IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Henry of Edinburgh in the County of
Midlothian Gun Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING SMALL ARMS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th November 1882.
ALEXANDER HENRY of Edinburgh in the County of Midlothian Gun Manu-
facturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
"
My Invention relates especially to what are termed "Hammerless" Guns but is
also applicable to Guns having outside hammers
According to my said Invention the axle of the lever which is operated to open
or lock the breech is furnished with a stud which on the lever being turned for
opening the breech acts upon one arm of a crank or double armed lever turning
upon a fixed centre The other arm of the said crank is connected by a link with
a bifurcated cocking bar so that when the Crank is operated as aforesaid the
cocking bar is drawn forward so that the hooks or projections at the ends of the
said cocking bar engage with projections on the under and inside of the tumblers
or hammers and therefore the said tumblers or hammers are drawn back to full
cock in which position they are retained by the point of the sear until the trigger
is pulled as in the ordinary action-On closing the barrels and turning the lever to
its original position a stud on the axle of the said lever pushes back the said crank
and with it the cocking bar to their original position and clear of the stroke of the
bammers. The Gun may be provided with a safety catch worked by means of a
second sear which renders it impossible for the gun to be accidentally discharged
by a knock or jar. This safety device has the advantage over others at present in
use that in the event of the sear being lifted out of the bent by a jar the said
device catches the hammer at once before the pressure of the main spring bas had
time to give an impetus to the hammers The Gun may also be provided with an

page_text: automatic safety lever and button which has to be pushed out of the position to
which it has been brought on opening the breech.
According to a modification the gun may be made with a snap action and top
lever. At the end of the spindle carrying the eccentric which draws back the bolt
that keeps the barrels closed a second eccentric is provided. This eccentric is
connected by a link or connecting arm with the cocking bar on moving the lever
from left to right to open the gun the end of the said eccentric acts through the
said swivel to cause the pushing back of the said cocking lever which acts upon
the hammers as hereinbefore described-The hereinbefore described safety device
may also be used with this modification

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th May
.1883.
ALEXANDER HENRY of Edinburgh in the County of Midlothian Gun Manu-
facturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL ARMS
נג
My Invention relates especially to what are termed "hammerless" guns but is
also applicable to guns having outside hammers and consists as follows:-
According to my said Invention the axle of the lever which is operated to open
or lock the breech is furnished with a stud which on the lever being turned for
opening the breech acts upon one arm of a crank or double armed lever turning
upon a fixed centre. The other arm of the said crank is connected by a link with
a bifurcated cocking bar so that when the crank is operated as aforesaid the
cocking bar is drawn forward so that the hooks or projections at the ends of the
said cocking bar engage with projections on the under and inside of the tumblers
or hammers and therefore the said tumblers or hammers are drawn back to full
cock in which position they are retained by the point of the sceir until the trigger
is pulled as in the ordinary lock. On closing the barrels and turning the lever to
its original position a stud on the axle of the said lever pushes back the said crank
and the cocking bar to their original position and clear of tho stroko of the
hammers. The guns may be provided with an automatic safety lever and button
which has to be pushed out of the position to which it has been brought on
opening the breech.
According to a modification the gun may be made with a snap action and top
lever. At the end of the spindle carrying the eccentric which draws back the bolt
that keeps the barrels closed a second eccentric is provided. This eccentric is
connected by a link or connecting arm with the cocking bar. On moving the lever
to open the gun the end of the said eccentric acts through the said link to push
the cocking bar forward and cause it to cock the hammers as hereinbefore
described.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood .I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference.
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 represents a side view of the action of a double barrelled gun con-
structed according to my Invention one of the locks being removed. Figure 2
shews the inside of one of the locks removed. Figure 3 is a sectional plan on the
line XX figure 1 of part of the action shewing the mechanism for cocking the
hammers on turning the lever for opening the breech. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a
modification as hereinafter described.
The axle a of the lever A which is operated to open or lock the breech is
furnished with a stud b which on the said lever A being turned for opening the
breech acts upon the arm c' of a crank or double arm lever C turning upon a fixed
centre c'. The other arm of the said crank C is connected by a link d with a
bifurcated cocking bar E with projections e on its ends engaging with projections f
on the under and inside of the hammer F so that when the lever A is operated as
aforesaid the said stud b acts upon the crank C and causes it to take the position
shewn in dotted lines in figure 3 the projections e drawing forward the tails of the
said hammers F and therefore the said hammers are thrown back to full cock in
which position they are retained by the points of the sceirs 9 until the trigger is
pulled as in the ordinary lock. On closing the barrels and turning the lever A to

page_text: its original position a stud h on the axle a of the said lever and rather longer than
the stud b pushes back the crank C and with it the cocking bar E to their original
position clear of the stroke of the hammers as shewn in full lines in figure 3. The
Gun may or may not be provided with an automatic safety device of the ordinary
kind, for example such as is shewn in figure 1 which on operating the lever A to
open the breech is brought into a position to lock or bolt the triggers at safety so
that the said device has to be moved by its external operating button clear of the
said trigger before the gun can be discharged.-There may be also a block safely
engaging with the hammer and operated by the Trigger as shown at no in
figures 1 and 2 to prevent an accidental discharge from the sceirs being jarred out
of their full cock bent
According to a modification shewn in Figures 4 and 5 the gun may be made
with a snap action and the hammers be operated by a lever which is at the upper
side of the gun. At the end of the spindle a of the lover A carrying the eccentric
which draws back the bolt m for unlocking the breech a second eccentric or lever j
is provided which is connected by a link k with the cocking bar E so that on
moving the lever A to unlock the breech the said eccentric j acts through the link k
to push the said cocking bar E forward thus causing it to act upon the hammers
to cock them as hereinbefore described.
Although I have described my Invention as applied to a double barrelled gun
with internal hammers it will be readily understood that it may be applied to guns
with one two or more barrels with either internal or external hammers,
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original.
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
First-Providing breech loading small arms with a cocking bar E operated
from the spindle of the lever by which the breech is locked and unlocked
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying-
drawings.
Second-The combination of the projections b and h crank C link d and
cocking bar E with projections e thereon engaging with the hammer substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3
of the accompanying drawings.
Third The combination of the eccentric or lever j link and cocking lever E
provided with projections e engaging with the hammers substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
Fourth-The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
improved breech loading small arms substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Henry have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this twenty-eighth day of April One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
ALEXANDER HENRY (L.S.)