Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 18th May, 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
We, THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS COMPANY LIMITED, of Small Heath, near the
City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, and CHARLES PROCTOR, of St. Oswald's Road,
Small Heath, aforesaid, Foreman of Works, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the safety appliances for bolt guns, principally to rifles of
the Lee-Metford and analogous types, more particularly employed for military
purposes.
Such rifles consist essentially of a breech body, one end of which is screwed to
take the barrel, whilst the rearward part has a socket into which a reduced end of the
stock fits and is there secured by a stock bolt. .The bolt which is provided with a
cover and is operated by a handle or lever and carries the extractor at its fore end,
slides to and fro within the open-bottomed race of the body, and is retained in its
forward position to close the breech of the gun, by a snug or shoulder upon it being
made to engage by the partial turning of the bolt behind an inclined shoulder of the
said body.
The striker pin and the actuating spring surrounding it, are located within the
bolt, the rear part of the said pin carries a cocking piece having a rib upon the bottom
edge of which, the full and half-cock bents are cut and with which the nose end of
the sear, which is pivoted to a suitable part of the body framing engages, and is kept
in bent therewith by one limb of a spring, the other limb of which may control the
magazine catch. The said sear is rocked or turned downwards for taking it out of
engagement with the full-cock bent, by a depending tail or arm engaging with a
forked or other end of the blade of a pivoted trigger, which is surrounded by a guard,
immediately rearwards of the magazine fraine, as usual.
The invention consists in a safety appliance arranged to act in such a manner as
to prevent the sear being disengaged from the full-cock bent of the cocking piece
until after the "safe" has been taken off, and this is accomplished through the
agency of a sliding bolt or bar, the nose of which is adapted to come between the
underside of the rear end of the sear preferably with a supplementary fixed pin,
directed across the shoe or body.
In carrying out the invention a sliding bolt or bar which we term the safety bolt
is located within a gap cut along or within the neck of the stock, being limited in
its longitudinal movement by any suitable means, and having a push piece con-
veniently disposed for the thumb or finger to act upon in taking the safe on and off.
The forward part of this safety bolt slides in a hole or clearance in the walls of the
stock-socket at the back end of the shoe, and when moved forward for putting on the
"safe" comes against the rear underside of the sear and lies between the said sear
and a fixed transverse pin directed between the adjacent sides of the shoe or body,
whereby the sear is prevented from being rocked by a pull upon trigger and is blocked

page_text: or retained in bent with the cocking piece thereby preventing inadvertent or acci-
dental firing of the gun.
On the safety bolt being moved backwardly, its nose end is taken clear of the sear,
which is then free to be rocked by the trigger for releasing the cocking piece and the
firing pin.
Instead of arranging a pin for the safety bolt to slide over, as described, a lug or
cam upon the body of the action may be arranged to act as the equivalent of it, and
the pin may be dispensed with altogether, in which case the forward part of the
safety bolt would preferably be provided with guides or other means for rendering it
positive in action.
The invention is easily applicable to existing bolt guns with but little trouble and
expense, as all that is required is to let the safety bolt into the neck of the stock,
form a clearance or passage for it in the end of the stock-socket of the body and
affix the transverse pin or bar across the inside of the action immediately below the
nose end of the sear.
Dated this fith day of December 1897
Dated this 6th day of December 1897
THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS COMPANY LIMITED,
Improvements in or auditions to BOIL Guns.
We, THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS COMPANY LIMITED, of Small Heath, near the
City of Birmingham, Manufacturers, and CHARLES PROCTOR, of St. Oswald's Road,
Small Heath, aforesaid, Foreman of Works, 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 the safety appliances for bolt guns and principally for
rifles of the Lee-Metford and analogous types, more particularly employed for
military purposes.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of the action
and adjacent parts of a Lee-Metford rifle, fitted or provided with a safety device
constructed and operating according to this invention. The said view shows the
striker of the gun in its cocked position, and the safety bolt "on," so as to prevent
any inadvertent discharge of the arm.
Figure 2 is a like view as Figure 1, but showing the gun fired and the slide of the
safety bolt "off," or in the position in which it has to be placed before the rifle can
be fired.
Figure 3 is a topside plan of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a like plan of Figure 1, but with the bolt of the gun removed to show
how the inner end of the safety bolt is made to engage under the nose end of the
sear arm and come between it and a blocking pin or stop arranged below the same.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section, with parts in elevation, of the action of
the gun and the safety mechanism, with the parts in the same positions as
represented in Figures 1, 3 and 4.
Figure 6 is a like section as Figure 5, but with the parts of the action mechanism
in the positions they assume after the safety bolt has been taken off or drawn back
out of engagement with the sear arm, and the gun has been fired.

page_text: Figure 7 is a cross section of the body or shoe of the action, upon the dotted
line x, Figure 4, and Figure 8 is an outer end elevation of the said shoe.
Figure 9 is a view of a portion of the stock and the adjacent end of the action
shoe, showing the safety appliance in elevation, and Figure 10 is another view of the
same parts, showing the safety in section. These two last-named views show the
slide in its "off" or withdrawn position.
"
Figure 11 is a like view as Figure 10, but shows the slide in its " on or pushed
forward position.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
The rifle illustrated in the before mentioned drawings consists essentially of a
breech body a, the end a¹, of which is internally screwed to take the barrel b, whilst
the rearward part has a socket a², into which a reduced end c¹, of the stock c, fits
and is there secured by a stock bolt c². The bolt d, which is provided with a
cover d', and is operated by a handle or lever d², has the bolt fastening d³, and
extractor at its fore end and slides to and fro within the open-bottomed race a³, of
the body, and is retained in its forward position to close the breech of the gun, by a
snug or shoulder (not shown in the drawings) upon it being made to engage by the
partial turning of the bolt behind an inclined shoulder of the said body as usual.
The striker pin and the actuating spring surrounding it are located within the
bolt, and the rear part e¹, of the said pin carries a cocking piece f, having a rib f¹,
upon the bottom edge of which, the full and half-cock bents f2, f³, are cut and with
which the nose end g¹, of the sear g, which is pivoted at g2, to a suitable part of the
body fraining, engages and is kept in bent therewith by one limb h¹, of a spring h,
the other limb h2, of which may control the magazine catch ¹, which secures the
magazine i, in position. The said sear is rocked or turned downwards for taking it
out of engagement with the full-cock bent by a depending tail or arm h³, engaging
with a forked end 1, of the blade j2, of a pivoted trigger j, which is surrounded by a
guard 3, immediately rearwards of the magazine frame.
The safety appliance which constitutes the essential feature of this invention is
arranged to act in such a manner as to prevent the sear being disengaged from the
full-cock bent of the cocking piece until after the "safe" had been taken off, and
this is accomplished through the agency of a sliding bolt or bar the nose of which
is adapted to come against the underside of the rear end of the sear, and preferably
between it and a supplementary fixed pin directed across the shoe or body.
A
In carrying out the invention, a sliding bolt or bar k, which is termed the safety
bolt is located within a gap c³, cut along or within the neck of the stock, being
limited and guided in its longitudinal movement by the traverse of the heel kli,
within a slot 10 of the cover plate, which with the said bolt forms a self-contained
fitting or component part, independent of the rest of the action, but to which, when
fitted in position, it becomes an attached part. The movement of the bolt is
stiffened and it is retained in one or other of the positions in which it may be placed
by the free end 3, of a spring k, carried by the said plate 5, engaging in one or
other of the pair of notches, k, provided in the top side of the safety bolt.
push piece k, is conveniently disposed for the thumb or finger to act upon in taking
the safe on and off. The forward part ko, of this safety bolt slides in a hole or
clearance as, in the wall a', of the stock-socket at the back end of the shoe, and when
inoved forward for putting on the safe, comes against the rear underside of the sear
and lies between the said sear and a fixed transverse pin m, directed between the
opposite sides of the shoe or body, whereby the sear is prevented from being rocked
by a pull upon the trigger and is blocked or retained in bent with the cocking piece,
thereby preventing inadvertent or accidental firing of the gun.
On the safety bolt being moved backwardly, its nose end is taken clear of the sear,
which is then free to be rocked by the trigger for releasing the cocking piece and the
firing pin.
Instead of arranging a pin for the safety bolt to take over, as described, a lug or
cam upon the body of the action may be arranged to act as the equivalent of it, and

page_text: the pin may be dispensed with altogether, in which case the forward part of the
safety bolt would preferably be provided with guides or other means for rendering it
positive in action.
The invention is easily applicable to existing bolt guns with but little trouble and
expense, as all that is required is to let the safety bolt into the neck of the stock
form a clearance or passage for it in the end of the stock-socket of the body and
affix the transverse pin or bar across the inside of the action immediately below the
nose end of the sear..
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:-
First A "safety" for bolt guns, comprising a sliding push-piece traversing or
operating a suitably guided safety-bolt, an end of which is taken into, and withdrawn
out of the path of the sear of the gun, for the purpose herein set forth.
Secondly-A "safety" for bolt guns, comprising a sliding push-piece, traversing
or operating a suitably guided safety bolt, an end of which is taken between the end
of the sear and a cross pin or equivalent stop arranged below it, for the purpose
herein set forth.