US 7300
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
DEXTER H. CHAMBERLAIN, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS J. WHITTEMORE, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.
IMPROVEMED METHOD OF ATTACHING CYLINDERS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 7,300, dated April 23, 1850.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, Dexter H. Chamberlain, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Repeating Pistols or Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and accompanying drawings, letters, figures, and references thereof.
Of the said drawings, Figure 1 denotes a side elevation of one of my improved repeating-pistols. Fig. 2 is a central vertical and longitudinal section of it. Fig. 3 is a frontend view of it, and Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation of it.
In the construction of my improved repeating fire-arm I have sought to make a simple, cheap, and effective weapon, one not liable to get out of repair, and which will answer for ordinary service of travelers, hunters, or backwoodsmen.
The cylinder of barrels, instead of being rotated by a contrivance appended to or acted on by the trigger, is turned by the left hand of the person, and it is applied to the stock or lock-case in a simple manner, which constitutes one part of my invention, for from such method of combining the parts several advantages result. The hollow or cylindrical tube in which the said cylinder revolves enables me to so arrange the hammer or cock that it may not interfere with the line of sight over the top surface of the tube. It also serves as a great protection to a person against the bursting of any one of the barrels.
In the drawings above mentioned, A is a metallic cylinder containing three or any other suitable number of barrels or chambers, a a a.
B is a cylindrical or tubular clasp, attached to or cast upon the stock C, which may be made wholly or partly of metal, and hollow, in a proper manner to receive the operative parts of the lock. The cylinder A is made to fit into the clasp B in such manner as to be capable of being freely turned round or revolved within the same and on its axis by the hand of a person applied to it. It has a flange or shoulder piece, b, made upon it, which rests against the front end of the tube B. The front edge of the said flange has the head c of a stud, d, resting against it, the shank of the said stud being mortised into and fastened to the stock, or held in place by a pin, e, passed through it and the stock. The head of the stud serves to counteract the blows of the hammer against the barrels, given in the act of striking upon any one of the percussion-caps of the nipples of the respective barrels, one of which is seen at f in Fig. 2.
The cock or hammer is seen at D. It is placed or arranged directly behind the cylinder of barrels, and does not stand above them in any manner, so as to obstruct the line of sight over the top of the tube B. It turns on a center-pin, g, and has a space or recess, h, made in its lower part and below its fulcrum pin g, the recess being not only for the reception of the upper end of the mainspring E, but also for the rear end or hook of the dog or catch E to act against. This dog or catch is pressed up against the sear or lower part of the cock by a spring, G, and while the trigger is being drawn back by the finger the cock is released from the dog or catch by the action of a stationary pin or cam, i, so placed above the dog or catch that during the forward movement of the latter it (the said dog or catch) will be so drawn against the calm as to be forced off or out of connection with the hammer or cock. The said dog or catch is jointed to the trigger or ring-lever G’, which turns upon a fulcrum or pin, k, and is provided with a ring, l, or other equivalent, so made with two parts, m n, as to not only permit the finger of a person to act against its rear part, n, in such manner as to pull the trigger, but afterward to so act against the part in as to push the lower arm of the trigger forward, and by so doing cause the dog or catch to be moved back into connection with the hammer.
Fig. 5 is a side view of a pistol embodying my improvements, although modified to some extent. It is similar to that form of pistol described and represented in the caveat hereto fore filed in the Patent Office by me. In such figure, A denotes the cylinder of barrels. B is the tubular clasp attached to the stock C. F is the cock, which turns on the center-pin e and operates against the mainspring f. (Shown by dotted lines.) E is the trigger, made with a ring, g. The trigger turns on a pin, h, and has a hole, i, made through it of a diameter about double that of the pin h. A notch, l, is made in the sear of the trigger, and for the purpose of receiving a projection, k, from the tumbler of the cock, the whole being as seen in the said drawings. By pulling the trigger the cock is raised off the nipple m and to a certain distance from it, or until the notch l slips off the projection k, the same being effected by the peculiar operation of the hole i upon the pin h. The cock is next thrown down or against the percussion-cap by the reaction of the mainspring. By pressing forward with the finger the trigger E the notch l is hooked upon the projection k and the trigger set for the next discharge. In this particular construction of the lock not only is no dog or catch employed, such as is used in the lock herein before described, but only one spring— viz., the mainspring-becomes necessary to the operation of the lock.
I do not intend to confine my invention or improvements to the precise forms of parts as above described, and as represented in the drawings, as I intend to vary the same in any manner, while I do not change the principles of novelty as claimed by me.
What I claim is—
The improved mode of attaching the cylinder of barrels to the stock— viz., by means of the cylindrical tube B— in combination with the flange and stud, or their equivalents, whereby I dispense with the usual spindle and hole for its reception in the center of the cylinder of barrels, being thus enabled to enlarge the bore of the barrels in a cylinder of equal size.
In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature this 6th day of March, A.D. 1850.
D. H. CHAMBERLAIN.
Witnesses:
R. H. Eddy,
S. Gould.