IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY MECHANISM FOR BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: I FREDERICK BEESLEY of 85 Edgware Road in the County of Middlesex, Gun-
maker do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAFETY MECHANISM FOR BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in safety mechanism for breech-loading
small arms.
In carrying out the invention I employ for each main spring or tumbler a safety
lever working in a horizontal plane on a suitably placed pivot or fulcrum; the
outer end of the long arm of each lever has a projection adapted to bolt or intercept
the main spring or tumbler in any suitable manner such as by passing underneath
the same; the short arm of each lever is adapted to allow of its being operated by
a rod connecting it with the trigger. A spring is provided for holding the lever in
position for blocking the action of the main springs or tumblers.
For the triggers or sears I employ a horizontal sliding bolt passing over the
triggers or Bears the front of the bolt being opposite the rear end of the usual
locking bolt or the key of the lever. The sliding bolt is provided with a suitable
projection adapted to pass over and lock the sears or triggers; the said sliding bolt
is also provided with a vertical projection for operating and for being operated by
the usual safety slide cover and is provided with a spring to retain it in position.
By my improvements, on the locking bolt being withdrawn to open the gun, the
rear end of the bolt, or the lever will operate the sliding bolt and the projection of
the sliding bolt will pass over or onto the sears or triggers and thereby lock the
samo. On the gun being closed the locking bolt or lever moving forward in the
usual manner will allow the sliding bolt to be removed from the sears or triggers
by moving the usual safety slide. The gun is now ready for firing but its
accidental discharge is prevented by the safety lever bolting or intercepting the
main springs or tumblers from striking the blow for firing.
When the trigger is pulled for firing the gun the trigger will pull the connecting
rod so as to operate the safety or blocking lever whereby its projection will be
removed clear of the main spring or tumbler thereby allowing the latter to strike
the blow for firing while on recocking the gun the spring will cause the safety
lever to recover its normal position.

page_text: I, FREDERICK BEESLEY, of 85, Edgware Road, in the county of Middlesex, Gun-
maker do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAFETY MECHANISM FOR BREECH-LOADING SMALL ARMS" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in safety mechanism for breech loading
small arms.
In carrying out the invention I employ for each main spring or tumbler a safety
lever working in a horizontal plane on a suitably placed pivot or fulcrum; the
outer end of the long arm of each lever has a projection adapted to bolt or
intercept the main spring or tumbler in any suitable manner such as by passing
underneath the same; the short arm of each lever is adapted to allow of its being
operated by a rod connecting it with the trigger. A spring is provided for holding
the lever in position for blocking the action of the main springs or tumblers.
For the triggers or sears I employ a horizontal sliding bolt passing over the
triggers or sears the front of the bolt being opposite the rear end of the usual
locking bolt or the key of the lever. The sliding bolt is provided with a suitable
projection adapted to pass over and lock the sears or triggers; the said sliding
bolt is also provided with a vertical projection for operating and for being operated
by the usual safety slide cover and is provided with a spring to retain it in
position.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1, represents
a sectional elevation shewing my improved safety mechanism applied to the lock
action of a double barrel breech loading self cocking gun of a construction similar
to that described in the specification of former Letters Patent granted to me
No 425, dated the 2nd January 1884 the parts being shewn in the position they
occupy when the gun has just been fired the trigger being shewn raised; figure 2
is a similar view to figure 1 but shewing the position of the parts when the gun is
opened to load the same the tumblers being cocked; figure 3 is a horizontal
section of figure 2 some of the parts being removed. Similar letters in all the
figures represent similar parts.
In the drawing A A represent the barrels and a the ordinary locking bolt of a
double barrelled gun; b is the usual lever for operating the bolt a; care the main
springs and d, one of the tumblers operated by one of the said springs and e, is the
Fear of the tumbler d; all of the ordinary construction; e, e¹, e, e¹, are the safety
levers one of which I employ for each main spring c; the said levers work in a
horizontal plane on the pivots or fulcrums ff; g g are the projections on the
outer ends of the long arms e e of the safety levers which projections pass under-
neath the main springs c of the gun so as to bolt or intercept the action of the
same until the triggers jj are pulled to fire the gun; h h are the rods connecting
the safety levers e e¹ with the triggers j. j. For this purpose the front ends of the

page_text: rods h are slotted or adapted to receive the ends of the short arms e¹ of the safety
levers e e¹; the rear ends of the said rods h h being also slotted as shewn at i in
figures 1 and 2 to receive a downward projection with which each trigger is
provided, k shews the pin on which the triggers pivot; m m shew the springs for
holding the arms e e of the safety levers in position for blocking the action of the
main springs c c.
I will now describe the safety mechanism for the triggers or sears which consists
of the horizontal sliding bolt n the projection o of which passes over the parts p of
the triggers j; q, is the front part of the said bolt which part is opposite to the
locking bolt a of the gun; 8 is the vertical projection of the sliding bolt n the
upper end of such projection taking into a slot or notch in the under side of
the usual safety slide cover r, so that the sliding bolt operates and is operated by
the said cover; the front part 9 of the bolt slides in a guide t on the trigger plate,
and the rear part is guided by means of a guide pin u in the bracket v (also on the
trigger plate) which pin passes through a slot win the said rear part; the
underside of the sliding bolt n is recessed as shewn to admit the projections p of
the triggers j, when the latter are raised to fire the gun.
This improved construction of safety mechanism for the triggers or sears being
attached to the trigger plate allows of its being used for body guns with advantage
as it can be inserted in the stock without diminishing the strength thereof.
The operation of the improved safety mechanism is as follows:-the gun having
just been fired but before the triggers are released the parts thereof will be in the
position shewn in figure 1; upon releasing pressure from the triggers they will be
pressed down by their springs in the usual manner so as to be clear of the sliding
bolt n. On the locking bolt a being withdrawn as usual by means of the lever b
for the purpose of opening the gun the rear end of the bolt a will press upon the
front end of the sliding bolt n and force the same backwards, the projection o
of the sliding bolt n will pass over or on to the projections p of the sears or
triggers j, and thereby lock the same as shewn in figure 2. On the gun being
closed the locking bolt a, moving forward in the usual manner will allow the
sliding bolt n, to be removed from the scars or triggers j, by moving the usual
safety slide -The gun is now ready for firing but its accidental discharge is
prevented by the safety levers e, e¹ e, e¹ bolting or intercepting the main springs c, c,
or tumblers d, d, from striking the blow for firing by the projections g. g, passing
under the main springs c as shewn in figures 2 and 3.
When the triggers j, are pulled for firing the gun as shewn in figure 1, the
triggers by means of the projections 4, will draw back their connecting rods h, so as
to operate the safety or blocking levers e. e³, whereby their projections g, will be
removed clear of the main springs c, as shewn in detached view at figure 4 thereby
allowing the tumblers to strike the blows for firing; the main springs c will then
move down against the side of the projections g, as shewn in figure 1; on re-cocking
the gun the main springs c will be again raised as usual and the springs m will
cause the safety levers to recover their normal position.
I have described and shewn my improvements as applied to the main springs
and triggers respectively of a double barrelled gun, but it will be obvious that the
safety mechanism can be applied to the tumbers and sears, it will also be obvious
that the improvements are applicable to single barrel guns.
I will also remark that the safety mechanism for the springs or tumblers and
for the triggers or sears may be used separately and independently one from the
other and for other descriptions of guns than that shewn in the drawing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) In safety mechanism for breech loading small arms, the combination and
arrangement of blocking levers such as e, e¹ and connecting rods h, operated by the
triggers in the manner and for the purposes substantially as shewn and described.

page_text: (2.) In safety mechanism for breech loading small arms the combination with a
safety slide cover of a sliding bolt arranged as described and attached to the trigger
plate so as to be moved to its safety or blocking position by the withdrawal of
the locking bolt as and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
(3.) The improved safety mechanism for breech loading small arms hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 0th Jos. f .. 100K