US795991A - Single-trigger mechanism for breech-loading double-barrel guns. - Google Patents

Description

No. 795,991. PATENTED AUG. 1, 190 5. 0. F. LEFEVER.

SINGLE TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR BRBEGH LOADING DOUBLE BARREL GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 12. 1903 2 SHEETS-SfiIll-ZT 1.

PATENTED AUG. 1,- 1905.

C. F. LEFEVER.

SINGLE TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR BREECH LOADING DOUBLE BARREL GUNS.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR.12,1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wmvzsszs UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTCF.

CHARLES F. LEFEVER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK. SINGLE-TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR BREECH-LOADING DOUBLE-BARREL GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed a ch 12, 1903- SBIiELl N0. 1 17,4103.

.To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. LEFEVER, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Single-Trigger Mechanism for Breech -Loading Double-Barrel Guns, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to single trigger mechanism for breech-loading double-barrel guns of the class set forth in the application of Daniel M. and Charles F. Lefever, filed February 14, 1903, and known as Serial No lei-3,287.

The distinct object of the invention over that set forth in the pending application referred to is to employ separate sear-tripping pawls, either of which may be set so that the same barrel (either right or left) may be dis charged first after each break of the gun, the pawls being mounted on the trigger in such manner that their own inertia coacting with the recoil of the gun when one barrel is fired operates to force the pawls from their tripping position to prevent the involuntary firing of the other barrel.

Further objects will appear in the subsequent description.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively top plan and side elevation of my improved single-trigger mechanism, the trigger-plate being shown in dotted lines and the parts being normal and set to fire the left hammer first. Figs. 8, 4, 5, and 6 are views similar to Fig. 2, showing the successive movements of the parts in firing both hammers and then returning the parts to their normal positions by means of the cocking-lever when the gun is broken, as seen in Fig. 6. Fig. 7 is a face view similar to Fig. 3, showing the righthand hammer as fired first and the left-hand pawl as partially returned to the tripping position ready to drop in place when the trigger is released. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8 8, Fig. 5, the hammers being omitted and the sears shown in top plan. Fig. 9 is a rear end view of the parts seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the detached trigger. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the cocking-lever, partly broken away, and the drawbar connected thereto for forcing one or the other of the sear-tripping pawls from its tripping position. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the device for shifting the position of the draw-bar seen in Fig. 11 from one pawl to the other. Figs. 13, 14K, and 15 are detail views, showing, respectively, one of the pawls, one of the scars, and the detents for holding the pawls in their inoperative position.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

The drawings represent portions of adoublebarrel breech-loading gun having a triggerplate 1, upon which are mounted a pair of hammers 2, sears 3, mainsprings 4, a trigger 5, and a cocking-lever 6. The trigger-plate is secured to the frame of the gun in the usual manner and differs from the ordinary plate only in its special adaptation to the mechanism hereinafter described.

The hammers 2 are pivotally mounted side by side upon separate pins 7 in the triggerplate and are formed with forwardly-projecting arms 8, which overhang and are adapted to be engaged by lugs 9 on the cocking-lever 6, whereby as the lever is rocked by the breaking of the gun the hammers are cooked. The sears 3 are also mounted on separate pivotal pins 10 in the trigger-plate at the rear of the pins 7 and serve to hold the hammers in their cocked positions, the rear ends of the scars being formed with lateral shoulders 11, adapted to be engaged by portions of the pawls, whereby the sears are tripped in a manner presently described.

The mainsprings L are suitably seated in the trigger-plate and perform their usual functions of operating the released hammers and forcing the sears into holding engagement with the hammers when cooked, the upper leaves of the springs being connected to the heels of the hammers by links 12.

The trigger 5 is inserted upwardly through a suitable slot in the trigger-plate and is pivoted at its forward upper end to said plate, so that its rear end may be rocked vertically by means of a finger-piece 14: against the action of a suitable spring 15, which is also secured to the trigger-plate. This trigger is slotted vertically at 16 and horizontally at 17 to receive and permit the free action of a suitable draw-bar 18, which is attached to the cookinglever 6, said trigger being also slotted at 19 to receive the closed end of the bifurcated springbar, the arms 20 of which engage the seartripping pawls to move them to their tripping position.

The cocking-lever 6 is pivoted at 21 to the trigger-plate and swings forwardly and upwardly between the hammers, being provided with lateral shoulders 9, which underlie the arms 8, so that as the front end of the lever is raised in the act of breaking the gun the hammers are cocked and held by the scars 3.

A pair of upright sear-tripping pawls 24 are pivoted at their lower ends at 25 to opposite faces of the trigger 5 at points beneath the shoulders 11 of the sears, while their upper ends extend a considerable distance above said shoulders to form what may be termed weighted pawls, the inertia of which, together with the recoil of the gun when one of the barrels is fired, serves to automatically throw the pawls from their tripping position against the action of the springs 20 and to prevent the involuntary firing of the other barrel. It is thus evident that the pawls 24 not only move with the trigger, but also have an independent rocking movement on their pivots to and from their tripping positions and are provided. with lateral shoulders 26, one of which normally underlies its shoulders 11 of the corresponding sear when the trigger is in its normal position, so that when the trigger is pulled the corresponding hammer will be fired. Each of the pawls is provided with a detent 27, which consists of a spring-arm, secured to the trigger-plate and formed with a tooth projecting through the trigger-opening in the plate and into the path of a similar tooth on the lower end face of its pawl,whereby when the trigger is normal and the upper ends of the pawls are forced forwardly from any cause the detents automatically interlock with the pawls to hold them from moving to the tripping position until the trigger is pulled and again released.

The shoulders 11 and 26 of the sears and pawls, respectively, are arranged in such relation that when the trigger is pulled to release the pawls from their detents 27 and the springs 20 rock the upper ends of the pawls rearwardly the shoulders 26 will be elevated, so that their rear faces (which are usually flat) will abut against the front faces of the shoulders 11 and prevent the shoulders 26 from riding under the shoulders 11 (see Fig. 7) until the pull on the trigger is released and it returns to its normal position, at which time the pawls are in the position to trip the sears when the trigger is again pulled, it being understood that when both hammers are cocked one of the pawls is drawn forward from its tripping position by the draw-bar 18. It is this structure and arrangement which prevents the doubling or involuntary firing of the second barrel, owing to the fact that the instant the recoil takes place the pawls are both thrown away from their tripping positions, and even if the trigger was involuntarily pulled at or about this instant the shoulders 26 will simply abut against the searshoulders 11 and will not ride under them until the trigger is released and returns to its normal position. These latter movements require a considerable period of time as cornpared with the involuntary movement of the finger or recoil of the gun and not only affords ample time to recover control of the finger, but it is actually necessary to release the pull on the trigger and to then pull it again before the second barrel can be fired.

The means for determining which hammer shall be fired first after each break of the gun consists of the draw-bar 18 and a manuallyoperated shifting member 30, the drawbar being here shown as a spring-arm having its front end inserted in the slot in the cookinglever, Figs. 8 and 11, and pivoted thereto by a pin 31, and its rear end rides in the vertical slot in the triggerand is provided with oppositely-projecting shoulders 32, movable into and out of registration with the rear upright faces of their respective pawls 24. The free end of this spring carrying the shoulders 32 is normally tensioned to spring laterally-in this instance to the left-to automatically register the left shoulder 32 with the left pawl 2a, so that when the lever 6 is cocked by the breaking of the gun the draw-bar 18 is drawn forwardly and forces the left pawl from its tripping position and into holding engagement with its detent 27, while the other pawl remains in its tripping position with its shoulder 26 under the corresponding sear-shoulder 11.

The member 30 preferably consists of a rock-spindle journaled in an upright position in the rear end of the trigger and having its upper end provided with an eccentric stud 35, which bears against the left-hand face of the spring-arm 18, while its lower end is pro vided with an exposed handpiece 36, hearing the indicating-letters R. L. on its opposite faces, so that the operator may ascertain which barrel will fire first.

When the left barrel is to be fired first,the operator rocks the eccentric until L. appears at the left on the handpiece 36, as seen in Figs. 2 to 6, which operation forces the rear end of the arm 18 to the right, with the right shoulder 32 registered with its pawl and the left shoulder 32 out of'alinement with its pawl. Now when the gun is broken the right pawl will be drawn forwardly from its tripping position and the left pawl will remain in position to trip its sear when the trigger is pulled. In like manner the member 30 may be shifted a half-turn to permit the rear end of the draw-bar 18 to shift laterally, so that the left shoulder 32 is in position to draw its pawl from the tripping position when the gun is broken, in which instance the right barrel will be fired first after each break of the gun, the trigger and handpiece 30 being provided with suitable stops to limit the rocking movement of the eccentric to substantially a half-turn.

Each of the hammers is provided with a cam-face 37, extending forwardly from its sear-engaging tooth, whereby when the hammer is fired the cam-face engages and depresses the front end of the sear and holds its rear end up, so that when the pawls are elevated by the trigger to trip the sear of the other hammer, not fired, the shoulder on the sear of the fired hammer will not interfere with the movement of the corresponding pawl.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination with the hammers, mainsprings and scars of a doublebarrel breech-loading gun, a trigger, separate pawls operatively connecting the trigger to the sears to trip the latter when the trigger is pulled, and means actuated by the break of the gun to break the operative connection between one of the pawls and its sear irrespective of the other pawl.

2. In combination with the hammers, mainsprings and sears of a double-barrel breechloading gun, a trigger, separate pawls operatively connecting the trigger to the sears to trip the latter when the trigger is pulled, a cocking-lever, and means actuated by the 1ever when moving to its cocking position to break the operative connection between one of the pawls and its sear irrespective of the other pawl.

3. In combination with the hammers, main-- springs and sears of a double-barrel breechloading gun, a trigger, separate pawls operatively connecting the trigger to the sears to trip the latter when the trigger is pulled, a cookinglever, movable means operatively connected to the lever for breaking the connection between either of the pawls and its sear irrespective of the other pawl, and a manually-operated member connected to shift said means from one position to the other.

4. In combination with thehammers, mainsprings and sears of a double-barrel breechloading gun, a single trigger, separate seartripping pawls actuated by the trigger, automatic means for forcing one of the pawls from its tripping position when the gun is broken, and a detent for holding the latter pawl in its inoperative position.

5. In combination with the hammers, mainsprings and sears of a double-barrel breechloading gun, a single trigger, separate seartripping pawls actuated by the trigger, automatic means for forcing one of the pawls from its tripping position when the gun is broken, a detent for holding the latter pawl in its inoperative position, the operation of the trigger acting to release the latter pawl from its detent, and a spring for returning said latter pawl to its tripping position.

6. In combination with the hammers, mainsprings and sears of a double-barrel breechloading gun, a single trigger, separate seartripping pawls on the trigger and having independent movement to and from their tripping positions, detents for holding the pawls from their tripping positions, means for automatically forcing the pawls to'their tripping positions, said pawls being released from their detents by the movement of the trigger, and automatic means for forcing one of the pawls to its inoperative position when the gun is broken.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this ath day of March, 1903.

CHARLES F. LEFEVER.

WVitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, HOWARD P. DnNIsoN.

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