IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LOCK MECHANISM OF DOUBLE CHAMBERED BREECH LOADING HAMMERLESS GUNS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Crutchley, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LOCK MECHANISM
OF DOUBLE CHAMBERED BREECH LOADING HAMMERLESS GUNS."
1000
1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Crutchley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1879.
FREDERICK CRUTCHLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE LOCK MECHANISM OF DOUBLE CHAMBERED. BREECH LOADING
HAMMERLESS GUNS."
My Invention has for its object improvements in the lock mechanism of double
chambered breech loading guns whose hammers are internally placed, or what are
known as hammerless guns.
According to my Invention I use a double or forked main spring, acting direct
upon the internal hammers which are pivotted upon the trigger plate. The under
lever for cocking and for withdrawing the bolt to open the gun is also hung in a
slot in and under the trigger plate to work freely between the two internal lammers
which are impelled forward when the triggers are pulled by the forked ends of my
double spring.
This double or forked main spring lies directly upon the inner surface of the
trigger plate, the ends being slightly curved upwards to press against projections
formed at the back of the hammers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Crutchley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
March 1880.
FREDERICK CRUTCHLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick. "IMPROVE-
IN THE LOCK MECHANISM OF DOUBLE CHAMBERED BREECH LOADING
HAMMERLESS GUNS."
MENTS
My Invention has for its object improvements in the lock mechanism of double
chambered breech loading guns whose hammers are internally placed, or what are
known as "hammerless guns."
According to my Invention I use a double or forked main spring, acting direct
upon the internal hammers, as shown clearly in the three side elevations, Figures
1, 5, and 10.. where the points a¹ of the spring a are clearly shown bearing against
the shoulder b¹ which is formed in each of the hammers b. The hammers b are
hung upon the pivots e of the trigger plate c. The under lever F for cocking and
for withdrawing the bolt g to open the gun is also hung in a slot in and under the
trigger plate c to work freely between the two internal hammers, which are impelled
forward when the triggers are pulled by the forked ends of my double main
spring.
All the views are shown with the gun mechanism in the cocked position but
locked by the safety catch h which bears upon the triggers i, preventing them from
being lifted. The safety catch is unlocked by simply pushing the bolt h forwards
towards the front of the gun by means of the thumb piece h¹. After the gun is
fired the breech is opened by means of the before mentioned lever F being pressed
downwards, which brings the pin j into the recesses k of the hammers, which do
not extend all across their faces but leaves a web in each hammer for the purpose
of imparting greater strength to them. This will be more clearly seen in the side
elevation, Figure 2, where the left leg of the main spring and the left hammer is
removed for greater clearness in illustrating the recesses k in the hammers. The
action of opening the breech also cocks the hammers, and they carry the safety
catch back into the locked position, as shown, the hammers themselves returning
and settling under the seers 7, but sufficiently forward to leave the necessary space m
for allowing the safety catch to be brought sufficiently forward to miss the projec-
tions upon the trigger plates.
Figure 3 is a plan of the actions shown in elevation by Figures 1 and 2; and
Figure 4 is a back end elevation of the same action.
.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a similar action shown as applied to a gun having
a top lever N for opening the breech. In this case the hammers are carried to the
cocked position by the two friction rollers o, o, of the barrel locking bolt p (or the
rollers may be dispensed with). The safety catch is moved forward to its locked
position over the triggers by the horn q, which projects from the said barrel locking
bolt between the rollers, the safety catch h being carried down in this case to meet
the said horn q.
The inverted plan, Figure 6, shows the top lever N turned to the right side of
the gun, and the barrel locking bolt brought forward by the eccentric r which is fast
with the lever N; this plan also shows the safety catch h brought back by the
before mentioned horn q; Figure 7 is the plan showing the position of the top
lever N when the gun is closed. In some cases where I wish to obtain a little more
leverage in bringing the hammers back to the cocked position I crank the safety
bolt, as is illustrated by Figure 8 in both side elevation and plan. When the gun
is fired the forked main spring propels the hammers forward in just the same
manner as explained in the case of the gun having an under lever.
.
Figure 10 also illustrates a top lever action in side elevation; and the same action
is represented in plan by Figure 11. Here also the top lever N opens the breech

page_text: by moving the barrel locking bolt p backwards, but in this case the end of the
barrel locking bolt carries only one roller 8 which works against the reeling lever t,
whose upper end bears against the projections u on the inner side of each of the
hammers and forces them back into the cocked position. The extreme top end of
this reeling lever t also carries the safety catch into its locked position over the
triggers.
Figures 9 are a top plan and also an inverted plan showing the safety catch
arranged so as to indicate the two barrels separately and together, i.e., I can move
forward the safety catch y, allowing the right hand barrel to be fired without
unlocking the safety catch z which secures the left hand barrel against being
discharged; it would also be indicated which barrel was still loaded, and thus
prevent many accidents in the use of the gun in the field. The discharged barrel
could also be reloaded without in any way interfering with the locked position of
the barrel remaining loaded.
Figures 12, 13, and 14 illustrate another modification showing my forked main
spring V split edgwise so as to form two supplementary light legs or wings w for
the seers, which enables me to do without the seer spring a shown in plan, Figure 3,
thus considerably steadying and simplifying the action by reducing the number of
parts, besides lessening the liability of any of the parts moving out of their positions.
The double locking catch is also illustrated as applied to this action, thus forming a
combination at once simple, effective, and most secure against accident of any
kind.
Having now described several ways of applying my herein before described
Invention in practice both to top and bottom lever guns I would have it clearly
understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein set forth, but I
do claim the improvements in the lock mechanism of double chambered breech
loading hammerless guns herein before described, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings by Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Crutchley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witnessed by
GEORGE BARKER,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
FREDERICK CRUTCHLEY. (L.S.)