USA 17359
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
FORDYCE BEALS, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.
IMPROVEMENT IN REVOVING FIRE-ARMS.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17,359, dated May 26, 1857.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, Fordyce Beals, of the city of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in that description of Fire-Arms known as “Revolvers;” and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which—
Figure 1 is a side view of a pistol with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same in the line x x of Fig. 1, with the cylinder taken out. Fig. 3 is a back view of the cylinder and spring-catch which locks it in place during the discharge.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
This invention relates to that particular kind of revolvers whose chambered cylinder rotates on an axis parallel with the bore of the barrel.
It consists in a novel form and mode of applying the spring-catch by which the cylinder is locked during the discharge, by which the spring of the said catch is made to serve the additional purpose of a resting place or guide to hold the cylinder in the proper position to enable the arbor on which it rotates to be readily reinserted in its place after it and the cylinder have been removed to load the latter, or for any other purpose.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.
A is the breech-frame, made in one piece with the recoil-shield B.
C is the cylinder, fitted within the breech-frame, and secured in place by the central arbor, a, upon which it rotates, said arbor passing through the front of the breech-frame and entering a hole, g, in the recoil-shield. When the cylinder is to be removed for loading or any other purpose the arbor a is withdrawn in a forward direction, which leaves the cylinder free to be taken out at one side of the frame A.
b c is the spring-catch, which locks the cylinder in position for the discharge, secured by a screw, d, to the upper part of the recoil-shield. The spring portion b of this catch is formed to fit closely to one side of the recoil-shield, as shown in Fig. 2, when its tooth c drops into one of the notches e e, which are formed in the back of the cylinder, midway between the nipples f f, for the purpose of receiving the tooth to lock the cylinder. The side of the recoil shield to which the spring b fits is made to conform exactly to the periphery of the cylinder, and consequently the said spring, being made to project in front of the recoil-shield, conforms to the cylinder and forms a resting place or seat to receive it when it is put in place from the opposite side of the frame and stop it in a position to receive the arbor a, so that by inserting the cylinder carelessly into the frame and pushing forward the arbor the arbor cannot fail to enter the cylinder. By making the spring of this form the operation of reinserting the cylinder is greatly expedited.
What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—
Making the spring-catch by which the cylinder is locked in position for the discharge to conform to the periphery of the cylinder and project in front of the recoil-shield on one side of the cylinder, for the purpose of serving as a resting-place or seat to hold the cylinder in place for the insertion of its central arbor, substantially as herein described.
FORDYCE BEALS.
Witnesses:
E. Remington, Jr.,
V. Potter.