Improvements in Safety Bolts for Lee-Metford Rifles and the like..
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1899 -Accepted, 13th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Bolts for Lee-Metford Rifles and the like..
We, LESLIE BOWN TAYLOR, of Grange Road, Bournbrook, near Birmingham,
Gun Maker, and EDWARD HENRY PARSONS, of Crosby, Mary Vale Road, Bourn-
ville, Worcestershire, Sight Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perfornied, to be particularly des-
cribed and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings on which similar letters
of reference refer to similar parts.
This invention refers to a new and improved safety bolt for Lee-Metford rifles
and the like in which the bolt is placed at the back of the action on the grip
and is preferably placed into position to safety bolt the weapon by the backward
movement of the breech bolt to cock the firearm, and is an improvement upon
the safety bolt described in the Specification of our Patent No. 5627, dated
Sth day of March 1898 and is especially applicable as an addition to or a substi-
tution for the safety bolt therein described, the mechanism for and method of
bringing the bolt in and out of position being similar to that described in the
aforesaid Specification No. 5627 of 1898.
Referring to the drawings to assist in the description of these improvements.
Fig. 1 shews the position of the safety mechanism after firing the rifle.
Fig. 2 shews the position of the safety mechanism when the sear is bolted.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the strap or frame shewing the mechanism con-
tained therein.
Fig. 4 illustrates the form and position of the mechanism when applying it to
both a secondary bent on the cocking bolt and to the sear. in combination.
Fig. 5 is a detail drawing shewing the form of the rocking bolt for bolting
the sear.
Fig. 6, is a detail drawing of the limb used for bolting into a secondary bent
on the cocking piece and actuating the rocking bolt to bolt the sear.
In the drawings Figs. 1, 2 and 4 the "grip" of the weapon is shewn par-
tially cut away to expose to view the mechanism referred to in this specification.
We form at the back of the shoe A a strap or frame B which is let into the top
of the stock. A limb C is fitted to work in the centre of the strap B and pivotted
at (6). It is formed as shewn at Fig. 3 with an incline on its upper face at (62).
An inclined blade or sliding piece F shewn in detail at Fig. 3 is placed over
the rear end of the limb C so that when sliding forward and backward the
incline (f) of the blade or sliding piece Facts upon the incline (62) of the limb C
causing it to be depressed or free to rise according to the position of the sliding
piece upon it. The limb C working upward and downward upon its pivot (61)
and held up to its work by the spring E on the underside of the strap B, the
backward and forward movement of the sliding piece F is brought about by
the movement backwards or forwards of the sliding thumb piece Ġ attached to
it at (2).
The strap B is extended beyond the end of the limb C as at (63) and within it

page_text: is pivotted a rocking bolt D, the tail (3) of which lies within the forked
ends (¹), (2) of the limb C.
When drawing back the breech bolt H to open the breech the cocking piece J
of the firearm at the point K comes in contact at (g) with and pushes back the
sliding thumb piece G thereby allowing the spring E to raise up the pivotted
limb C and causing the projecting end (2) to throw over the rocking bolt D so
that its head (d2) lies under the nose end of the sear S as shewn in Fig. 2 and
keeps it locked when the trigger is pulled. The breech bolt H when being
returned to close the breech will not come in contact, with the point (g) of
the thumb piece G which, being pushed forward by hand causes the projection (c)
on the limb C to tilt the rocking bolt D out of the way of the scar S and the
weapon is ready to fire.
Thus by this arrangement the backward movement of the breech bolt auto-
matically gives a sliding action to the thumb piece G thereby actuating a rock-
ing bolt D which bolt acts directly as a stop to the sear S and puts the firearm
at safe, instead of the bolt acting upon a secondary bent on the cocking piece
as described in our Patent No. 5627 of 1898.
The locking of the sear S may if desired be nonautomatic by arranging the
thumb picce G so that the breech bolt H will not come in contact with it...
When applying the rocking bolt D to stop the sear as an additional safety to
the arrangement described in our Specification of Patent No. 5627 of 1898 we
arrange the mechanism as therein described in our second or alternative method
and illustrated by Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings therein referred to and
this is illustrated by Fig. 4 of the drawings referred to herein.
We form a bent 12 on the cocking piece J by cutting a groove 13 and bent I
on one side behind the ordinary sear bents I, I and upon the limb C we form
a block or projection L Figs. 4 and 6 to take into the bent 12 when the spring E
has been released by the movement of the thumb piece G and has raised the
limb C to actuate the rocking bolt D as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, 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 shoe
acting directly on the sear and automatically placed into position by the breech
bolt pushing back a thumb piece.
2. In Lee-Metford rifles and the like a rocking bolt D actuated by the back-
ward movement of the thumb piece, worked automatically or nonautomatically
to put the weapon in the position of safe.
3. In Lee-Metford rifles and the like the combination of the thumb piece G
slide F pivotted arm C spring E, and rocking bolt D substantially as described.
4. In Lee-Metford rifles and the like the arrangement of the safety mechanism
as herein described whereby the backward movement of the thumb piece worked
automatically or nonautomatically bolts the firearm by the combined means of
a bolt working into a secondary sear on the cocking piece and of a rocking
bolt lying under the tail of the sear.
T
1
f
1800
HENRY F. TALBOT,
30, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicant.