British 2509
LETTERS PATENT to William Tranter, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gunmaker, for the Invention of “ Improvements in Breech-loading Shall-asms.”
Sealed the 19th January 1872, and dated the 23rd September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tranter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd September 1871.
I, William Tranter, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for ” Improvements in Breech-loading Small-arms,” to be as follows :—
My Invention has reference in the first place to improvements in breech-loading guns similar to those described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date December 9th 1869, No. 3557, and consists in the improvements thereon herein-after stated.
The lever for actuating the falling block is formed in such a manner that one arm of the mainspring will act in connection with it, so as to cause the lever to fall with ease when pulling down, and to retain it in its place when returned for the purpose of firing. The hammer is adapted to work in connection with the said lever and is actuated by the other end of the mainspring connected thereto by means of a swivel or otherwise. The trigger is formed and arranged to act in connection with the hammer, and the hammer with the striking pin in a similar manner and for the same purpose as in my Patent above referred to. The falling block may have a nose jointed to it through which the striking pin will pass, and which may be made wider than the other parts of the falling block for the purpose of being retained as required in a suitable recess formed in the frame. The back of the said nose piece and the recess are to be formed so as to correspond with the arc described by the falling block in its motion.
My Invention consists in the second place in the formation of a locking bolt to press against the end of the sear or trigger, where it falls into the bents or notches of the hammer, and retain it there; such locking bolt being also capable of being turned so that the handle of the same may be before or behind, so as to indicate when the trigger is bolted or unbolted.
My Invention consists in the third place in the formation of an indicator, which may be placed to act on the side of the frame by means of a stud formed on it, which stud is acted upon by the rising and falling of the hammer. A coiled spring may be fitted in the body for the purpose of pressing back the indicator after being raised by the hammer.
My Invention consists in the fourth place in the formation of a spring with a swell and to be fixed at the end of the long arm of the lever, to work through a hole or against the end of the lock or trigger plate, for the purpose of retaining the lever when returned to its place for firing.
My Invention consists in the fifth place in the use of a lever catch, the handle of which is almost at a right angle to the catch, and jointed to the long arm of the lever, for the purpose of fixing the same during the time of firing.
My Invention consists in the sixth place of a safety lever catch formed to act in connection with the trigger and hammer, and so arranged that it would be freed in the act of holding the gun for the purpose of firing. When this safety lever is used the lever for moving the block may be formed to act on the side of the frame instead of at the under side of the gun.
My Invention consists in the seventh place in forming the extractor with its lever arm longer than the arm used for extracting the cartridge case. The end of the said long arm is formed to act as a curved inclined plane. This long arm of the extractor may be acted upon by the felling block, or by the short arm of the lever that actuates the block, a slot being formed in the said short arm of the lever for that purpose.
And my Invention consists in the last place in the formation of an extracting rod for pistols, similar to that described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date 28th November, 1868, No. 8622.
The rod is formed to move in a socket, and the socket is jointed to another piece, which is screwed to the side of the pistol. The joint of the socket is formed square, and a spring is made to act in connection with it for the purpose of causing the rod to lie conveniently under the barrel of the pistol when not in use, and to spring into a proper place for extracting the cartridge cases when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by the said William Tranter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, William Tranter, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gunmaker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Tranter, Her special licence that I, the said William Tranter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Tranter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for “ Improvements in Breech-loading Small-arms,” upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Tranter, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Tranter, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say): —
My Invention of “ Improvements in Brecch-loading Small-arms,*’ has reference in the first place to improvements in breech-loading guns similar to those described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date December Ninth, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, No. 3557, and consists in the improvements thereon hereinafter stated:—
The lever for actuating the falling block is formed in such a manner that one arm of the mainspring will act in connection with the said lever, so as to cause the lever to fall with case when pulling down, and to retain it in its place when returned for the purpose of firing. The hammer is adapted to work in connection with the said lever and is actuated by the other end of the mainspring connected thereto by means of a swivel or otherwise. The trigger is formed and arranged to act in connection with the hammer and the hammer with the striking pin, in a similar manner and for the same purpose as in my Patent above referred to. The falling block may have a nose jointed to it through which the striking pin will pass, and which may be made wider than the other parts of the falling block for the purpose of being retained as required in a suitable recess formed in the frame. The back of the said nose piece and the recess are to be formed so as to correspond with the arc described by the falling block in its motion.
My Invention consists in the second place in the formation of a safety locking bolt to press against the end of the sear or trigger where it falls into the bents or notches of the hammer, and retain it there; such locking bolt being also capable of being turned so that the handle of the same may be before or behind, so as to indicate when the trigger is bolted or unbolted.
My Invention consists hi the third place in the formation of an indicator which may be placed to act on the side of the frame by means of a stud formed on it, which stud is acted upon by the rising and falling of the hammer. A coiled spring may be fitted in the body for the purpose of pressing back the indicator after being raised by the hammer.
My Invention consists in the fourth place in the formation of a spring with a swell and to be fixed at the end of the long arm of the lever, to work through a hole or against the end of the lock or trigger plate, for the purpose of retaining the lever when returned to its place for firing.
My Invention consists in the fifth place in forming the extractor with its lever arm longer than the arm used for extracting the cartridge case. The end of the said long arm is formed to act as a curved inclined plane ; this long arm ’ of the extractor may be acted upon by the falling block, or by the short arm of the lever that actuates the block, a slot being formed in the said short arm of the lever for that purpose.
And my Invention consists in the last place in the formation of ail extracting rod for pistols similar to that described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date November Twenty-eighth, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 3622.
The rod is formed to move in a socket, and the socket is jointed to another piece which is secured to the side of the pistol. The joint of the socket is formed square, and a spring is made to act in connection with it for the purpose of causing the rod to lie conveniently under the barrel of the pistol when not in use, and to spring into a proper place for extracting the cartridge cases when required.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I will proceed to describe more particularly in what manner the same is to he performed, by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts of fire-arms above referred to.
Description of the Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a portion of a gun in section with the first part of my improvements applied thereto. A is the lever for actuating the falling block, which lever is formed so as to receive into its recessed portions a forked end B of the mainspring, as shewn in the Figure and also in plan or horizontal view in Fig. 2. The connection of the hammer with the lever A and with the swivel end of the mainspring, also the connection of the trigger with the hammer and the hammer with the striking pin, are shewn in Fig. 1; but the hammer may also be arranged to act on the striking pin in the ordinary manner if preferred.
Fig. 3 is also a section of part of a gun patented by me in One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, No. 3557, with the second part of my present improvements applied thereto. C is the safety locking bolt fixed in the lock plate in such a situation in the lock as to press against the end of the sear D, when turned into the position shewn by dotted lines in the Figure, thereby shewing on the outside of the lock that the trigger is bolted. By turning the bolt over to the opposite side on its centre of motion the cut-away portion of the bolt will be presented to the sear, whereby the trigger will be unbolted, which will also be indicated by the position of the handle of the bolt.
Fig. 4s is a cross section of the bolt, Fig. 5 is a plan view, and Fig. 6 an end view of the same. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a portion of the same gun, shewing the third part of my improvements applied thereto. E is the indicator fitted so as to turn on a pivot F on the side of the frame. G is a stud projecting from the inside face of the indicator, which stud is acted upon by the rising and falling of the hammer. H is a coiled spring, one end of which is secured to the frame and the other end to the stud G, by means of which spring the indicator is caused to fall with the hammer for the purpose of shewing that the hammer is not at full cock. Fig. 8 represents an outside view, Fig. 9 an inside view, and Fig. 10 an edge view, of the indicator detached. Fig. 11 represents the cavity in the frame to receive the pin of the indicator, shewing also the coiled spring H; this coiled spring may however in some cases be dispensed with.
In Pig. 7 and also in Pig. 3 is shewn the fourth part of my improvements. I is a spring with a swell at the end as shewn, which spring is fixed to the end of the long arm of the lever guard, the said swell passing into a hole and clipping the end of the lock or trigger plate, and retaining the lever when returned to its place for firing, as shewn in the Figures. Pig. 12 is a section and Pig. 13 a back view of the end of the lever.
In Pig. 3 is also shewn the fifth part of my improvements. K is the extractor with its lever arm L longer than the arm M for extracting the cartridge. The end of this lever arm L is formed with a curved inclined plane to be acted upon by the falling block, by which form of the end of the arm the falling block is caused to act with more force at the beginning of the stroke, to draw out the cartridge case, and gradually diminishing till the end of the block touches the extractor, when the cartridge case will be thrown out. The end of the arm I may also be acted upon by the short arm N of the lever guard. This extractor is shewn also by dotted lines in Pig. 7.
In Figures 14 and 15 is represented the last part of my improvements. Pig. 14 is a side elevation and Pig. 15 is a plan or horizontal view of a portion of a pistol with my improved extracting rod applied thereto. O is the rod which is capable of moving in the socket P, jointed to the piece Q, screwed to the frame. The joint of the socket P is made square and is acted upon as required by a spring It, to admit of its lying under the barrel as shewn in Pig. 14 when not in use, and to cause it to spring into the proper place when required to extract cartridge cases, as shewn in Pig 15.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of my Invention is,—
First. A lock for a breech-loading gun with the lever for raising the hammer or striker and moving the block formed so as to be acted upon by one end of the mainspring, the other end of the same actuating the striker by means of a swivel or otherwise.
Secondly. The safety locking bolt as represented and described.
Thirdly. The indicator as represented and described, either with or without a coiled spring.
Fourthly. The formation of a spring on the end of the lever guard as represented and described.
Fifthly. The extractor with a curved inclined plane formed on the end of the lever arm for the purpose described.
And lastly. The formation of the socket of the extracting rod, capable of being acted upon by a spring for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tranter, have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
William Spence,
8, Quality Court, Chancery Lane.