IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALL ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: We CHARLES OSBORNE ELLIS and EDWARD WILLIAM WILKINSON trading as
"Charles Osborne & Company" of Whittal Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Gun Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALL ARMS," to be as follows:-
Our invention has reference to breech-loading Small Arms of the kind called
drop-down Guns and Pistols, and our said invention consists of the construction
and arrangement hereinafter described for effecting the partial rebound of the
hammers or tumblers in the Deely and Anson and other like hammerless Guns,
that is to say, by the ordinary arrangement the noses of the hammers protrude
through the faces of the break off to such an extent that on the closing of the
barrels, they become a source of danger by coming in contact with the ends of the
cartridge cases, which are thereby liable to explode.
By our invention the act of discharging the hammers effects the partial recoil or
withdrawal of the hammer-noses within the breech-face; after the spring or springs
have discharged the hammers and thereby prevents the accidental discharge of
the arm.
In front of the hammer or tumbler, the main spring for actuating the hammer is
situated;
the free side of the said spring rests upon the foot of the hammer in the
usual way, while the other side of the spring rests upon the solid of the body of
the break off, and forms its abutment, while the free end of that side of the spring
resting upon the body, is curled or bent, and takes its abutment under the throat
of the hammer-The prolongation of the abutment end of the spring as described
allows a small amount of play or recoil to be imparted to the hammer after having
done its work.
CHARLES OSBORNE ELLIS.
EDWIN WILLIAM WILKINSON,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicants.

page_text: We, CHARLES OSBORNE ELLIS and EDWARD WILLIAM WILKINSON trading as
Charles Osborne & Company of Whittall Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Gun Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALL ARMS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
Our invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind called drop
down guns and pistols, and our said invention consists of the construction and
arrangements hereinafter described for effecting the partial rebound of the hammers
.or tumblers in the Deeley and Auson and other like hammerless guns; that is to
say, by the ordinary arrangement the noses of the hammers protrude through the
faces of the break off to such an extent, that on the closing of the barrels, they
become a source of danger by coming in contact with the ends of the cartridge
cases; which are thereby liable to explode.
By our invention the act of discharging the hammers effects the partial recoil
or withdrawal of the hammer noses within the breech face; after the spring or
springs have discharged the hammers, and thereby prevents the accidental discharge
of the arm.
In front of the hammer or tumbler, the main spring for actuating the hammer
is situated; the free side of the said spring rests upon the foot of the hammer in
the usual way, while the other side of the spring rests upon the solid of the body
of the break off, and forms its abuttment, while the free end of that side of the
spring resting upon the body, is curled or bent, and takes its abuttment under the
throat of the hammer. The prolongation of the abuttment end of the spring as
described, allows a small amount of play or recoil to be imparted to the hammer,
after having done its work.
The necessary recoil or springing back of the hammer so as to bring its nose
within the face of the break off, may be effected by placing the tail or recoil end
of the spring before described in front of the breast or under the toe of the
hammer, or within the body of the arm in front of the neck or breast-The main
spring remaining as an ordinary main spring, which presses home the hammers,
while the secondary or independent spring on or in front of the breast of the
hammer gives the necessary recoil.
'We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of a gun provided with our
improvements, the hammer being cocked and the arm ready to be discharged-
Figure 2 represents the same section as figuro 1 with the baminer discharged, the
nose of the hammer lying within the face of the break off, thrown back by the

page_text: spring lying in front of the breast of the hammer-The dotted lines represent the
position which the cock assumes in discharging the cartridge, by the full force or
tension of the spring proper-Figure 3 shows the gun open and the hammer
cocked-Figure 4 is a side elevation and plan of the combined hammer and spring-
Figure 5 is the spring separately-Figure 6 is a modification; the recoil portion
of the spring is made separate from the main or discharging spring, the function
of the recoil spring is identical with the recoil part at the tail end of the main
spring in the preceding figures.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
Drawings.
a is the hammer of the arm having double bents; that is, the full cock bent a
and the recoil bent a³-b is the coiled spring; the stand side of which, is prolonged
into a recoil end 6 which takes its abuttment under the throat a² of the hammer,
for effecting the partial rebound or drawing back of its nose after it has struck the
end of the cartridge-c is the hammer lifter, d is the sear, e are the triggers, f is
the body, of the arm, g are the barrels, and h is the cartridge.
The recoil of the hammer nose is effected as follows-
On pulling either of the triggers ce figure 1, the sear & is removed from the full
cock bent a of the hammer a, liberating the said hammer and urging it forward
by the tension of the main spring, the side b³ of which rests upon the foot of the
haminer in the usual way-After the hammer has struck the end of the cartridge
and discharged the arm it partially recoils so as to mako its nose recede behind the
face of the break off, as represented in figure 2, the recedence being effected by the
prolonged end b of the spring b lifting the hammer through the necessary distance
in opposition to the force exerted by the side b³ of the main spring; so that the
two sides of the spring or supplementary tail end, balance each other, the discharge
of the cartridge being effected by the impetus or velocity acquired on the discharge,
the hammer being retained by the recoil bent a³.
By the above arrangement, the discharging of the cartridge effects the partial
recoil or withdrawal of the hammer noses within the breech face, after the
limbs of the spring or springs have fulfilled their duty, thereby getting rid of
all danger in virtue of the rebounding action, which is unprovided for in guns
of the ordinary construction-The recoil bent a³ in the back of the trigger is
immaterial, as the tension of the recoil spring is insufficient to keep the hammer
back in position.
It is immaterial whether the partial recoil or recedence of the hammer be effected
by the prolongation of one of the limbs of the main spring, or whether the
recedence be effected by a separate and independent spring as represented in
figure 6, the result is the same. This view shows the hammer fully cocked, and the
recoil end of the spring of the arrangement already described attached to the
breast of the hammer instead of on the standside end of the spring. In each case
the tension or recoil of the spring acts upon the throat or breast of tho hammer,
after the said hammer has struck the cartridge end. is the main spring and b
the recoil spring. This recoil may be placed at other positions under the cock or
under the hammer lifter, to produce that recoil which is necessary to make the
nose of the hammer recede beyond the face of the break off, after the cartridge has
been struck, which is the nature and object of our invention.
Our improvements are applicable to single as well as to double barrelled small
arms.
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 improvements herein before described and illustrated in the several figures of
the Drawing; whereby the hammer or hammers is or are made to partially recoil

page_text: or recede from the face of the break off, in virtue of a supplementary spring or
tail end or hammer receder, so as to take the hammer nose out of danger, on the
opening and closing of the barrels as described and set forth.
uary 1885.
CHARLES OSBORNE ELLIS.
EDWARD WILLIAM WILKINSON.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicants.
Dated this twentysixth day of Mary V
CHARLES OSBORNE ELLIS.
EDWARD WILLIAM WILKINSON.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicants.