doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Southgate ejectors - heady stuff from Lowell

"According to Burrard, Purdey's Beesley action used a modified Southgate ejector design. In the standard Southgate design, which was actually invented by Beesley and sold to Hollands a few months before the Southgate patent."

The Snow Leopard
Ivan Johnson & David Trevallion
The Double Gun Journal
Winter 2001

Can anyone elaborate on the Beesley/Southgate connection?

Lowell:
That's all a bit confusing, but Beesley did patent an ejector mechanism of the 'Southgate' type (Patent No. 20,979 of 1889). Crudgington and Baker's Volume 2 describes the Beesley patent as 'ingeniously simple'.

"The tumbler is of the over-centre variety.." (hence the 'Southgate' type), "..and is powered by a V-spring. To rotate the ejector tumbler the few degrees necessary for the over-centre position to be passed, there is a lateral projection from the front of the cocking lever which, when the latter is in the up (fired) position, bears on the curved face of the front of the ejector tumbler. So, as the barrels pivot open, the ejector tumbler is rotated."



Don't have one myself, so unable to post actual photos, but hope this is helpfull none-the-less.

Thanks Marrakai, I was thumbing thru some old DGJs articles and came across this. Maybe "T" will see this topic and shed some light on it.

Marrakai,
Where did you come up with the patent drawing? I tried the google patent site but could never find what what I was looking for.
Thanks,
Steve

Burrard says "it would really be more correct to call [the Southgate] ejector the "Holland," as in its present form it is more like the original Holland patent taken out in 1893 shortly before the Southgate patent was taken out in the same year. The real credit for the invention should be given to Mr. F. Beesley...as it was Beesley who sold his idea to Messrs. Holland and Holland. But for some reason or other the name Southgate has always been applied to this type of ejector..."

I did a web search for Southgate, and the only new information I could find was that a Mr. J. Southgate made bar actions and held an ejector patent that was improved on by a Mr. Rogers, an outwork actioner for E. J. Churchill in 1904.

It would be interesting to know more about Mr. J. Southgate, how his patent differs from Holland's, and how his name is now attached to an ejector system apparently invented by Beesley.

Jack, thanks for the info!
Frederick Beesley did sell the rights to many of his inventions.
Maybe not the best head for business?
...but one of the greats in English guns!

What is now known genericaly as a'Southgate'type ejector refers to a system of 'over-centre' principle forend-housed ejectors that are refinements of patents by Southgate, Beesley and Perkes.

They differ from other basic types, liek the Deeley (a forend housed lock), the Boss (coil spring) and the Greener (self-acting and powered by the mainspring).

All the patents can be found in Crudgington & Baker vol 2.

Good evening all
Can someone explain the principle over-center with exmples in everyday life to better understand
thank you in advance

Granger

Try this explanation: http://www.daerospace.com/MechanicalSystems/OvercenterLinkage.php

Tim

This is mind numbing. I can't believe that anyone who can navigate a computer to this BBS can't find Google and type in "Southgate ejector."

Then again, why... when someone else can do it for you.