Britain 2420
A.D. 1863, 2nd OCTOBER. Nº 2420.
Revolver Fire-arms.
(This Invention received Provisional Protection only.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Tomlinson Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd October 1863.— A communication from abroad by Stephen Wood, residing at Cornwall, New York, United States of America.
I, George TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for “Improvements In Revolver Fire-Arms,” to be as follows:—
This Invention has for its object the so constructing the locks of revolver fire-arms, that the hammer may be retained at half-cock; also that the hammer may be drawn back by the thumb to full-cock, and the piece then exploded by pulling the trigger; and in addition, so that the hammer may also be drawn back and the piece exploded merely by pulling the trigger. For this purpose the face of the hammer has two notches formed in it, into one of which a click or pawl enters when the hammer is drawn back a short distance to half cock, and into the other notch the same pawl enters when the hammer is by the thumb drawn back to full cock; this pawl is by preference carried by and turns on the same pin as that on which the trigger turns, and the pawl is by means of a spring pressed against the face of the hammer-pin; jointed to the trigger is a second pawl, which is also pressed by a spring against the face of the hammer; this spring is carried by the driver that causes the cylinder or rotating breech to revolve. If the hammer is to be brought to half-cock, the hammer is drawn back until the pawl that turns on the axis of the trigger enters the half-cock notch formed in its face. If the hammer is by the thumb drawn back, so that the pawl which turns on the same pin as the trigger has entered the full-cock notch, the piece may be exploded by pulling the trigger; this first revolves the rotating breech, and brings a chamber in it opposite the barrel, the pawl carried by the trigger then comes against the pawl that is in the full-cock notch in the hammer, and pushes it out therefrom, the pawl carried by the trigger at this time being itself prevented from entering the notch in the hammer by a projection on the hammer coming against it and keeping it away from the notches.
When the pressure is released from the trigger, the trigger is by its spring brought back to its former position, the pawl carried by it is then below the full-cock notch before entered by the other pawl when the hammer was by the thumb drawn back to full-cock. When the hammer is to be lifted and the piece exploded by merely pulling the trigger, the pawl carried by it enters the full-cock notch in the hammer, and as the trigger is pulled back it lifts the hammer until the pawl is pressed out from the notch by the projection on the hammer coming against it, the hammer is then set free and the piece exploded.