Robertson v. Purdey. "tumbler C then clears the interceptor F, and the tumbler under the action of "its spring E then turns to the position shown in Figs. 11 and 12. In this "position the arm C' of tumber C comes in contact with the end of the left “hand sear B1, and the tumbler consequently still cannot turn to its full extent, "and it is only when the trigger A and with it tumbler C have descended right 5 "down (by the pull on the former being completely removed) and whereby the arm C clears the end of sear B', that such arm can pass under this sear to the Robertson v. Purdey. 10 66 66 66 position shown in Figs. 13 and 14. When this has occurred, the next time "the trigger A is pulled, the sear B1 will be raised by the arm C', and the left "hand barrel then be discharged. To return the tumbler C to its original "position after the left hand barrel has been discharged, the end of the locking 5 "bolt G when actuated in the usual way by the lever G' for the purpose of "opening the gun, will in its backward movement force back a sliding rod H "which it engages (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2), the movement bringing the 66 rear end of such rod against one side of the tumbler C and causing it to turn on its pivot D to the position shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and as the action of opening the gun will in the usual way have cocked the hammers and consequently depressed the rear ends of the sears B, B', the arm C2 will again "abut against the projection b on sear B, and hold tumbler C in the position to "which it has been shifted. The Specification then proceeded to describe other arrangements, and concluded :-"It will be readily understood 15" that the various arrangements described may be modified indefinitely, the "essential feature being that the part for actuating the second sear be provided "with an intercepting surface or surfaces acting in conjunction with a corresponding surface or surfaces (carried by the trigger or other suitable part of the action), and which will effectually prevent the full movement 20" of such part to the position necessary for enabling the second barrel to "be discharged, until after the involuntary action due to the recoil has "occurred, and also preferably at same time locking the sear for effecting "such second discharge until the part has completed its full movement." The Claims were :-"In single trigger double barrel drop down guns-1. The 25 combination with a single trigger, two sears and a movable part which by the "action of firing one barrel is shifted to the position for acting on the sear "which retains the hammer of the second barrel, of an interceptor acting in "conjunction with such movable part which prevents the latter from assuming "the position necessary to act on the second sear, until after the involuntary 30" pull on the trigger has occurred, all substantially as specified. 2. The com"bination with a single trigger, two sears, a movable part which by the act of "firing one barrel is shifted to the position for acting on the sear which retains "the hammer of the second barrel, and an interceptor acting in conjunction "with such movable part which prevents the latter from assuming the position 35 necessary to act on the second sear, until after the involuntary pull on the "trigger has occurred, of a locking arm or projection on the movable part, "which prevents the second sear from being actuated until such movable part "has moved to the position requisite for effecting this, all substantially as "specified." 40 45 66 Letters Patent, dated 6th July 1894 (No. 13,130 of 1894) were granted to William Nobbs for "Improvements in break-down guns." The Provisional Specification was as follows :-" The object of this invention "is to provide a safe arrangement for firing double-barrel break-down guns "with the use of one trigger. "To this end, there is pivotted on the top of the trigger blade, a horizontal "swinging bar, which serves, when the trigger is pulled, to disengage the sear "of either tumbler, and thus discharge, first the right, and then the left-hand "barrel. By means of a pressure spring, this swinging bar receives a tendency "to take up a position under the tail of the sear, which locks the tumbler of 50"the left-hand hammer, but when the gun is charged and is ready for firing, "it is the sear of the right-hand tumbler which has first to be released, and it "after the discharge of the right-hand barrel, that the swinging bar takes the position into which it is forced by the before-mentioned spring. On the "inner face of the right-hand tumbler is formed a cam or inclined surface, 55 "which bears against a short transverse pin mounted in a sleeve guide, and 66 66 Robertson v. Purdey. A 15 "held between the incline and the forward end of the swinging bar. When "the break-down gun is opened for re-charging, the hammers are automatically "cocked. This cocking movement causes the right-hand tumbler, through its cam, to press the transverse pin against the end of the swinging bar, and "thereby thrust the tail end of the bar (against the pressure of its spring) 5 "under the tail of the sear of the right-hand tumbler, and retain it in that position. When, however, the trigger is pulled, the swinging bar tips the sear out of its bent, and thus releases the hammer for the discharge of the "right-hand barrel. The forward movement of the hammer relieves the "transverse pin from the pressure of the incline or cam face, and leaves this 10 "swinging bar free to take up a position under the tail of the left-hand sear. "In order, however, to prevent too rapid a shifting of the position of this "swinging bar, which would occasion the discharge of both barrels, the "swinging motion is momentarily arrested by an interposing device, which "admits of taking various forms without affecting its retarding action. "simple contrivance for this purpose is a horizontal rocking plate mounted "loosely on a pin standing up from the centre of the trigger plate, and carrying a small bolt pivotted on the left-hand side of the plate, and projecting forward "through a fixed guide into the plane of motion of the tail of the swinging bar. "As the sear of the right-hand tumbler is raised by the swinging bar, to 20 "discharge the right-hand barrel, it will strike the plate, turn it slightly on its pivot pin, and bring its projecting bolt into contact with the tail of the bar. "This contact will serve momentarily to arrest the movement of the bar,—but on the withdrawal of the sliding blade, caused by the recoil of the rockingplate, assisted by the recoil of the gun, the swinging bar will then resume its 25 "motion, and take its place under the tail of the left-hand sear, ready for "discharging the second barrel on the lifting of the trigger. The recoil of the "plate on its pivot pin, and the consequent withdrawal of the sliding bolt, is "mainly due to the elastic pressure of a finger on the trigger blade bearing upon an incline on the front of the pivotted plate in its advanced position 30 "and pressing it backwards, there being but a slight motion needed to withdraw "the bolt from the tail of the swinging bar. Instead of arresting the swinging "bar by the arrangement just described, the rocking plate may move in a "vertical plane, it being actuated by a sliding rod thrust forward by the grip "of the hand on the stock, or by the pressure of the butt against the shoulder 35 "of the sportsman. 66 66 66 66 "I may remark that my invention applies equally to what are known as "hammerless and hammer guns." The Complete Specification was in the following terms :-"The object of this "invention is to provide a safe arrangement for firing double-barrel break down 40 guns with the use of one trigger. "To this end there is pivotted, on the top of the trigger blade, a horizontal "swinging bar, which serves, when the trigger is pulled, to disengage the sear "of either tumbler, and thus discharge, first the right, and then the left-hand "barrel. "In the accompanying Drawings, I have shewn in several views so much of 66 a double-barrelled break-down gun, as will serve to explain the nature of my "invention, and the means employed for carrying it into practical use. 45 "Fig. 1 shews the 'action' in side elevation, the left-hand lock being removed. "Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, shewing the two locks and the swinging 50 "bar (carried by the trigger) in the position for controlling the discharge of the "right-hand barrel. Fig. 3 represents the inner face of the right-hand lock "shewing the means provided for forcing the swinging bar into the position "shewn in Fig. 2, against the pressure of a spring, which gives it a tendency to move in the opposite direction. Fig. 4 is a plan view shewing the position of 55 66 Robertson v. Purdey. "the swinging bar after the right-hand barrel has been fired, and while arrested "in its movement towards the left-hand lock. Fig. 5 is a similar view, shewing "the swinging bar as having completed its movement, and reached the position "for controlling the firing of the left-hand barrel. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the 5 "trigger, the swinging bar mounted thereon, and the mechanism for arresting "the transverse movement of the swinging bar, when the trigger has been "pulled to fire the right-hand barrel. 66 66 "In these views, A is the right-hand barrel, and A* the left-hand barrel, both of "which are discharged by the pulling of a central trigger B. This trigger is 10" mounted in a bracket piece carried by the trigger plate B'. C, C* are the "hammers with their tumblers mounted as usual on the lock plates D, D*. c, c* are the sears for locking into the notches of the tumblers and f3 is the "safety sear for acting on the tumbler C. The tails of these sears, which are 66 opposite to each other, are alternately acted upon by the swinging bar E, 15" which is mounted upon the central trigger B, and rises and falls with it. e is a light pressure spring made fast to the trigger plate B', and bearing upon "the swinging bar in rear of its fulcrum, the object being to impart to the bar E a tendency to take up the position shewn in Fig. 5, that is, under the tail of "the sear c*, which locks the tumbler of the left-hand hammer C. When the 20"gun is charged and is ready for firing, it is the sear c of the right-hand tumbler "which has first to be released by the uplifting of the swinging bar E, and it "is after the discharge of the right-hand barrel, that the swinging bar takes the position into which it is forced by the before-mentioned spring. Before, "however, the bar E is allowed to take the position shown in Fig. 5, it has been 25"found desirable to arrest its lateral motion, and thereby to avoid the possibility "of its releasing both the sears c and c* through one pull of the trigger. 66 66 "The means employed for avoiding this difficulty I will explain after having "drawn attention to the means by which the bar is rocked under the tail of the "sear c, in opposition to the pressure spring e. On the inner face of the right30 hand tumbler C (see Fig. 3) is formed a cam or inclined surface c', which "bears against a short transverse pin c2 mounted in a sleeve guide carried by a "fixed plate c3. This pin c2 is held between the incline c and the forward end "of the swinging bar. When the break-down gun is opened for re-charging, "the hammers are automatically cocked. This cocking movement causes the 35"right-hand tumbler, through its cam, to press the transverse pin c2 against the "swinging bar, and thereby thrust the tail end of the bar (against the pressure "of its spring) under the tail of the sear c of the right-hand tumbler C, and "retain it in that position. When, however, the trigger is pulled, the swinging "bar tips the sear out of its bent, and thus releases the hammer for the discharge 40" of the right-hand barrel. This forward movement of the hammer C relieves "the pin c2 from the pressure of the incline or cam face c', and leaves this swinging bar free to take up a position under the tail of the left-hand sear. "In order, however, to prevent too rapid a shifting of the position of this "swinging bar, which would, as before stated, occasion the discharge of both 45" barrels, the swinging motion is momentarily arrested by an interposing device "or stop, which admits of taking various forms, without affecting its retarding "action. 66 66 "I will now describe the arrangement illustrated at Figs. 2, 4, and 5, for "securing this object. f is a horizontal rocking block mounted loosely on the 50" pin f1, standing up from the centre of the trigger plate. This block carries a "small bolt f2 pivotted on the left-hand side of the block, and projecting "forward through a fixed guide b, carried by the trigger plate B', into the "plane of motion of the tail of the swinging bar E. As the safety sear f3 of "the right-hand tumbler is tripped together with the sear c by the swinging bar, to discharge the right-hand barrel, a side projection on the tail of the 55 Robertson v. Purdey. 66 safety sear will strike the block, turn it slightly on its pivot pin, and bring "its projecting bolt f2 into contact with the turned-up tail of the bar E. This "contact will serve momentarily to arrest the movement of the bar, but on the "withdrawal of the sliding bolt f, caused by the return motion of the "rocking block f, effected by the means to be presently described, the swinging 5 "bar will then resume its motion, and take its place under the tail of the "sear c", ready for discharging the second barrel on the lifting of the trigger. "The back motion of the block f on its pivot pin, and the consequent with"drawal of the sliding bolt out of the plane of motion of the bar E, is mainly "due to the elastic pressure of a finger b' (Fig. 6), pivotted on the trigger blade, 10 "bearing upon an inclined face on the pivotted block in its advanced position, "and pressing it backwards, there being but a slight motion needed to withdraw "the bolt f2 from the tail of the swinging bar. This motion is due to the recoil "of the gun, and the consequent involuntary pull of the trigger by the finger "still holding it. The movement of the swinging bar E having now been 15 |