US 18486
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
GEO. R. CROOKER, OF NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEO. G. MARTIN, OF BROOKLYN, N.Y.
IMPROVED MODE OF PRIMING REPEATING FIRE-ARMS.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,486, dated October 20, 1857.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, G. R. Crooker, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Priming Repeating Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare and ascertain said improvements, referring to the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof, in which—
Figure 1 is a general view of the improvement applied to the well-known Colt’s revolver. Fig. 2 is a section of the stock and cylinder or revolving breech. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the latter detached; Fig. 4, a portion of the stock, showing the opening through which the piece is primed; Fig. 5, the priming-chamber.
My improvement is mainly designed for the arm well known as Colts, but will also serve for any other revolving-breech repeating-arm.
The construction is as follows: The arm can be formed in all particulars like the well-known arm above named, except in the details hereinafter mentioned. Therefore a full description thereof need not be given. Instead of forming recesses and inserting nipples or cones to receive percussion-caps, I form the rear end of the cylinder a conical by turning off the end at an angle, as at a’, and form therein small recesses b, through the bottom of which communication is made with the chamber of the barrel, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The butt against which the revolving cylinder a rests projects around the edge, just to fit the cylinder, as at c, the two being exactly fitted to each other. On the side of the stock, behind the cylinder a, I form a small chamber or cylindrical hole, e, the distance of which from the point where the hammer strikes being the same as the distance of the recesses b apart, so that when the revolving breech or cylinder a is brought to the proper position to be discharged the opening of the chamber e is exactly opposite the recess next succeeding. Within the chamber e, I put a cylindrical piece of priming, formed on the plan and of the material devised by D. G. Rollin, a description of which is not necessary here, further than to say that it is in the form of a small cylinder or prism. When the priming is inserted sufficient for several discharges I place a spiral spring, i, or other suitable spring over it, as seen in Fig. 5, and shut a cap down over all.
It is evident that the specific position and arrangement of the percussion-chamber e, with its spring, &c., can be modified to suit the arm for which it is to be adapted or the convenience of the manufacturer, retaining the feature of cutting off the percussion charge by the revolution of the cylinder, or some equivalent therefor, by placing the chamber over the recess b, into which the priming is forced or projected, so as to be cut off in its proper position. When the end of the piece of percussion-priming is thrust into the recess, if the piece is revolved, the edges of the recess, coming in close contact with the end of the chamber, act as a shear to cut off that portion of the priming within the recess, in which it is conveyed around under the hammer, to be exploded in the ordinary way. Thus, as each Chamber revolves around each of the recesses b in succession receive their charge of priming without any other or more complex mechanism.
It will be obvious that when this priming is used for ordinary arms the chamber containing the priming can be made to side over the recess instead of revolving the recess under the chamber, and the portion used for priming cut off in the same or a similar manner to that where the breech revolves. A further description of the particulars of this device need not therefore be given.
Having thus fully described my new method of priming repeating and other fire-arms, what I claim therein as new, and for which I desire to secure Letters Patent, is—
The method herein described of depositing the percussion-priming and cutting it off in the recess in the breech, as set forth, constituting a self-priming apparatus, constructed and operating as above specified.
GEO, R. CROOKER
Witnesses:
Alb, H. Houk,
Hezekiah Bradford.