Means and Appliances for Automatically Unlocking the Trigger of a Rifle as the Barrel Assumes the Proper Angle for Distance Firing, Applicable also for Firing Cartridges.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Means and Appliances for Automatically Unlocking the Trigger of
a Rifle as the Barrel Assumes the Proper Angle for Distance
Firing, Applicable also for Firing Cartridges.
We AUGUST MÜHLE, Engineer and EDUARD FRANKE, Merchant, both of
78 Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, in the Empiro of Germany, do hereby declare the nature
of our said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a contrivance applied to portable fire arms in order to
permit the firing to take place only at the moment when the weapon has assumed the
correct angular position relatively to the horizontal, or to the object which has to be
shot at. In order then to fire the weapon in the right direction, its muzzle end must
be either raised from below upwards, or lowered from above downwards as shewn
by the arrow Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings.
In this motion of the weapon, the same will also reach the position which corre-
sponds to the correct initial trajectorial angle of the bullet, when at this moment the
trigger, which had all along been locked, is released by means of the above mentioned
contrivance and can be depressed by the finger resting. in readiness upon the said
trigger. Hence the height of the object does not require to be sighted.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 3 shows by way of example a mode of
application of this contrivance to a Mauser Rifle.
Against the lower end of the trigger or firing mechanism a, bears the front end of
a double armed lever c, arranged to oscillate upon the strap b, and whose rear end is
pressed downwardly by a spring k placed in the stock of the rifle. The trigger a is
always locked by this lever c, and can only act when the front end of the latter
is moved downwards and hence releases the same. The rear end of the said lover c
rests upon the free extremity of a single armed lever pivoting at d¹ and forming the
armature of an electro magnet f, which receives, through the circuit g and gl, the
electric current from a dry battery or from an accumulator h, which is likewise placed
in the stock of the gun.
The circuit g is broken by a small glass tube i bent in the form of a knee piece and
inserted therein; in the front of the short branch of this tube the extremities of the
broken circuit g are arranged opposite one another and are melted in the glass. The
small pipe i is filled with mercury only to such a height as to fill the longer branch
behind.
When the rifle is inclined a little in front, the front end of the small tube i is
lowered and a drop of mercury runs out of the longer branch thereof over the knee
and into the short branch, thus establishing a contact between the ends of the circuit g
and closing the same. The electric current passes through the coils of the electro
magnet and hence the armature is attracted. The latter pushes the rear end of the
lever c upwards so that its front end being depressed releases the trigger or firing
mechanism a.
If the rifle is held while the trigger is pressed by the index finger of the right hand
in a perpendicular or obliquely raised position, and it is gradually lowered frontward
until it reaches the horizontal position or nearly so, it will be obviously understood
that at a determined moment a drop of mercury will pass over from the long to the
short branch of the small tube i and will thus establish an electric contact. As at this
same moment the lever c releases the trigger the same being now depressed by a finger.;
the rifle is fired. The bullet hits also according to a determined angular position of
the rifle relatively to the horizontal, that is to say, at a determined height and all the
following bullets f will likewise accurately hit at the same height; a deviation could
only occur in the lateral direction:
In order to be able to alter the angle at which the firing of the rifle is effected; the

page_text: small tube i is enclosed in a box or capsule m, which can pivot in a corresponding
cavity of the gun stock. The capsule m is provided on its front side with an index m
which indicates upon a graduated scale arranged on the said stock, the present position
of the smal tube i. According as the first branch of the small tube i stands higher or
lower, the muzzle of the barrel of the rifle will have to be lowered more or less
in order to discharge the bullet and the shot will accordingly hit the object lower or
higher respectively.
It is not necessary that the small tube i should be made in the form of a knee, it
can also be made straight but the former shape is preferable.
Ushaped or communicating tubes may be also used as shown in Figure 4
these tubes being filled with liquid whose two level surfaces may carry a float
each, or only one may have such a float. These float or floats serve to establish
a contact at the right moment between the ends of the circuit and thereby to
effect the closure of the same. The float or floats may be made to strike a blow
upon a membrane which would immediately establish or break the contact or
cause the locking device to be released by such blow.
In Figure 5 the release of the lever c which locks the trigger is effected by
means of a metallic ball which falls at a given moment in a tube p and upon
the end of a lever g operating upon the lever c. This tube p is hent in the
form of a knee and is enclosed in an oscillating capsule or box so that it can be
made to assume different positions necessitating a greater or lesser inclination of
the muzzle of the gun.
In Figure 6 a small straight tuber is used and is partly filled with liquid or
better with mercury; it oscillates upon a pin excentrically fixed.. By inclining
the rifle in front, the liquid runs also in front of the tube and causes such front
part to be lowered which acts upon a lever effecting the release of the trigger.
In this case also the small tuber is arranged in a box or capsule or between
two discs in order to be movable within certain limits only.
Lastly a level t can also be used for the release of the trigger as shown in
Figure 7 in which the extremities of the circuit wire are dipped into the con-
ducting liquid. In this case the current passes continuously through the coils of
the electromagnets and when in consequence of the rifle being inclined the air
bubbles arrive upon one or both pole ends of the circuit wires, the current is
broken and the trigger is forthwith released.
The contrivances described are shown in Figures 3 to 7 in such a position that
in order to fire the rifle the latter must be lowered from above downwards.
When it is desired to fire when raising the rifle from below upwards, it will be
obviously understood that the described mechanism must be arranged in a reversed
position in the stock of the gun.
Instead of the mechanism described other similar arrangements may be devised
but the characteristic features of all these must be such that by raising or lowering
a gun, a body which may be solid or fluid is caused to release by automatically
changing its position a gearing device or mechanism acting upon the gun's trigger
or to close a circuit causing the ignition of the cartridge.
The advantages which result from replacing in portable fire arms the sight
pieces by the above automatic mechanism are first that a very precise aim can be
obtained as regards height this being entirely independent of day light, when as
in forts the distance is accurately known and the lateral direction of the bullet
can be ascertained by the perpendicular to the line of fire upon the parapet.
The infantry fire at night against the sappers heads derives a hitherto unknown
power, and the effect of a grazing, enfilading infantry fire upon the trenches or
ditches or upon a determined line is ensured during the night. Furthermore,
infantry firing can be used in order to operate behind walls with a very high
trajectorial angle of the bullet as the precision in the direction of the height is so
great that the bullets can be sufficiently densely discharged.
Portable fire arms thus equipped may also be used on fields of battle in warfare.
Finally, the said described mechanical contrivances may also be used in connection

page_text: with the firing of the cartridges by electricity, this being carried out in
such a manner that the mechanism will close the circuit at a given moment and
as this circuit passes through the gunpowder in the cartridge it will ignite the
same.
The invention therefore, consists of a device or contrivance applicable to
portable fire arms as a substitute for sighting, consisting of a solid or fluid body
which is capable of closing a circuit by automatically altering its position, when-
ever the gun is raised or lowered, the closing of this circuit causing a direct
ignition of a cartridge, or for releasing the mechanism which locking the trigger
of a rifle, whether this body operates upon such locking mechanism by gravity,
or by closing or breaking an electric circuit actuating the same.
Dated this 16th day of August 1888.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said A. Mühle and E. Franke.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means and Appliances for Automatically Unlocking the Trigger of
a Rifle as the Barrel Assumes the Proper Angle for Distance
Firing, Applicable also for Firing Cartridges.
We, AUGUST MÜHLE, Engineer and EDUARD FRANKE, Merchant both of
78 Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, 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 a contrivance applied to portable Fire Arms such as
Rifles, Sporting and other small Arms, in order to permit the firing to take place
only at the moment when the weapon has assumed the correct angular position
relatively to the horizontal or to the object which has to be shot at. In order then to
fire the weapon in the right direction, its muzzle end must be either raised from
below upwards or lowered from above downwards as shown by the arrow Figures 1
and 2 of the drawings annexed to our Provisional Specification.
In this motion of the weapon, the same will also reach the position which
corresponds to the correct initial trajectorial angle of the bullet when at this moment
the trigger which had all along been locked is released by means of the above
mentioned contrivance and can be depressed by the finger resting in readiness upon
the said trigger. Hence the height of the object does not require to be sighted.
In the drawings accompanying our Provisional Specification, Figure 3 shows by
way of example a mode of application of this contrivance to a Mauser Rifle.
Against the lower end of the trigger or firing mechanism a bears the front end of
a double armed lever c arranged to oscillate upon the strap band whose rear end is
pressed downwardly by a spring k placed in the stock of the Rifle. The trigger a
is always locked by this lever c and can only act when the front end of the latter is
moved downwards and hence releases the same. The rear end of the said lever c
rests upon the free extremity of a single aruied lever pivotting at d' and forming the
armature of an electro-magnet f which receives through the circuit 9 and 9,
electric current from a dry battery or from an accumulator h which is likewise
placed in the stock of the gun.
the
The circuit g is broken by a small glass tube i bent in the form of a knee piece
and inserted therein; in the front short branch of this tube, the extremities of the
broken circuit g are arranged opposite one another and are melted in the glass.
The small pipe i is filled with mercury only to such a height as to fill the longer
branch behind.
When the Rifle is inclined a little in front, the front end of the small tube i is
lowered and a drop of mercury runs out of the longer branch thereof over the knee
and into the short branch, thus establishing a contact between the ends of the
circuit g and closing the same. The electric current passes through the coils of the

page_text: electro magnet fand hence the armature is attracted. The latter pushes the rear end
of the lever c upwards, so that its front end being depressed releases the trigger or
firing mechanisin a.
If the Rifle is held while the trigger is pressed by the index finger of the right
hand in a perpendicular or obliquely raised position and it is gradually lowered
frontward until it reaches the horizontal position or nearly so, it will be obviously
understood that at a determined moment a drop of mercury will pass over from the
long to the short branch of the small tube i, and will thus establish an electric
contact. As at this same moment the lever c releases the trigger, the same being
now depressed by a finger, the Rifle is fired. The bullet hits also according to a
determined angular position of the Rifle relatively to the horizontal, that is to say,
at a determined height and all the following bullets will likewise accurately hit at
the same height, a deviation could only occur in the lateral direction.
In order to be able to alter the angle at which the firing of the Rifle is effected,
the small tube i is enclosed in a box or capsule m which can pivot in a corresponding
cavity of the gun stock. The capsule m is provided on its front side with an
index m which indicates upon a graduated scale arranged on the said stock, the
present position of the small tube i. According as the front branch of the small
tube stands higher or lower, the muzzle of the barrel of the Rifle will have to be
lowered more or less, in order to discharge the bullet and the shot will accordingly
hit the object lower or higher respectively.
It is not necessary that the small tube i should be made in the form of a knee, it
can also be made straight, but the former shape is preferable.
Ushaped or communicating tubes may also be used as shown in Figure 4 of the
drawings accompanying our Provisional Specification, these tubes being filled with
liquid whose two level surfaces may carry a float each, or only one may have such a
float. These float or floats serve to establish a contact at the right moment between
the ends of the circuit and thereby to effect the closure of the same. The float or
floats may be made to strike a blow upon a membrane, which would immediately
establish or break the contact, or cause the locking device to be released by such
blow.
In Figure 5 of the drawings annexed to our Provisional Specification, the release
of the lever c which locks the trigger is effected by means of a metallic ball, which
falls at a given moment in a tube p and upon the end of a lever g operating upon
the lever c. This tube p is bent in the form of a knee and is enclosed in an
oscillating capsule, or box, so that it can be made to assume different positions
necessitating a greater or lesser inclination of the muzzle of the gun.
In Figure 6 of the drawings accompanying our Provisional Specification, a small
straight tube is used and is partly filled with liquid or better with mercury, it
oscillates upon a pin excentrically fixed. By inclining the Rifle in front, the liquid
runs also in front of the tube and causes such front part to be lowered which acts
upon a lever effecting the release of the trigger. In this case also, the small tube r
is arranged in a box or capsule or between two discs in order to be movable within
certain limits only.
Lastly a level can also be used for the release of the trigger as shown in
Figure 7 of the, drawings annexed to our Provisional Specification in which the
extremities of the circuit wire are dipped into the conducting liquid. In this case
the current passes continuously through the coils of the electro-magnets and when in
consequence of the Rifle being inclined the air bubbles arrive upon one or both pole
ends of the circuit wires, the current is broken and the trigger is forthwith released.
The contrivances described are shown in Figures 3 to 7 of the drawings
accompanying our Provisional Specification in such a position that in order to fire
the Rifle, the latter must be lowered from above downwards. When it is desired to
fire when raising the rifle from below upwards, it will be obviously understood that
⚫the described mechanism must be arranged in a reversed position in the stock of the
gun.
Instead of the mechanism described, other similar arrangements may be devised,

page_text: but the characteristic features of all these must be such that by raising or lowering
a small arm, a body which may be solid or fluid is caused to release by automatically
changing its position, a gearing device or mechanism acting upon the gun's trigger;
or to close a circuit causing the ignition of the cartridge, as at Figure 8.
The advantages which result from replacing in portable firearms such as Rifles,
the sight pieces by the above automatic mechanism are, first, that a very precise aim
can be obtained as regards height, this being entirely independent of daylight, when
as in Forts the distance is accurately known and the lateral direction of the bullet
can be ascertained by the perpendicular to the line of firing upon the parapet.
The Infantry firing at night against the sappers heads derives an hitherto unknown
power, and the effect of a grazing, enfilading Infantry fire upon the trenches or
ditches, or upon a determined line is ensured during the night. Furthermore,
Infantry firing can be used in order to operate behind walls with a very high
trajectorial angle of the bullet as the precision in the direction of the height
great that the bullets can be sufficiently densely discharged. Portable Fire Arms
thus equipped may also be used on fields of battle in warfare.
SO.
Finally, the said described mechanical contrivances may also be used in connection
with the firing of the cartridges within the barrel by electricity, as shown at
Figure 8, this being carried out in such a manner that the circuit will automatically
close and ignite the gunpowder in the cartridge, on the Rifle being elevated or
depressed to the required degree.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A means
or contrivance applicable to Rifles, Sporting and other portable
Fire Arms (small Arms) as a substitute for sighting, consisting of the employment
of a solid or fluid body which (by raising or lowering the Rifle or small Arm)
automatically alters its position and thereby releases a trigger locking mechanism, such
releasing being caused directly by the gravity of the solid or fluid body, or
indirectly by closing or breaking an electric circuit by the said solid or fluid body as
described and shown by Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings.
2. Electrically and automatically discharging a cartridge within a Rifle or other
small Arm on circuit being completed during the raising or lowering of the barrel
as described with reference to Figure 8 of the drawings.
1000
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said A. Mühle and E. Franke.