IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR FIRE ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOSEPH VICTOR, of Du Quoin, in the County of Perry, and State of Illinols,
in the United States of America, Gunsmith, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR FIRE ARMS, 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 locks for fire-arms, and its object is to provide an
improved lock possessing advantages in point of simplicity, strength, durability,
and general efficiency, and which may be operated or manipulated with facility and
convenience and with perfect safety.
To this end, my invention consists, substantially, in arranging the main spring
and connecting it with the hammer so that it effects the cocking of the same when
the rear end of the barrels are elevated, and also serves as the barrel check; in the
arrangement of a safety block for the hammer, the block being connected with and
operated by the trigger; and in an automatic trigger lock, connected with and
operated by the lever which locks the barrels in their normal position, so that, when
this lever is operated to admit of the dropping of the barrels, the trigger lock is
released and automatically engages the triggers-substantially as will be hereinafter
more fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claim.
In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating my improved locking
mechanism in cocked position and with the rear end of the barrels elevated.
Fig. 2 is a corresponding view, showing the barrels and locking mechanism in their
normal position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view, showing the hammer, trigger,'
and safety block mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the safety
block. Fig. 5 is a detail top view of the lever for operating the safety block.
Fig. 6 is a detail top view of the sear to the lock. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective
view of the trigger lock-plate. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the head of
the automatic trigger lock. Fig. 9 is an inverted plan view, in detail, illustrating
the relation of the spring catch-bolt of the automatic trigger locking mechanism
with the tumbler of its operating lever.
Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same letters of
reference.
Referring to the drawings, A designates the working body; B, the barrels; and
C, the pivoted fore part of the working body, to which the barrels are secured,-
these parts being in the main of any suitable construction-D is the main spring,

page_text: which is pivoted in a suitable recess in the side of the body A, and has its front
end, d, projecting into a recess, c, provided in the fore-part C. The rear end of
this spring lever engages with a suitable notch, e, in the hammer, E, so that when
the barrels are dropped to elevate their rear ends, the fore-part C carries the front
end. of the said spring lever in its downward movement, thus causing an upward
movement of the rear end of the spring lever and thereby effecting the cocking of
the hammer by causing it to engage with its sear, The barrels may then be closed
down to their normal position against the tension of this lever spring D. The
front end & of the main spring D is preferably turned downwardly, as shown, so
that it approximates a hook-shape which is best adapted to the movement of the
said end as it is carried by the fore-part C, and the bottom of the recess c which
receives the end d is preferably curved or rounded. The main spring is pivoted or
fulcrumed just in rear of its end d, to effect a greater leverage upon the hammer,
and it is provided with a projecting portion, d, above its fulcrum, which is adapted
to engage with the top of the recess in which the lever is fulcrumed, and thereby
serves as a check to limit the dropping of the barrels. From this arrangement it
will be seen that the spring lever D performs the functions of a main spring, a
barrel check, and automatically effects the cocking of the hammer.
The sear, F, of the lock, is pivoted, upon the body. A, and its front end is adapted
to engage the notch, e¹, of the hammer to retain the same in locked position.
Thus, when the rear end of the sear is elevated by the trigger, G, its front end
releases the hammer, and the dischargé is effected by the tension of the lever
spring D. To guard against discharge by the accidental release of the hammer
either before or after the barrels are completely returned to their normal position;
a safety block, H, is arranged to slide vertically in front of the hammer and in a
suitable guide groove formed in the body A. This safety block is normally under
the nose, e², of the hammer, as illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 2 of the drawings,
and when the hammer is cocked to the position shown in Fig. 1, the block
automatically moves up in front of the nose, so that if premature release of the
hammer occurs from any cause its nose will engage the safety block and there will
be no discharge of the load. The safety block is operated by a lever, I, having its
front end engaging a notch, h, in the block, and adapted to have its rear end
elevated by the trigger. Thus, when the trigger is operated, the lever I will force
the safety block downwards simultaneously with the disengagement of the sear
from the hammer, and the gun will be discharged. A coiled spring, J, is interposed
between the sear and this lever I, to return the parts to their normal position, the
said spring being arranged in front of the fulcrum of the lever I in rear of the
fulcrum of the sear.
.1
K designates the trigger locking plate, which is adapted to slide longitudinally
upon a guide pin, L, and engage shoulders, g, in the rear edge of the triggers.
This plate is connected with a sliding head piece, M, by means of a lever, N, having
its ends engaging suitable, notches, km, provided, respectively, in the locking plate
and head. piece. The head piece works through the top of body A, and is provided
with a milled head, m¹, by which it may be operated to force a longitudinally
sliding spring bolt, O, forward so that the end of the same will engage a shoulder, p,
formed upon a tumbler, P, secured to the pivot of the locking lever, Q. A spring, R,
is arranged to act upon this tumbler to retain the lever in its normal position for
locking the barrels in position. The bolt O slides in suitable brackets, S'S, upon
the body, A, and a coiled spring, T, is arranged to force the bolt rearwardly. A
spring, U, may also be arranged in rear of the bead M to prevent the same from
accidentally slipping rearwardly and locking the triggers. By this arrangement,
when the bolt O is engaged with the tumbler P, the locking plate K will be out of
engagement with the triggers. Then when the lever Q is turned to permit the
barrels to drop and the hammers are cocked by this movement, the bolt will be.
released from the tumbler and the trigger, locking mechanism-will automatically
move into engagement with the triggers and lock the saine. When it is desired* to
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page_text: discharge the gun, the head piece M is moved forward with the thumb to force the
bolt into engagement with the tumbler P and to thereby draw the locking plate
from its engagement with the trigger.
It will be understood that, in the case of double barreled fire-arms, as herein
shown, each hammer is provided with a spring cocking lever and sear, and with an
independent safety block mechanism operated by independent triggers; but both
hammers are cocked by the one movement of dropping the barrels, and the single
trigger locking mechanism effects the locking of both triggers.
The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood from
the foregoing description and annexed drawings.
By pressing the locking lever to the right the barrels may be dropped to elevate
their rear ends, which movement automatically effects the cocking of the hammers,
by the action of the main springs. Simultaneously with the cocking of the
hammers, the safety blocks slide up in front of the nose of the hammers, and the
trigger locking mechanism engages the triggers. After the shells are placed in
the gun, the barrels are closed down to their normal position, and the head of.the
trigger locking mechanism is moved forward to draw the locking plate from its
engagement with the triggers, when the gun may be discharged.
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,
1. The combination of the working body, the main spring pivoted thereto and
provided with the downwardly-turned approximately hook-shaped projecting front
end, and the pivoted fore-part having the corresponding downwardly-inclined recess
provided with the curved or rounded bottom; substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of the working body, the main spring pivoted therein and
provided with a projecting front end, said spring being pivoted in rear of this front
end and provided with a projection extending above the pivot and adapted to
engage the body to limit the dropping of the barrels, and the pivoted fore-part
engaging the front end of the spring; substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of the working body, the hammer having the recess and
notch, the main spring engaging said recess and having the projecting front end,
the spring being pivoted in rear of this end and provided with the projection
extending from its top and serving as a barrel check, the fore-part engaging the
said front end, the sear engaging said notch, and the trigger adapted to elevate the
rear end of the sear; substantially as set forth.
4. As an improvement in safety-locks for fire-arms, the combination, with the
hammer, of the vertically sliding safety-block disposed at the side of the same and
normally retained down by the nose of the hammer and under the said nose, and
means for operating the block simultaneously with the movement of the hammer;
substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, as an improvement in safety-locks for fire-arms, of the
hammer, the sear, the vertically-sliding safety-block disposed at the side of the
hammer and in rear of the fulcrum of the same, the block being normally under
the nose of the hammer and retained down thereby, the lever engaging the safety-
block and extending parallel with the sear, and the trigger for simultaneously
elevating the rear ends of the lever and the sear; substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of the hammer, the vertically-sliding safety-block projecting
normally up against the nose of the hammer and retained down thereby, the sear,
the lever engaging said block and extending parallel with the sear and above the
same, the trigger adapted to elevate the rear ends of the sear and lever, and the
coiled spring interposed between the sear and the lever in front of the fulcrum of
the latter and in rear of the fulcrum of the former; substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
7. The combination, with the sliding head for operating the trigger locking
mechanism, of the barrel-locking lever having the tumbler, the sliding bolt having

page_text: its rear end acting against said head and provided with a spring front end adapted
to engage the tumbler, and an actuating spring upon said bolt; substantially as set
forth.
8. The combination of the triggers, the sliding locking plate, the sliding operating
head, the lever connecting the head and plate, the barrel-locking lever having the
tumbler, the sliding bolt having its rear end acting against the head and provided
with a front spring end adapted to engage the tumbler, and the actuating spring
upon the bolt; substantially as set forth.
9. The combination of the triggers, the guide pin in rear of the same, the sliding
locking plate moving upon said guide pin, the sliding operating head, the lever
connecting the head and plate, the barrel-locking lever having the tumbler, the
sliding spring bolt acting against the operating head and adapted to engage the
tumbler, the spring upon said bolt, and the spring in rear of the head; substantially
as set forth.
10. The combination of the lever for locking the barrels the hammers, mechanism
for cocking the hammers by the dropping of the barrels, an automatic safety block
sliding in front of the hammers, the sear, the triggers for simultaneously operating
the sear and safety-block, and automatic trigger locking-mechanism operated by
the barrel locking-lever; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 17th day of June 1884.
JOSEPH VICTOR.
By Herbert & Co., Agents,
67, Strand.