Year: 1896

page_text: We, HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND, of 98 New Bond Street and THOMAS WOODWARD of
69 Ashburnham Road, both in the County of Middlesex, Gun Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to effect improvements in the trigger mechanism of
breech loading small arms with drop down barrels to enable double guns to be fired
one barrel at a time by one trigger only, such as are described in the Specification of
our former Patent No. 23751 of 1894. In the gun described in this spécification
after the first barrel had been fired the finger pulling the trigger had to be moved
forward before the trigger was in proper position to fire the other barrel. In our
present invention the necessity for the forward motion of the finger is obviated and
the two barrels of the gun are fired by means of three pulls of the trigger. The first
pull discharges one barrel, the second pull which is the involuntary pull caused by
recoil allows the mechanisin to fall into place for the discharge of the second barrrel,.
and the third pull discharges the second barrel.
The mechanism to operate the sears alternately consists of a sliding piece which
has a backward and forward movement and is provided with a stud or projection upon
the right and left sides respectively, one to act on the sear of the right hand lock
when the slide is in one position and the trigger pulled and the other to act on the
sear of the left hand lock when the slide is in its other position and the trigger
pulled. This sliding piece is also provided with a spring which is constantly urging
it forward.
The sliding piece is moved backward in the operation of loading and it is engaged
with a slot in the trigger blade so formed that as the slide moves backward a partial
turn is given to the trigger and the slide is allowed to move back sufficiently for the
right hand stud to engage with the corresponding sear. The sliding piece is held in
this position either by the moving mechanism of the lock or by a small projection on
the right hand stud which is caught by the tail end of the intercepting sear as it
falls into position when the lock is raised to full cock. When the right hand barrel
is fired the sliding piece is released and moves forward until it is caught by a step
on the trigger blade. The second time the trigger is pulled, the step releases the.
slide which moves forward and the left hand stud is in position to operate the
corresponding sear.
The action of this mechanism is as follows:-
On loading the mechanism is so arranged that it forces back the slide into such a
position that one of its studs or projections is under the sear of the right hand lock
(the other being then clear of the left hand lock) and retains it there until the barrel
is discharged or as has been before described it may be retained by the intercepting
Bear.
When the barrel is discharged, the slide is free to move forward until it is caught
by the step on the trigger blade-the left hand stud being still clear of the left hand

page_text: The involuntary pull caused by the recoil then raises the trigger sufficiently to
release the slide from the step and the slide is allowed to complete its forward motion
and the left hand stud is in a position to operate the left hand sear. On again
pulling the trigger the left hand barrel is discharged.
In order to prevent the premature forward movement of the sliding piece when
the trigger is pulled to discharge the first barrel, we insert a small stud or peg in the
trigger-plate in such a position, that when the trigger is pulled the rocking motion
imparted to the slide caused by its turning about the trigger-centre, causes this peg
or stud to enter into a slot in the sliding piece and consequently prevents the sliding
piece from moving forward till such time as the trigger has returned to its normal
position; the slide is then free to move over the top of the peg or stud.
Dated this 10th day of September 1896.
HENRY W. HOLLAND.
THOMAS WOODWARD.
We, HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND, of 98 New Bond Street, and THOMAS WOODWARD,
of 69 Ashburnhain Road, both in the County of Middlesex, Gun Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined
to be particularly described and ascertained-in-and-by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to effect improvements in the trigger mechanism of
breech loading small arms with drop down barrels to enable double guns to be fired
one barrel at a time by one trigger only, such as are described in the Specification of
our former Patent No. 23751 of 1894. In the gun described in this Specification
after the first barrel had been fired the finger pulling the trigger had to be moved
forward before the trigger was in proper position to fire the other barrel. In our
present invention the necessity for the forward motion of the finger is obviated and
the two barrels of the gun are fired by means of three pulls of the trigger. The first
pull discharges one barrel, the second pull, which is the involuntary pull caused by
recoil, allows the mechanism to fall into place for the discharge of the second barrel,
and the third pull discharges the second barrel.
The mechanisrn to operate the sears alternately consists of a sliding piece which has
a backward and forward movement and is provided with a stud or projection upon the
right and left sides respectively, one to act on the sear of the right hand lock when
the slide is in one position and the trigger pulled and the other to act on the sear of
the left hand lock when the slide is in its other position and the trigger pulled. This
sliding piece is also provided with a spring which is constantly urging it forward.
The sliding piece is moved back ward in the operation of loading by well known
means and it is engaged with a slot in the trigger blade so formed that as the slide
moves backward a partial turn is given to the trigger and the slide is allowed to move
back sufficiently for the right hand stud to engage with the corresponding sear. The
sliding piece is held in this position either by the moving mechanism of the lock or
by a small projection on the right hand stud which is caught by the tail end of the
intercepting sear as it falls into position when the lock is raised to full cock. When
the right hand barrel is fired the sliding piece is released and moves forward until it
is caught by a step on the trigger blade. The second time the trigger is pulled, the
step releases the slide which moves forward and the left hand stud comes into position
to operate the corresponding sear.
The drawings annexed show mechanism arranged as above described-they
represent only those parts which are necessary to make the action clear.

page_text: Figure 1 is an elevation of the trigger and trigger block, the sliding piece upon it,
the trigger plate and the stump to which the trigger is jointed.
In this figure the parts are shown in the position they occupy when both barrels
are loaded.
Figure 2 is a similar elevation showing the sliding piece after the first barrel has
been fired and before, the second or involuntary pull has taken place.
Figure 3 is a similar elevation showing the sliding piece after the involuntary pull;
it is in position for firing the left hand barrel.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the trigger and trigger blade.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the sliding piece, Figure 6 is an end elevation, and
Figure 7 is a plan of the same.
a is the trigger blade turning on a pin b carried by a stump e which stands up from
the trigger plate. d is the sliding piece, it has projections d and d which act on
the sears of the right and left hand locks respectively. d is a slot through which the
pin 6 passes. is a neck connecting the projections and d². The sliding piece
also has a spring e which is continuously urging it forward.
The sliding piece is moved backward in the operation of opening the gun for
loading into the position shown in Figure 1 and is retained there by the projection d'
being caught by the tail end of the intercepting sear of the right hand lock as it falls
into position when the gun is cocked. The projection dis now in position to
operate on the right sear and when the trigger is pulled the right hand barrel is fired.
When the right hand barrel is fired the parts pass into the position shown in
Figure 2 the sliding piece has moved forward and the neck d' is caught upon the
step on the trigger blade.
The second time the trigger is pulled the sears are not operated upon and the
step a releases the sliding piece for in this position the sliding piece d is prevented
from moving with the trigger about the joint 6 by the stad or peg g with which in
Figure 2 the sliding piece is seen to be in contact. The sliding piece then moves
forward into the position shewn in Figure 3 and the stud d' comes into position to
operate the left hand sear.
The next time the trigger is pulled the left hand barrel is fired.
In the opening of the gun the neck d comes against the incline a² and so the
trigger is brought forward again turning about the pin . The parts are now again
in the position shewn in Figure 1.
The dotted circlesff shew the position of the sear tails.
The action of this mechanism is thus as follows:-
On loading the slide is forced back into such a position that one of its studs or
projections is under the tail of the sear of the right hand lock the other being then
clear of the left hand lock. The slide is retained there until the barrel is discharged.
When the right barrel is discharged, the slide is free to move forward and does so
until it is caught by the step on the trigger blade-the left hand stud being still
clear of the left hand sear.
The involuntary pull caused by the recoil then raises the trigger sufficiently to
release the slide from the step and the slide is allowed to complete its forward motion
which brings the left hand stad into a position to operate the left hand sear. On
again pulling the trigger the left hand barrel is discharged.
In order to prevent the premature forward movement of the sliding piece when the
trigger is pulled to discharge the first barrel, we may so arrange the stud or pegg in
the trigger plate, that when the trigger is pulled for the purpose of acting on the
sears the rocking motion imparted to the slide caused by its turning about
the trigger-centre brings the peg or stud into one or other of two notches d' d' in the
sliding piece and consequently prevents the sliding piece from moving forward till
such time as the trigger has returned to its normal position the slide is then free to
move over the top of the peg or stud.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
The trigger blade and the sliding piece upon it arranged substantially as described

page_text: so that the sliding piece after firing the first barrel passes forward to a step a¹ upon the
trigger blade by which it is retained until by the second or involuntary pull it is
liberated and permitted to complete its forward movement and so to come into
position to operate the left hand sear.
2. The combination with the trigger blade and sliding piece of the stud or peg g
operating to control the sliding piece substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of June 1897.
H. W. HOLLAND.
THOMAS WOODWARD.