An Improved Safety Bolt for Lee-Metford Rifles and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Safety Bolt for Lee-Metford Rifles and the like.
We, LESLIE BOWN TAYLOR, of 129, Pershore Road, Birmingham, Gun Maker,
and EDWARD HENRY PARSONS, of 44, Wilson Road, Handsworth, near Birming-
ham, Sight Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be 'as
follows:-
This invention refers to a new and improved safety bolt for Lee Metford riйes
and the like, which bolt is placed at the back of the action on the grip, and is
preferably worked automatically by the backward and forward movements of
the breech bolt in opening and closing the breech of the fire arm.
To accomplish this we form at the back of the shoe- a strap which fits into the
grip of the stock. The safety bolt consists of a double armed limb one arm
fitted, to work in the centre of this strap and the other extended to the left hand
side of the strap and projected through the frame or shoe, this limb works vertically
and is kept in position by a spring on the underside of the shoe. Connected with
that portion of the limb working in the strap is an inclined blade working in a
groove in the strap. A sliding thumb piece or button works on the strap over
the inclined blade and is held in its backward and forward positions by means
of a spring.
In turning the cocking bolt to open the breech the bolt cover presses upon the
outer arm of the double armed limb, thus preventing the inner arm in the strap
from rising in the way of the bents in the cocking piece and of the lug on the bolt
during the opening of the breech, the comb of the cocking piece on the bolt in its
backward movement coming in contact with and pushing back the sliding thumb
piece. The bolt cover bears upon and holds down the double armed limb during the
action of opening and closing the breech and the limb is only released by turning
the bolt home; when, the limb by the action of its spring rises and its inner arm
or safety bolt takes into a notch or bent in the cocking piece, and thus prevents
the striker from moving forward when the trigger is pulled. This inner
arm or safety, bolt is taken from its position in the notch or bent by the act of
moving forward the safety thumb piece or slide; the slide in its action bearing
upon the inclined blade connected to the inner arm or safety bolt and so forces the
latter downwards out of its bent which thus allows the striker to move forward on
firing.
The projection on the thumb piece or button may be made in a separate piece
and pivotted so as to turn out of the way of the cocking piece to make the safety
bolt non automatic in its action when desired.
Dated this 5th day of March 1898.
HENRY F. TALBOT,
30, Temple Street, Birmingham,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: An Improved Safety Bolt for Lee-Metford Rifles and the like.
We, LESLIE BOWN TAYLOR, of 129, Pershore Road, Birmingham, Gun Maker,
and EDWARD HENRY PARSONS, of 44, Wilson Road, Handsworth, near Birming
ham, Sight 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:
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and
figures marked thereon.
This invention refers to a new and improved safety bolt for Lee Metford rifles
and the like, which bolt is placed at the back of the action on the grip and is
preferably worked automatically by the backward and forward movements of the
breech bolt in opening and closing the breech of the fire arm.
Referring to the drawings which illustrate our improvements applied to a Lee
Metford rifle.
Fig. is a view of the breech shewing the lever partly raised in readiness to
depress the safety bolt.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the shoe shewing the safety bolt in elevation.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the safety bolt and inclined blade.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the reverse side of safety bolt.
Fig's. 5 and 6 are views shewing the positions of the safety mechanism before
and after cocking the fire arm.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the safety-strap shewing the inclined blade.
Fig. 8 is a view of part of the cocking bolt shewing the position of the safety
bolt when in the bent.
Fig's. 9 and 10 illustrate an arrangement for making the safety bolt non-
automatic..
We form at the back of the shoe A a strap B which is let into the top of the
stock. The safety bolt is formed as a double armed limb D¹ 12 the one arm D'
is fitted to work in the centre of the strap B and is pivotted at b. It is formed
as shewn in Fig's. 3 and 4 with an incline on its upper face at 62. An inclined
blade or sliding piece F shewn in detail Fig. 3 and in dotted lines Fig's. 5 and 6
is placed over the rear end of this limb so that when sliding forwards and
backwards the incline fi of the blade Facts upon the incline 62 of the limb D
causing it and the arm 12 therewith to be depressed, or to be free to rise according
to the position of the blade F upon the limb D¹. In Fig. 3 the blade is shewn
slightly raised above its correct position the more clearly to illustrate each part.
The arm D2 is extended to project on the left hand through the top of the frame
or shoc at a. This double armed limb D1 D2 works upward and downward upon
its pivot band is held up to its work, by a spring E on the under side of the
strap B.
The inclined blade or slide F is formed with a projection f passing through
the top of the strap B, which projection is connected with a thumb piece or
button G for moving the slide F to operate the safety bolt ¹ D².
In turning the breech bolt H to open the breech the edge h³ of the bolt
cover H2 comes in contact with the outer arm D2 of the double armed limb as
shown at Fig. 1, and presses it down by bringing the lever X further
over thus lowering the inner arm D¹ out of the sear bents I and the
safety bent in the cocking piece J, and lug J on the breech bolt H during
the opening of the breech, (see Fig. 8), the comb K of the cocking piece J on

page_text: the bolt H in its backward movement coming in contact with and pushing back
the sliding thumb-piece G.
The bolt cover H bears upon and holds down the double armed limb D¹ D³
during the action of opening and closing the breech and the double armed limb
is only released by turning the bolt H towards home; and by thus taking the
pressure of the bolt cover from off the arm D2, the double armed limb by the
action of its spring E rises, and the end of the inner arm D' acting
as the safety bolt takes into the notch or bent I¹ formed behind the sear bents I, I,
in the cocking piece J thus preventing the striker L from moving forward when
the trigger is pulled. This inner arm or safety bolt D' is taken from its position
in the notch or bent I by the act of moving forward the safety thumb piece or
slide G, from the position shewn in Fig. 6 to that shewn in Fig. 5, this slide G
in its action bearing upon the inclined blade F which presses upon the arm D¹
at 62 and so forces this inner arm D¹ downwards out of its bent I¹ thus allowing
the striker L to move forward on firing.
The projection gl on the thumb piece G, Figs. 9 and 10 may be made in a
separate piece and pivotted so as to turn out of the way as shewn, or formed as
a headed screw to be entirely removed from the thumb piece when it is desired
to make the safety bolt non automatic in its action.
We will now describe an alternative method of applying our safety bolt con-
sisting of a simplified arrangement, and we will refer to Fig's. 11, 12 and 13 in
which, Fig. 11 is a view with part of the stock cut away to shew the positions
of the mechanism before cocking.
Fig. 12 the same after cocking.
And Fig. 13 is a section through the bolt shewing the position of the safety
bent at the side of the sear bent. We form the bent 12 for the safety catch or
bolt D¹ on the cocking piece J by cutting a groove 13 and bent I2 on one side of
the sear bents I, I, as shewn, so that the bents act in a parallel line with one
another instead of in the same line as in the former method already described.
The safety bolt D¹ is fitted on one side of the top of the stock that is to say out of
the centre in a corresponding position to the safety bent 12 (which is also out of
the centre) to take into the bent 13 formed on the cocking piece J in the position
shewn. This enables us to dispense with the outer arm De described in reference
to the first named arrangement as, by this latter arrangement of placing the bolt
and bent out of the centre the catch of the safety bolt D' placed out of the reach
of the ordinary bents in the cocking piece, and the lug on the bolt during the
backward and forward travel of the bolt in opening and closing the breech; and
the safety bolt catch not needing to be held down by the breech bolt cover while
the cocking piece with the bents and lug pass into position.
We make the safety bent I2 Fig's. 11 and 12 of the shape shewn that is to say
preferably cut under as at 63, and the safety catch or bolt D¹ formed as shewn,
which arrangement allows for wear or damage to the safety bolt and insures it
always retaining the cocking piece the shape of the bent always permitting the
safety spring E to force the catch into the bent.
A further advantage of these methods is that, the arrangement of our safety
mechanism as described permits of its being used to act as a secondary sear and
trigger combined, when desired, for instance in case of the sear proper being
inoperative through breakage of itself, the sear spring or the magazine catch,
our safety mechanism would hold the rifle in cock as a sear, and would act as a
trigger to fire off the rifle by moving forward the safety slide or thumb piece.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:—
1. In Lee Metford rifles and the like a safety bolt fitted at the back of the

page_text: shoe and automatically placed into its position of safe by the breech bolt to cock
the arm.
2. In Lee Metford rifles and the like an additional bent and a double armed
safety bolt and inclined blade substantially as described and illustrated to be
worked automatically or non-automatically.
3. In Lee Metford rifles and the like an additional bent and single armed
safety bolt and inclined blade substantially as described to be worked automatically
or non-automatically.
4. In Lee Metford rifles and the like the arrangements of the safety mechanism
so as to enable it to be used as a secondary sear to hold the rifle in cock and fire
off the arm when the sear proper is inoperative.
Dated this 7th day of December 1898
HENRY F. TALBOT,
30, Temple Street, Birmingham,
Agent for the Applicants.
HENRY F. TALBOT,
30, Temple Street, Birmingham,
Agent for the Applicants.