IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Walker, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
SMALL-ARMS."
Sealed the 18th April 1879, and dated the 25th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Walker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th October 1878.
HENRY WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
My said Invention consists of the construction and arrangements of parts herein-
after described for cocking the internal or concealed hammers, and also the external
hammers of breech-loading small-arms of the kind called drop-down guns and pistols,
and also for operating the fastening bolts or bolting down mechanism of the said
guns and pistols.
I will describe my Invention as applied to "drop-down" guns having internal
hammers.
I
My Invention consists, first, in adapting the oscillating bolt described and
represented and claimed in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on
the 12th day of February 1872, No. 445, and on the 19th day of February 1876,
No. 700, to the cocking of the hammers of drop-down guns. For this purpose
arrange at the back of the break off the internal or concealed hammers, carried
preferably by lock plates let into the sides of the body; and on the hump, or that
part of the oscillating bolt which projects in its normal position from the back face
of the break off, I place antifriction rollers, one on each side the bolt, the said
rollers when the oscillating bolt is in its normal or bolting position seating them-
selves upon seats or concavities made in the back face of the break off. The anti-
friction rollers described are situated opposite the internal hammers of the gun.
When the oscillating bolt is drawn back, so as to remove its bolting end from
the seat on the barrels, the said bolt in its curvilinear back motion causes its rollers
to bear against the breasts of the hammers and lift them to full-cock, the said
hammers being retained in their cocked positions by the ordinary sear mechanism
of the locks.

page_text: Or I use a hanging lever in conjunction with the following mechanism for cock-
ing the internal hammers and operating the sliding locking bolts of the gun. The
hanging lever is cranked at its lower end, and is jointed at its top to near the top
of a slot in the break off in which it works. Its bottom end is provided with a roller
which works:inza-slot in the sliding locking bolt. On each side of the cranked end
of the hanging lever and external to the break off an antifriction roller is placed
for bearing against and cocking the internal hammers. The hanging lever is drawn
back by means of a hand lever moving horizontally on the tang of the break off,
the axis of the said hand lever being connected to the cranked arm of the hanging
lever by the following mechanism:-
To the axis of the hand lever a horizontal bar is jointed at its middle. To this
bar-a.second parallel bar is connected by means of a link at each end, the said links
being so connected and jointed to the two-parallel-bare-as_to_allow the top one to
be turned through a quadrant by the operation of the hand lever. The bottom
bar is incapable of rotatory motion, and is connected at one end to the cranked
part of the hanging lever. When the hand lever on the tang is turned aside to
unfasten the barrels the upper parallel bar partakes of its motion, crossing the
bottom bar at right angles. The links connecting the two parallel bars are thereby
made to take an inclined position, the bottom bar approaching the top bar by the
virtual shortening of the connecting links. By the rising of the bottom bar the
hanging lever is drawn back, the said lever in its motion effecting the withdrawal
of the sliding locking bolt and cocking the internal hammers. The return motion
of the hanging lever, sliding bolt, and parts connected with them is effected by a
coiled spring between the two parallel bars of the drawing-back mechanism. In
place of the parallel bars described a link or links connected with the tumbler of
the hand lever may be employed to draw back the hanging lever.
In opening the gun by a-hand-lever on the under side of the body a nearly
straight hanging lever is substituted for the cranked lever described, and the
short upper arm of the hand lever works in a slot in the rear end of the sliding
bolt. The return motion of the hand lever, locking bolt, and hanging lever is
effected by a spring bolt situated in a recess made in a shoulder near the joint of
the hand lever, the said spring bolt bearing against the under side of the trigger
plate or body.
Instead of drawing back by the action of a hand lever on the tang or under side
of the gun the locking sliding bolt sufficiently far to operate upon the cocking lever,
the latter may be forced back after the barrels have been unfastened by the lifting
of the breech ends of the barrels from the break off for opening the breech. This
is effected by forming an incline on the back lump on the barrels, and causing the
said incline on the raising of the breech ends of the barrels to bear against a roller
on the front end of the locking bolt. The said locking bolt is thereby forced back,
and its rear end made to operate the cocking lever, and the latter to lift the
hammers to full-cock.
When the gun is opened by means of a vertical hand lever on the tang I joint
the bottom of the vertical lever, by which the locking bolt is worked and the
hammers cocked, to the trigger plate, the upper end of the said lever being con-
nected by a link to the cranked inner arm of the vertical hand lever. The rollers
for bearing against and cocking the hammers are situated at about the middle of
the vertical lever.
Or the cocking lever may be operated from the head or boss of the ordinary grip
fastening. In this case the cocking lever is connected at its upper end to the break
off, and its lower end is jointed to a strap or link which is jointed to the head of the
grip fastening. When the grip fastening is turned to unfasten the barrels the
cocking lever is forced back and made to act upon and cock the hammers.
Although for convenience I have referred only to internal hammers, yet the
mechanisms described may also be applied to the cocking of external hammers.
•

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd April
1879.
HENRY WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
My said Invention consists of the construction and arrangements of parts herein-
after described for cocking the internal or concealed hammers and also the external
hammers of breech-loading small-arms of the kind called drop-down guns and
pistols, and also for operating the fastening bolts or bolting-down mechanism of the
said guns and pistols.
I will describe my Invention as applied to drop-down guns having internal
hammers.
My Invention consists, first, in adapting the oscillating bolt described and
represented and claimed in the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to me on
the 12th day of February 1872, No. 445, and on the 19th day of February 1876,
No. 700, to the cocking of the hammers of drop-down guns. For this purpose I
arrange at the back of the break off the internal or concealed hammers, carried
preferably by lock plates let into the sides of the body, and on the "hump," or that
part of the oscillating bolt which projects in its normal position from the back of
the break off, I place antifriction rollers, one on each side the bolt, the said rollers
when the oscillating bolt is in its normal or bolting position seating themselves
upon seats or concavities made in the back face of the break off. The antifriction
rollers described are situated opposite the internal hammers of the gun.
When the oscillating bolt is drawn back so as to remove its bolting end from the
seat on the barrels, the said bolt in curvilinear back motion causes its rollers to
bear against the breasts of the hammers and lift them to full-cock, the said
hammers being retained in their cocked positions by the ordinary sear mechanism
of the locks.
Or I use a hanging lever in conjunction with the following mechanism for cocking
the internal hammers and operating the sliding locking bolt of the gun. The
hanging lever is cranked at its lower end, and is jointed at its top to near the top
of a slot in the break off, in which it works. Its bottom end is provided with a
roller which works in a slot in the sliding locking bolt. On each side of the
cranked end of the hanging lever, and external to the break off, an antifriction
roller is placed for bearing against and cocking the internal hammers. The hanging
lever is drawn back by means of a hand lever moving horizontally on the tang of
the break off, the axis of the said hand lever being connected to the cranked arm of
the hanging lever by the following mechanism :-
To the axis of the hand lever a horizontal bar is jointed at its middle. To this
bar a second parallel bar is connected by means of a link at each end, the said links
being so connected and jointed to the two parallel bars as to allow the top one to
be turned through a quadrant by the operation of the hand lever.
The bottom bar is incapable of rotatory motion, and is connected at one end to
the cranked part of the hanging lever. When the hand lever on the tang is turned
aside to unfasten the barrels, the upper parallel bar partakes of its motion, crossing
the bottom bar at right angles. The links connecting the two parallel bars are
thereby made to take an inclined position, the bottom bar approaching the top bar
by the virtual shortening of the connecting links. By the rising of the bottom bar
the hanging lever is drawn back, the said lever in its motion effecting the with-
drawal of the sliding locking bolt and cocking the internal hammers. The return
motion of the hanging lever, sliding bolt, and parts connected with them is effected
by a coiled spring between the two parallel bars of the drawing-back mechanism.
In place of the parallel bars described a link or links connected with the tumbler
of the hand lever may be employed to draw back the hanging lever,

page_text: In opening the gun by a hand lever on the under side of the body, a nearly
straight hanging lever is substituted for the crank lever described, and the short
upper arm of the hand lever works in a slot in the rear end of the sliding bolt.
The return motion of the hand lever, locking bolt, and hanging lever is effected by
a spring bolt situated in a recess made in a shoulder near the joint of the hand
lever, the said spring bolt bearing-against-the under side of the trigger plate or
body.
Instead of drawing back by the action of a hand lever on the tang or under side
of the gun the locking sliding bolt sufficiently far to operate upon the cocking
lever, the latter may be forced back after the barrels have been unfastened by the
lifting of the breech ends of the barrels from the break off for opening the
breech.
This-is-effected-by-forming an incline on the back lump on the barrels, and
causing the said incline on the raising of the breech ends of-the-barrels-to-bear-
against a roller on the front end of the locking bolt. The said locking bolt is
thereby forced back, and its rear end made to operate the cocking lever, and the
latter to lift the hammers to full-cock.
When the gun is opened by means of a vertical hand lever on the tang, I joint
the bottom of the vertical lever, by which the locking bolt is worked and the
hammers cocked, to the trigger plate, the upper end of the said lever being connected
by a link to the cranked inner arm of the vertical hand lever.
The rollers for bearing against and cocking the hammers are situated at about the
middle of the vertical lever.
Or the cocking lever may be operated from the head or boss of the ordinary grip
fastening.
In this case the cocking lever is connected at its upper end to the break off, and
its lower end is jointed to a strap or link, which is jointed to the head of the grip
fastening. When the grip fastening is turned to unfasten the barrels the cocking
lever is forced back and made to act upon and cock the hammers.
Although for convenience of description I have referred only to internal hammers,
yet the mechanisms described may also be applied to the cocking of external
hammers.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal section the breech end of a drop-down gun,
containing one of the arrangements or combinations of parts constituting my
Invention.
a is the oscillating or hanging bolt working in a slot in the break off b, and
turning on the centre c, the said bolt a seating itself when the barrels are shut
down upon a seat on the lump d on the under side of the said barrels; c is one of
the internal or concealed hammers of the gun carried by the lock plate f. The other
hammer is similarly arranged, but is not shown in the Drawing. On the "hump,"
or that part of the oscillating bolt a which projects from the back of the break off b,
antifriction rollers are placed one on each side of the bolt. One of these rollers is
marked a² in the Drawing. The rollers at a² on the bolt a are situated opposite
the internal or concealed hammers at e; g is the hand lever on the under side of the
gun for withdrawing the oscillating bolt a, the end of the short upper arm of the
said hand lever taking into the said bolt in the manner represented. When the
oscillating bolt a is drawn back to unfasten the barrels by the depressing of the
hand lever g, the said oscillating bolt in its curvilinear back motion causes its rollers
at a² to bear against the projections at e² on the hammers e and lift the latter to full-
cock, the said hammers being retained in their cocked positions by the ordinary
sear mechanism, carried by the lock plates f. Thus the withdrawal of the oscil-
lating bolt a and the cocking of the hammer or hammers are effected at one
operation. The oscillating bolt a may be worked by a top lever, or by a lever on
the side of the gun,
Figure 2 represents in longitudinal section a drop-down gun, in which a nearly

page_text: straight hanging lever is substituted for the oscillating bolt, Figure 1, the barrels
being represented raised from the break off and the hammer in their cocked positions.
In this arrangement of my Invention the nearly straight lever a is jointed at top,
preferably near the top of break off b, and at bottom to the rear end of the hori-
zontal locking bolt i; he is one of the antifriction rollers on the hanging lever h,
and c² the shoulder or projection on the hammer e, against which shoulder the roller
bears to cock the hammer.
The upper arm of the hand lever g is connected in the manner represented with
the locking bolt i. When the hand lever g is pulled down into the position repre-
sented in Figure 2 the locking bolt i is withdrawn and the barrels unfastened, the
rear end of the said bolt in its back motion turning the hanging lever on its
centre, and causing it to cock the hammer or hammers e.
In Figures 1 and 2 I have represented mechanism for locking down the barrels
at the prolonged rib between the barrels, as well as at the uuder side of the barrels.
The fastening at the prolonged rib consists of an oblique sliding bolt k worked by
an arm on the upper end of the oscillating bolt a (Figure 1) or by an arm on
the hanging lever (Figure 2), the said oblique sliding bolt %, when the barrels are
shut down, taking into the recess at m in the head n of the prolonged rib, as seen
in Figure 1. When the oscillating bolt a (Figure 1) or the hanging lever h
(Figure 2) is inoved from the break off in the manner herein-before described it
forces the sliding oblique bolt : towards the break off and withdraws the acting
part of the said bolt from the recess m in the prolonged rib.
By the arrangement of parts represented in Figures 1 and 2 the barrels are
simultaneously unbolted at top and bottom by the depression of the hand lever g
and the hammers are also cocked.
In place of a sliding oblique bolt for taking into the head of the prolonged rib a
hooked bolt may be carried by the oscillating bolt or hanging lever to engage with
the head of the prolonged rib. Figure 3 represents a hooked bolt p at the top of
the oscillating bolt a for engaging with the head n of the prolonged rib.
In
Figures 4 and 5 represent in longitudinal section another arrangement of my
Invention, Figure 4 representing the barrels locked down for firing, and Figure 5
the same opened for charging; Figures 6, 7, and 8 represent parts of the same.
this arrangement the bolting and cocking parts are worked by a lever on the tang
of the break off, and a cranked lever q (shown separately in Figure 6) is used in
place of the nearly straight lever represented in Figure 2. 92, 92, are the anti-
friction rollers at opposite sides of the nearly horizontal part of the cranked lever q,
and q3 is a projection near the junction of the two arms of the lever, which
projection takes into the horizontal sliding bolt i. The rollers q³, q², on the cranked
lever q bear against the shoulders e² on the hammer e, e, and cock the said hammers
when the sliding bolt i is withdrawn in the manner herein-after described.
The hanging lever q is drawn back for unlocking the barrels, and for cocking the
hammers by the hand lever s (shown separately in Figure 8) having a side or
horizontal motion on the break off. The axis 8 of the hand lever s is jointed to
the middle of the horizontal bar t, the said bar t being capable of taking the oblique
position represented in Figure 5. To the bar t a second parallel bar u is connected
by means of a link at each end. The junctions of the links v, v, with the two
bars t, u, are so constructed that the top bar t may be turned through a quadrant
by the operation of the hand lever 8. The two bars t, u, are represented detached
in Figure 7. The bottom bar u is jointed to the lower end of the hanging lever q;
but the said bottom bar although capable of a rising-and-falling motion to and
from the upper bar t is incapable of rotation in consequence of its connection with
the said hanging lever. Between the two bars t, u, is a coiled spring w which
tends to press the said bars asunder. When the parts of the gun are in the
respective positions represented in Figure 4 and the gun is fastened, the two
bars t, u, are parallel to one another. When the hand lever s is turned aside to
unfasten the barrels and cock the hammers, the upper bar t partakes of the motion
of the said hand lever and swivels through a quadrant, causing the said bar t to

page_text: take a position nearly at right angles to its normal position, as represented in
Figure 5. The links v connecting the two bars t, u, are thereby made to take the
inclined position represented, and in doing so cause the bottom bar u to approach
the top bar t by the virtual shortening of the connecting links v, v. The rising of
-the-bottom-bar--draws back. the hanging lever q, and the latter effects the with-
drawal of the locking bolt i and the cocking of the hammers e. By the rising of
the bottom bar u the coiled spring a between the two bars is compressed, and
when the pressure is removed from the hand levers the said spring w gives the
return motion to the bar u, hanging lever q, and sliding bolt i, and to the said
hand-lever s Instead of parallel-bars-t, u, a link or links connected with the hand
lever s may be used to draw back the hanging lever q.
Figures 9 and 10 represent in longitudinal section a drop-down gun in which the
locking sliding bolt is forced back after the barrels-have-been-unfastened sufficiently
far by the rising barrels to effect the cocking of the hammers. In Figure 9 the
barrels are represented fastened down and the hammers in their discharged position,
and in Figure 10 the barrels are represented raised from the break off and the
hammers cocked.
The bolting and cocking parts of the gun, Figures 9 and 10, resemble generally
corresponding parts of the gun, Figure 2, and are marked with the same letters of
reference, but an incline marked a is made on the back lump y on the barrels,
against which incline a roller 12 on the front end of the locking bolt i bears, as repre-
sented. After the locking bolt has been withdrawn by the depressing of the
hand lever g sufficiently far to unlock the barrels, the further back motion of the
said bolt is effected, as the breech ends of the barrels rise, by the action of
the incline upon the said bolt . This back motion of the said bolt operates the
hanging lever h and cocks the hammers e.
By this arrangement the forcing back of the hanging lever h to cock the hammers
is effected by the action of the barrels on the locking bolt, the power exerted by the
hand on the hand lever g being limited, or nearly limited, to that which is necessary
only to effect the unlocking of the barrels.
Figure 11 represents the arrangement of my Invention, in which a hand lever on
the tang having motion in a vertical plane is used. Figure 12, 13, and 14 represents
parts of the same detached. In this arrangement the vertical lever (shown
separately in Figure 12) is jointed at its bottom to the trigger plate, and its upper
end is connected by a link h³ (shown separately in Figure 13) to the cranked inner
arm of the hand lever (shown separately in Figure 14); h², h², are the rollers on
the lever h for acting against and cocking the hammers e, when the said lever is
made to take a vertical position by the lifting of the hand lever *. The outer end
of the locking bolt i is jointed to the cocking lever h, as represented.
Figure 15 represents my arrangement for operating the cocking lever from the
head or boss of the ordinary grip fastening; is the hanging or cocking lever
carrying at its middle the rollers h for cocking the hammers e. The lower end of
the hanging lever is connected to the sliding strap or link p, which link is jointed
eccentrically at p² to the head 23 of the gripping lever p. On turning the lever p
of the grip fastening to unfasten the barrels, the head 2 acts upon the link P and
forces it towards the butt end of the gun. The hanging lever h is thereby forced
back from the break off, and its rollers at h² are made to cock the hammers, as will
be understood by an examination of the Drawing.
In applying the cocking mechanism represented to the cocking of the external
hammers of drop-down guns and pistols, I make the oscillating bolt or the hanging
levers described and represented act upon projections on the tumblers of the locks,
the axes of the said tumblers being prolonged through the lock plates, and having
upon their external ends the ordinary outside hammers.
Instead of the antifriction rollers on the oscillating bolt and hanging levers, studs
may be substituted therefor. Or the rollers or studs may be dispensed with, and
the oscillating bolt or hanging levers be made to act directly upon the projections
of the hammers or tumblers.

page_text: I prefer to use with the guns containing my improvements a fore end fastening
constructed in the manner represented in Figure 16. To the bar of the fore end
I joint two short levers a, a, turning on a common centre b after the manner of a
pair of forceps. The inner or acting ends of the said levers a, a, are forced together
by a coiled spring c between the opposite ends. The loop on the barrels has a
rounded end for forcing open the acting ends of the levers a, a, and under the said
rounded end is a recess, into which the said acting ends of the levers snap when the
fore end has been forced to its seat. On lifting the extreme end of the wooden
part of the fore end the acting ends of the levers a, a, are opened or pressed
outwards to permit them to pass from off the loop d.
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 Invention of
improvements in breech-loading small-arms of the kind called drop guns and
pistols,―
First. The modification or adaptation, substantially in the manner herein-before
described and illustrated in Figure 1 of accompanying Drawings, of an oscillating
or hanging bolt to the cocking of the hammers of the said guns and pistols.
Secondly. The combination with the ordinary sliding bolt used for fastening down
the barrels of the said guns and pistols of a cocking lever for cocking the hammers
of the said guns and pistols, the said sliding bolt and cocking lever being combined
or arranged substantially in the several ways herein-before described and illustrated
in Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination with the ordinary grip fastening of drop-down guns
and pistols of the mechanism herein-before described and illustrated in Figure 15
of the accompanying Drawings for cocking the hammers of the said guns and
pistols.
Lastly. The construction and combination of parts herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8 of the accompanying Drawings for transmitting
the motion of the horizontal hand lever on the tang to the cocking lever and sliding
bolt of a drop-down gun or pistol.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
HENRY WALKER. (L.S).