Improvements in Automatic Safety Devices for Fire-arms.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Safety Devices for Fire-arms.
ROBERT BRUNO JENTZSOH 3 Schwindgasse Vienna Austria Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is the construction of a simple device attachable to all
sorts of fire-arms which device will automatically prevent their being fired when they
are out of their natural position or when they are in a position in which they ought not
to be fired. The device consists of a simple catch, hook or bolt which is suspended in the
interior of the lock of the gun or near said lock, in such manner that when the gun is
brought into a vertical position, for instance, as when put down on the ground, the said
suspended catch, hook or bolt, which forms a sort of pendulum, in dropping into its
vertical position will engage in a suitable notch or hole, in, or underneath, at the side
or above any of the working parts of the gun in such manner, that it prevents the
action of the lock mechanisin as long as the gun remains in that position. When the
gun is brought again into its proper or intended position, the suspended catch hook
or bolt falls by its own weight back into its original position and liberates the
mechanism. The special object of this device is to lock a cocked fire arm when it is
put on the ground or when it is being carried in an upright or a reversed position
but it may also be applied to other purposes for instance, for stopping the magazine
mechanism of repeating rifles or for preventing the dropping out of the bolt of so
called straight pull breech bolts and so forth. Another special use of this device, is,
for stopping or securing other automatic safety devices in fire arms such for instance
as described by me in another patent application. In that an automatic safety is
described which will release the cock mechanism, when a piece hinged into the butt
plate of the gun is pressed simultaneously with the trigger. In putting down a gun
of this kind a stone or other object might press in the said hinged piece and the
trigger being accidentally pulled at the same time, the gun would go off. The device
herein described when attached to the safety device described in the other Patent will
prevent this from happening. The pendulum catch or hook is so fixed in the butt
or stock of the gun that it will engage into a notch or against a projection on any of
the moving parts of the other device, preferably on the rod, when the gun is placed
or carried in a position in which it might be fired accidentally in the manner above
described.
A small lock may be attached to or combined with the automatic pendulum safety
catch in such manner that by a suitable key the bolt of said lock might be made to
stop the pendulum in its locking position, so that none but the owner of the key could
use the gun.
Dated this 12th day of December 1888.
E. EATON & Co.,
Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Safety Devices for Fire-arms.
ROBERT BRUNO JENTZSCH 9 Karlsgasse Vienna Austria Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is the construction of a simple device attachable to all
sorts of fire arms, which device will automatically prevent their discharge, when out

page_text: of their proper position, or when they are in a position in which they ought not
to be fired.
The device principally consists of a simple catch, hook or bolt, which is suspended
in the interior of the lock of the gun, or near said lock in the gun in such manner,
that when the gun is brought into a vertical position for instance, as when put down
on the ground, the said suspended catch hook or bolt, which acts like a sort of
pendulum, in dropping into its vertical position, will engage in a suitable notch, hole
or shoulder in on or at or underneath, at the side, or above any of the working parts of
the gun in such manner, that it prevents the action of the lock mechanism as long as
the gun remains in that position. When the gun is brought again into its proper
position, intended for shooting, the suspended catch, hook or bolt drops by its own
weight back into its original position and thus liberates the mechanism.
The principal object of this device is to lock and prevent the accidental discharge
of a cocked fire arms when rested on the ground or when being carried in an upright
or a reversed position, but it may also be applied to fire arms for different other
purposes, for instance for stopping the magazine mechanism of repeating fire arms,
or for preventing the dropping out of so called straight pull breech bolts and
so forth.
The particular use however this device is intended for, is to stop or secure other
automatic safety devices in fire arms, principally those in which the firing mechanism
is released by bringing the gun up to the shoulder as for instance described in the
Specification of my own Patent No. 18164 of 1888. In putting down a gun of this
kind or in resting it upon the ground, the hinged butt plate lever might be pressed
and the firing mechanism released, when an accidental touch upon the trigger will
discharge the piece when cocked.
The pendulum device herein described, when attached to the other safety devices
will prevent such accidents from happening. The pendulum catch or hook is so fixed
in the butt or stock of the gun, that it will engage into a notch or against a projection
of or on any of the moving parts of the other safety device when the gun is placed
or carried in a position, in which it might be fired accidentally in the manner above
indicated or otherwise.
A small lock may be attached to, or combined with the automatic pendulum safety
catch in such manner, that by a suitable key the bolt of said lock can be made
to bring and stop the pendulum in its locking position, so that nobody but the
owner of the key can use the gun.
In the accompanying drawings the pendulum and lock devices are shown attached
to a gun in combination with a safety device as shown and described in my own
Patent No. 18164 of 1888.
In these drawings represents :
Figure 1 a side view of a common sporting gun with the safety devices indicated in
dotted lines.
In figures 2, 2ª, 3 and 3" I have shown, for the better understanding of the working
together of my safety devices, the safety as shown and described in my patent
No. 18164 of 1888 in closed, open, front and rear view.
Figure 4 shows part of the stock of a gun with safety rod, pendulum and lock in
closed state.
Figure 4 is the same view with the parts in free or open state.
Figure 4 shows the mechanism in a vertical position with the pendulum dropped
inward to stop the safety rod from moving.
Figure 3 shows a modification in the way of applying the pendulum.
Figures 6 and 7 show another modification of the pendulum safety in a locked and
free state respectively.
Figures 8 and 9 show a lock alone, applied to a gun, in locked and unlocked
positions respectively.
In figures 1, 2, 2ª, 3 and 3ª of the annexed drawings the automatic safety as
described in the Specification of my patent No. 18164 of 1888 is shown, to which

page_text: e
mechanism by way of example my new pendulum and look safety is shown attached.
The former mechanism consists of the slide b, which locks the hammers or the
triggers a of a gun and to which at 6' is coupled the rod c, passing through the butt
of the gun towards the butt plate. A lever è pivoted at h swings through an aperture
in the butt plate A and is acted upon from the inside by arm d¹ of a bell crank lever,
the pivot of which is at d and the other arm d of which is at 2 coupled to the rear
end of rod c.
A spring facting upon lever d, d¹ keeps lever e continually pressed
outward and consequently rod c and slide 6 pressed inward, in which position the
firing mechanism is locked as indicated in figure 1. When, in bringing the gun
against the shoulder, lever e is pressed inward, it acts upon lever d d and withdraws
locking slide b, thus permitting the discharge of the gun in the usual way. Guns
provided with the described or a similar safety however are not always or absolutely
safe as when rested on the ground lever e is depressed and the safety slide withdrawn,
so that a touch upon the trigger or a jar may discharge the gun. For safeties of
this kind therefore my pendulum is of especial importance and it is for this reason
that I have shown my pendulum and lock safety applied to and in combination with
a butt plate lever safety, although both may be employed separately or in combination
upon any suitable part of the firing mechanism of a gun.
The pendulum safety consists of an arm or a piece g pivoted at g³ or at any other
suitable place inside of the gun. Arm g is suspended in such manner, that, as long
as the gun is not brought into a vertical, nearly vertical or reversed position, it will
remain inactive, resting in the position shown in figure 1 and 4". As soon however
as the gun is brought into a nearly vertical position, arm g acting as a pendulum has
the tendency to attain the plumb line and falls or swings forward or inward against
the part of the mechanism whose movement it is intended to stop, in this case against
the locking rod c as shown in figure 4b.
To ensure a reliable working of the pendulum, the free end of arm g is heavier
than the rest or provided with a head g', which in this case has the shape of a tooth
or catch and in falling engages with a tooth or projection c¹ or into a suitable notch
of rod c.
In this position rod c and with it of course safety slide bare effectually stopped
and cannot move and release the firing mechanism no matter how much butt plate
lever e is pressed upon.
When the gun is again brought from its vertical or reversed position into a
horizontal or any other position suited for firing pendulum 9 swings or falls back
into its original inactive position and releases safety rod c, permitting the discharge
of the gun as before described.
A modification is shown in figure 5. Here pendulum 9 is attached to rod c
at c³ and engages with a fixed piece of metal c', which may be attached to the butt
plate parts as indicated in the drawing or let into the wood of the butt at any
suitable place. The working and effect is in this case the same of course as before
described.
In the modification shown in figures 6 and 7 the pendulum is, at for instance,
attached to arm d of lever d d¹ and swings, when the gun is in a vertical position
against the inside of butt plate lever e as shown in figure 6; thus forming a sort of
bar between levers e and d, which absolutely prevents all motion of the working parts.
When the gun is in a horizontal or any other position suited for firing pendulum g
drops out of the way as shown in figure 7 and permits the free motion of the
different parts.
As before said, the pendulum may of course be attached to or employed with any
working part of the firing mechanism of a gun, so as to prevent its discharge in
certain positions by swinging or dropping into, between, against, underneath or over
any one or more of the parts of the mechanism.
As an additional safety for fire arms of all kinds I have devised a small lock to be
placed at any part inside of the fire arm, which lock when closed will stop either
directly or indirectly the firing mechanism so that nobody but the person holding the
key of the lock will be able to discharge a fire arm thus provided.

page_text: In figures 1, 4, 4" and 4" a lock of this kind is shown applied to a pendulum safety.
The lock is placed underneath the pendulum g, and when open permits the free
movement of arm g as shown in figures 4ª, 4. When however bolt of lock i is by
turning the key k advanced, it raises pendulum arm g into its locking position as
shown in figure 4, thereby rendering a fire arm permanently useless until the key is
again introduced and turned. A lock of this kind may of course be applied to any
part of the safety or firing mechanism of a fire arm and I bave by way of example
shown such a lock, as applied for directly stopping or locking the firing mechanism
of a gun, in figures 8 and 9.
Here the bolt b of lock i acts the same as the slide of any safety and when key k
is turned slides over or into any parts of the firing mechanism so as to prevent their
moving. By the employment of this system of locking in fire arms, many accidents
might be prevented, which arise from the improper and forbidden use of fire arms
by people.
Having now fully described my invention what I claim is:
1.) In fire arms an automatic safety consisting of a freely swinging pendulum g
suspended inside of a fire arm in such manner, that it will lock, stop or prevent the
motion of any one or more parts of the safety or firing mechanism and thus render a
discharge of the fire arm impossible when the latter is brought into a vertical, nearly
vertical or reversed position; substantially as herein described.
2.) In fire arms in general but especially in those provided with the safeties herein
described, the application of a small lock, the bolt of which, when locked, will enter
into, between, against, over or underneath any one or more working parts of the
safety or firing mechanism in such manner as to render the fire arm unfit for
use as long as the bolt of the lock is not withdrawn; substantially as berein
described.
Dated this 10th dox of Sentember 1880
EDMUND EATON & Co.,
Consulting Engineers, Patent Agents, &c., Agents for Applicant.