Improvements in Racks for Fire-arms.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by William H. Ayres, of Sackett's Harbour,
Jefferson, New York, U.S.A., Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Racks for Fire-arms.
I, REGINALD WALTER BARKER, of Monument Chambers, King William
Street, London, Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in racks for fire-arms, and its objects are
to construct a rack whereby access to the arms may be had from any side, or by
revolving the carriage, and also, by the construction shown, to lock the arms in
their respective positions, thereby preventing them from being removed or tampered
with by any one other than the person in charge.
The invention further consists of the novel construction and combination of parts
as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings forming a part of this Specification,
Figure is a perspective front elevation of a rack embodying my improvements.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the main platform or carriage.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the top protecting plate or platform, and locking
device.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the base containing the roller forming bearings
for the main platform or carriage.
Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the upper support, and
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper squared portion of the shaft or centre post
of rack having a socket.
A indicates the base, B the main platform or carriage, the main staff or centre
post, D the upper support, and E the top protecting plate for the muzzles of the
rifles.
The base A is provided with legs a having holes & for the reception of screws,
nails, or bolts for rigidly securing them to the floor. On the upper surface of
said base A are rollers secured in suitable recessed bearings d.
A hole e is formed in the centre of the base A, to receive the lower end of the
main shaft or centre post C which passes through the main platform or carriage B.
Secured to the main staff or centre post is the main platform or carriage B, which
is provided on its circumference with an upwardly projecting flange and inwardly
inclined division strips or pieces g which latter are secured at their upper ends to
the main staff or centre post C, for the purpose of separating the butts of the
rifles..
The upper end of the main staff or centre post C is squared (as shown in
Figs. 2 and 6), and is also provided with a socket h, the purpose of which socket h
will be described hereinafter.
As seen in Fig. 5, which is a detail of the upper support, a square hole ¹ is
formed in its centre which adapts it to be fitted over the squared portion of the
main staff or centre post C, which post holds the support firmly in position. The
support D is provided on its outer edge with recesses i, to receive the upper ends
of the barrels of the rifles, and suitable latches are pivoted to the support
between said recesses and adapted to span and enter staples i" and hold the rifle
barrels securely in position.
The support D is also provided with holes ; to receive the barrels of revolvers,
or other small arms.
An auxiliary centre staff or post F having its lower portion of smaller diameter
(as shown at k Fig. 3) is adapted to be inserted in the socket h, before mentioned.

page_text: A hole is formed in said portion and the upper end of the main staff or centre
post, to receive a pin, screw, or bolt for rigidly securing the said auxiliary staff or
post with the main staff or centre post C.
Slidably mounted on said auxiliary staff or post F is a protecting plate or cap E
adapted to collectively secure the muzzle ends of the rifles within the upper
platform or support D.
A locking lever G is secured by means of a bolt m near the upper end of the
auxiliary staff or post F, the ends of the bolt projecting on both sides of the
staff for a purpose to be mentioned hereinafter. Pivoted to said locking lever G
are two arms n which are fastened at. their opposite ends to the upper surface of
the protecting plate or cap by means of staples o. The arms n are slit about half
their width at a point about midway of their length, the slits engaging the
projecting ends of the bolt in when the lever is raised for the purpose of holding
the lever and cap in place. A hasp is riveted or otherwise secured to said
locking lever, and adapted to lock said lever and protecting plate or cap. A
staple is fastened to the upper surface of the cap E, and when it is desired to
fasten the rack the lever G is lowered, a slot in the hasp passing over said staple,
when all may be secured by means of a padlock.
In setting up my improved fire-arm³ rack the main platform or carriage B,
together with the main staff or centre post, are placed into position on the base A ;
the lower reduced portion of the main staff entering the hole in the centre of the
said base. A pin is then passed through a hole in said reduced portion which pin
holds the main staff or post and carriage in its operative position.
The support D is then placed over the squared portion of the main staff or
post, and the auxiliary staff or post with the protecting plate or cap is then placed
in position with the reduced portion inserted within the socket ; after which
a pin is passed through the hole which securely fastens the main and auxiliary
staffs or posts together; the protecting plate or cap being capable of being moved
vertically on said auxiliary staff or post by means of the lever G.
The modus operandi is as follows:-
The rack is filled with rifles with the butts between the inwardly inclined
division strips, or pieces, and the upper parts of the barrels in the recesses i of
the support; after which the latches are closed, holding each of them separately.
The protecting plate or cap is then lowered by means of the lever G, and the hasp
placed over the staple and locked by any ordinary pad-lock.
To remove the rifles the lever and hasp are unlocked and turned up in the
position shown in Fig. 1, thereby lifting the protecting plate or cap, and thus
releasing the muzzles of the rifles, allowing any one or all of them to be removed
from the rack. The person taking the rifles out need not change his position in
order to get different rifles out of the rack as it can be revolved on the base at any
time.
I prefer to pad the underside of the protecting plate or cap with some soft
material for better protection to the muzzles of the rifles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a rotatable rack for fire-arms, the combination of a central post, a lower
platform around said post adapted to, bold the butts of guns or rifles, an upper
platform recessed to receive within it the muzzle ends of the guns, and provided
with locking catches to separately hold them therein, and a rising and falling cap
adapted to collectively secure the muzzle ends of the guns within the upper
platform, substantially as described.
2. In a rotatable rack for fire-arms, the combination of a base provided with
projecting rollers on its upper surface for support and travel of the rack, a lower
platform around said post and resting on the rollers, adapted to hold the butts of
guns or rifles, an upper platform recessed to receive within it the muzzle ends of

page_text: the guns and provided with locking catches to independently hold them therein, a
rising and falling cap adapted to collectively secure the muzzle ends of the guns
within the upper platform, and a locking lever device, substantially as described,..
adapted to raise and lower said cap and to hold it in position during the rotation
of the rack, substantially as set forth.
3. In a rotatable rack for fire-arms of the character described, the rising and
falling cap which collectively secures the muzzle ends of the guns or rifles in place,
provided on its under surface with a soft and flexible cushion adapted to bear
down upon and protect the muzzles of the guns, substantially as described.
4. A combined rotatable rack for fire-arms, consisting of a centre post, a lower
platform around said post adapted to hold the butts of guns or rifles, an upper
platform recessed to receive within it the muzzle ends of said guns or rifles, and
perforated to receive down within or through it the barrels of a series of pistols,
and a rising and falling cap adapted to collectively secure said guns or rifles and
pistols within the upper platform, essentially as specified.
5. The improvements in racks for fire-arms, substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described, set forth, and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 19th day of September 1893.
REGINALD W. BARKER.