Improvements in the Trigger Safety Mechanism of Small Arms.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Trigger Safety Mechanism of Small Arms.
We, JOSEPH DALLAWAY, of 46A, Whittall Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun Action Maker, and ROBERT NEWTON TAIT, of 5 to 11,
Weaman Row, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the mechanism employed for the safety
or locking of the triggers when firing is not required, in what are known as breech
loading or drop down guns.
Many arrangements are now in use, which are termed "safety" contrivances for
the locking of the triggers, but such arrangements themselves are liable to be moved
out of position accidentally under certain circumstances, and hence, the object of
this our invention is, to provide an arrangement whereby such "safety" mechanism
may itself be locked or unlocked at will.
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We attain this object after the manner herein described and illustrated by the
accompanying sheet of drawings upon which are figures and letters of reference,
similar letters referring throughout the several views to the same thing or
part.
We have here shown only such parts of the gun and its actions, that are
necessary to illustrate this our invention..
Fig. 1 shews the arrangement when the gun is cocked and the triggers locked,
and the trigger locking mechanism locked likewise.
Fig. 2 shews the arrangement with the trigger locking device unlocked, and
ready for firing, one of such triggers being shown as fired.
Fig. 3 shews that in the opening of the gun, the bolt fortes back both of
the, devices into their normal position, as seen in Fig. J.
Fig. 4 is an elevation and plan view of the trigger locking slide in detail.
Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation and plan of the thumb slide.
Fig. 6 is an elevation and plan view in detail of the thumb press piece and
locking cross pin.
Fig. 7 is a detached part view of the strap, shewing the recess to receive the
locking cross pin..
Fig. 8 is a modified form of recess to receive the said locking cross pin.
a, is the strap, b, is the gripping bolt, c, is a pillow, or block in which the
trigger plates d (one only is seen) are carried side by side upon the joint e. a, d,
are the triggers. f, is the trigger locking slide, which is carried at its one end
in the block ; and at its other end upon pin g, working in the slot h. i, is the
thumb slide having two legs or projections,, which pass down through the slot k,
in the strap a.
In this thumb slide i is a central hole to receive the thumb press
piece, which has the leg m passing through to the underside and there furnished
with the locking cross pin n. The thickness of the legs i, j, and the diameter of
the leg m, are equal, and both a little smaller than the width of the slot h, so that
they may slide freely therein. Between these two legs j,j, is placed the upper rear
end of the slide f, so that the sliding motion of the one is conveyed to the other.
At a suitable point in the underside of the strap, is formed the recess o, see
Fig. 7, into which the cross pin n is pulled by the spiral spring p, thus preventing
any sliding motion in the slide i. By pressing the piece / downwards however, the
spring p is compressed clear of the recess o, and permitting of its forward motion
into the position seen in Fig. 2.
Again. To the underside of the strap a, is also attached the spring 9, in the

page_text: front end of which a slot is formed, into which the leg ; may pass.
In this leg j
is also carried a cross pin r, which engages with the beveled front end of the
spring 7, so that in moving the slide i, forward or backward, the pin r, rides over
the points, compelling the spring g, to yield, and thus preventing the too easy
withdrawal of the slide i, from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in
Figs. 1 and 3.
In some cases however instead of employing this spring q, and pin r, we may form
the recess as seen at o¹, Fig. 8, in which the pin n, is made to lie in the inclined
recess o³, when the piece i, is pushed forward as shown in Fig. 2.
Upon the slide, is provided a cross pin t, which, when the gun is opened, rests
upon the trigger plates d', and prevents their being raised, or the gun fired, but
which, when the slide i, is pressed first downwards (vertically) and then forward, as
seen in Fig. 2, stands over the cut away recess u, in the trigger plates and permits
of the gun being fired.
The act of turning the lever r, to unlock the breech forces the bolt b, against the
slide f, and automatically presses it back into the locked position as seen in Fig. 3.
Upon closing the gun breech, of course the bolt b, resumes its position as seen in
Fig. 1, thus leaving room for the forward motion of the sliding parts.
It will thus be seen that it will be absolutely necessary that a combined vertical
and horizontal motion be imparted to the piece l, before the triggers are unlocked
ready for firing.
We are aware that prior to this our invention, as before intimated, a sliding
piece i, or its equivalent has been employed to engage with the upper rear end
of a piece f, or its equivalents such slide also having the pin t, engaging with
the opening u, or its equivalent and therefore we do not claim these parts in
themselves as being new.
Although we have only shewn this our invention in combination with the
ordinary "safety" mechanism shown, it will nevertheless be understood that it
will be equally applicable to any similar contrivance, where the sliding piece i,
or its equivalent is used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, we declare that what we claim is:-
1. In small arms, the combination with the sliding piece i, or its equivalent,
having legs j, j, or their like for controlling a trigger locking device, and the spring q,
of the thumb press down piece l, having leg m, spring p, and cross pin n, taking into
the recess
o, substantially as described and illustrated and for the purposes
specified.
2. The modified combination with the sliding piece i, press down piece l, having
leg m, spring p, and cross pin n, of the recess o¹, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this 19th day of January 1801
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicants' Agent.