US 239238
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
BENJAMIN R. FRANKS, OF SCOTTSBOROUGH, ALABAMA.
EXTRACTOR FOR REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,238, dated March 22, 1881.
Application filed January 4, 1881. (No Model)
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, B.R. Franks, of Scottsborough, in the county of Jackson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magazine Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.
Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cylinder detached. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cartridge-ejecting mechanism, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the cartridge to be used in combination with my improved fire-arm.
Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like letters of reference.
This invention relates to that class of fire arms in which a revolving cylinder having chambers for the reception of the cartridges and an automatic extracting-rod for removing the cartridge-shells are employed; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction of the same, which will be hereinafter fully de scribed, and particularly pointed out in the claim.
In the drawings hereto annexed, A represents the barrel, and B the stock, of my im proved gun. In a recess, C, in the stock, near the end of the latter, is located a spring-reel, D, upon which is wound a strong cord, E. By pulling the said cord so as to unwind it from the reel the latter is revolved so as to wind the spring, the tendency of which is therefore to wind the cord upon the reel. The cord passes through a suitable channel in the breech and out at the front end of the latter, where it is attached to a follower, F, having arm or handle G.
H is the magazine-tube, which is located be low the barrel in a manner common to this class of arms. It is provided with a longitudinal slot, I, to accommodate the arm of follower F, which travels in said tube.
In the breech of the gun, between the stock and barrel, is located a revolving cylinder or body, J, having two cartridge-chambers, K K, located on opposite sides, so as to be in line with the barrel and magazine-tube. This cylinder is rotated by the cocking of the hammer in the manner common to revolving fire-arms, the extent of each operation being one-half revolution.
It will be seen that when the magazine is filled with cartridges and the follower adjusted above the uppermost one the tension of the spring-reel forces the lowermost cartridge into the lower empty chamber of the cylinder. When the latter is rotated by cocking the hammer the cartridge is carried up to the barrel and the empty chamber is charged, as before.
In fire-arms of this class the cartridges are usually fed by a coiled spring placed in the upper end of the magazine. The space occupied by such spring may, by my improvement, be occupied by cartridges, thus giving greater capacity to the magazine.
The firing mechanism may be of any suitable well-known construction, and does not re quire to be here described.
The rear end of the cylinder is provided with two segmental inclined grooves, LL, connect ing the chambers K, as shown. The front end of the stock has an inclined stud, M, fitting in said grooves, and at the highest side of said stud is located a pin, N, also traveling in said grooves, and forced in a forward direction by a spring, O, placed in a suitable recess in the stock. When the cylinder is revolved the stud M loosens the empty cartridge-shell by forcing it in a forward direction, while the pin N is forced back by the inclined groove in the cylinder. As soon as the chamber containing the discharged shell is reached by the pin N the latter is forced forward by spring O, thus dis charging the shell at the front end of the cylinder.
From this description, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. By the single operation of cocking the hammer the gun (presuming the magazine to be filled) is loaded and the empty shell ejected, thus enabling the arm to be fired a number of times in succession with extreme rapidity.
I prefer to use, in combination with my improved fire-arm, the cartridge shown in Fig. 5, which, as will be seen, is rounded at the rear end, enabling a small plate or partition, Q, to be inserted between the charge and the bottom of the shell, leaving a small space, R, by which the force of the concussion is increased and danger of premature explosion (by the cylinder, in revolving, striking the end of the lowest cartridge in the magazine) avoided.
I am aware that revolving cylinders having cams and springs for operating an extracting-rod for it removing the cartridge-shells are old and such I do not wish to be understood a claiming, broadly, as of my invention.
Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States—
In a fire-arm, the revolving cylinder J, having cartridge-chambers K K, connected by inclined segmental grooves L L, in combination with inclined stud M, pin N, and spring O, as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.
BENJAMIN RUSS FRANKS.
Witnesses:
Samuel F. Ryan,
Charles S. Freeman.