IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Atkinson, of Lancaster, in the County of
Lancaster, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 11th January 1860, and dated the 14th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Atkinson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th July 1859.
I, JOSEPH ATKINSON, of Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, Gun
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of safety
apparatus to be applied to fire-arms for the purpose of preventing their
accidental discharge, as by this Invention the gun can only be fired from the
shoulder, unless intentionally.
According to this Invention it is proposed to combine with the ordinary
safety bars, which have hitherto been made to act upon the triggers only, a
laterally sliding safety bolt, or pair of bolts, according as the Invention is
applied to a single or double barrelled gun, which bolt or bolts are contained
within the false breech of the piece. These safety bolts are acted upon by the
ordinary safety bar when the gun is raised to the shoulder in the ordinary
mode of firing, the fingers naturally depressing the safety bars, which has the
effect of removing the safety bolts so as to allow the hammer to descend full on

page_text: to the cap. When, however, the gun is not required for use, the safety bolts
remain in such a position as to interpose themselves in front of the hammer
shank, and thereby prevent all chance of the hammer reaching the cap,
even though the trigger be accidentally pulled when the lock is on full
cock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Atkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ATKINSON, of Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, Gun Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Joseph Atkinson, Her special license that I, the said
Joseph Atkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joseph Atkinson, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Joseph Atkinson, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Atkinson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the saine is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :--
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
safety apparatus to be applied to fire-arms for the purpose of preventing their

page_text: accidental discharge, as by this Invention the gun can only be fired from the
shoulder, unless intentionally.
According to this Invention it is proposed to combine with the ordinary
safety guard (which has hitherto been made to act upon the triggers only), a
laterally sliding safety bolt, or pair of bolts, according as the Invention is
applied to a single or double barrelled gun, which bolt or bolts is or are
contained within the false breech of the piece. These safety bolts are acted
upon by the ordinary safety guard when the gun is raised to the shoulder in
the ordinary mode of firing, the fingers naturally depressing the safety bars,
which, by the aid of a wedge picce working between the ends of a pair of
horizontal levers, has the effect of removing the safety bolts so as to allow the
hammer to descend full on to the cap. When, however, the gun is not
required for use, the safety bolts remain in such a position as to interpose
themselves in front of the hammer shank, and thereby prevent all chance of
the hammer reaching the cap, even though the trigger be accidentally pulled
when the lock is on full cock.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 represents a full sized side elevation of so much of a double-
barrelled gun lock as is required to illustrate my improvements; and Figure 2
is a corresponding plan of the same, with the top plate or false breech removed
to shew the points of novelty.
A is the false breech, within which slide freely in slots or grooves the two
safety bolts B, B, one for each hammer. These safety bolts slide in and out
laterally, so that when slid outwards they will obstruct the fall of the hammer
or hammers. A cross cut or groove is made in the inner end of each bolt, in
which grooves are engaged the free ends of the longer arms C, C, of the
levers D, which turn on a raised boss or projection d formed on the under side
of the top plate. The short arms of these levers each carries an antifriction
roller or pulley, which pullies are operated upon by a triangular wedge piece E
formed on the upper end of the short vertical lever F working on a fixed
centre or fulcrum screwed to the under plate e. The lower end of this lever
is engaged in a notch formed in the end of a horizontal sliding bar G working
longitudinally in guides on the under strap f. This bar is connected by a link
piece II with the safety bar or lever I working on a fixed centre K in the
under side of the strap f

page_text: In holding the gun for firing, the right hand grasps the stock, and the
fingers naturally force upwards the free end of the safety bar or lever I, which,
through the intervention of the link piece H, forces back in the guides the
horizontal bar G. This backward movement of the bar causes the upper
wedge-shaped end E of the lever F to advance between the antifriction pullies
on the short arms of the levers D, and force them outwards, thereby simul-
taneously drawing inwards the longer arms of the levers, and with them the
safety bolts B, B, so as to remove them out of the way of the hammers. On
releasing the safety bar or lever from the pressure of the fingers the double
bladed spring L between the levers D forces them outwards again, and
returns the bolts to their position of safety, whilst the blade spring i depresses
the safety bar in readiness to be again operated upon when required.
Having now described and particularly ascertained-the-nature of my said.
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of safety
apparatus for fire-arms, as herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Second, the application and use of the safety bolts B, B, in combination
with the ordinary safety lever or bar I, as herein-before described and illustrated
by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Atkinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty..
JOSEPH ATKINSON. (L.S.)