IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALL FIRE ARMS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Gilbert of Upper Brook Street, in the county
of Middlesex and of Garmouth in the county of Moray, North Britain for
an Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALL FIRE ARMS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Gilbert at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd December 1882.
THOMAS GILBERT of Upper Brook Street, in the county of Middlesex and of
Garmouth in the county of Moray, North Britain "IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALL
FIRE ARMS
"
This invention relates to improvements in small fire arms whereby the unlocking
and locking of the arm are automatically effected immediately before and after
firing or attempting to fire by the act of pressing the gun to the shoulder and
removing it therefrom and without it being necessary to employ the hands or
fingers for that purpose.
A suitable arrangement for carrying out my invention is as follows:-
I provide for each lock mechanism a safety bolt fixed to either the lock or trigger
plate and screwed on the end of a rod or piston working in a tube and extending
through the stock of the gun to the butt end thereof; the outer or butt end of the
said rod or piston is formed with an octagonal or other shaped head to allow of the
length of the rod being adjusted by means of a key; a shoulder pad of suitable
material is provided working in a recess in the shoulder plate or butt end of the
stock, the said shoulder plate being provided with suitable guiding pins; stop pins
or other suitable means being provided to limit the play of the shoulder pad; on
the end of the rod or piston and between the tube and the octgon head is a spiral
spring for bringing the safety bolt back to its safety position when the pad is
relieved from the pressure of the shoulder.
In the safety bolt in the rear of the sear is a notch which when the bolt is
moved forward on the gun being pressed to the shoulder, passes over the end of the
sear and allows the sear to be pressed upwards when the trigger is pulled. On the
fore end of the bolt is a wedge which forms a safety block in case the gun is jarred

page_text: off. In the shoulder pad opposite the head of each piston is a small indicating
hole. When the gun is cocked and the bolts are in the safety position the heads of
the pistons will rest in and fill the said holes, and when not cocked and the
hammers are down on the strikers the heads of the pistons will be clear of the said
holes by which means it can be ascertained at a glance whether the gun be cocked
or uncocked, also if the safety bolts are worked properly.
By an arrangement such as that herein before described it will be understood
that the gun is practically always at safety and it can only be fired when pressed
against the shoulder or against the ground or the like so that the gun cannot be
fired accidentally as the triggers cannot be pulled without the shoulder plate being
pressed and, in the case of hammer guns, the safety wedge could be dispensed with
as, if the arm be jarred off, it would be caught at safety cock.
In addition to providing a safety gun another great advantage is that the act of
slightly pressing the gun or rifle to the shoulder the instant before pulling the
trigger, which is a habit with all when any intentional aim or discharge of the fire
arm is contemplated, moves forward the safety bolt and allows the gun to be dis-
charged as hereinbefore described and, directly the shoulder pad is relieved from
pressure, the bolt is brought back to its safety position, so that the locking and
unlocking are automatically effected immediately before and after firing or
attempting to fire without any trouble or thought on the part of the person
using the arm.
•

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Gilbert in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd June
1883.
THOMAS GILBERT of Upper Brook Street in the county of Middlesex and of
Garmouth in the county of Moray IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALL FIRE-ARMS
"
"
This invention relates to improved safety mechanism applicable to small fire
arms whereby the unlocking and locking of the arm are automatically effected
immediately before and after firing or attempting to fire by the act of pressing
the gun to the shoulder and removing it therefrom and without it being necessary
to employ the hands or fingers for that purpose.
In carrying out my invention I provide a safety bolt fixed to and sliding on the
trigger plate and fastened on the end of a rod or piston working in a tube or
passage extending through the stock of the gun to the butt end thereof; the outer
or butt end of the said rod or piston may be provided with an octagonal or other
shaped head to allow of the length of the rod being adjusted by means of a key;
a shoulder pad of suitable material is provided working in a recess in the shoulder
plate or butt end of the stock, the said shoulder plate being provided with suitable
guiding pins; at the back of the shoulder pad one or more suitable spring or
springs is or are fixed for bringing the safety bolt back to its safety position when
the pad is relieved from the pressure of the shoulder.
On each side of the safety bolt at the rear of each trigger or sear is a notch or
projection which notches or projections when the bolt is moved forward on the
gun being pressed to the shoulder, pass forward over the ends of the sears or
triggers and allow either of the sears or triggers to be pressed upwards when the
trigger is pulled. Working in the fore end of the bolt is a spring attached to a
safety claw in case the gun is jarred off.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1, represents &
sectional elevation shewing my improvements applied for the sake of illustration to
a gun provided with a hammerless lock on the Anson and Deeley principle but my
improvements are applicable to other descriptions of lock mechanism; figure 2, is a
view of the butt end of the same; figure 3, is a detached view of the safety claw
and tumbler, and figure 4, is a detached plan view of the trigger plate and safety
bolt. Similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts.
a, is the safety bolt sliding on the trigger plate b, and secured at a¹, to the end
of the rod c, working in a tube or passage extending through the stock d, of the
gun to the butt end thereof as shewn in figure 1, of the drawing; e, is the head or
nut on the butt end of the rod c, for screwing the rod firmly to the shoulder pad f,-
which pad works in the recess g, in the shoulder plate or butt end of the stock d;
h, h, are the guiding pins fixed in the stock d, for guiding the shoulder pad f, in the
recess g; i, is a spring at the back of the shoulder pad f, for bringing the safety
bolt back to its safety position when the shoulder pad is relieved from the pressure
of the shoulder (or more than one spring i, may be employed if required); j, j, are
the notches or projections on the safety bolt a, which notches or projections are
immediately over projections j', on the rear end of each trigger k, and l, as shewn
in the drawing when the gun is at safety and the shoulder pad is not being
pressed, but which notches or projections when the bolt a, is moved forward on
the gun being pressed to the shoulder pass forward over the projections j', and
allow either of the triggers to be pressed upwards when pulled; or the said
projections, may be dispensed with in which case the projections j, on the safety
.

page_text: bolt would be placed over the rear end of the sears; m, m', is a spring (clearly
shewn in figure 3) the ends of which work in a slot n, formed in the fore end of
the safety bolt a; the spring m, m³, is fixed to a safety claw o, pivotting at P, and
which forms a safety stop for the tumbler q, in case the gun should be jarred off;
the end m, of the said spring allows the safety claw o, in cocking the gun to press
back over the shoulders of the tumblers q, without the withdrawing of the shoulder
pad f, or unlocking the triggers k, and 1; at the same time it will place the claw o,
in a position over the notch of the tumbler q, ready to catch the tumbler in case
the gun should be jarred off and should this occur the safety claw o, would not be
released by a person pressing the shoulder pad f, against his shoulder as the
end m³, of the spring would give way to the pressure and be insufficiently rigid
to effect the release of the claw o; r, is a safety pin or stop of an oblong form
which when the gun is being used works in the slot 8, formed in the stock d; if
however this pin or stop r, be turned by the finger and thumb into the position
shewn in dotted lines in figure 1, of the drawing the shoulder pad f, will be
prevented from moving inwards when pressure is applied to it. This extra safety
will be seldom required except in such a case as when the gun being loaded is
stood down and the possibility of an accident occurring from a stranger handling
the gun will be thus considerably lessened.
By an arrangement such as that herein before described it will be understood
that the gun is practically always at safety and it can only be fired when pressed
against the shoulder or against the ground or the like so there is consequently but
little risk of the gun being fired accidentally as the triggers k, and 1, can only be
pulled when the shoulder plate f, is pressed. In the case of hammer guns, the
safety claw could be dispensed with as if the arm be jarred off it would be caught
at safety cock.
In addition to providing a safety gun another great advantage derived from my
improvements is that the act of slightly pressing the gun or rifle to the shoulder
the instant before pulling the trigger which is a habit with all when any
intentional aim or discharge of the fire arm is contemplated, moves forward the
safety bolt a, and allows the gun to be discharged as herein before described and
directly the shoulder pad f, is relieved from pressure, the bolt a, is automatically
brought back to its safety position so that the locking and unlocking are
automatically effected immediately before and after firing or attempting to fire
without any trouble or thought on the part of the person using the arm.
Having thus described my said invention and the best means with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into effect I would have it understood that I do
not claim broadly a safety mechanism operated by pressure on the butt end of the
gun but what I do claim is
The improved safety mechanism for small arms herein described whereby the
unlocking and locking of the arm are automatically effected immediately before
and after firing or attempting to fire by the act of pressing the gun to the shoulder
and removing it therefrom the said safety mechanism being constructed, arranged
and operating substantially as herein before described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.
In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Gilbert have hereto set my hand
and seal this first day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty throo
THOMAS GILBERT (L.s.)