Improvements in or connected with Safety Locking Devices for Guns with Wedge-type Breech Closing Mechanism.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, Sist Aug., 1898
1000
.
1000
Date of Application, Sist Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899-
PRUVIDIONAL DIUIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Safety Locking Devices for Guns
with Wedge-type Breech Closing Mechanism.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried. Krupp, of
Essen, in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the safety locking device for guns
with horizontal wedge breech blocks of that type forming the subject of British
Letters Patent dated 18th November 1897, No. 26990.
The present improvements, as in the locking device described in specification
No. 26990/97 aforesaid, have for object to prevent the gun being accidentally
fired, and also the breech becoming accidentally opened, and whereas even with
the breech locked as described in specification No. 26990/97, the trigger is then
capable of moving back, and the firing of the gun is prevented only by the fact
that a nose of the locking bolt enters the path of the cocking lever, it is now in-
tended according to the present invention to also render the pulling of the trigger
impossible, when the breech is safety locked.
The improvements upon the safety locking device aforesaid effected according
to this invention are of importance especially for percussion gun locks, in which
the cocking of the firing pin takes place only when the shot is to be fired, by the
drawing back of the trigger. Obviously the improved safety locking devices
according to this invention may also be employed with those percussion gun locks
which are cocked for example by the movement of the breech handle in opening
the breech.
The safety locking device comprises a handle, a safety bolt, and a spring. These
three parts are arranged in an inset part, which is slipped into the breech wedge,
and is there held by means of a bolt. The latter also forms the axis of rotation for
the trigger. The relative connection of the safety locking parts, and the mode
of their arrangement in the inset piece, is effected by first inserting the spring
and then the safety bolt into a hole of the inset piece, at a time when the latter
is drawn out of the breech wedge block, whereupon the handle with its shank
is inserted in a second hole of the inset piece, pushed on to the square part of
the safety bolt, and connected therewith by means of a pin.
The inset piece is now, together with the parts arranged in it, pushed into the
breech wedge block, and fixed by means of the bolt. If now the handle be pulled
by the operator towards himself, a collar of the safety bolt will compress the spring.
If the handle be released, the spring will return the safety bolt back into its
original position. On the shank of the safety handle there is provided a nose
which is caused by the expansion of the spring to engage in one or the other of
two notches, viz: a first and second, of the inset piece (which are arranged at 180°
relatively to each other) according to the position of the safety handle at the

page_text: time. Further, the safety handle is provided with two arms, of which one arm
lies along the handle, and forms a right angle with the other arm.
When the nose of the safety handle is situated in the second notch, one of the
arms of the safety handle is situated between two bosses of the inset piece, and
the other arm is situated below a boss. If now the operator pulls the safety handle a
towards himself and turns it through 180°, the nose snaps into the first notch.
One of the arms of the safety handle now points vertically downwards whilst the
other arm is situated underneath the boss.
The safety handle can only be drawn out of the inset piece so far, until the
coils of the spring bear close up against each other, but in this position of the
handle the bosses are still situated in the path of the nose on the handle. From
this it will be seen that the rotation of the safety locking device from the safety
unlocked position into the safety locked position, can only be effected in the direc-
tion of the rotation of the hands of a watch, whilst the rotation of the safety locking
device from the safety locked position into the safety unlocked position, can only
be effected in the opposite direction to that of the movement of the hands of a
watch.
On the trigger there is provided a boss, and on the collar of the breech block
screw there is arranged a nose. When the safety locking device is in the locked
position, one of the arms of the safety handle, bears upon the trigger and against
the boss, whilst the other arm of the safety handle bears on one hand against the
nose of the breech block screw, and on the other hand on one of the bosses of
the inset piece.
As will be now clearly seen without further description, neither a rotation of
the trigger around the bolt, nor a rotation of the breech block screw in one direc-
tion, is now possible. Consequently the trigger cannot be moved nor can the
breech be opened.
In order to unlock the safety device, the safety handle is pulled by the operator
towards himself and it is rotated in opposition to the rotation of the hands of a
watch, until the nose snaps into the second notch, and thus no part of the safety
locking device is situated any longer in the path of the boss of the trigger, and
of the nose of the breech block screw. The trigger can therefore be pulled back,
and the breech can be opened by rotating the breech block screw.
A further form of construction according to this invention is as follows';
The safety locking device is composed, exactly as in the arrangement first
described, of three parts:-the safety handle, the safety bolt, and the safety lock-
ing spring. These three parts are arranged in the right hand arm of the breech
block screw handle. Their relative connection with one another and their mode of
arrangement in the handle, is effected in the same manner as above described in
the case of the safety locking device.
The safety locking bolt is cranked on the side facing the breech, and is provided
at the end of the crank with a cylindrical boss. Its rotation within the breech
handle is limited to 90°, by the fact that its crank moves in a recess of the handle
which is limited by two surfaces. In the two limit positions thereby determined,
of the said locking device, a nose provided on the shank of the safety handle
snaps into one or the other of two notches, viz: a first and second arranged 90°
apart in the breech handle.
A recess provided in the trigger corresponds to the cylindrical boss on the crank
arm of the safety bolt. When the safety locking device is in such a position that
the nose of the safety locking handle engages in the second notch, the cylindrical
boss will be situated in the recess of the trigger. It will be readily understood
that in this position of the safety locking device, the trigger cannot be drawn back,
nor can the handle he rotated for the purpose of opening the breech, since it is
coupled to the trigger, and by means of the latter to the breech. But if the safety
locking bolt be drawn with its cylindrical boss out of the recess
in the trigger,
by a pull on the safety handle, and rotated through 90°, until the nose on the

page_text: handle snaps into the first notch, the coupling between the handle and the trigger
is broken, so that the trigger can be drawn back and the handle can be rotated.
Dated this 31st day of August 1898.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Safety Locking Devices for Guns
with Wedge-type Breech Closing Mechanism.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried. Krupp, of
Essen, in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), 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 the safety locking device for guns
with horizontal wedge breech blocks, forming the subject of British Letters Patent
dated 18th November 1897, No. 26990.
The present improvements similarly to the locking device described in specifi-
cation No. 26990/97 aforesaid, have for object to prevent the gun being accident-
ally fired and also the breech becoming accidentally opened, and whereas even
with the breech locked as described in specification No. 26990/97 the trigger is
then capable of moving back, and the firing of the gun is prevented only by the
fact that a nose of the locking bolt enters the path of the cocking lever, it is now
intended according to the present invention to also render the pulling of the
trigger impossible when the breech is safety locked.
The improvements upon the safety locking device aforesaid effected according
to this invention are of importance, especially for percussion gun locks, in which
the cocking of the firing pin takes place only when the shot is to be fired, by the
drawing back of the trigger. Obviously the improved safety locking devices
according to this invention may also be employed with those percussion gun locks
which are cocked for example by the movement of the breech handle in opening
the breech.
One form of construction of this invention is illustrated by Figs. 1 to 13 of the
accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the breech, when closed and
safety locked; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the middle of Fig. 1. Figs. 3
and 4 are corresponding views of Figs. 1 and 2, but shewing the breech not safety
locked. Figs. 5, 6 and 8 are sections respectively on the lines a-b of Fig. 1,
d of Fig. 3, and g-h of Fig. 3. Fig. 9 shews a part of the percussion gun
lock employed in the present case, Fig. 7, as also Figs. 10 to 13 are views illus-
trating details.
The safety locking device comprises the handle C (Fig. 13) the bolt I) (Fig. 11),
and the spring E (Fig. 12). These three parts (Figs. 2 and 4) are arranged in the
inset part B (Fig. 10) which is slipped into the breech wedge and is there held
by means of a bolt f. The latter also forms the axis of rotation for the trigger F
(Figs. 1 to 4, 7 and 9). The relative connection of the safety locking parts and
the mode of their arrangement in the inset piece B, is effected by first inserting
the spring E and then the bolt D into the hole of the inset piece at a time
when the latter is drawn out of the breech wedge block, whereupon the handle C
with its shank 7 (Figs. 6 and 13) is inserted in the hole m (Figs. 6 and 10) of the

page_text: inset piece, pushed on to the square part of the bolt D, and connected therewith
by means of a pin.
The inset piece B is now, together with the parts arranged in it, pushed into the
breech wedge block, and fixed by means of the pin f. If now the handle C be
pulled by the operator towards himself, the collar of the pin D will compress
the spring E. If the handle C be released, the spring E will return the bolt back
into its original position. On the shank of the safety handle C there is provided
a nose e which is caused by the expansion of the spring E to engage in one or
the other of two notches h h of the inset piece B (which are arranged at 180°
relatively to each other) according to the position of the safety handle Cat the
time. Further, the safety handle is provided with two arms c and d of which the
one arm (c) lies along the handle and forms a right angle with the other arm (d).
When the nose e of the safety handle is situated in the notch ¹ (Figs. 3 and 4).
the arm is situated between two bosses bb of the inset piece B (Figs. 5 and 8)
and the arm c is situated below the boss b¹. If now the operator pulls the safety
handle towards himself, and turns it through 180°, the nose e snaps into the
notch (Figs. 1 and 2). The arm d now points vertically downwards whilst the
arm is situated underneath the boss b.
The safety handle can only be drawn out of the inset piece B so far, until the
coils of the spring E bear close up against each other, but in this position of the
handle the bosses b¹ are still situated in the path of the nose e on the handle.
From this it will be seen that the rotation of the safety locking device from the
position of Fig. 3 into the position of Fig. 1 can only be effected in the direction
of the rotation of the hands of a watch, whilst the rotation of the safety locking
device from the position shewn in Fig. 1, into the position shewn in Fig. 3, can
only be effected in the opposite direction to that of the movement of the hands of
a watch,
On the trigger F there is provided a boss g, and on the collar A of the breech
block screw there is arranged a nose a. When the safety locking device is in the
position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 the arm das will be best seen from Fig. 9,
bears upon the trigger F and against the boss g, whilst the arm c bears on one hand
against the nose a of the breech block screw, and on the other hand on the boss
of the inset piece B, Fig. 5.
As will be now clearly seen without further description, neither a rotation of
the trigger around the bolt f, nor a rotation of the breech block screw in the
direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 is now possible. Consequently the
trigger cannot be moved nor can the breech be opened.
In order to unlock the safety device, the safety handle is pulled by the operator
towards himself, and it is rotated in opposition to the rotation of the hands of a
watch, until the nose e snaps into the notch h¹, and thus no part of the safety
locking device is situated any longer in the path of the boss g of the trigger, and
of the nose a of the breech block screw. The trigger can therefore be pulled back,
and the breech can be opened by rotating the breech block screw.
A further form of construction of the invention is shewn in Figs. 14 to 24. Fig. 14
is a side elevation of the breech when closed and safety locked. Fig. 15 is a hori-
zontal section through Fig. 14. Figs. 16 and 17 are corresponding views to
Figs. 14 and 15, but shewing the breech not safety locked. Fig. 18 is a section
on the line ab of Fig. 14, Fig. 19 is a section on the line c-d of Fig. 16.
Figs. 20-24 are views shewing details.
The safety locking device is composed, exactly as in the arrangement first des-
cribed, of three parts:-the safety handle C (Fig. 22), the safety bolt D (Fig. 20),
and the safety locking spring E (Fig. 23). These three parts are arranged in the
right hand arm of the breech block screw handle 13. Their relative connection
with one another and their mode of arrangement in the handle B, is effected in
the same manner as above described in the case of the safety locking device
according to Figs. 1 to 13.

page_text: The safety locking bolt D is cranked on the side facing the breech, and is pro-
vided at the end of the crank with a cylindrical boss c. Its rotation within the
breech handle B is limited to 90°, by the fact that its crank moves in a recess of
the handle which is limited by surfaces nn (Figs. 14, 16, 18, 19 and 24). In
the two limit positions thereby determined, of the said locking device, a nose b
provided on the shank of the safety handle snaps into one of the other of two
notches e and e arranged 90° apart (Fig. 24) in the breech handle.
A recess a provided in the trigger corresponds to the cylindrical boss con
the crank arm of the safety bolt. When the safety locking device is in such a
position that the boss b of the safety locking handle engages in the notch e',
(Figs. 14, 15 and 18), the boss will be situated in the recess a of the trigger.
It will be readily understood that in this position of the safety locking device, the
trigger cannot be drawn back, nor can the handle be rotated for the purpose of
opening the breech, since it is coupled to the trigger, and by means of the latter
to the breech. But if the safety locking bolt be drawn with its boss c out of the
recess a in the trigger, by a pull on the bandle C, and rotated through 90°, until
the nose on the handle C snaps into the notch e (Figs. 16, 17 and 19), the coup-
ling between the handle and the trigger is broken so that the trigger can be drawn
back and the handle can be rotated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is: -
1. The safety locking device for guns with horizontal wedge breech closing
mechanism as described in specification of Patent No. 26990/97 aforesaid, but
wherein the nose of the locking bolt entering the path of the cocking lever, is re-
placed by an arm d which comes against the trigger F, and wherein the whole
of the safety locking parts are arranged in an inset piece B inserted in the breech
wedge block, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 13 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The safety locking device as specified in Claim 1, but in which the several
safety locking parts are not mounted in the breech block, but are mounted in the
handle of the breech block screw, and so that the nose described in Patent Speci-
fication No. 26990/97 aforesaid, as bearing against a shoulder or projection of the
breech block screw, can be dispensed with, and substantially as described and
illustrated with reference to Figs. 14 to 24 of the accompanying drawings.
Uated this 191th day of An 1800
Uated this 19th day of Aṇül 1900
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.