patent number for hammerless shotguns

[Gerald Majors]

Does anyone know the patent number of one or any of the Parker hammer less
shotguns, (VH type). I have searched the US Patent office site for 3 hours trying to find any of the patents. Items before 1976 are only searchable via patent #, issue date, and current classification. One of my guns has a patent date of Oct 25, 1910 but there are over 600 patents issued that date. I have looked thur 200 of those and still haven't run across any of the Parker Patents. I guess I am just getting lazy. Just looking for some help.
Thanks
Gerald

[Dave Suponski]

Gerald, The Oct 25,1910 date is patent number 973,655 and was issued to James P Hayes ( an employee of Parker Bros.) This patent was for the improved bolt plate seen on Parker shotguns built after that date. Also many guns returned to the factory for repair work have had this improvement added to them.

[Brian Dudley]

The 1910 Hayes patent covered the bolt bite, but also covered the opening mechanism of the bolt as well. This redesign in the bolting mechanism reduced the amount of parts in the top lever mechanism thus replacing the previous one with a long shaft that directly operated a redesigned bolt.

Other marked patents on Parker guns would be for the hammerless mechanism itself, as well as the forend latch mechanism.

Gerald,
Do you own any of the books written on Parkers? Most all of them have a list of Parker patent numbers in them.

[Dave Suponski]

Yes it does. Thanks for adding that info Brian. I was just too lazy to type all that....:)

[Gerald Majors]

I don't own any books yet. I didn't know which one to buy. I guess I need to save up and spring for the 2 vol "The Parker Story" but until then what less expensive books would recommend.
Thanks
Gerald

[Robin Lewis]

Check this link: http://parkerguns.org/pages/faq/learn.htm it may help?

[Brian Dudley]

If not The Parker Story yet, I would recommend Ed Muderlak's Parker Guns the Old Reliable.
It is a very good reading book with good photography. It does have a comprehensive patent appendix as well.