IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERLESS AND OTHER GUNS AND RIFles
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Anson of 221 Bordesley Green in the Parish
of Aston in the County of Warwick, Gunmaker, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERLESS AND OTHER GUNS AND RIFles."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Anson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1882.
WILLIAM ANSOM of 221 Bordesley Green, in the County of Warwick, Gunmaker
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERLESS AND OTHER GUNS AND RIFLES'
"
My invention consists in certain improvements for further securing guns and
rifles against accidental discharge. My first improvement lies in the addition of a
spring to the mechanism used for locking the triggers at "safety;" this spring
bears upon the tails of the sears so long as the gun is at "safety" but rises clear of
the said sear rails when the safety bolt is moved to permit the discharge of the
gun. The Elasticity of the spring permits that slight movement of the sears
necessary for coming into bent.
My next improvement consists in the application of a secondary sear to each
tumbler. This secondary sear is so arranged that it will hold the tumbler if the
sear proper should get injured. In discharging the gun these secondary sears,
move out of bent before the sear proper, and so leave the "pull off" of the gun
unaffected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Anson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th February 1883.
WILLIAM ANSON of 201 Bordsley Green in the Parish of Aston in the County
of Warwick Gunmaker "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERLESS AND OTHER GUNS AND
RIFLES
33
My Invention consists of certain improvements, for further securing guns and
rifles, against accidental discharge..

page_text: The first part of my improvements consists, in the addition of a spring to the
mechanism used, for locking the triggers at "safety"; this spring bears upon the
tails of the sears so long as the gun is at "safety," but rises clear of the said sear
tails when the safety bolt is moved to permit of the discharge of the gun.
The elasticity of the said spring permits that slight movement of the sears
necessary for coming into bent. If the sear spring proper should break the
above mentioned safety spring will ensure the lodgment of the sear nose in
the bent.
My Invention consists further in the application of a secondary sear, to each
bammer or tumbler; this secondary sear is so arranged that it will hold the hammer
or tumbler in its cocked position, should the sear proper fail to act or otherwise get
injured. In discharging the gun the secondary sear moves out of bent before the
nose of the sear proper leaves the bent in the bammer or tumbler; and so leaves
the "pull off" of the gun unaffected.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe with
reference to the accompanying drawings the manner in which the same is to be
performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section the breech end of a gun with
concealed hammers, containing my improvements, the parts being shown in the
positions which they respectively occupy when the gun is in its cocked position,
and at "safety."
Figure 2 represents the same with the safety mechanism for locking the triggers
and sears, thrown back, clear of the sears proper the secondary sears and the
triggers of the gun; the gun is now ready for discharge.
Figure 3 represents the positions which the parts respectively occupy after the
discharge of the gun. Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 represent separate views of the parts
of the same as hereinafter described. Figure 9 represents a plan of the principal
parts of the gun, the other figures represent modifications of my Invention; and the
same letters indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.
a is the trigger safety mechanism as described in Letters Patent granted to me
and bearing date 21st day of November 1878 and numbered 4513. a² is the safety
spring for the sears proper and secondary sears attached to and carried by the said
trigger safety, b is the secondary sear, 63 is the nose of the secondary sear which
engages with the secondary bent c² of the hammer or tumbler c, d is the sear
proper, d³ is the spring of the said sear, and e is the trigger. bis the spring of the
secondary scar b.
When the gun is in a position of safety, as shown in Figure 1, the free end of the
spring a covers both the tails d² 62 of the secondary sear and sear proper, should
either the sear spring d', or secondary sear spring bo break or fail to act, the spring a²
takes the function both of the sear spring proper, and of the said secondary sear
spring; and thereby ensures the perfect lodgment of the sear nose d, and nose b³
of the secondary sear into the bents c² 3 of the hammer or tumbler; thereby
ensuring perfect safety against the accidental discharge of the gun.
In Figure 2 the trigger safety is thrown out of action and the spring a² raised
clear of the sear and secondary sear tails; leaving the secondary sear nose in the
bent c; the gun is now ready to be discharged. The secondary sear would hold
the hammer in its cocked position if the sear proper d, or its spring d³ got injured
or failed to act.
In discharging the gun, which can only be accomplished when in the position
Figure 2; the pull of the trigger raises both the tails 62, d², of the sear proper and
secondary sear; the nose bs of the secondary sear moves out of its bent c² before
the nose d' of the sear proper d, leaves its bent c³, thus leaving the pull off of
the gun unaffected. The secondary sear is jointed at 65, and its spring bº, acts
upon a lip b, formed preferably near the joint of the said secondary scar as
represented.
Figure 3 represents the positions which the parts respectively assume after the
discharge of the gun.

page_text: On recocking the gun the parts resume their normal positions as represented in
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
The spring a attached to the trigger safety is represented in front elevation and
plan in Figure 4.
Figure 5 shows a front and side view of the secondary sear and Figure 6
represents the spring of the same, in front and edge view. Figure 7 represents the
hammer or tumbler in front and end elevation, and Figure 8 shows the trigger
separately. Figure 9 shows a plan of the principal parts of the safety mechanism
as described and illustrated.
The spring attached to the trigger safety and marked a³, may be used separately
from the secondary sear as represented in Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings,
the said spring is applied to a sliding trigger safety and used independently of the
secondary sear, in this modification the free end of the spring a³, acts only upon the
tail ends of the sears as represented in Figure 10.
Figure 11 represents another modification of my Invention where a coiled or
helical spring a is used instead of the flat spring a³ as in Figure 10.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention, But I claim as my Invention of
Improvements in hammerless and other guns and rifles in which the said guns and
rifles are secured against accidental discharge.
First. The use of a supplementary spring carried by the trigger safety and
covering the tails of the sears, or covering both the tails of the sears and the tails of
the secondary sears, when the gun is at safety; the spring acting as a reserve should
the springs of the sears or secondary sears fail to throw them into bent, substantially
as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The use of a hammer safety or secondary sear for the purpose of
preventing the accidental discharge of the gun, should the sear proper fail to act;
the said hammer safety or secondary sear fulfils the function of the sear proper
should the said sear proper or its spring fail to act; the sear proper and the
hammer safety or secondary sear acting independently and reciprocally, or as the
reserve to each other, and operating substantially as described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The arrangement or combination of the parts as described and illustrated
for preventing the accidental discharge of the gun.
In witness whereof I the said William Anson have hereunto set my hand
and seal this sixteenth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
HENRY SKERRETT
Patent Agent
6 Livery Street
Birmingham
WILLIAM ANSON. (L.S.)