AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY APPARATUS FOR THE TRIGGERS OF SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Anson, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAFETY APPARATUS FOR THE TRIGGERS OF SMALL-ARMS."
Sealed the 4th May 1877, and dated the 21st November 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Anson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st November 1876.
"AN
WILLIAM ANSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker.
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY APPARATUS FOR THE TRIGGERS OF
SMALL-ARMS."
My Invention consists of the improvement or improvements herein-after described
in the safety apparatus generally applied to the triggers of small-arms for preventing
the accidental discharge of the said small-arms. By my Invention the safety
apparatus is made very efficient, and the risk of the safety apparatus being
accidentally thrown out of action is effectually prevented.
The ordinary safety apparatus consists of a horizontal lever on the inner side of
the trigger plate, the fore arm of the said lever being made to bear against the rear
end of the trigger or triggers so as to prevent it or them being raised. This safety lever
is released from the trigger or triggers by an arm jointed to and situated under the
guard plate. By pressing upwards the said arm a stud on its free end acts upon the
rear arm of the safety lever, and thereby causes its fore arm to be withdrawn from
the trigger or triggers. The triggers may now be pulled and the gun or pistol
discharged.
My Invention consists in combining with or adapting to the safety apparatus
described the following mechanism :-Instead of causing the safety lever to act
directly on the rear ends of the triggers, I cause the said safety lever to act upon a
rocking bridge plate placed over or surrounding the rear ends of the triggers. This
rocking bridge plate has a rectangular opening in its middle, and the said plate is
jointed at its bottom to the trigger plate, and is capable either of taking a vertical
position or an inclined position. When in the first-named position it covers or
bridges over the rear ends of the triggers and prevents the discharge of the gun
or pistol, and when in the last named or inclined position, it is removed from over

page_text: the rear ends of the triggers and the latter may rise when the triggers are pulled
and the gun or pistol be discharged.
The rocking bridge plate is held in its vertical or acting position by the fore arm
of the safety lever herein-before described bearing against its back face, and the
said rocking bridge plate is inclined or taken out of action by pressing upwards the
arm under the guard plate; the fore arm of the safety lever is thereby made to
bear upon a horizontal shoulder on the back of the rocking bridge plate and turn it
on its joint so as to remove it from over the rear ends of the triggers.
When the pressure is removed from the arm under the guard plate of the fire-
arm the safety lever again raises the rocking bridge plate into its vertical or acting
position, and the triggers are again locked and the fire-arm cannot be discharged.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Auson in the Great Seal Patent Offico on the 14th May
1877.
WILLIAM ANSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker. "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY APPARATUS FOR THE TRIGGERS OF
SMALL-ARMS."
My Invention consists of the improvement or improvements herein-after described
in the safety apparatus generally applied to the triggers of small-arms for preventing
the accidental discharge of the said small arms. By my Invention the safety
apparatus is made very efficient, and the risk of the safety apparatus being
accidentally thrown out of action is effectually prevented.
The ordinary safety apparatus consists of a horizontal lever on the inner side of
the trigger plate, the fore arm of the said lever being made to bear against the rear
end of the trigger or triggers so as to prevent it or them being raised.
This safety
lever is released from the trigger or triggers by an arm jointed to and situated
under the guard plate. By pressing upwards the, said arm a stud on its free end
acts upon the rear arm of a safety lever, and thereby causes its fore arm to be
withdrawn from the trigger or triggers. The triggers may now be pulled and the
gun or pistol discharged.
My Invention consists in combining with or adapting to the safety apparatus
described the following mechanism:-Instead of causing the safety lever to act
directly on the rear ends of the triggers, I cause the said safety lever to act upon a
rocking bridge plate placed over or surrounding the rear ends of the triggers. This
rocking bridge plate has a rectangular opening in its middle, and the said plate is
jointed at its bottom to the trigger plate, and is capable either of taking a vertical
position or an inclined position. When in the first-named position it covers or
bridges over the rear ends of the triggers and prevents the discharge of the gun
or pistol, and when in the last named or inclined position, it is removed from over
the rear ends of the triggers and the latter may rise when the triggers are pulled
and the gun or pistol be discharged. The rocking bridge plate is held in its vertical
or acting position by the fore arm of the safety lever herein-before described bearing
against its back face, and the said rocking bridge plate is inclined or taken out of
action by pressing upwards the arm under the guard plate; the fore arm of the
safety lever is thereby made to bear upon a horizontal shoulder on the back of the
rocking bridge plate and turn it on its joint so as to remove it from over the rear
ends of the triggers. When the pressure is removed from the arm under the guard
plate of the fire-arm the safety lever again raises the rocking bridge plate into its
vertical or acting position, and the triggers are again locked and the fire-arm cannot
be discharged.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 represent the breech end of a drop-down gun to which safety.
apparatus constructed according to my Invention is applied, the said safety apparatus
being represented in action in Figure 1, and out of action in Figure 2.
Figure 3 represents in plan of upper side the trigger and guard plates carrying
the safety apparatus; and Figure 4 is a cross section of the same taken on the line
a, a, of Figure 3.
Figure 5 represents in back elevation, Figure 6 in front elevation, and Figure 7
in cross section the rocking bridge plate separately.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
b, b, are the triggers, and c is the rocking bridge plate jointed at c² to the trigger
plate d. The said rocking bridge plate c is situated over or made to surround the
rear ends of the triggers b, b. In the middle of the said bridge plate c is a
rectangular opening into which the rear ends of the triggers b, b, take. On the
back of the rocking bridge plate c is.a nearly horizontal shoulder e for the purpose
herein-after explained. The said rocking bridge plate c is capable of taking either
the vertical position represented in Figure 1, or the inclined position represented in
Figure 2.
When in the position. Figure 1, it covers or bridges the rear ends of the
triggers b, b, and prevents the discharge of the gun, and when in the position,
Figure 2, it uncovers the rear ends of the said triggers, and the latter are free to
rise when pulled for the discharge of the gun. g, h, is the safety lever by which
the bridge plate c is held in its acting position, and when required taken out of
action. The arm-g of the safety lever is pressed upwards by the spring i, and the
said safety lever is withdrawn by the arm under the guard plate d², a stud lon
the free end of the said arm & bearing against the arm h of the safety lever, as
represented. The rocking bridge plate c is held in the vertical or acting position
represented in Figure 1 by the end of the arm g of the safety lever bearing against
the back face of the said bridge plate, which said back face is slightly inclined, and
the said bridge plate is taken out of action by the inclining of the said plate by
the said army bearing upon the horizontal shoulder e of the bridge plate.
The action of the safety apparatus is as follows:-When the parts are in the
respective positions represented in Figure 1, the safety apparatus is in action, that
is, the rocking bridge plate c is over the rear ends of the triggers b, b, and the said
triggers are prevented from rising, and the accidental discharge of the gun is pre-
vented. When it is wished to discharge the gun, the arm & under the guard
plate d is pressed upwards in the direction of the arrow, Figure 1, in the act of
grasping the gun for firing. By the lifting of the arm & the rear arm h of the safety
lever g, h, is raised and the other arm g is depressed, and the latter arın is thereby
made to bear upon the horizontal shoulder e on the back of the rocking bridge
plate c, and turn the said bridge plate on its centre into the position represented in
Figure 2, so as to remove it from over the rear ends of the triggers b, b. The
triggers are thus free to rise, and the gun may be discharged in the usual manner.
On removing the pressure from the arm and triggers b, b, the latter are pressed
down by the ordinary sears f; and by the lifting of the arm of the safety lever
by the spring i, the said arm bears against the inclined back face of the rocking
bridge plate c, and raises the said bridge plate into its vertical or acting position,
and the rear ends of the triggers are again covered or surrounded, and thereby
locked, and the accidental discharge of the gun prevented, the several. parts
occupying the respective positions represented in Figure 1.
Figure 8 represents a modification of my Invention in which the safety lever and
the arm under the guard plate are inade in one piece; the rocking bridge plate c
is also modified. In this modification the safety lever g, h, by which the rocking
bridge plate c is worked, is lengthened, and its rear arm is cranked and works in a
slot in the lock and guard plates d, d, the said cranked arm projecting but little
from the said guard plate.
Instead of making a rectangular slot in the rocking bridge plate c for the rear
ends of the triggers to pass into, as before described and illustrated, the said slot is

page_text: omitted in this modification, and in place thereof a lip or projection c³ is made along
its front face for passing onto or bridging the rear ends of the triggers.
The action of this modification is the same as the arrangement first described, and
corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
Figures 9.and 10 represent an arrangement of my Invention in which the safety
apparatus is put into action by the unbolting of the gun, but the said safety appa-
ratus may be put into action by hand or by a lever at the side or under side of the
gun. Figure 9 shows the safety apparatus in action, and Figure 10 the same out of
action. c is the rocking bridge plate, and b, b, are the triggers. For working the
said bridge plate c a cranked safety lever m, p, is used. The horizontal arm m of
the said lever either bears against the back of the bridge plate c, and holds it in its
acting position, as illustrated in Figure 9, or bears against the horizontal shoulder e,
and takes the said bridge plate out of action, as illustrated in Figure 10. The
vertical arm p of the said cranked lever passes through and works in a slot in the
tang of the break off, and its extreme end is provided with a slide or finger plate q,
which works on the face of the tang. By means of the spring bearing on one or
other side of the heel of the lever m, p, the said lever is held either in its acting or
non-acting position. By sliding the finger plate q of the cranked lever towards the
butt end of the gun, the horizontal arm m of the lever operates the rocking bridge
plate c, and uncovers the rear ends of the triggers b, b, and the gun may be dis-
charged, as illustrated in Figure 10.
The cranked safety lever m, p, is operated upon and the rocking bridge plate c
put into action on withdrawing the bolt to unfasten the gun by the advance of the
stem 8, around which the coiled spring t is situated for giving the snapping action
to the sliding bolt u. The said sten 8 is longer than usual, and is connected at 8³
to the said bolt u, and the said stem slides through the guide v. When the hand
lever wis turned aside the bolt u is withdrawn, and with it the stem 8; the rear end
of the said stem is thereby made to strike against the vertical arın p of the safety
lever, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 9, and bring the said lever into the
position represented in the said Figure 9. The said safety lever thereby lifts the
rocking bridge plate over the rear ends of the triggers b, b, and the said triggers are
locked. On removing the pressure from the hand lever w the bolt u takes its
advanced or locking position, and the stem & is removed from the safety lever, and
the said lever remains in its acting position until the slide or finger plate q is
pushed towards the barrels for releasing the triggers preparatory to the discharge of
the gun.
Instead of jointing the rocking bridge plate c to the trigger plate the said rocking
bridge plate may be jointed above the rear ends of the triggers b, b, as illustrated in
Figure 11. In this arrangement the rocking bridge plate c has the form
represented, and the lower end or foot of the said bridge plate c bears upon or
bridges the rear ends of the triggers b, b, to prevent the latter rising. When the
bridge plate c is thrown out of action by the operation of the arm m of the safety
lever m, p, upon the shoulder e, the lower 'end or foot of the bridge plate moves
towards the barrels, and the triggers are released. The triggers b, b, are cut away
at 6 to allow them to rise without being interfered with by the lower arm or foot of
the bridge plate c.
Although I prefer to put the safety apparatus, Figures 9 and 10, into action by
the unbolting of the gun, yet I do not limit myself thereto, as both the throwing
into and out of action of the safety apparatus may be effected by sliding the finger
plate by hand or by a lever on the side or under side of the gun. When the
safety apparatus is worked by hand or by a lever the stem s is shortened so as not
to act on the arm p of the safety lever.
Instead of making the bridge plate act directly on the triggers as described and
represented, the said bridge plate may by being lengthened be made to act upon
the triggers through the sears with the same effect, but I prefer the arrangement
described and represented.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
saine is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,
the improvement or improvements in safety apparatus for the triggers of small-arms
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to
say, the construction of and adaptation to the triggers of the said small-arms of a
rocking bridge plate situated at or over the rear ends of the triggers, the said bridge
plate being capable of taking either a vertical position or an inclined position, the
said bridge plate when in its vertical position covering or bridging over the rear
ends of the triggers, or the rear ends of the sears and triggers, and preventing the
discharge of the gun or pistol, and when in its inclined position uncovering the
said ends of the triggers or sears and triggers, and permitting the said triggers to
rise for discharging the gun or pistol, the said rocking bridge plate being used
either in combination with the ordinary safety lever, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2,
and 3, or with a safety lever of the kind illustrated in Figure 8, or or with a safety
lever of the kind illustrated in Figures 9, 10, and 11, whether worked by the
mechanism represented or by hand, or operating the said rocking bridge plate by
mechanisms equivalent to the mechanisms described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Anson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM ANSON. ·(L.S.)