USRE1802E - Improvement in revolving fire-arms - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

ROLLIN WHITE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent lNo. 19,961,

dated April-13, i858; Reissue No. 1,802, dated october 25, 1864. l

To all whom it may concern:

Be -it known that I, ROLLIN WHITE, formerly of Hartford, in the'State of Connecticut, but

now of Springtield, -in the State of Massachm setts,baveinve nted a new and useful Improvement in Repeating Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specilication, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a pistol on my improved plan, and Fig. 2 a cross-sec tion thereof; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the cylinder, representing a modification, and Fig. 4 a cross-section thereof; Aand Figs. 5 and 6, longitudinal and cross-sections'of another modification.

. Mysaid invention relates to an improvement in that class of repeating firearms consisting of a xed barrel combined with a cylinder having a series of parallel chambers which' are in succession brought in line with the barrel to be fired. In such arms it is important that the chambered cylinder should rotate freely and not be liable to bind by the expansion of the metal when heated by the firing of the successve charges. To secure the required freedom a certain amount of play must be given to the chambered cylinder between the rear end-0f the fixed barrel and the breech or'recoilshield back of the cylinder, and this amount of play at the time of the discharge leaves an open space for the escape of gas at .the junction 0f the cylinder with the rear end of the barrel, because the force of the discharge, acting against the rear end o f the chamber, forces the cylinder back from the barrel and against the breech or recoilshield, which escape of gas reduces the force of the discharge and is -otherwise seriously objectionable.

Prior to my said invention various plans were devised toprevent this windage; but all of them, y

sofar as I am informed, required a mechanism to push the cylinder against the rear end of the barrel after it had been rotated, and to hold it in such position during the discharge to resist the recoil, and to liberate it after tiring a load, that it might be turned freely to bring another chamber in line with the barrel. The use ofsnch mechanism was seriously objectionabler In arms of this class using cased carseam or seams a tridges provided with fulminate priming at the rear end to be exploded by the lock, it is esscntal to success that the cartridges should be held back in the chambers, so that the fulminate priming in the rear end of the cartridge should be in reach of to be tired by the lock.

The object'of my said invention is to accomplish thc desirable result ofstopping the wind` age at the junction of the cylinder with the rear end of the barrel without the use ot' any such mechanism, and tohold vback the eartridges, that their rear end carrying the fulminatepriining may be in the proper position to be exploded by,the lock; and my said invention consists in making the many-chambered cy drical, or nearly so, to within ashort distance ofthe frontend, which is formed with a contraction suiiicient to slug the ball, and valso in combining the chambers so formed with the making of the cylinder in two or more parts so connected that they shall rotate together and be free' to separate from each other longitudinally. From-such construction it will-result that cylindrical cased cir- Atridges can be used, which will properly and yet freely tit the chambers and close up the t the junction of the two or more parts of the cylinder, it' made in two or more parts, to' prevent the escape of gas or fire; that the contraction at the frontend will hold A the cartridges back in the chambers, so that the fulminate priming at the rear end of the cartridge shall be in the proper position to be fired by the lock, and that the forwardend of the cylinder will be carried forward in close contact with the' rear end of the fixed barrel by the force of the ball acting against thecontract-ion of the bore at the forwardendof the cham bers; and my said invention also consists in extending thechambers entirely through the cylinder, so combined with a stationary barrel, incombination with the breech-plate,

made separate from, but which is so connnected with the cylinder'that the two shall rotate together to bring the chambers in line with the barrel and the priming in line `with the hammer of the lock to be tired.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents the fixed barrel, secured in the usual manner to the front end of ametal frame, b,which conlinder withv the bore of each chamber cylintains the chambered cylinder, the said frame being in turn secured to or making part ofthe stock c. The cylinder d, with -its series of y chambers e, is mounted and turns on acentral pin, f, within the frame b in the usual or in any appropriate manner, and it is to be turned to bring the several'chambers in succession to the lille ofthe barrel by any ofthe well-known mechanisms heretofore used or which may be devised for that purpose, none being represented, as this makes no part of my invention. The cylnderd I prefer to make 1n two parts. When made in twoparts, as represented in Fig.

1 of the accompanying drawings, the cham-" bers are formed mainly in the part d, and ot' a cylindrical shape, and' bored in from the troni.

end, and the cartridges are to be inserted through the front end and the forward portion, d', has the bo're of the several chambers extending through it of a tapering formthat is, at their junction with the rear part, d, of the cylinder they are to be of about the same caliber as thechambers in the said rear portion, d, and gradually reduced, so asl to be of the same caliber Vwith the bore of the barrelat the front end.

The two parts d and d o t' the cylinder are to be connected by a cylindrical dowel-pin, g,

or by equivalent means, so that they shall rotatetogether and be free longitudinally to separate from or approach each other or the cylinder may be formed as represented in Fig. 3, the separation of the two Yparts d and d being in a plane at the rear end tlf the chambers.

In this example the chambers are made wholly in the front portion, d', of the cylinder, and

with the caliber cylindrical, or nearly so, from the rear end to within a short distance of the front end, where the caliber is reduced to that of thefixed barrel by a curved contraction, as represented at e; and thetwo partsdand d of the cylinder are to be connected bya tlowel-pin` or equivalent means, asin the first example, and yfor the samepurpose. In this example the cartridges are to be inserted through the rear end ot' the part dof thecylinder. Thecylinder, however, may be made in three parts, as represented i`n Fig. 5, the rear portion, d, being, as in the second example, Fig. 3, separated in the plane of the rear end of the series of chambers. The chambers e are'mainly in the middle portion, d, and of a cylindripal form, and extended in the forward portion, d', with. a regular taper or with acurved contraction. In this third e'xample the three parts ot the cylinder are to be connected by a cylindrical dowel-pin, g', or equi-valent means, as in the other examples, and for the same purpose.

If it be desired to use only that part of my said invention which relates to making the breech-plate separate from but so connected with the cylinder that they shall rotate to-v` gether, the chambers g may extend entirely thrOUgh the cylinder,

of acyliudrical form, or

nearly so.

arm 'are the kind well known as metallic or cased cartridges with the fulminate at the rear end, and when made for the cylinder con- -structed according to example Fig. 1 the mctallic or cased cartridge is to be made ot' sufficient length to extend forward ot' and to lap the `junction of the two parts ot' the cylinder nearest the t'ront end; ,and to explode such cartridges the cylinder may be made in various ways, in all -of which a series of apertures, t', are made through the rear portion of' the cyl ieder, lone for each chamber, and communicatingr therewitl1,'and of suitable form to receive` the hammer of the lock or any equivalent therefor, that it may strike that portion of the cartridge which contains the fulminate priming thus held4 back by the contraction at the front end of the chambers. In Figs. 1 and 2 the rear end ot' each chamber is extended back in the form of an annular recess, h, to receive an annular flange of the cartridge which contains the t'ulminate. At the rear end of the chamber the solid metal of the rear portion of y the cylinder forms a cylindrical plug,j, extend-y ing into the flange ot' the cartridge, and forming a bed or rest against which to explode the' fulmiuate when the hammer or equivalent strikes it.

For the second example the fulminate should l be in the rear end ot' the cartridge, made in thev form of a segment of ,a sphere to resist the stroke of the hammer, the lrear end of the cham# bers being made of a corresponding concave form; and a third mode is to form the rear end of the cartridge with a small central projection containing the fulminate, -which is received in a small centralVrecess at the bottom ofthe chamber, where it is struck by the hammer. A Any other suitable means for tiring the charges may be substituted for theabove modes. As the bore ot' the chambers iscylindrical to within a short distance of the front end, they will properly receive and hold cylindrical cased cartridges, While the contraction at the front endvwill hold lback the cartridges, so that the fulminate at the rear end will be reached by the hammer or equivalent to insure the tiring;I

andas the bore of the chambers isof less diameter at the front than at the rear end, and the front end of the cylinder is free to separate from the breech, the ball, when being forced out, will act against the con traction at the front end and force it against therear end of the tixed barrel, and thus prevent the escape of gas, while the case of the cartridge willY prevent the esca-pe of gas from the seams-back of the j unc'' l tion of the cylinder and barrel.

By making .the breech-plate separate froml but so connected with the cylinder that the two shall rotate together, whatever may be the formof the chamber, it will afford ready access to the inside ot' the chambers for removing the cartridge-cases, for cleansing, and for other purposes, and specially for loading, if it vbe desirable to load from the rear, while at thei in two or more parts so connected that they same time it avoids all friction and liability to l catch experienced in the use of a non-rotating breech.

What I claim as myinventiomand desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. Combining with a. tixed barrel a manychambered rotating cylinder, the chambers ot which are made of a cylindrical form to within a short distance of t-he front end and there formed with a contraction of less caliber than the diameter of the ball, when such contracted front end is free to move longitudinally from the breech, substantially as and for the purpose specified. A i

2. In combination with the chambers formed with a contraction at the front end, substantially as specified, the making ot' the cylinder shall rotate together and be free to separate longitudinally, substantially asand for'the purpose specified.

3. The combination ot' a tixed barrel, a rotating cylinder having a series of chambers extended entirely through it, so placed and I rotated that the several chambers may in succession be brought in line with the barrel, and

a rotating breech-plate to close up the rear end ROLL'IN WHITE.

Witnesses A. DE LACY, ANDREW I. TODD.

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