IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING OR LOCKING THE BARRELS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Walter Raleigh Trevelyan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on.
the 22nd May 1874.
I, WALTER RALEIGH TREVELYAN, of Emsworth House, near Emsworth,
in the County of Hants, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of tho
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING OR LOCKING
THE BARRELS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:
-
This Invention consists in the construction and application of certain
improved apparatus whereby the barrels of breech-loading fire-arms con->
structed upon the "Le Faucheux" or "break-down" system are.
securely locked when the breech is closed, and all tendency to become.
loosened by repeated discharges and thereby to allow of the escape of
gas is effectually prevented.
In the following description of the present Invention it will be treated
as applied to double-barreled fire-arms, although by means of very.
simple modifications and adaptations, such as will be well understood by
persons conversant with such matters, it can also be applied to guns.
having single barrels only. The breech plate is constructed with two

page_text: recesses corresponding with the bores of the rear ends of the respective
barrels, and in each of such recesses is placed a disc having a flat
circular face of such dimensions as to be capable of entering the opposite
barrel. The said discs are respectively connected by means of pins or
elongations which pass through apertures provided for that purpose in
the centres of the recesses, with a horizontal plate which is placed
immediately. beneath the forward end of the breech tang. Below the
said horizontal plate is a cam-like piece or plate which is fixed
eccentrically by means of a suitable pin, which passes through the
horizontal plate to a lever placed in the rear of the breech plate and 1
above the breech tang, such cam like piece or plate being provided with
suitable bents or notches for the purposes herein-after mentioned.
When in their normal position the anterior faces of the discs project
beyond the recesses, and are retained in that position by a spring which
is fixed to the breech tang whilst one end thereof presses against one of
the bents or notches into the cam-like piece or plate.
•
In order to withdraw the discs within the recesses the before-
mentioned lever is pressed horizontally, and the cam-like picce or plate
thereby partially rotated upon its pin or pivot, actuating with such
motion the before-mentioned horizontal plate and withdrawing the discs
into the recesses.
To the lower face of the cam-like piece or plate is
attached by means of a pin or pivot a small crank lever, the end of
which opposite to the pin or pivot is fixed to or forms part of a locking
bolt, which works through a slot or opening provided for that purpose in
the breech plate below the line of the barrels, and is capable of taking
into a notch formed in a lump placed below the latter.
By the action of the before-mentioned lever by which the discs are
operated the said bolt is at the same time drawn backwards.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Assuming the barrels to
be turned down and the breech open, the discs will be in their normal
position projecting slightly beyond their respective recesses.
In order to close the breech previous to discharge it is only necessary
to elevate the barrels, when the lump beneath. and between the same
will act upon the before-mentioned mechanism by means of the bolt
previously described, whereby the discs and bolt will in the first instance
be withdrawn, and upon the barrels being completely turned up and
placed in their proper position above the breech block and the pressure

page_text: mentioned bolt takes into the notch in the lump below the barrels which
are thus held firmly against the breech plate, and all possibility of
contact being destroyed and consequent escape of gas taking place upon
discharge is entirely avoided.
In order to open the breech it is of course only necessary to withdraw
the discs and bolts by pressing the lever horizontally, when the barrels
can be turned down and the charges inserted.