US 45290
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
ROLLIN WHITE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.
IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.
Specification forming part of Letters. Patent No. 45,290, dated November 29, 1864.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, Rollin White, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Revolving Fire-Arms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which—
Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through a pistol with my improvements attached thereto, showing the position of the Various parts when the pistol is ready to be discharged. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the pistol on the line x x of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the revolving breech or cylinder having been removed. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section through the cartridge which I employ. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, showing the guard for the protection of the hand. Fig. 5 is a section on line x x of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the barrel.
The object of my invention is to place the operating parts of a revolving-cylinder fire-arm in a compact position to be grasped firmly by the hand, whereby the piece may be discharged with greater precision and much of the recoil overcome; and my invention consists, first, in placing the trigger in front of the revolving cylinder; Secondly, in arranging a guard for the hand around a portion of the outside of the cylinder so as to afford protection from the gas caused by the explosion of the cartridge; and my invention also consists in placing a support or anvil for the rear end of the cartridge to rest upon while being struck by the hammer.
To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.
In the said drawings, A is the stock, and B the barrel, secured to the frame C of the stock. A rod, D, passes through the center of the revolving cylinder E, the revolution of the cylinder being effected by the action of cocking the hammer F, which raises a pawl, a, pivoted at its lower end, the pawl passing through a recess, b, in the rear end of the breech-plate and catching in suitable notches at the back end of the cylinder E, which is held in its firing position by a catch, c, operated by the hammer in a manner well known in this class of fire-arms.
G is a guard, which surrounds a portion of the cylinder on the right-hand side, or that along which the trigger-finger is placed, to protect the hand from the explosion of gas on the discharge of the cartridge. (See Fig. 4.) If desired, this guard-plate may be extended on the other side.
A recess formed under the rear end of the barrel is covered by a plate, e, which conducts the gas off on each side through the openings d, (see Fig. 5,) without injury to the fingers.
A trigger, H, is pivoted at f to the front of the frame C, which surrounds the cylinder, and a rod, g, is fitted to slide longitudinally in the lower part of the said frame C, below the cylinder. The front end of the rod g is of a form corresponding to the inner face of the trigger H, while the rear end is beveled to adapt it to the inclined surface of the lower arm, h, of the sear K, which is pivoted to the lock-plate at i. This Sear has an upper arm to fit the notch in the tumbler f’ when the hammer is drawn back and cocked. (See Fig. 1.)
A cartridge of the form shown in Fig. 3 is inserted at the front end of each of the chambers of the cylinder E. A small hole, l, is bored through the rear end of the cylinder, opposite the center of each chamber, and through this hole projects the teat or smaller end, m, of the cartridge containing the fulminating-powder, and an annular groove, n, is formed in the breech-plate, immediately behind the cylinder, so as to admit of the passage of the teats m when the cylinder is being revolved. An aperture, o, is made through the breech-plate, opening into the annular groove n, for the point 6 of the hammer to pass through to strike the teat, and a support or anvil, P, is placed under the line of the stroke of the hammer and serves as a rest for the teat ends of the cartridges while being struck by the hammer. A hole, r, is made through the breech-piece, at the left side of the stock, for the admission of a rod to remove the cartridge or cartridge-cases, an opening, s, being formed in the front of the frame C to allow of the escape, and by this opening s the cartridges are inserted into the chambers as they are brought around in line there with.
I do not confine myself to the application of my said improvements to fire-arms constructed as herein described, but intend to use these improvements in any class of fire-arms where they may be found applicable. Neither do I confine myself to the cartridge as herein represented.
I am aware that in a pistol having a many-chambered revolving cylinder in connection with a fixed barrel the trigger has been placed in front of the plane of the front end of the cylinder; but in that case the fixed barrel was placed below the axis of the cylinder, and the trigger was placed below the cylinder and frame surrounding it; and therefore I do not Wish to be understood as claiming broadly the placing of the trigger forward of the plane of the front end of the cylinder, as that alone will not accomplish the purpose of my invention, which is so to arrange and locate the trigger relatively to the handle and the many-chambered revolving cylinder as to afford a better grasp of the pistol, that it may be held more steadily by the hand and have the forefinger reach the trigger with facility and operate it with less tendency to disturb the line of the pistol than by any other known arrangement.
What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—
1. Arranging the trigger in the frame in which the many-chambered cylinder revolves, and in front of the chambers of the cylinder which happen to be below the fixed barrel, as described, so that the hand in grasping the handle of the pistol and the lower part of the chambered cylinder will have the forefinger bearing conveniently against the trigger.
2. The stationary rest or anvil on which the fulminate of the cartridges is fired, in combination with the many-chambered revolving cylinder.
ROLLIN WHITE.
Witnesses:
Daniel S. Richardson,
Ithaman Beard.