US158957A - Improvement in revolving fire-arms - Google Patents

Description

w. M'Asou. Rovulving Fire-Arms.

NO 158Q57. Patented Jan. I9, 187.5.,v

U EITED STATES WILLIAM MASON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO OOL'IS PATENT G'FFICE.

PATENT FIRE-ARMS MANUFAOTURINGOOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT'INREVOLVING FIRE-ARMS..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,957, dated January 19, 1875,- application filed Dezember B, 1874.

l CASE B.

To all whom 'it may concern: f Be it known that I, WM. MASON, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Revolver; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which'said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, sectional side view; Figs. 2 and 3, verticalv sections through the frame on line .fr x, showing the gate closed and open; Fig. 4, longitudinal central section through the cylinder; Fig. 5, transverse section through the cylinder; Fig. 6, transverse section on line'z z, looking` to the rear, enlarged; Fig. 7, top or plan view of the rear of the frame; and in Fig. 8, rear view of the same. ,l

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of fire-arms in which is employed a manychambered revolving cylinder, to present successively each chamber to the rear open end of a single barrel, Aand commonly called revolvers, the object of the improvements being to facilitate the manufacture of the arm, 'as well as the manipulation of some of its parts; and the invention lconsists, first, in constructing the gate-trunnien flat upon two sides at nearly right angles to each other, and combining therewith a spring to bear upon the said trunnion, to forge and hold the gate in either the open or closed position, according as either of the said two sides is presented to the influence of said spring; second, in securing the ejector-tube by means of a boss on the barrel, and screw transversely through the tube into said boss and a recess in the frame, into which the rear eudof the tube eX- tends; third, in constructing the rear end of the frame in semi-spherical form, the gate forming a part of the said semi-spherical rear endall as more fully hereinafter described.

A is the frame, in which is arranged the cylinder B and hammer O, with their operative mechanism, in substantially the usual manner. In order to introduce the cartridges der, or returned to close the same, as in Fig.

2. On two sides, at nearly right angles to each other, a portion ofthe trunnion is out away, as seen in Fig. 2, forming two recesses, b d, in the trnnnion. vvIn the frame beneath the trunnion a springfollower,-F, is arranged,

the tendency of the spring being to press the follower Aagainst the trunnion, and in such relative position to the trunnion that when the gate is closed the angle between the two 'tlat surfaces on the trunnion will be outside the vertical axial plane of the trunnion, as seen in Fig. 2. Thns,-bearing upon the angle of the trunnion, the spring-follower F tends to close the gate as the said angle passes the axial plane, and to hold the gate in its `closed position.

In opening the gate, the trunnion turns and depresses the follower, until the said angle of the trunnion passes to the opposite or inside ot' said axial plane; then the follower forces the gate.open,as seen in Fig. 3, and

holds it in that position. Therefore, while the follower F will yield for the opening and closing of the gate, it will force it to and hold it-in eitherextreme position.

The length of the recesses cut in the trunnion 'in forming the said iiat surfaces is the same as the diameter or width of the follower F, or constructed so that the inner `shoulder ot' the recesses will come close in rear of the follower; therefore, when the gate is in its place the follower F will set into the said re'- cesses, and thus-hold the gate iu itsbearing without other security. i

As there is, practically, very little strain upon the center-pin H, it-lnay beof as small diameter in large as small arms, and .such small diameter is desirable in order to keep the cylinder ot' small diameter, and yet permit the projecting end ot' the center-pin to clear the barrel, so that the pin may be withdrawn toward the muzzle; but in the manufacture ot' cylinders for the larger class of pistols an opening through the cylinder no larger than that required for the pin is too small for practical purposes, as a mandrel or arbor of that diameter would be too weak for practical use. To overcome this difficulty in the manufacture and still preserve the desirable small center-pin, the cylinder is centerhored ot' sutticient diameter for the requirements ot' manufacture; and into this centerbore a sleeve, L, is fitted, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, the internal diameter of the sleeve corresponding to the diameter of the center-pim,

the sleeve loose both on the pin and in the cylinder, and the pin loose in the frame, so that the cylinder will turn freely on the sleeve, and the sleeve as freely on the pin or the pin in the frame.

This construction has an additional advantage over a construction without the sleevethat is, as there are three bearings, upon either ot' which the cylinder may revolve, there is less liability of the cylinder sticking than in case of a single bea-rind.

M is the ejector-tube, arrau ged longitudinally on the barrel, in line with the gate E. Within this tube is the ejector-rod P, which is moved through the cylinder, to eject the shell or cartridge, by means of a finger-piece, R, and returned to the tube by a spiral spring. (Shown in Fi l.) To attach this tube and not weaken the barrel, a boss, S, is formed upon the barrel and a corresponding cavity in the ejectortube, as seen in Fig. 6. The rearend of the tube is set into a recess in the frame, as at e, and the cavity 'at the other end of the tube set over the boss S. Then a screw, T, trailsversely through the tube into said boss secures the tube to the arm, and the barrel is not weakened by tapping for the screw, and any strain or blow upon the tube will come not upon the screw, but upon the boss directly, which 4is capable of resisting a much greater strain than the screw.

The force of the recoil in the larger class of revolvers is very'great, and that part of the frame in rear of the cylinder must be proportionately stron 0. This rear part is necessarily broken by the gate, and iu the usual const-ruction this has presented an abrupt change in the surface, making it liable to catch in drawing from the belt or holster. In order to give this required strength and avoid such abrupt changes in the surface of the frame, and at the same time preserve the light appearance of the arm, that portion, W, ot' the frame in rear of the cylinder and above the stock Y is made of spherical form, of the same diameter as the cylinder, as seen in Figs. 1, 7, 8, the gate E forming a part ofthe spherical surface, a portion of the rear of the gate cut away to leave a recess, D'. As a convenience in opening the gate, the hammer is hung so as to work in a vertical recess in this spherical end. This construction, while affording very great strength to that part of the arm, takes' away their heavfappearance of the usual construction, and avoids the diiculties attending the employment of the gate before mentioned.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The gate E of a revolver, having its trun- `nion a constructed with tiat recesses b d, and

combined with the spring-follower F, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a revolving fire-arm, the boss S on the barrel, and the recess e in the frame, combined with the ejector-tube, constructed to enter said recess e, and set over the bss S, as a means for securing said tube to the arm, substantially as specilied.

3. In a revolver provided with a gate, the rear or recoil portion of the frame, constructed ot' spherical form, the gate E forming a part ot' said spherical portion, substantie-ily as described.

WILLIAM MASON.

Witnesses:

C. B. RICHARDS, ROBT. C. THOMSON.

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