USRE2481E - Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms - Google Patents

Description

- C. SHARPS.

Revolver.

Reissued F eb. 12, 1867 ERS. PMOw-UTNQGR-PNER, WASHINGTON. D. C4

UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

CHRISTIAN SHARPS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECl-l-LOADING FlRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22,753, dated January 25, 1859; Reissue No. 1,199, dated June 18, 1861; Reissue No. 2,481, dated February 12, 1867.

Dlvrsron B.

structed and arranged in respect to the barrel and stock, as described hereinafter, for the threefold purpose of operating the barrel, locking and releasing the same, and serving as av trigger-guard, secondly, of a device, described hereinafter, whereby the spent cartridges areA withdrawn from the barrel on moving thelatter forward from the breech.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an exterior view of a tire-arm, showing the device for retracting the cartridges; Fig. 2, a sectional view of Fig. 1, showing the barrel moved forward Fig. 3, a plan view of the firearm; Fig. 4, a side view ofthe tire-arm, showing the levers for operating and locking the barrel; Fig. 5, an enlarged sectional view ot' part of the barrel and breech; Fig. 6, an enlarged view ofthe rear of the barrel.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the stock of a pistol, and B the barrel, which in this instance has four bores open at the rear and arranged in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6, the bores being at equal distances apart from each other and from a point, w, in the center of the barrel.

The under side of the barrel is made perfectly straight, so as to ft accurately on the projecting portion a of the stock, which has grooves for receiving the projection b on the under side of the barrel, so that the latter can be movedl to and frolongitudinally, while it is maintained in close contact with the stock by the said projection.

1n a recess formed in the projection a of the stock is hung a catch-lever, d, Fig. 2, the end ot' one arm of which fits into a notch in the under side of the barrel, so as to lock the lat ter to the breech,.a spring pressing on the other arm, which can be forced upward from below, so as to release the barrel when the latter has to be moved outward from the breech. I adopt this mode of locking and unlocking the barrel in arms of the smaller class only. For

,arms ofthe larger class I use the device illustrated in Fig. 5, which I will describe-hereinafter.

- U is the hammer, I) the trigger, and E the mainspring, of the tire-arm, all being arranged within a recess formed in the stock. l

H is the discharger, which is arranged to fit snugly and revolve freely in the hammer, se as to strike the heads of the cartridges one after another on the edge at the points y, Fig. 6. The manner in which this discharger is constructed and is caused to turn on the movement of the hammer and to strike the edge ot' one cartridge after another are matters not appertaining to that part of the invention treated of in the present specification, but are fully described in another specification, which I have prepared in applying for a reissue in two divisions of my aforesaid reissued patent of June 18, 1861. Further allusion here to the discharger audits operations will consequently be unnecessary.

It should be understood that the cartridges used in connectionl with the nre-arm are those consisting of a metal casing containing powder, and having in front a bullet and at the rear a flange or head for containing the detonate, and for preventing the cartridges from passing too far into the bore of the barrel. After the barrel has been moved forward to the proper distance one of these cartridges is inserted into the rear of each bore, so that the several heads will occupy the relative position illustrated in Fig. 6. The'barrel is then moved back to the breech and locked, the heads of the cartridges being contained in recesses in the said breech.

On each side of the stock is secured a springcatch, t, the ends of the catches being so formed as to project inward in front ot' the breech, a slight incision ou each side of the barrel preventing the latter, when moved toward the breech, from interfering with the points of the said catches, which are so constructed and situated that when the barrel, with its ca ra tridges, is brought u p to the breech the bent end of one catch shall pass between the enlarged ends of the upper and lower cartridges and the barrel on one side and the end ofthe opposite catch between the enlarged ends ot' the upper and lower cartridge and thc barrel on` the opposite side, as seen in Fig. 6, the points of the clips assuming this position 'without any other aid than the presence of the enlarged ends of the cartridges against them when the barrel is brought home to the breech. On pushing the barrel forward thebcatches t t maintain their hold of the heads ofthe spent cartridges, the latter being withdrawn from their respective bores and dropping to the ground.

1t will be observed that as the barrel is lnoved away from the breech the cartridges are retained in their proper position for allowing vthe spring-catches t t to retain their hold of the heads of the cartridges.

In Fig. 4, a lever, M, of'whieh the triggerguard u forms a part, is hung to a.` pin in the projecting portion a ot' the stock, and to this lever is hinged one end ofthe rod N, the opposite end of which is hinged to a projection on the under side of the barrel B., An angular piojeetion, V, is formed on the lever M, and the projection is adapted to a notch in the under ,Side of the barrel and near the rear of the same. When the barrelis moved'outward from the breech the above-named parts will assume the position seen in the figure. When the barrel has to be brought up to the breech the operator draws the lever M to the position shown by dotted lines, when the projection Y y tits in to the notch of the barrel and the bent portion of the lever M assumes the-character of a trigger-guard.

-It will now be seen that by the above-described arrangement of levers three duties are performed-the operating Vof the barrel and the locking and releasing of the same. It will be evident that this lever arrangement is applicable to locking and releasing a barrel with a single bore, as is also the clip arrangement for retaining the spent cartridges as the barrel is moved outward fromgthe breech.

I do not desire to claim broadly the employ- `ment cfa lever with a projection for the double purpose of locking the barrel andmoving it in and out, as such a device is shown in Greeners English Patent, No. 2,693 of 1854; but

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The lever M, with its projection V and the rod N, in combination with the barrel and its stock,A whenthe whole is arranged as set forth, and when the lever M isso formed as to serve the purpose of a trigger guard.

2. (lansing the spent cartridges to he withdrawn from the barrel.' during the movement out of the same by means ot' a clip or clips applied and operating substantially as set forth. In testimony whereotI have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.`

CHRISTIAN. SHARPS.

Witnesses:

Hamer HowsoN, J ont:y WHITE.

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