IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hackett, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
Sealed the 25th June 1878, and dated the 9th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hackett at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th March 1878.
38
GEORGE HACKETT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS.”
My Invention relates to breech-loading small-arms of the kind commouly called
drop-down guns; and my said Invention consists of the arrangements of parts
herein-after described for actuating the bolt by which the barrels are locked down
for discharge, and for facilitating the attachment and detachment of the "fore
end."
In constructing the mechanism for actuating the bolt by which the barrels are
locked down for discharge, I joint a lever on the tang of the break off, the said lever
having motion in a vertical plane. The long arm of the lever is external to the
break off, and when the gun is ready for discharge lies close down on the break off.
The short arm of the lever is at right angles to the long arm, and is situated under-
neath the tang of the break off.
The short arm of the lever is connected by a short horizontal link to a vertical
bar on the rear end of the horizontal bolt which engages with the lump on the
under side of the barrels to lock down the barrels. The said bolt is urged forward
into the locking position by a spring in the usual way.
On raising the rear end of the lever on the tang of the break off its short arm
draws back the link jointed to it, and through the said link withdraws the
bolt and unfastens the barrels, the breach ends of which can now be raised for
charging.
On shutting down the barrels the lump forces back the bolt, and when the breech
ends of the barrels are closely seated against the face of the break off, the said bolt

page_text: engages with the lump on the under side of the barrels by a snapping action, and
the barrels are fastened down and the gun is ready for firing.
In constructing a "fore end" fastening according to my Invention, I fix on the
metal plate let into the under or inner side of the fore end a strong tube or hollow
cylinder, in the axis of which a rod slides.
A coiled spring around the said rod urges one of its ends out of the end of the
cylinder in the direction proper for fastening the fore end.
The projecting end of the rod is made by preference to carry an antifriction
roller. The said roller facilitates but is not necessary to the action of the
mochanism.
When the fore end is put in its place on the gun, the loop on the under side of
the barrels passes through a slot in the metal plate carrying the cylinder described,
one end of the loop being presented to the roller on the end spring rod; the said end
of the loop is made concave, and when the "fore end" is put in its place and
pressed home close to the barrels, the said loop first comes against and presses back
the roller and spring rod; but when its concave part is brought opposite the roller
the said roller snaps into the concavity in the loop, and the fore end is fastened in
its place.
In order to remove the "fore end" it is only necessary to apply the thumb or
forefinger to the "fore end," and press it from the barrels with sufficient pressure to
raise the roller out of the concavity in the loop, when the "fore end" becomes dis-
connected from the barrels and can be removed.
Instead of the spring rod and roller described, a short lever with or without a
roller may be made to press into the concavity in the loop by a flat or other
spring.
The concavity in the loop in which the spring rod or lever engages may be inade.
either in the front or back of the loop, or in the top or side.
My improvements are applicable to single and double-barrel drop-down guns.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Hackett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th August
1878.
George HacketT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
My Invention relates to breech-loading small-arms of the kind commonly called
drop-down guns; and my said Invention consists of the arrangements of parts
herein-after described for actuating the bolt by which the barrels are locked down
for discharge, and for facilitating the attachment and detachment of the "fore
end."
In constructing the mechanism for actuating the bolt by which the barrels are
locked down for discharge, I joint a lever on the tang of the break off, the said
lever having motion in a vertical plane. The long arin of the lever is external to
the break off, and when the gun is ready for discharge lies close down on the tang
of the break off. The short arm of the lever is at right angles to the long arm, and
is situated underneath the tang of the break off.
The short arm of the lever is connected by a short horizontal link to a vertical
bar on the rear end of the horizontal bolt which engages with the lump on the
under side of the barrels to lock down the barrels. The said bolt is urged forward
into the locking position by a spring in the usual way.
On raising the rear end of the lever on the tang of the break off its short arm
draws back the link jointed to it, and through the said link withdraws the
bolt and unfastens the barrels, the breech ends of which can now be raised for
charging.
On shutting down the barrels the lump forces back the bolt, and when the breech
end of the barrels are closely seated against the face of the break off, the said bolt
engages with the lump on the under side of the barrels by a snapping action, and
the barrels are fastened down and the gun is ready for firing.
In constructing a fore end fastening according to my Invention, I fix on the
metal plate or bar let into the under or inner side of the "fore end" a strong tube
or hollow cylinder, in the axis of which a rod slides.
A coiled spring around the said rod urges one of its ends out of the end of the
cylinder in the direction proper for fastening the fore end.
The projecting end of the rod is made by preference to carry an antifriction
roller. The said roller facilitates, but is not necessary to the action of the
mechanism.
When the fore end is put in its place on the gun, the loop on the under side of
the barrels passes through a slot in the metal plate or bar carrying the cylinder
described, one end of the loop being presented to the roller on the end of the spring
rod. The said end of the loop is made concave, and when the fore end is put in its
place and pressed home close to the barrels, the said loop first comes against and
presses back the roller and spring rod; but when its concave part is brought opposite
the roller, the said roller snaps into the concavity in the loop, and the "fore end"
is fastened in its place.
In order to remove the "fore end" it is only necessary to apply the thumb or
forefinger to the "fore end," and press it from the barrels with sufficient pressure to
raise the roller out of the concavity in the loop, when the "fore end" becomes dis-
connected from the barrels and can be removed.
Instead of the spring rod and roller described, a short lever with or without a
roller may be made to press into the concavity in the loop by a flat or other
spring.
The concavity in the loop in which the spring rod or lever engages may be made
either in the front or back of the loop, or in the side.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 represent in vertical longitudinal section a portion of a drop-
down gun provided with my improved mechanism for actuating the bolt, by which
the barrels are locked down for discharge, Figure 1 representing the parts in their
normal positions, that is, in the positions they respectively occupy when the gun is
ready for discharge, and Figure 2 the parts in the positions they respectively occupy
when the bolt is withdrawn for permitting of the raising of the breech ends of the
barrels for charging; Figure 3 represents parts of the same.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
a, a², is a lever jointed at a³ to the tang d of the break off, the said lever turning
upon its joint in a vertical plane. The arm a of the lever is external to the tang d
and when the gun is ready for discharge lies close down upon the said tang, as
shewn in Figure 1. The short arm a² of the lever is nearly at right angles to the
arm a, and is situated underneath the tang of the break off, the said short arm
being passed through the slot in which the lever is jointed.
The short arm a² of the lever is connected by a short nearly horizontal link b
(shown separately in Figure 3) with the head of a vertical bar con the rear end of
the horizontal bolt c which engages with the lump e on the under side of the barrels
to lock down the barrels during discharge; this bolt c, c, is shown separately in
Figure 3.
The free end of a spring f fixed at f* on the under side of the break off bears on
the short arm a of the lever and urges the said lever, when it is at liberty to move
into the position shown in Figure 1, and through the link b and bar c² shoots the
bolt c and locks down the breech end of the barrels against the break off.
When it is wished to liberate the breceli ends of the barrels so that they
may be raised for charging, the lever a, a, is raised by its thumb plate a into the
position represented in Figure 2, when by the motion of the link band vertical
bar the bolt c is withdrawn, and the breech ends of the barrels can be
raised.
After the barrels have been charged by shutting down their breech ends, the
locking down of the barrels is automatically effected.
"
As the barrels are shut down the lump on their under side (with which lump the
bolt c engages) forces back the said bolt in the position Figure 2, but when the
breech ends of the barrels are closely scated against the face of the break off, the
said bolt urged by the spring f engages with the lump e by a snapping action, and
the barrels are thus locked down and the gun made ready for discharge.
Figure 4 represents in longitudinal section a fore end fastening constructed
according to my Invention, by the use of which fastening the attachments and
detachment of the "fore end" of drop-down guns is much facilitated.
On the metal plate or bar h let into the under or inner side of the wooden
part of the "fore end," I fix by screws (or in any other convenient way) a strong
tube or hollow cylinder k. In the axis of the said tube or cylinder k a rod 7
slides.
A strong coiled spring m around the rod urges its end ³ out of the end of the
tube in the direction proper for fastening the fore end.
The projecting end of the rod carries an antifriction roller n; the said roller n
may be dispensed with, and the end 2 of the rod rounded, but I prefer to use the
roller n on the end of the rod.
The loop p on the under side of the barrels has a concavity p² in that face of it
opposed to the end of the tube k, the radius of the concavity p² being by preference
equal to or greater than the radius of the roller n.
When the fore end is put in its place on the under side of the barrels, the loop p
passes through the slot in the plate or bar at h². The nose of the loop as the loop
descends through the slot at presses back the roller n, forcing the rod / into the
barrel and compressing the spring m. As the fore end seats itself close upon the
barrels the roller n is brought immediately opposite the concavity p³ in the loop p,
and the spring forces the said roller into the said concavity with a snapping action,
and the fore end is securely fixed in its place on the barrels.

page_text: In order to detach the fore end it is only necessary to insert the forefinger under
the free end of the fore end (in which a slight recess is made for the introduction
of the finger), and with moderate pressure to prize or raise the fore end a short
distance from its seat against the barrels. During this motion the roller n travelling
against the inclined part p³ of the concavity p² in the loop, it is forced back, and as
soon as the centre on which the roller n turns has passed from the cavity and over
the nose of the loop, it is free and the fore end can be removed. The detaching of
the fore end is thus effected in the simplest manner; for its attachment it is only
necessary to put it in its place on the barrels, and press it to its seat with moderate
pressure when it fixes itself by a snapping action, and to remove it it is only
necessary to lift or prize it with moderate pressure from its seat, by which action it
may readily be detached.
Figure 5 represents in longitudinal section, and Figure 6 in plan, a modification
of the mechanism for attaching and detaching the fore end. In this modification a
small cranked lever q carries at the end of one of its arms a small roller r. The
other arm is acted upon by the flat spring a, by the action of which the roller is
pressed into the recess or concavity in the loop t, and the attaching and detaching
of the fore end is effected in a way essentially the same as that described with
respect to the first-described arrangement, Figure 4.
The roller r, Figures 5 and 6, may be dispensed with, and the rounded end of the
arm of the lever pressed into the concavity of the loop t, I prefer to employ a roller
as represented in the Drawing.
The concavity in the loop in which the roller or rod of the arrangement Figure 4
engages, or in which the roller or lever of the arrangement, Figures 5 and 6, engages,
is most conveniently placed in that part of the loop in which I have represented it,
but the concavity may be made in other parts of the loop, for example, in the front
or in either side of the loop, the positions of the rod or lever q with their actuating
springs and parts connected therewith being so changed as to cause them to engage
in the concavity in the front or side of the loop, as the case may be.
Instead of arranging the parts of the fore end fastening in the manner illustrated
with respect to Figures 4, 5, and 6, the said parts may be inverted with the same
or nearly the same effect, that is to say, instead of placing the fore end fastening in
the tube or barrel fixed to the bar of the fore end, the said fastening may be placed
in the loop on the under side of the barrels, and the part engaging with the
fastening may be carried by or form part of the fore end bar.
This modification of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 7, 8, and 9, of the
Drawings, Figure 7 representing a longitudinal section of a complete fore end
applied to the barrels; Figure 8, the loop, the fastening and the bar of the fore end
in elevation; and Figure 9, a cross section partly in elevation of the same. In this
arrangement a tube or barrel k is bored in the loop u, in which tube or barrel the
rod and the coiled spring m work, the head of the said rod projecting from the
said loop and carrying the antifriction roller n.
The fore end bar h is slotted, as seen in Figure 9, for allowing of the passage
through it of the loop u. The rod 7 is prevented from rotating in the tube or barrel k
in the loop by the pin v passed through the said rod working in the slots * in the
said loop.
The front end of the alot in the fore end bar h is inclined at h², and under the
end h is a seat at h³ for the roller of the spring rod 1 to engage with or seat itself
against for fastening the fore end to the loop.
When the fore end i is pressed towards the barrels the spring rod is forced back
by the incline h² on the fore end bar h bearing against the roller n, and when the
said fore end has reached the under side of the barrels the roller n by the action of
the spring rod snaps under the fore end bar at ³, and the fore end is securely
fastened in its place as represented in Figure 7.
To detach the fore end the free end 12 is lifted or prized, when the part of the
fore end bar h bearing against the roller n forces it back, and when the fore end has

page_text: descended sufficiently far to bring the roller end into the slot in the fore end bar h,
the fore end is released and may be removed..
The end of the spring rod of the fastening may be rounded and the roller be
carried by the fore end bar as illustrated in elevation in Figures 10, and cross
section in Figure 11, where the roller on the fore end bar is marked n³, and the
rounded end of the spring rod is marked l².
The arrangement of parts represented in Figures 5 and 6 where a cranked lever
is used may be applied to the loop instead of to the fore end bar.
In place of or in addition to the recess at for prizing or lifting the fore end
from the barrels, recesses may be made at opposite sides of the fore end and near
the free end at for the purpose of prizing or lifting the fore end by means of the
thumb and finger. But my Invention the mechanisms ordinarily employed for
unfastening the fore end before it can be raised or removed from the barrels are
dispensed with, the act of raising or prizing the fore end itself effecting the un-
fastening of the parts by which the said fore end is attached to the barrels.
My improvements are applicable to single and double-barrelled guns.
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 Inven-
tion of improvements in breech-loading small-arms of the kind called drop-down
guns,―
First. Working the bolt by which the locking down of the barrels during the
discharge of the gun and their liberation or unlocking is effected by means of a
lever on the tang of the break off moving vertically, the said lever operating on the
said bolt by means of the link b and vertical bar c, the parts being arranged and
combined substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2,
and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The improvements in the fore end fastenings of drop-down guns herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, of the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say, constructing a fore end fastening in which the
fore end is released from the barrels by the act of raising or prizing the fore end
itself from the barrels, the fore end being fastened to the barrels by pressing it to
its sent on the barrels, the several parts being constructed, arranged, and working,
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hackett, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
GEORGE HACKETT. (L.S.)