Improvements in Trigger-devices for Small Arms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Trigger-devices for Small Arms.
I, CARL COLBERT, of 25, Schleifmuhlgasse, Vienna IV, Austria, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The circumstance that hunting-accidents resulting from the unintentional firing
of guns are mainly caused by the catching or entanglement of the projecting parts
of their locks, has for many years led to numerous attempts to substitute therefor
parts that are not liable to be operated by accidental impact against branches,
stones, or other objects which the sportsman is unable completely to avoid. To
these attempts belongs the invention of the so-called hammerless guns. Of guns
of this kind, which to a certain extent obviate the risk of unintentional firing,
there exist, several very good arrangements; but all the proposals hitherto made
for doing away with the finger of the trigger have been attended by serious
disadvantages. Most of the arrangements hitherto proposed for dispensing with
the trigger-finger render a sure aim and a proper disengagement on firing,
impossible, and all fingerless trigger devices heretofore known necessitate several
movements of the hand and fingers, which are inconsistent with the natural position
of the hand in taking a sure aim.
Now the present invention relates to a fingerless trigger-device which can be
operated by a single movement of the hand, carried out in a manner similar to
that required for pulling the trigger in guns of ordinary construction.
In this
new device the finger is guided automatically into the operative position and the
mechanism is effectually protected from accidental operation by the catching of
twigs, external shock, and the like.
My improved trigger-device comprises, for each firing-pin, a spring stud, which
is arranged within an aperture in a suitably thickened portion of the bottom of
the lock-casing, and preferably has its head sunk in a groove which is provided
in the bottom plate and is open at its forward end. The said stud is adapted to
be pressed inwards by the marksman's finger, which encircles the lock and is
moved along the groove until it comes to the head of the stud. On being so pressed,
the stud acts upon the trigger, which in turn raises the sear and thus releases the
main-spring, which then causes the firing-pin to shoot forward.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the improved fingerless trigger-device
applied, by way of example, to a hammerless gun.
Fig. 1 being a side elevation, partly in section, showing enough of the lock to
illustrate the invention;
Fig. 2 an underside view corresponding to Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 a similar underside view of a modification of the trigger-device.
The gun-lock shown in these figures is of the usual construction, in which the
main-spring a is cocked by sidewise rotation of a lever b employed instead of the
hammer the sear c being thereby caused to engage in the full-cock notch of
the tumbler and to bear with its cranked end e upon the trigger d, which is pivoted
at d'. The trigger d is operated by means of a stud f which is inserted in a hole g¹
formed, at right angles to the under-surface of the trigger d, in the bottom g of
the casing, which is made thicker at this place. The said stud carries on its outer
end a knob, and its inner end acts upon a projection of the trigger d.

page_text: Between the head of the stud and a nut screwed on the stud, there is inserted
a small helical spring e which bears against a shoulder on the bottom 9 and keeps
the stud pressed in continual and certain contact with the trigger. The head fi
of the stud is situated in an enclosing groove g' in, the underside of the bottom 3
of the casing. This groove is preferably as shown, prolonged in a forward direction
and dies off gradually, so that when the gun is about to be fired one of the fingers
that grasp the lock on its lower side will enter this groove and in sliding rearwards
"therein be guided to the stud which, when then pressed inward, raises the trigger,
and thereby disengages the sear from the full-cock notch, whereupon the gun is fired
in the usual manner by the action of the main-spring.
The drawings show a double-barreled gun, a separate stud and trigger being
provided for each firing-pin.
In such a gun the studs may be arranged side by side in an oblique manner, as
shown in Fig. 2, the grooves for the insertion of fingers then uniting to form a single
groove, which dies away gradually; or the studs may be arranged one behind another
in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the gun, as shown in Fig. 3, in which case
they are situated in a single groove common to both.
Obviously a fingerless trigger-device of this kind may also be applied to single-
barreled guns, in which case only one stud and one groove are provided; and to guns
with hammer-locks or locks of any other desired kind; and may also, if desired, be
combined with a hair-trigger of any known construction.
I, CARL COLBERT, of 25 Schleifmühlgasse, Vienna IV, Austria, Gentleman, 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
The circumstance that hunting-accidents resulting from the unintentional firing
of guns are mainly caused by the catching or entanglement of the projecting parts
of their locks, has for many years led to numerous attempts to substitute therefor
parts that are not liable to be operated by accidental impact against branches,
stones, or other objects which the sportsman is unable completely to avoid. To
these attempts belongs the invention of the so-called hammerless guns. Of guns
of this kind, which to a certain extent obviate the risk of unintentional firing,
there exist several very good arrangements; but all the proposals hitherto made
for doing away with the finger of the trigger have been attended by serious
disadvantages. Most of the arrangements hitherto proposed for dispensing with the
trigger-finger render a sure aim and a proper disengagement on firing, impossible,
and all fingerless trigger devices heretofore known necessitate several movements
of the hand and fingers, which are inconsistent with the natural position of the.
hand in taking a sure aim.
:
Now the present invention relates to a fingerless trigger-device which can be
.operated by a single movement of the hand, carried out in a manner similar to that
required for pulling the trigger in guns of ordinary construction. In this new

page_text: device the finger is guided automatically into the operative position and the mechanism
is effectually protected from accidental operation by the catching of twigs, external
shock, and the like..
My improved trigger-device comprises for each firing-pin, a spring stud, which is
arranged within an aperture in a suitably thickened portion of the bottom of the lock-
casing, and preferably has its head sunk in a groove which is provided in the bottom
plate and is open at its forward end. The said stud is adapted to be pressed inwards
by the marksman's finger, which encircles the lock and is moved along the groove
until it comes to the head of the stud. On being then pressed, the stud acts upon the
trigger, which in turn raises the scar and thus releases the main-spring, which then
causes the firing-pin to shoot forward.
The drawings filed with my Provisional Specification illustrate the improved
fingerless trigger-device applied, by way of example, to a hammerless gun.
Fig. 1 being a side elevation, partly in section, showing enough of the lock to
illustrate the invention;
Fig. 2 an underside view corresponding to Fig. 1 ; and
Fig. 3 a similar underside view of a modification of the trigger-device.
The gun-lock shown in these figures is of the usual construction, in which the
main-spring a is cocked by sidewise rotation of a lever b employed instead of the
hammer, the sear e being thereby caused to engage in the full-cock notch of the tumbler
and to bear with its cranked end c¹ upon the trigger d, which is pivoted at d¹. The
trigger d is operated by means of a stud f, which is inserted in a hole g¹ formed, at
right angles to the under-surface of the trigger d, in the bottom g of the casing, which
is made thicker at this place. The said stud carries on its outer end a knob f, and
its inner end acts upon a projection d2 of the trigger d. Between the head of the stud
and a nut screwed on the stud, there is inserted a small helical spring e which bears
against a shoulder on the bottom g and keeps the stud pressed in continual and certain
contact with the trigger. The head of the stud is situated in, and surrounded by
the wall of, a groove g' in the underside of the bottom g of the casing. This groove
is preferably, as shown, prolonged in a forward direction and dies off gradually, so
that when the gun is about to be fired one of the fingers that grasp the lock on its
lower side, will enter this groove and in sliding rearwards therein be guided to the
stud, which, when then pressed inwards, will raise the trigger, and thereby disengage
the sear from the full cock notch, whereupon the gun will be fired in the usual manner
by the action of the main spring.
The drawings show a double-barrelled gun, a separate stud and trigger being
provided for each firing-pin.
In such a gun the studs may be arranged side by side in an oblique manner, as
shown in Fig. 2, the grooves for the insertion of the fingers then uniting to form a
single groove, which dies away gradually; or the studs inay be arranged one behind
another in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the gun, as shown in Fig. 3, in
which case they are situated in a single groove common to both.
Obviously a fingerless trigger-device of this kind may also be applied to single-
barrelled guns, in which case only one stud and one groove are provided; and to
guns with hammer-locks or locks of any other desired kind, and may also, if desired,
be combined with a hair-trigger of any known construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
8
1. A fingerless trigger-device for small-arms comprising spring press-stud that
extends through the bottom g of the lock-casing, acts upon the trigger d, and has
its head sunk in, and surrounded by the wall of, a groove g' that is formed in
the said bottom and extends, it may be, forward until it dies away, substantially as
described and shown.
2. In a gun having more than one barrel, the arrangement of press-studs of the

page_text: kind specified in Claim 1, side by side or one behind another, substantially as described
and shown.
Dated this 12th day of April 1897.
For the Applicant,.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.