USRE1937E - Improvement in revolving fire-ahms - Google Patents

Description

W. H. ELLIOT.

Revolver;

3 Sheets-Sheen N0. 1,937 Rei-Saum Apr. 1851865.

ef@ ff@ beans-Sheet 3.

W. H. ELLIOT,

Revolver.

Ressued Apr. 18". 1865.

|nve'ntor.

Witnesses.

fc 71cm kw consists in the combination of a cham :chambers which are bored through at their UNITED STATES PATENT )FFICE i impnovgm-:Nrm aEvoLviNe rineeAnMs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,382, dated October 1,1861; Reissue No. 1,93?, dated April 18, 1865. x A

To alf/whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, W. H. ELLIor, of Plattsbu'rg, in the county of Clinton 'and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and usefnl Improvements in Breech Loading Fire- Arm's; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencev 'being had to the accompanying drawings, makinga part of this speci-1 .tication,which I designate as Division No. 2.-

Figure `1 of the drawings is a vertical sec-- tion of my improved arm, showing the lockin elevation and as it appears after being snapped.

Fig. 2 is a similar section, butlwith the triggerl pushed forward preparatory to tiring. Fig. 3

uis angelevation ofLabreech-plate. Eig.4-s

elevation ofthe end of a series of barrels,

showing the chambers filled with explodedi y Fig. 5 is an elevation of a 1mm-y mer and cartridge, the red lines showing the' cartridges.

direction' of certain forces at the moment ofi discharge. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the rear. end of a series of barrels, showing projectionsI ,or anvils. Fig. 7 is a. side ,elevation of the? same. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the armf with revolving-ratchet on the rear end of th`e barrel, as shown in my patent of May 29, 1860.2

Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section of the;

same, showing a revolving-pawl attached to the trigger. in an equivalent way to that shown' in my patent of May 29, 1860. Figs. 10, 11,. and 12 show thc mode oi .revolving the barrels by a pawl and ratchet, as in my patent of August, 1858. The pawl here, however, is at' tached to thehammer as is most common.l Figs. 13, 14, and 15 show-details of the arm represented by Figs. 8 and 9, the hammer, cooking-pawl,'revolving-pawl, and triggerbeing shown in the three positions that they assume during the process of firing the arm.

Fig. 16 is a vertical longitudinalsection of a modification of my invention.- Fig. 17 is a rear end elevation of the same. Figs. 18 and 19 are a section and end elevation of a cartridge used with this modification.

The same letters of reference in the diierent figures designate corresponding or similar parts.

` The nature of this division of my inv ntion r or rear end, and left-open for the purpose of beiug'charged thereat with a lock-frame which is extended forward ofthe rear end of said chambers, and has a hammer pivotgd or hung inthe part thereof so extended forward.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention and comprehend thesame, I will proceed to describe ir, with reference to the drawings. s

a is the lock-frame or frame of the breech, being that portion of the arm to which the lock is pivoted or otherwise properly attached. This frame may be inl one piecejor several pieces. l g

- b represents the barrel or barrels.

c represents the chambers with cartridges in thenis. Thesechamhers.arebcredmthrougheat.; their rear end and left open, for the purpose of being charged in the rear.

y c' shows the position of the two lower car tridges in relation to 'the breech-plate One of these at a time isired by the hammer.

d is the breech-plate; e, hammer pivoted at e' underneath and forward of the rear end ot' the said chambers, and also forward' of the breech-plate d; g, cocking-pawl; g,posit.on ot' cockng-pawl when prepared to re; o, point on the cocking-pawl which comes in contact with the side of the trigger aud'trips the:l|am mer.

h is a stirrup. It is shown as furnished with two seats in the hammer; but it never was in-` tended with this arm to have but one seat, al-

though two were incidentally shown. Theforward seat may be dispensed with, as it'serves no purpose in this arm, as will be evident from Figs 8 and 9.

the cocking-pawl falls.

la is a mainspring.

iis a notch upon Athe l|ammer,into which l, Figs. 9, 10, 13, 14, vand 15, is a revolving- -pawl ;l m, a ratchet or revolving grooves on the rear end of the barrels; n, opening through the breech-plate for loading the arm p, base-pin which supports the barrels, andupon which the barrels revolve; fr', Fig. 5, direction of recoil; s s, direction of resistance of the same .by the hammer; t t', plane of the surface upon which the hammer acts; u, cockingand revolving'pawl spring; fv, a cut through the breechplate to admit the tiring-point ofthe hammer. y

This arm as represented in Eig. 1, is loaded by passing the cartridge through opening nin/- 2 ,A y r 1,931

the breech-plate into the chamber c, and to 4fire the arm the trigger must tirst be pushed forward to the position represented in Fig. 2, when the rear end ofthe pawl g falls into the notch i upon thehammer, and as the trigger is carried back again the hammer is raised until the side of the trigger comes in contact with the cocking-pawl g at o, in which position itis ready to lire; and it is fired by drawing, the trigger still farther back, which raises the rear end of the coeking-pawl out ofthe notch ,and the hammer falls upon the cartridge and explodes it. As the triggeris drawn baek'for the purpose of tiring,therevolvingpawl which is pivoted to it is pushed back, and by this means the barrels are caused to revolve onesixth of a revolution at each motion of the trigger, each time bringing a new cartridge under the tiring-point. This is one of many ways in common use of revolving arms of this description, and constitutes no part of my claim at this date.

When it becomes necessary' to pass the trigger back to its place without firing it may be done by pressing upon the lower side of the cocking-pawl, when its rear end will be raised out of the notch i on the hammer, in which position the trigger maybe carried back without raising the hammer.

To revolve the barrels for the purpose of loading it is necessary that the point of the revolving pawl should be held out of the ratchet, and also that the hammer should be raised a little, otherwise its tiring-point would drag over the heads .of the cartridges, and this maybe done as follows: Push the trigger forward and place the end of a pencilthrough the opening :v between the trigger-guard and the trigger above the pawls. Then dra-w back upon the trigger until the pencil is held fast. By this operation the revolvingpawl will be thrown out of the ratchet, the hammer partly raised but firmly held so that it can neit-her be brought to full-cock or be snapped. While the parts are in this position the barrels may be safely revolved for the purpose of loading and cleaning.

That modification of my invention which is represented by Figs. 16 and 17 may be loaded by turning the breech-plate to the position l-represented by dotted lines d', and by partially cooking the hammer this opens the chamber completely for the reception of the cartridge. After the' cartridge has been placed in the chamber, the breecbplate returned to its place, and the hammer carefully let down,-

the arm is ready to tire, which is done by drawing the trigger directly back against the frame. The trigger may be placed back against the frame without tiring by first depressing the tiy e2 of the hammer, so that the point of the trigger will not catch it. In drawing back the trigger to fire this arm the point of the trigger strikes the point of the tly e2 and raises it, at the same time depresses the free end of the hammer until the trigger passes the ily, when the hammer falls upon the prim `rear end of said ing. The lock in this vmodiiication operates the same as in my patent of August, 1858.

A striking peculiarity of this invention consists in the arrangement of the pivot of the hammer, and that portieri of the lock-frame to which the hammer is pivoted forward of the rear end of a chamber or chambers, which are bored through and left open for the purpose of being charged in the rear and also forward of the breech-plate, as represented. By breechplate, I mean that part of the arm, marked d,

against which the cartridge finally recoils when the discharge takes place, and which is generally detached from the said chamber.

This breech-plate serves the purposeof breechpin to the barrels, and can only be employed with a chamber or chambers that are bored through at their end,as above stated. 'Ihe breech'plate may be attached to and supported upon the breech of the arm in many different ways. For instance, it may be secured permanently to the frame in the rcarof the barrels, and the chambers charged through it, as herein represented, and as represented in my patent of May 29, 1860, No. 28,461; or it may be secured with the lock-frame by a joint to the barrels, anddrop down ont of the way of the chambers for the purpose of charging, as represented in my other patent of same date, No. 28,460; or the breech-plate may be jointed t0 the rear portion of the arm so as to be turned away from before the chamber for the purpose of opening it to receive the charge, as represented in Fig. 16. In whatever way the breechplate may be applied or supported in relation to the lock-frame or chamber, it always serves one purpose-viz., that of finally resisting the backward force ofthe charge-a function which is the subject of other patents of mine bearing an earlier date than this, but not earlier invented.

I will here state that'tbe description herein given with respect to the use of a breech-plate is notiutended as a limitation of my invention to a tire-arm with a breech-plate, but simply to illustrate the superior utility of my invention when such a breech-plate is used. I, however, in manufacturing arms, prefer to employ as an auxiliary to my invention a breech-plate of some sort; and hence I have described such ways as I consider the most perfect of employing a breech-plate, but not intending thereby to ever set up any claim under this patent to breech-plates, but to show that my invention is capable of being used with various styles of such plates without changing the result which it produces.

The arrangement of the pivot or joint ofthe hammer, as before specified, forward of the chambers has many advantages. When such arrangement is employed with a cylinder of revolving barrels or chambers, as herein shown, and with a breech-plate which is located permanently in their rear, the hammer tires most conveniently one of the lower barrels, leaving the whole of the upper part of the breechplate to be cutaway or otherwise disposed of, as may be most convenient for loading the arm, the whole of the hammer being at all times entirely out ofthe way duringthe process of loading, which would not be the case it it were pivoted in the rear ofthe chambers. A hammer which is pivoted as hereinl specified in\relatiou to said chamber without a breech-plate, or with abreech-plate which is jointed to the breech of the arm fo r the purpose of being't'ur'ned away from before the chambers, as represented in Figs. 16 and 17, has the same advantage when cocked of being entirely belowthe line of the bore, and cousequen tly out of the way during the process of loading,and in any case. the. employment of a hammer which is pivoted and arranged as herein shown in relation to abreech-plate, or to achambero'r chamberscoustructeri as herein described, tends greatly to compact the arm and make lit more durable as well as to render its construction simple and less expensive, whether the arm be large or small, or whatever .be its external form.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet l, it may be seen that the hammer, although pivoted forward of therear end of an open chamber, strikes up in the rear of said chamber, indenting the cartridge-shell alittle, and holds onto itlike a hook at the moment of the discharge. A hammer arranged and operating in this way on. an arm ,from which the breech-plate has been removed for the experiment has been foundto hold onto a cartridge-shell suiciently strong to resist its recoil; and when employed, as herein shown, with a breech-plate, it performs the additional function of preventing pressure of the cartridge-shell upon the breech-plate, after firing, and consequently there is less dicnlty in moving the breechplate away from before the chambers, or the chambers from before the breech-plate, for the purpose of removing the spent shells and re loading. To enable Va hammer so pivoted to perform the function ot' resisting the recoil to such a degree as to ,prevent pressure upon a breech-plate` after tiring, as stated above, it is not essential that the point of the hamlner should penetrate the shell to hold it from. slipping, (the power of the mainsprin g is suiicient for 'this purpose,) as for this purpose it is only necessary that, the hold ofthe cylindricai portion of the shell upon the iuucrsurfacelof the chamber should be strong enough so that the pressure of the gases may bulge out the head of the cartridge a little to make it rest against the breech-plate at the moment the pressure of the gasestakes place. After the pressure has' ceased the head of the cartridge will to some degree return to its original form', 1 and thus relieve the breech-plate ofits ,press" actly at right angles to the line of resistance oli'ered by the hammer. Thus it may be seenl lthat -the hammer without the assistance of the mainspring would notslip down upon the head.

of the cartridge. Numerous experimentshave proven that either with or without a breechplate the-ring-point of the hammer, when properly constructed and arranged, is never displaced by the recoil of the cartridge.

Having described my invention, I claim under this Patent-without confining myself to any method of attachingor supporting the breech-plate .upon/ the arm in the rear of. the

chamber, or to any breechlplate at all, orto any particular form or size of arm- The combination of a chamber or chambers which are bored through at their rear end and left open for the purposev of bei-ug charged thereat, with a lock-frame which is extended forward of the rearend oi' said chambers, and a. hammer pivoted or hung in the part of said framevso extended forward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Witness my hand in the matter of my application for reissue of Letters Patent granted to y me on October 1st, 1861, for an improved breech-loading fire-arm, this 1st day of December-1864.

WM. H. ELLIOT.

WitnessesiN -R.. T. CAMPBELL,

E. SCHAFER.

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