is compelled
to retain the position now occupied by the same and likewise the friction rollers 4,
without the intervention of which the hammer could freely strike, when the gun is

page_text: to be fired. The gun is however perfectly secured by the projection 11 and the
arms 13 resting upon the rear extensions of the triggers, so that the said
projection and arms must be removed in order to enable the triggers to be operated.
This is effected by seizing the handle of the butt-end with a full grasp and
actuating simultaneously the levers 1 and 14. The projection 11 as well as the
arms 13 are thereby turned, as may be easily understood each in its direction out
of the way of the above mentioned extensions of the triggers, and these may now,
in the continued action of the levers 1 and 14 he actuated as usual so as to
disconnect the levers from full cock with the result that the hammer will strike.
In order to again bring the hammers to full cock, the pivoted lever 1 must be
returned to the former position shown in Figure 1, which cannot take place unless
the shoulders 16 and 17 be disengaged one from the other. This occurs when the
barrels are unlocked for the purpose of re-loading or the top lever is turned a
little. By this means the bolt 9 will be pushed back and the rear end of the
affixed spring 10 acts upon the pawl 7 so that this in its turn is swung backwards,
affording opportunity for the pivoted lever 1 actuated from below by the same
spring 10 with the fore end and the head fixed thereon, to rise above the plane 6
of the hammers. This return of the lever is not prevented by the head, the
rollers 4 engaging with and rotating on the rear part of the hammer 5 in the
way. When the barrels are again locked the bolt 9 is pushed forward and
the pawl 7 will actuate the head 3 from behind as already described.
Through the top of the head 3 a screw acting upon the pivoted lever 1 can be
screwed in, by means of which the position of the head with relation to the lever
can be adjusted. Such an adjustment may for some reasons be necessary, as for
instance if after some time the projections of the hammers have been worn so that
the head glides over them before the gun is fully cocked.
The above described mechanism presents a kind of safety device. It may for
instance be advantageous, when the gun is not in use, to put the mechanism in
such a position that the hammers can be cocked only by the action of the pivoted
lever 1 just described. This adjustment to a position of safety is effected in the
following manner: The hammers are first brought to full cock as described where-
upon the barrels are unlocked and lowered a little under the continued action of
the hind part of the pivoted lever 1. Then the hammers are let down in the same
way as at firing. The barrels are again locked, whereby the pawl 7, which has
been swung back, moves forward and the shoulders 16 and 17 will engage again
thus preventing the fore part of the lever 1 from moving upwards. Consequently
the hammers remain unaffected, however much the lever 1 may be actuated. The
cocking of the hammers cannot after adjustment to this position of safety take
place, unless the lever is moved again into the other position shown in Figure 1.
The manipulation required for effecting this latter is very simple and consists only
therein that the top lever 18 at the fore end of the butt-end handle, which is
connected with the bolt 9 is turned slightly to one side. The bolt then returns
and for the reason first mentioned the shoulders 16 and 17 disengage so that
the lever 1 becomes free and jumps up, whereupon the cocking of the hammers
can take place.
In order to prevent accidental firing at such times, when the hammers in spite
of the presence of the safety mechanism above described as for instance when,
owing to a violent shock on the gun or for some other reason, the tooth of the
lever should glide out of the catch without the trigger having been actuated, there
is still another safety device. This consists of two pivoted crank levers 19 (see
Figures 1 and 3) located close to the back of the breech. The upper ends of these
are provided with shoulders 20 located in front of the breast of each hammer 5 and
catching the hammers when striking so that the latter does not encounter the
firing pins. The fore end of extensions 21 projecting forwards from the triggers
rest upon the lower ends of the said levers. Besides the breech is provided with
a double spring 22 tending to turn the upper ends of the said levers outwards.
When firing the shoulders 20 must however be brought out of the way, and this is

page_text: just what occurs when the triggers are actuated, as the extensions 21 which then
evidently move downwards, act upon the said levers in such a way, that the
shoulders 20 are swung towards each other out of the way of the hammers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In hammerless guns the arrangement for cocking the hammers consisting of a
lever, the end of which directed towards the hammers is provided with a pivoted
head and of a plane projecting from either hammer and being in the path or way
described by the head when the lever is turned, so that when, in turning the lever,
the head has acted so long time upon the planes that the hammers have been
turned to full cock, it may glide off the planes and be turned so that the hammers,
when firing, may freely strike.
2. In the cocking device specified in the first claim, the arrangement of a pawl
actuated by a spring and resting against the head, to the shoulder of which pawl
there is a corresponding shoulder on the lever and of a spring fixed to the dis-
placeable bolt by which the barrels and the breech is locked, the end of which
spring being close to the pawl and acting upon the lower side of the lever all with
the object that the pawl may keep the head forward for cocking the hammers
and by engaging with the shoulder on the lever after cocking keep the latter
locked, and the latter to be unlocked and the lever turned back when by the
displacement the bolt and the action of the spring the pawl is turned out of
engagement with the shoulder on the lever.
3. In the cocking device specified in the first claim, a safety device consisting of
a projection from the lever projecting forward immediately over the triggers and
of two swinging arms or eccentrics being likewise immediately above the triggers
and in a suitable way connected with a lever, all with the object that the triggers
may not be enabled to move unless the projection and the arms are brought cut of
the way by a simultaneous action of the levers.
4. A safety device for guns consisting of swinging arms resting upon the top of
the triggers and connected in a suitable way with a lever accessible from without
and actuated by a spring, all with the object that the triggers may not be able to
move until, by a simultaneous action of the lever, the arms or the excentrics have
been brought out of their way.
5. A safety device for guns consisting of a swinging arm or lever being in front
of each hammer and actuated by a spring, the said lever being in a suitable way
connected with a forward extension of the corresponding trigger, all with the view
that the accidentally free hammer may by the arms or levers be prevented from
striking down upon the firing pin but that when firing, the arms or levers may by
the action of the triggers be brought out of the way of the hammers.
Dated this 10th day of November 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.