Britain 542
A.D. 1883, 1st February. № 542.
Breech-Loading Small Arms.
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Webley, of the firm of Philip Webley and Son, of 82 Weaman Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Guo Manufacturer, for an Invention of “Improvements in Breech-Loading Small Arms”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Webley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st February 1883.
Henry Webley, of the firm of Philip Webley and Son, of 82 Weaman Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, “Improvements in Breech-Loading Small Arms”
My Invention relates to an improved method of controlling the opening and closing of revolving pistols, rifles or other small arms in which the barrel or barrels turn upon an axis to or from the standing breech.
I propose to operate the opening and closing by an arrangement of lever, or levers, fitted to and actuating the fastening or securing bolt, or bolts, by means of inclined or cam shaped grooves, or surfaces, formed upon either bolt or lever; the engaging or controlling action of these bolts and lever being facilitated by a spring or springs; preferably by a spring operating directly upon the bolting arrangement and by means of an intermediate bar, stud, or link upon the lever or inclined surface formed upon same, thus rendering a special spring for the latter unnecessary; by this means great simplicity and effectiveness of construction is obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the said Henry Webley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th July 1883.
Henry Webley of the firm of Philip Webley and Son of 82 Weaman Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturer “Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.”
My Invention relates to an improved method of controlling the opening and closing of revolving pistols, rifles or other small arms in which the barrel or barrels turn upon an axis to and from the standing breech; whereby the opening is greatly facilitated being easily operated by the hand that fires the weapon.
I operate the opening and closing by an arrangement of lever, or levers, fitted to and actuating the fastening or securing bolt, or bolts, by means of inclined or cam shaped grooves, or surfaces formed upon either bolt or lever; the engaging or controlling action of these bolts and lever being facilitated by a spring or springs, preferably by a spring operating directly upon the bolting arrangement and by means of an intermediate bar, stud or link upon the lever or inclined surface formed upon same, thus rendering a special spring for the latter unnecessary; by this means great simplicity and effectiveness of construction is obtained.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing:—
Figure 1 represents a side view of a portion of a revolver embodying my improvements with barrel locked in position.
Figure 2 is a similar view, but with barrel depressed.
Figure 8. is a cross section through breech as shewn in Figure 1 drawn to an enlarged scale
Figure 4 is a cross section through breech’ as shown in Figure 2.
Figures 5 to 7 illustrate the various parts appertaining to the improvements the subject of my Invention.
Similar letters of reference are placed upon and denote similar parts in each of the figures respectively.
A Indicates the breech.
B Is the slot in same.
C Barrel strap.
D Barrel
E Hole in strap C
F Pin working in hole E
G Screw for retaining same in position.
H Inclined face on pin F
I Hole in one side of breech A
K Pin working in same.
L Hole in opposite side of A
M Pin working in same
N Spring
O Inclined face on pin M.
P Cross bar.
Q Lever for operating same.
R Stud or centre on which lever turns.
S Inclined plane on lever for operating pin K.
T Inclined plane on lever Q for operating cross bar P.
U Inclined face on cross bar P.
V Screw for securing pin N
W Slot in pin K.
X Hole in breech for cross bar P.
The action of this arrangement in opening the arm is as follows :—
To release the barrel the lower end of the lever Q is depressed:— the whole
turning upon the stud or centre R causes the inclined face T to come into contact
with that U upon the bar P, which is thereby made to move or slide within the hole X and so press the springN in an outward direction, which spring in turn operates upon the pin or bolt M moving it in like manner, At the same time that this takes place the other pin or bolt K is also caused to move in a similar direction by the action of the inclined face S working within the slot W in head of pin or bolt.
The barrel is again locked by simply swinging it upward.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the same is or may be performed I desire it to be particularly understood that I do not claim as of my Invention the locking device shown on the Drawing accompanying this Specification as such device forms the subject matter of Letters Patent bearing date the 29% day of July 1881 and Numbered 3313; also that I do not limit myself to the precise details of the arrangement for operating the opening of such locking device which I have hereinbefore described and shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing as such may be varied while retaining the essential features of my Invention and that what
I Claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is:—
Firstly:— In breech loading small arms, the method of controlling the opening and closing by the use of a lever, or levers, fitted to and actuating the fastening or securing bolt, or bolts, of the locking device, substantially as hereinbefore described
Secondly:— In breech loading small arms, the use of the cross bar P with inclined plane U, in combination with the lever Q and Spring N, the whole arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Webley have hereunto set my hand and seal this Twenty sixth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three :
HENRY WEBLEY (L.S.)
Signed sealed and delivered by the above named
Henry Webley in the presence of
Geo. Ernest Hawkins
Solicitor. Birmingham