AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR PREVENTING THE PREMATURE DISCHARGE OF SMALL ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALFRED LESLIE STANLEY LEIGHS, Naval and Military Consulting Engineer
5 Ludgate Circus London E.C. do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR PREVENTING THE PREMATURE DISCHARGE OF
SMALL ARMS to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a safety arrangement which I affix upon present shot
guus, rifles pistols and other small arms, which arrangement is also applicable to
all classes of new small arms.
A horizontal lever is fixed by means of a pivot to the inner side of the lock plate
or other suitable part of the breech action-The front end of this lever is
hook-shaped and adapted to engage with a slot or hole in the forward end of the
tumbler-The rear end of this horizontal lover is fitted with a spring presser which
is easily removable from the lever by means of a separate key-This presser
protrudes through a suitable hole in the side of the gun just at the point where the
thumb presses when the gun is grasped in the firing position.
A spring is introduced between the rear end of the lever and some part of the
lock action in order to keep the hooked end constantly against the tumbler.
When the tumbler is pulled to "full cock" the hooked end of the safety lever
engages with the slot or hole in the tumbler and this prevents the full of the
tumbler even should the sear bo disengaged, until the hook is released. This
release of the hooked end is effected by the inward pressure or side movement of
the thumb in the act of grasping the stock for taking aim.
In the manufacture of new guns I dispense with the separate spring for
actuating the end of the lever and in lieu thereof I fix the front end of the
horizontal lever, forward of the hook, to the shorter free arm of the main spring, or
I may use the ordinary scar-spring for this purpose.
By the use of my improved safety I am able to dispense with the half-bent in
the tumbler when manufacturing new guns.

page_text: I, ALFRED LESLIE STANLEY LEIGHS Naval and Military Consulting Engineer
5 Ludgate Circus London, E.C. do hereby declare the nature of my snid Invention
for AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR PREVENTING THE PREMATURE DISCHARGE OF
SMALL ARMS and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention relates to a safety arrangement which I affix upon present small
Arms which arrangement is also applicable to all classes of new Small Arms.
A lever Fig: 1 Fig 2 or Fig 3 is fixed by means of a pivot A figures 1. 2 and 3
to the inner side of the lock plate, bridle pin, or to other suitable part of the
Breech Action, the front end of this lever is hooked shape at B, and adapted to
engage with a slot or Hole to be made in the Tumbler, or against a flat filed on
the tumbler so as to catch over or in front of the Tumbler, to prevent a forward
movement or in slot or hole in Striker or other part of the action. The rear end
of this lever C. C. C is bent to any angle to make a downward, side or forward
pressure in lifting out the hooked shaped end B. from the tumbler, and has also a
hole which is tapped for a screw of the thumb presser H affixed thereto at D-the
thumb or spring presser fig 4 has a screw at the base H with two slots K K in the
upper part. In order to more readily unscrew the same from the lever, a suitable
key is used fig 5-this presser protrudes through a suitable holo on the stock at or
near a point where the thumb rests when the said small arm is grasped with the
right hand in the firing position and a plate is let into the stock of the small arm to
give a more finished appearance.
When the tumbler is pulled to full cock, the hooked end engages with its slot
and prevents the fall of the tumbler or other part of action, until the hooked end
is rleensed.
A spring is introduced between the rear end of the lever and some part of the
lock action to keep the hooked end constantly against the tumbler, striker or other
part of action or I may use the ordinary sear or mainspring for this purpose.
This release of the hooked ond is effected only by side forward or inward
pressure upon the presser fig 4 which is inserted in the stock as before explained.
In some cases in lieu of screwing or affixing my safety appliance I rivet the
lever as a separate article previous to affixing upon the small arm, fig 7 viz 1 the
lever 2 the hooked part 3 thumb presser 4 the plate 5 the spring. To work two
triggers with one presser I file the axle or pivot upon which the lever works,
square.
In the use of my self acting safety principle I dispense with half Beuts upon
tumblers of locks and in the manufacture of new small arms, I dispense with a
separate spring for actuating the end of the lever, and in lieu thereof, I fix the
front end of the lever forward of the hooked end to the shorter free arm of the
mainspring with the remaining part just clearing the left hand side of the tumbler
fig 10.
In order to prevent the presser being accidentally pushed in I provide a slide
which I can push over the hole in the stock above the presser fia 12.

page_text: 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
The Self locking safety Contrivance which automatically with full Cocking, acts,
and is only released when the rear end of the Contrivance which has a removable
thumb presser is actuated, substantially as described and shewn in the accompanying
Drawings.