IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY APPLIANCES FOR SMALL ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN DARBY 8 Loveday Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun
Maker do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
SAFETY APPLIANCES FOR SMALL ARMS to be as follows:-
My improvements consists first of the following, to automaticaly bolt the
tumblers I hinge two safety levers to inner side of trigger plate the safety levers
are held in position by a spring the upper part of the safety levers project and
are undercut so that when cocking the gun the tumblers push back the safety
levers untill a bent in the tumblers are reached the safety levers then snap into
the bent in the tumblers and hold the tumblers safe untill the trigger is pulled The
second part of my Improvements consists of a sliding bolt worked from the side of
the stock extending across the triggers securly locking them and is held in position
by a perpendicular bolt and coiled spring.
I will describe the tumbler safety levers as applied to Hammerless guns with the
lock-work in the action.
In the trigger plate I hinge two safety levers one behind each tumbler the safety
levers are held in position by a spring the safety levers are undercut near the
upper part.
.
The lower or hinged part of the safety levers extends inwards far enough for
the front part of the triggers to cover them.
When the trigger is pulled it pressos on the part of the safety levers behind the
hinge pin and gives the upper part of the safety levers a backward motion.
In cocking the gun the tumblers push back the safety levers untill a bent in the
tumblers is reached the safety levers then snap into the bent in the tumblers and
prevents the tumblers from falling by accident.
When the trigger is pulled it acts on the lower part of the safety lever which
causes the upper part of the-safety lever to move out of the tumbler bent before
the gun can be fired.
I will describe the sliding trigger bolt.
I make a plate to fit in the side of the stock near to the head of gun on the
inner side of the plate is three studs the middle stud being the longest and extends
across the trigger.
In the plate between the bottom and middle studs I cut a slot in the slot I fit
a bolt as long as the middle stud on the plate, the bolt is made with a thumpeice

page_text: and the thumpeice fits close to the plate outside the slot is longer than the bolt is
wide and alows the bolt to slide backwards and forwards in the slot and on and
off the triggers.
The part of the sliding safety bolt between the studs I make A shaped.
To keep the sliding safety bolt in position I use a perpendicular bolt A shaped
at the end and one or the orther of its A shaped faces rests on the correspondingly
formed shaped part of the sliding safety bolt the perpendicular bolt is carried
by the top and middle studs on innerside of plate and held down by a coiled
spring.
The sliding safety bolt can be worked automaticaly or by the thumpeice.
I, JOHN DARBY of Loveday Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SAFETY APPLIANCES FOR SMALL ARMS," 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 tumbler and trigger safety appliances for small arms, of
the kind commonly known as hammerless guns-The tumbler safeties consist of
two upright arms or levers jointed at their lower ends and to the trigger plates;
and situated at the back of the respective tumblers, the front upper part of each
of the said safeties is provided with bents or notches which take into bents on the
back of the tumblers-The intercepting tumbler safeties being kept in position by.
springs The lower hinged part of the safeties, is also provided with extended
heels upon which a prolonged front part on the triggers press, for raising the
safeties out of position for liberating the tumblers.
+
The trigger safety consists of a horizontal bar or sliding bolt lying laterally
across the trigger plates and is moved to and fro lengthwise across the solid and
gapped parts on the top edge thereof-The sliding cross bolt being kept in its
locked or unlocked position, by a vertical sliding bolt with a double inclined acting
end, which falls over the inclined sides of a A cut away part on the top of the said
sliding bolt A thumb piece or slide is connected to the sliding bolt by which it
is moved from off the triggers, the locking slide being carried back in the other
direction, for putting the gun at safe, by a rod carried on the back of the locking
bolt.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings,
the manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of a hammerless gun provided
with tumbler and trigger safeties constructed according to my invention, the gun.

page_text: being in a position of safe, and the tumbler or hammer cocked and held by both
the nose of the sear proper, and the vertical intercepting lever-The perpendicular
retaining trigger safety bolt being removed-Figure 2 is also a vertical section of a
hammerless gun the same as figure 1, but with the trigger safety removed and one
of the triggers pulled and held which has allowed the corresponding tumbler or
hammer to be discharged and the arm fired-Figure 3 is a side elevation of the
arm figure 1, showing the safety slide at safe-Figure 4 is a plan of the upper side
of the safeties and some of the parts connected with them-Figure 5 is an end
front view of figure 4, and figure 6 is a back view of the same- -Figure 7 is the
perpendicular holding bolt of the same, and also the slide in section across the
Ʌ part.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
Drawings.
a is the tumbler hammer safety lever turning upon a fulcrum a³, jointed to the
trigger plate the front upper end of which said lever is notched at a³ which engages
with the bent b' of the tumbler or hammer b-The back end of the said safety.
lever is provided with a heel a upon which the prolonged front end c³ of the
triggers o presses on the turning of the trigger upon its joint pin c³, in discharging
the arm-d is the sear, cranked or bent about its middle so as to clear the rocking
axis of the hammer safety-The extended end of the said sear resting upon the
top edge of the triggers in the usual way-e is the safety trigger slide (best seen in
figure 3) carrying the sliding bar or bolt e² which crosses the triggers or trigger
blades is a bar rest or stop under which the slide e works and receives its
upward abutment when the triggers press upon the cross slide-g is a vertical bolt
pressed downwards by a spring h enclosed between the shoulder of the bolt and
the solid flange of the plate i of which it forms a part-The bolt g has a double
incline at its lower acting end for retaining the slide e' in its locked or unlocked
position, which is effected by the inclines passing upon one or other of the A sides
marked e³ of the bar e-j is a lever on the tang, the turning aside of which, for the
opening of the arm, carries back the rod k on the back of the locking bolt -This
rod k in its backward movement automatically presses the locking slide e into
position (as represented in figure 1) or in front of the solid raised part ct of the
trigger plate, the rod and parts carrying it retire into their normal positions by the
spring m as is common with guns of the ordinary construction, and n is the spring
of the tumbler safety-The other parts of the arm are only represented for the
purpose of clearly indicating the action of the safeties; thus when the gun is at
safe, the slide e on the side of the arm is in the position as represented in figure 3
with the bar e above the solid c of the trigger blade c, while the catch a³ of the
hammer or tumbler safety a is engaged with the bent 6 of the said tumbler-The
tumbler is thereby held at two points; that is, by the sear proper, and by the inter-
cepting lever a, for should either one or other of the last named get accidentally
displaced, one always remains as a reserve of the other and so prevents the
accidental discharge of the arm.
To discharge the arm, press forward the thumb plate e in the direction of the
arrow, which carries the cross bar e in front of the gaps c and so allowing either
of the triggers to be raised as represented in figure 2; thus in the said figure 2, the
trigger c is pulled, which raises it upon its fulcrum c³, the front end of the trigger c³
pressing forcibly upon the heel a* of the intercepting lever a and so rocking or
turning it backwards upon its joint, which is pivotted out of its centre-The
backward movement of the intercepting bolt removes its notch or catch from the
secondary tumbler bent, while at the same time the nose of the sear d is removed
from the bent proper which allows the hammer to be discharged by the recoil of
the spring as represented in figure 2.
The gun is put in a position of safety by the opening of the barrels, (or by the
slide being moved by hand) effecting by the turning aside of the hand lever, for
withdrawing the locking bolts-The backward movement of the locking bolt
carrying the rod k urges or pushes back the slide e e² into the position as represented

page_text: in figure 1, thereby locking the triggers and rendering the arm safe from accidental
discharge, until the thumb plate e has been again pressed forward.
My invention is applicable to both single and double-barrelled small-arms.
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
* First-The improvements in hammer or tumbler safety mechanism consisting of
an arm or lever hinged to the trigger plate and provided with a catch or notch at
its front end which engages with a secondary bent on the back of the tumbler;
the said arm or lever being constructed and jointed to the trigger plate and
working in the way and for the purpose as described and set forth in the several
figures of the Drawings.
Secondly-Trigger locking safety mechanism consisting of a bar or bolt which
crosses laterally the trigger blades and is operated by a thumb slide on the side of
the arm, which slides the said bar or bolt in or out of safe, and held in the
respective positions by an upright or vertical ended bolt, working over the
A inclines on the cross bar, also the support or abutment plate marked f, under
which the sliding cross bar moves to and fro, the parts being constructed, arranged
and working in the way and for the purpose as described.
Thirdly The general arrangement or combination of tumbler safety and trigger
locking mechanism constructed and working together in the manner and for the
purposes as described and illustrated.