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, 30th Nov., 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 accidents caused by the untimely or accidental going off of fire arms are
innumerable. To prevent such accidents numerous devices have been invented, the
majority, or all of which depend however, either for locking the safety, or for
person
unlocking it, or for both movements, upon the thoughtfulness and care of the
handling the fire-arm, a distinct and separate motion being required for locking or
unlocking the device. When this motion is forgotten, which generally happens, the
gun is in one case not focked by the safety, or in the other case will not go off, when
desired, the safety having been forgotten to be removed.
The object of my invention is the construction of a device attachable to all patterns
and systems of fire arms, such as guns, fowling pieces, rifles and similar arms, which
device will act automatically and which will automatically keep the gun locked until
the person handling it is perfectly conscious and desirous of the fact that he is going
to fire, when the mechanism is automatically released and the shot may be fired as
usual by pulling the trigger. At no other time the gun can be fired.
This improved mechanism consists of a rod passing lengthways through the butt of
the gun which rod protrudes into the lock mechanism of the gun in such a manner as
to bar the trigger arm, or the cock or bolt, or both from moving when cocked, for
facility of taking apart the said rod is by preference composed of two pieces which
are coupled about midway between the lock and butt plate of the gun. The butt
plate is cut through or provided with a hole the shape of which may by preference
entirely or nearly correspond with the outline of the butt plate.
This hole may be of any desired size. It is however, advisable to make it as large
as possible that is, just large enough to leave sufficient material in the butt plate for
placing the attaching screws and for leaving it strong enough generally. Into this
hole a piece of metal or other suitable material, of U shaped cross section, is neatly
fitted in such manner, that, the open side of the U will be inside the plate, in the
butt of the gun, which is hollowed out for the reception of said pieces. This piece
fitting exactly the hole in the butt plate, is hinged to the latter above or below
preferably above in such a manner that it may swing or oscillate through said hole
in the butt plate. At the inner side of the butt plate attached thereto or to the wood
of the butt there is a spring preferably a flat one, which continually presses the
oscillating or swinging U shaped piece outwards so that the latter will always
protrude somewhat outside of the butt plate. Attached to the inside of the butt
plate or to the butt there is a rocking or bell crank lever the one end or arm of which
rests against the inside of the U shaped piece, while its other end is movably con-
nected with the rod described above as locking the trigger or cock of the gun or both.
The butt of the gun has, of course, to be hollowed out sufficiently to permit of the
placing and free movement of the parts. In the position of parts just described the
gun may be cocked but cannot be fired, the rod protruding into the lock preventing
the moving of the trigger or resting in a notch of the cock or bolt preventing its
motion downwards or forwards.
When the gun is to be fired it is as usual raised to the shoulder and the person
handling and aiming it, being conscious that he is going to fire will quite automati-
cally press the butt tightly against his shoulder. By this movement the swinging
piece is pressed inward through the butt plate, presses forward one arm of the bell
crank lever and the other arm thereby naturally receiving a rearward motion
withdraws the rod or bolt from the lock and liberates the firing mechanism. As

page_text: soon as the gun is taken from the shoulder, the spring again presses the U shaped
shoulder piece outward which again sends the rod or bolt into the lock of the gun
and prevents its further action until aim is taken again as before indicated. To
insure proper working of the mechanism the spring must either be made so as to
press upon the bell crank lever and the U shaped piece or the two latter must be
movably connected.
A lock may be attached to the gun near any one of the inside moving parts which
lock is accessible from the outside by a key whereby when the gun is not to be used
it may be locked so as to prevent any one but the owner of the key from using it.
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:
My invention relates to automatic safety devices in which the firing mechanism of
a gun
released by bringing the gun up against the shoulder.
The device consists of a slide, which locks the hammers, or the triggers, or any
other moving part or parts of the firing mechanism of a gun and to which is coupled
a rod, passing through the butt of the gun towards the butt plate.
To this butt plate a lever is hinged, which swings through a corresponding
aperture in said butt plate. This binged lever is from the inside acted upon by one
arm of a spring-actuated bell crank lever, to the other arm of which the slide rod is
connected. The spring acting upon said bell crank lever continually keeps the
swinging butt plate lever pressed outward and the locking slide inward, so that the
firing mechanism is always locked. When, for discharging it, the gun is brought up
against the shoulder the butt plate lever is depressed and the safety slide withdrawn
which permits the firing of the gun in the usual way.
I am well aware that basing upon the same principle several safety devices have
been constructed before the date of application of this patent, as for instance by
Gerken of Berlin and by Greener and also Silver of London. Although upon a
common principle, our constructions vary considerably and I consider mine as an
improvement of the existing devices.
The annexed drawing represents my special construction, of which
Figure 1 is a side view of a common sporting gun with the position of the safety
device indicated in dotted lines.
Figure 2 shows the detached butt plate of a gun with safety mechanism attached in
locked or safe position.
Figure 2 is the same view, showing the butt plate lever depressed and the safety
rod withdrawn.
Figure 3 is an outside view of the butt plate with lever and
Figure 3 is an inside view of the same butt plate.
b is the safety slide, which when advanced, locks either the triggers or the hammers
or both, or any other part or parts of the firing mechanism of a gun. To slide 6 is
coupled at 6' the rod c, which passes rearward through the butt where it terminates
near the butt plate. Instead of having slide b and rod c coupled, slide 6 may in one
piece extend rearward to the butt plate; the former arrangement however is to be
preferred.
The butt plate is provided with an aperture of any desired shape but preferably of
a form similar to that of the butt plate and as large as the material of the butt plate
will admit. Through or in this aperture fits and swings a lever e, which is pivoted
at one end, at to the butt plate and which may have an U shaped cross section.

page_text: Inside of the butt plate A at a two armed or bell crank lever d d¹ is pivoted,
whose one arm d is by a suitable spring continually pressed against the inner
surface of lever e, which is thereby kept in a position somewhat protruding from
the butt plate as shown in figure 2.
The other arm d of lever d' is at connected or coupled to rod c, which in
this position keeps safety slide 6 advanced so as to stop or secure the firing
mechanism as before described.
When the gun is brought up and pressed against the shoulder, lever e is naturally
depressed and acting against arm d¹ of lever ď ď¹ pulls back rode and withdraws the
safety slide b.
As soon as the gun is taken from the shoulder, spring f causes arm d¹ of
lever d d to swing lever e outward again into its proper position as shown in
figure 2 and rod c being moved forward or inward pushes the safety slide 6 into
its locking position. The safety device remains in this position until the gun is
brought up to the shoulder again, when it again assumes the position shown in
figure 2 and described above.
Spring may of course be made of any form and to act upon any of the parts
of the safety mechanism.
What I consider as the special advantage of my construction is the employment
of the intermediate two armed lever d d¹, which ensures a reliable and easy working
of the part even when the gun becomes dirty or rusty.
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 automatic safeties for fire arms the combination of the safety slide b,
with or without the use of a connecting rod c, with a two armed lever d & d' a
spring, and a butt plate lever e, hinged at one end, substantially as herein
described and shown.
This 10th day of Santamba- 1880
E. EATON & Co.,
Agents for Applicant.