US708437A - Revolver-lock. - Google Patents

Description

- Patented Sept. 2, I902. J. H. WESSON.

REVOLVER LOCK. (Application filed Mar. 15, 19

(No Model.)

iJNtTED STATES PATENT OFFIC JOSEPH H. \VESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

REVOLVER-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,437, dated September 2, 1902. Application filed March 15, 1901. Serial No. 61,872. \No model.) 7

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, JOSEPH H. WESSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusettsghave invented new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to revolvers, and particularly to. means for, withdrawing'the nose of the hammer from contact with the primer after firing the arm, and is in the nature of an improvementon the construction forming the subject-matter of my United States Letters Patent, dated August 14, 190O, N0. 655,844.

The drawings forming part of this specification consist of Figure l, which shows an enlarged sectional elevation of a revolver embodying my invention, shorting the hammer forced back from contactwith the primer of a cartridge. Fig. 2is a similar viewto Fig.

1, showing the position of the parts at the fall of the hammer before pressure on the trigger is released.

It is to be understood thatthese improvements apply more particularly to revolvers of the self-cocking type.

' In my said patent of August 14,1900, means are provided for efiecting the rebound of the hammer by means of a peculiar connection between the mainsprin g and the hammer and for locking the hammerin a rebounded position by means of a safety-stop actuated by the release of pressure on the trigger.

The object of this invention is to provide a construction whereby the operation of the safety-catch for the hammer, as described in 'my said prior patient, will eifect the withdrawal of the nose of the hammer from contact with the cartridge-shell positively, the rebounding devices described in my said patent being done away with. These improve ments result in a simplification of the construction of the arm. a

In carrying my invention into practice the hammer a, is hung in the usual mannerin the frame I) and isprovided with a mainspring c,

supported, as usual, in'the frame at one end and connected with the hammer at its other end by means of a stirrup d, pivotally supported in the-hammer, in which it may have a free swinging movement. Thetrigger e is pivotally supported in the frame in such po- I sition as to properly engage the hammer in the usual way in arms of the self-cocking type. On the trigger the hand f is pivoted, on which the free end of a trigger-spring g bears, said spring, as described in my'prior patent, serving the double purpose of a trigger-spring and a spring for the hand to hold the latter in operative position relative to the ratchet on the end of the cylinder. This trigger-springg lies close beside the lower end of the hammer, on the lower extremity of which is pivotally supported the'safetycatch h for the hammer. Inthe-side of this safetycatch is a pin 1, which projects out under the trigger-spring g Themear end of the safetycatch is more or less'rearwardlybevcled and is adapted when pressed downward by the action of the spring g on the pin t' to bear against a similarly-be eled projection on the frame of the arm. When the hammer is in the position shown in Fig. I and the safety-catch is in engagement withthe projection j, it willbe seen that the swing of the hammer to the rearwill cause the rear end of the safety-catch to be forced upwardly toward the hammer by the con'tactof said rear end with the plane. This movement serves to raise the rear end of the catch far enoughso that as the hammer falls the catch will not strike said projection. Ob-

viouslyit is also necessary that the rear end of the catch should not fall by gravity when the hammer is in its cocked position, and to that end said catch is supported on the hammer in a mannerwhich provides for means of holding the rear end. of the catch in the elevated position shown in Fig. 2, as described in my said prior patent,but which permits the depression thereof by the contact of the trigger-spring when the trigger is released.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that when the hammer falls the rear is in such position relative to the projection j on the frame that when the trigger is released and the spring g forces said safetycatch downward the lower end of the inclined portion of thesafety-catch will strike the upper end of the inclined face of the projection, and the trigger-spring g in forcing the safetyend of the catch h catch down to the position shown in Fig. 1, as

it does when the trigger is released, must forcibly swing the upper endof the hammerrean wardly to the position shown, thereby producing the same effect as is attained byareboundin'g-of the hammer through the cooperation of the mainspringthat is, the rear end of catch it in moving down the inclined face of projection jacts as a cam-lever,and the inclined face of projection j acts as acam to force'the lower further function asasafety-catch for the hamrection of the cylinder. may be located in the frame in such position mer in its rebounded or partially-retracted position, as described in my patent hereinbefore referred to. The degree of inclination of the abutting surfaces of the catch and the projectionj while ample for the purpose of retracting the nose of the hammeris not sufficiently great to permit the separation thereof against the force of the trigger-spring by any power which might be applied to the upper end of the hammer to force it in the di- If desired, a pin k as to arrest the movement of the mainspring c at an instant before the nose of the hammer strikesa cartridge. This would permit a very slight separation of the stirrup and the mainspring, as shown in Fig. 2-that is to say, it would leave the hammer free to swing on its pivotand therefore the safety-catch would operate to retract the upper end of the hammer nearly to the full extent of its retracting movement, free from the counteracting influence of the mainspring, which would come in contact with the stirrup only at the end of the rearward movement of the hammer. It is found in practice, however, that this pin in is not an essential element, though under certain conditions it would be desirable.

It is seen from the above description that the present construction is a great improvementover the construction shown in my priorpatent in that it not only provides for the positive retraction of the hammer, but also in that it does away'with a nice adjustment of the parts necessitated by the construction 1. In a firearm,'a pivoted hammer, a maiuspring connected to said hammer and tending to throw it forward, a safety-catch pivoted to the hammer, an incline on the frame against which-said safety-catch hears with cam action to rebound the hammer, and spring acting on said catch to force it along the incline, all

combined. I

2. In a firearm the combination of a pivoted hammer, a mainspring connected to the harm mer to throw it forward, a safety-catch pivoted to the hammer, an incline on the frame with which said Isafetycatch engages in certain positions as described, said incline acting as a cam to force hack the hammer against the pressure of tee Inainspring. 3. In a firearm the combination of a hammer, a mainspring acting on the same to force it to striking position, a safetymaich pivoted to the hammer, a cam or incline in the frame with which said safety-catch makes contact in certain positions, and the triggeaspringeugaging said catch to force it along the incline, thereby rebounding the hammer.

a. In a firearm, the combination of a haminer and mainspring a safety-catch pivoted to the hammer, an incline in the frame against which the free end of the catch bears in certain relations, and automatic means operat ing. to force said catch along the incline, thereby rebounding the hammer.

WM. H. CHAPIN, K. I. CLEMONS.

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