Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 24th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th May, 1887.
I, HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH, practising as Phillips & Leigh, Engineer and
Patent Agent, of No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in breech-loading fire arms, and more
especially to improvements in breech-loading double-barrel shot-guns of that class in
which the barrels are fulcrummed to the breech-block and adapted to be thrown into
an inclined position for the insertion of a fresh cartridge, after which they are returned
to and locked to the breech blocks; and the invention consists of improvements in the
mechanism for locking the barrel or barrels to the breech block; of an improved device
for extracting the empty cartridge cases; of an improved construction of mechanism
for actuating the hammers and firing pins; and in combining with the arm a detachable
folding screw-driver and wrench.
The barrels are fulcrummed by a strong lug to a recess at the front end of the
breech-block, a soft, metal bearing and a set screw being provided for the purpose of
setting up the same. The barrels are provided with a fixed hook near the breech end,
capable of entering a recess in the block to which it can be locked by a slide-bolt
working in the block. The contacting noses of the hook and bolt are convex.
spring is provided io shoot the bolt, and a finger lever in front of the triggers for the
purpose of withdrawing it.
A bar
The extractor is located at the breech end of the barrels, and has segmental recessed
edges to engage the cartridge rims. It is provided with a slotted shank capable of
sliding under the barrels in slots in the locking book and the strong lug above
mentioned, and upon a guide pin. The front end of the shank and toe of the lug are
convex, and engage for the purpose of pushing the extractor back when the breech is
opened, and the rear end of the shank is also convex to facilitate the return of the
extractor when the breech is closed. A longitudinal guide pin carried by a rearward

page_text: extension of the barrels passes through the upper part of the extractor. This rear-
ward extension enters a recess in the top of the block as the breech is being closed.
The tail piece of the breech block is connected by a strong centre stay to the bottom
plate of the action, the hammer-actuating mechanisms being situated on either side of
said stay. The hammers are fulcrummed upon the side plates, each hammer being
actuated by a strong main-spring. To each side plate of a double barrel arm is applied
a hammer, a hammer actuating main-spring, a trigger, and a trigger-lever, which are
retained by an interior auxiliary plate. On detaching a side plate, the parts mentioned
are exposed. The trigger releases the trigger lever from the notches of the hammer
shank. A cup on the end of a blade spring is provided to receive the stroke of the
hammer and transmit the same to the headed-firing-pin working in a perforation of
the breech block, said pin being furnished with a suitable returning spring. A
projecting lug at the front of each side plate enters into a recess in each side of the
breech block so as to form a reliable connection therewith.
The upper end of the main-spring carries an anti-friction block bearing upon the
heel of the hammer.
The interior axial pins of my action are screw-threaded, and a locking plate is
provided to keep the nuts in position.
A V-spring is provided to constantly press upon the end of the trigger lever.
The triggers are pivotted to sideways projecting lugs of the trigger levers to facilitate
their passage through the recess of the bottom plate.
1 form a recess between the barrel and a forward extension of the stock to receive
a folding screwdriver wrench and handle.
This fool is prevented from dropping from the recess by a spring having a stud on
its end which engages in a recess in the head of the folded tool.
Dated this 30th day of November 1886.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Breech-loading Fire-arms.
I, HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH, practising as Phillips & Leigh, Engineer and Patent
Agent, of No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as it has been communicated to me
from abroad by Adolf Sachs, of Valley City, in the United States of America,
Mechanic), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to certain improvements in breech-loading fire-arms,
and more especially to improvements in breech-loading double-barrel shot-guns of
that class in which the barrels are fulcrummed to the action-body and adapted to be
thrown into the inclined position for inserting cartridges after which they are returned
to and locked to the action-body and the invention consists in improvements in the
mechanisin for locking the barrel or barrels to the action body, in an improved device
for extracting the empty cartridge cases, and in an improved construction of the
actuating mechanisms for the hammers and firing pins.
The invention consists further in the combination with the recessed extension of the
stock having a locking spring, of a detachable screw-driver and wrench.
In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of this specification
and read therewith. Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of my improved breech-loading
fire-arm.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, drawn on a larger scale, showing
the barrels locked to the action body.
Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, a detail end-view and inside view of the hammer-
actuating mechanism.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal section, showing the barrel
in the inclined position ready for inserting a cartridge.
Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the hammer-actuating mechanism, with
the hammer at full cock.
Fig. 7 is a detail end-view of the extractor.
Fig. 8 is a detail vertical longitudinal section, showing the connection of the
combined screw-driver and wrench with the extension of the stock.
Fig. 9 is a part plan of the fire-arm, and
Fig. 10, a plan of the combined screw-driver and wrench.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the drawings, A represents the stock; B, the action body and C, C, the barrels,
of my improved double barrelled breech-loading fire-arın. The barrels are fulcrummed
by a strong lump projecting intermediately from between the barrels to a recess at
the front end of the action body B, the tight fitting of the lump C¹ to the joint-
pin being secured by a soft metal bearing & adjustable by a set-screw 62 passing
longitudinally through the lump C as shown clearly in Fig. 2.
い

page_text: The barrels C, Care provided with a fixed hook d near their breech-end which hook
enters into a recess of the action body and is locked to the same by means of a slide-
piece d² which is guided in the rear part of the action body. The rear-end of the locking
slide-piece is pressed forward by a strong band-spring so as to keep up a reliable
interlocking between the hook and the slide-piece d². The rear end of the locking
slide-piece is slotted, and a lever D passed through the said slot, the lever being
fulcrummed at its upper end to lumps of the tail-piece B of the action body B, and
extended through the bottom plate 133 of the hammer-actuating mechanisms to the
outside, as shown in Fig. 2.
The outer end of the lever D is located in front of the triggers, within the guard-
piece of the same, as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.
By pulling back the lever D, the locking slide-piece is released from the hook d,
so that the barrels can be thrown into the inclined position, in which position the
empty cases can be removed and fresh cartridges inserted.
The extractor E, which serves for both barrels, is located at the breech-end thereof
and provided with a slotted forward-extending shank E¹ at right angles to the
extractor E. The segmental edges of the extractor E are recessed for the purpose of
engaging the rims of the cartridge-cases as shown in Fig. 7. The shank E' of the
extractor E is guided by slots on the hook d, the stop-screw e and the lug C, as shown
clearly in Fig. 2. The front end of the extractor shank E is rounded off and engaged
by upwardly-curved toes e¹ of the action body B, so that when the barrels C, Care
thrown into the inclined position, the pressure of the toes e¹ on the shank E' moves
the extractor backward and withdraws the cases from the barrels. The lower edge of
the extractor E is rounded off, so as to pass readily along the front of the action-body
which latter pushes the extractor forward into its normal position whilst the barrels are
being returned into locked position. The upper end of the extractor E is perforated
centrally and guided along a fixed longitudinal pine which extends from the solid
portion, intermediately between the barrels C, C, to a rearwardly-extending lump e of
the same, said guide-pin and lump fitting into a recess at the top-part of the action-
body as shown in Figs. 2 and 9. By this arrangement, the extractor E is steadily
guided while moving into either forward or backward position, and the cases with-
drawn far enough to be quickly removed on pulling the barrels into the inclined
position.
The tail-piece B of the action-body B is connected by a strong centre-stay B² to
the bottom plate B3 and firmly bolted to the latter. The centre-stay B2 separates the
hammer-actuating mechanisms which are located at each side of the same.
The hammers are fulcrumined to the side-plates F' of the hammer-actuating
mechanism, each being actuated in the usual manner by a strong main-spring F² when
the trigger G is pulled.
The trigger G relenses the fulerumined sear G from the bent. The curved front
part of the hammer strikes against an enlarged cup-shaped portion at the upper
end of a safety-guard spring The cup-shaped upper portion strikes against the
head of a spring-cushioned firing pin, and moves the same forward so as to ignite
the priming of the cartridge. The shank and head of the firing-pin are guided in
a perforation of the action-body in line with the axis of the barrel. As soon as the
hammer is raised, the firing-pin and the cup-shaped portion of the guard f (which
is provided for the purpose of protecting the heads of the firing-pin " against the
blows of the hammer) are throw back by their respective springs. The lower end
of the spring-guard is attached to the rear part of the action-body as shown in
Fig. 2, 5 and 6.
The side-plates F of the hammer-actuating mechanisin are connected by transverse
screw-bolts and rigidly secured to the recessed sides of the tail-piece B' of the action-
body as shown in Fig. 9.
A projecting lump g at the front of each side-plate F¹ enters into a corresponding
recess at each side of the action-body so as to form a steady and reliable connection
therewith. To each side-plate F¹ is applied a hammer, a hammer-actuating main-
spring, a trigger, and a sear which are retained by an interior auxiliary plate f³. On

page_text: detaching the side plate F¹ from the tail-piece of the action-body and stock A, the
parts mentioned are detached therewith and can be conveniently inspected and repaired
as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
The hammer-actuating main-spring F slides by its upper end which has a pivotted
antifriction block h, along a projecting heel at the rear part of the hammer F, as
shown clearly in Figs. 5 and 6, while the lower end rests on a fixed transverse bolt h²
that connects the side plate F1 and inner auxiliary plate F³. The inner ends of the
bolt h² and of the fulcra of the hammer F and sear G₁ are threaded for applying
screw-nuts, which retain the auxiliary plate F³ in position. The screw-nuts are
securely held in position by a notched locking plate F, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4,
which bears against the stay B2 when the side-plate F' is in position on the tail of the
action-body B. The locking plate F prevents the nuts being unscrewed, and the
parts constituting the hammer-actuating mechanism loosened by the concussions to
which they are exposed.
The sear G¹ is acted upon by a V-shaped band-spring i placed around a fixed trans-
verse pin extending from the plate F to the auxiliary plate F³, one end of the
spring pressing against the sear-while the other end presses against a second cross-
pin, as shown clearly in Figs. 5 and 6.
The triggers G are connected to side-ways-projecting lump m of the sears so as to
facilitate their convenient passage through the recess of the bottom-plate when the
different parts of the hammer-actuating mechanism are put together.
As my improved double-barrelled fire-arm is mainly designed as a shot-gun for
hunting purposes, I have arranged in connection therewith a screw-driver and
wrench H, H, which are pivotted together and to a handle H, as shown in Fig. 10.
By folding the parts H, H1, H2, together, they can be readily inserted into a socket-
shaped recess formed in a forward extension A¹ of the stock A, which extension is
secured to the underside of the fulcrummed barrels C, C, as shown in Fig. 8. The
said recess is formed by the space between the two barrels and a recess in the front
end of the extension A¹. A spring m projects by its enlarged front-end into an
indentation m formed in either the wrench H, or the screw-driver H, so as to retain
the folded parts H H H in position in the recess, without any danger of their acci-
dental release and loss. The enlarged head m³ of the pivot of the folded screw-
driver H wrench H' and handle H serves as a stop for the device when it is inserted
into the recess at the front end of the extension-stock A', as shown clearly in Figs. 1
and 8. By means of the screw-driver and wrench, the different parts of the fire-arm
can be taken apart whenever it may be necessary, so that any break or defect can be
readily ascertained and repaired. This is of special advantage in such parts of the
country as are at some distance from gun-smiths' shops or other places where guns
can be repaired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination, with a action-body recessed at the front end, barrels
fulcrummed to the recessed front end of the action-body and having a fixed hook
near the breech-end, and independent spring-actuated locking-slide-piece, and a
vertical pivotted lever adapted to engage said slide-piece or release the same, the
outer end of said lever being located in front of the triggers within the guard-
piece thereof, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, of the action body having a recessed front end with curved
toes, fulcrummed barrels, having a longitudinal guide-pin at its breech-end, means for
locking the barrels to the action-body and an extractor having a slotted shank guided
along the bottom of the barrels and breech guide-pin, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination, of a action-body B, having a recessed front end with toes e¹,
and a top recess e, fulcrummed barrels CC, having a longitudinal guide-pin e and
lump eat the breech-end, a sliding extractor E, guided along the pin e², and a slotted
shank E', guided along the under-side of the barrels, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, of a action-body B, having recessed tail-piece B¹, a central

page_text: stay B2, bottom-plate B³, side-plates F, hammers F extending through the recesses in
said tail-piece, and mechanisms for actuating the hammers supported on the side-plates
at both sides of the centre stay, substantially as set forth.
5. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of the hammer F, main-spring F,
side-plates F, auxiliary plate F³, fulcrummed and spring-acted sear G¹, and a trigger G
pivotted to a laterally projecting lump of the sear substantially as set forth.
6. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of the hammer F, side-plate F1,
main-spring F, auxiliary plate F, fulcrummed and spring-acted sear G, trigger G
pivotted to said sear, transverse screw bolts having nuts h³, and nut-locking plate F,
substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of the hammer F, the spring-cushioned firing pin f having an
enlarged head, and the spring guard f having a cup-shaped head normally resting
upon said enlarged head, said guard being adapted to receive the percussion of the
hammer and impart it to the firing-pin, substantially as described.
S. The combination with a double barrel and a recessed extension of the stock, of
a folding screw-driver and wrench, inserted detachably in a recess formed by the
barrels and extension stock, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination with a single or double-barrel and an extension of the stock
having a recessed front end and an interior locking-spring, of a folding screw-drivor
and wrench, having a depression in the shank of either tool for the locking spring and
a pivot with enlarged head, forming an abutment for stopping the folded screw-driver
and wrench when inserted into the recess, substantially as set forth.