IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISCHARGING MECHANISM OF FIREARMS to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: 1, JOHN RIGBY, of Suffolk Street, Dublin, Gun Manufacturer do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISCHARGING MECHANISM
OF FIREARMS to be as follows:-
"
The object of this invention is to diminish the risk of accidental discharge when
guns or pistols are carried at full cock, and at the same time to facilitate their
discharge without the jerk or sudden movement usually produced by the act of
pulling the trigger.
In order to effect this object I arrange the trigger and the sear in such relation
to each other that the pressure of a spring acting as both a sear and trigger spring
takes effect upon the sear to hold it in the bent through the trigger or through
some part thereof. Between the trigger and the part of the sear against which it
acts to press the sear out of the bent when the firearm is to be discharged, there is
left a small space or play which allows of a certain amount of movement of the
trigger without acting on the sear. This independent movement of the trigger
takes place however against the action of the aforesaid spring, and the pressure of
the latter is thereby taken off from the sear, which is then only held in the bent
by the friction produced by the hammer spring, and a very slight additional
pressure on the trigger will be sufficient to disengage the point of the sear from the
bent and to discharge the piece. The effect of this arrangement is that if the
trigger is caught by any object accidentally a certain amount of movement of
the trigger independently of the sear is allowed to take place in opposition to the
tension of the spring, and without disengaging the sear from the bent so as to
discharge the piece. On the other hand when it is desired to discharge the firearm
the first effect of the pull of the trigger is to remove the pressure of the spring
from the sear, and to bring the trigger to bear on some part of the sear suitable for
pressing its point out of the bent. A person using the firearm easily feels when
this is effected, and he can then perfect his aim and discharge the piece by exerting
a very slight further pressure on the trigger, the hammer falling without jerking
or deflecting the firearm.
Instead of using a single spring only to act both as a main sear and a trigger
spring, a light sear spring may be used in addition to the said main sear or trigger
spring for the purpose of holding the scar more securely in the bent after the
pressure of the main sear or trigger spring has been removed from the sear by the
beforementioned independent movement of the trigger.
T 1
.
100

page_text: I, JOHN RIGBY of Suffolk Street, Dublin, Gun manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISCHARGING
MECHANISM OF FIREARMS 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 sheet of drawings and to the letters and figures
marked thereon that is to say:-
The object of this invention is to diminish the risk of accidental discharge when
guns or pistols are carried at full cock, and at the same time to facilitate their
discharge without the jerk or sudden movement usually produced by the act of
pulling the trigger.
Figure 1 of the drawings shows the application of my invention to an ordinary
gun lock, Figure 2 a section showing its application to the trigger plate of what is
known as a Fields patent Rifle, Figure 3 a section showing its application to the
trigger plate of what is known as a Rigby-Banks Rifle and Figure 4 detail views
of the trigger and sear shown in Figure 3. Similar letters of reference relate to
like parts in all the Figures.
In order to effect the above described object I arrange the trigger A with the sear B
in such relation to each other that the pressure of a spring C, acting as both a sear
spring and trigger spring, takes effect upon the sear B to hold it in the bent or
notch D of the tumbler E through the trigger A or some part thereof. Between
the trigger A and the part of the sear B against which it acts to press the sear B
out of the bent D when the firearm is to be discharged, there is left a small space
or play F which allows of a certain amount of movement of the trigger A without
acting on the sear B. This independent movement of the trigger A takes place
however against the action of the aforesaid spring C, and the pressure of the latter
is thereby taken off from the sear B, which is then only held in the bent D by the
friction produced by the hammer spring (not shown in the Figures as it is arranged
in the ordinary way, and will be readily understood without illustration) and a
very slight additional pressure on the trigger will be sufficient to disengage the
point of the sear B from the bent D and to discharge the piece. The effect of this
arrangement is that if the trigger A is caught by any object accidentally, a certain
amount of movement of the trigger, independently of the sear, is allowed to take
place, by reason of the play F, in opposition to the tension of the spring C, and
without disengaging the sear B from the bent D so as to discharge the piece. On
the other hand when it is desired to discharge the firearm the first effect of the
pull of the trigger is to remove the pressure of the spring C from the sear B, and
to bring the trigger A to bear on some part, such as B₁ of the sear suitable for
pressing its point out of the bent D. A person using the firearm easily feels when
this is effected, and he can then perfect his aim and discharge the piece by exerting
a very slight further pressure on the trigger, the hammer falling without jerking
or deflecting the firearm.
Instead of using a single spring C only, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, to act both
as a main sear and trigger spring, a light sear spring, such as that shown at G in
Figure 1 for instance, may be used in addition to the said main sear or trigger
spring C for the purpose of holding the sear B more securely in the bent D after
the pressure of the main sear or trigger spring C has been removed from the sear
by the beforementioned independent movement of the trigger. In Figures 2 and 3
the trigger A and sear B are shown mounted on the same centre H. In figure 1

page_text: the trigger A and sear B are shown mounted on different centres H and I
respectively. These centres pass in each case through lugs on the trigger plate J
in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is ;-
The arrangement of the trigger A, sear B, and spring C in such relation to each
other that, by means of the space or play F left between the part of the
trigger which acts upon the sear and the part of the sear acted upon by
the trigger, a certain amount of independent movement of the trigger is
allowed without the trigger acting upon the sear, and the pressure of the
spring C is taken off the sear without disengaging the latter from the bent
of the tumbler, substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in the
drawings hereto annexed, and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 47th day of October 1004.
W. H. BECK,
Agent for the Applicant,
115, Cannon Street, London.