British 1918
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Spratt, of the Royal Marine Barracks, Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Captain, Royal Marines, for the Invention of “ Improvements in Revolving Pistols and otheb Fire-abms.”
Sealed the 21st February 1860, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and dated the 22nd August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Spratt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd August 1859.
I, Henry Spratt, of the Royal Marine Barracks, Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Captain, Royal Marines, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “ Improvements nr Revolving Pistols and other Fire-arms,” to be as follows:—
My Invention relates to improvements in revolving pistols and other revolving fire-arms, the object of which is to increase the rapidity of firing with those arms, by substituting loaded breech-peices for the discharged breech-piece, instead of reloading the same after firing all its charges. For this purpose I form a small projecting collar or trunion on the back end of the breech, such as is usually made on the fore part to sustain the breech in position for the entry of the pin or bolt on which it rotates. This projection fits into a recess made in the framework of the pistol behind the breach, so that it is sustained in the same manner behind as in front, and by which the entrance and adoptation of the breech piece is much facilitated. When so furnished, the breech piece will be in its position, and rotate even without the insertion of the central pin. On the central pin or bolt I form an extension or lug to form a thumb-piece, by which it is more readily withdrawn. I also apply a spring which presses against it when withdrawn, to hold it in that position. In order to still further facilitate the entrance, I round off at the side the piece that acts on the ratchet of the breech piece to turn it round by the pull of the trigger or the raising of the hammer, so that inserting the breech piece forces it back, and therefore without the necessity of withdrawing it from position by other means during the operation. By these means revolving fire-arms may have two, three, or more breech pieces, all ready loaded to replace one after the other, and thereby expedite the fireing.
As a further improvement, I apply metal caps or covers on the extra breech pieces to enclose the nipples when loaded and capped, to prevent their going off, even when allowed to fall, or from other concussion.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by Jane Spratt, of Teignmouth, in the County of Devon, Administratrix of the said Henry Spratt, deceased, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th March 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Jane Spratt, of Teignmouth, in the County of Devon, Administratrix of Henry Spratt, of the Royal Marine Barracks, Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Captain, Royal Marines, who departed this life on the 31st day of December, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto him, the said Henry Spratt, Her special licence that he, the said Henry Spratt, his executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as he, the said Henry Spratt, his executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for “ Improvements is RsroLviNG Pistols ahd other Fire-arms,*’ upon the condition (amongst others) that he, the said Henry Spratt, his executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under his, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jane Spratt, as such administratrix, as aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :—
My Invention relates to improvements in revolving pistols and other revolving fire-arms, the object of which is to increase the rapidity of firing with those arms, by increasing the facilities for substituting loaded breech pieces for the discharged breech piece, instead of reloading the same after firing all its charges. For this purpose I form a small projecting collar or trunnion on the back end of the breech, such as is usually made on the fore part to sustain the breech in position for the entry of the pin or bolt on which it rotates. This projection fits into a recess made in the framework of the pistol behind the breech, so that it is sustained in the same manner behind as in front, by which the entrance and adaptation of the breech piece is much facilitated. When so furnished the breech piece will be in its position, and rotate even without the insertion of the central pin or bolt. This central pin or bolt I form with an extension or lug, so as to present a thumb-piece, by which it is more readily withdrawn. I also apply a spring which presses against it when withdrawn to hold it in that position. In order to still further facilitate the entrance of the breech piece, I round off at the side the pall that acts on the ratchet of the breech piece to turn it round by the pull of the trigger, so that the insertion of the breech piece forces it back, and therefore obviates the necessity of withdrawing it from position by other means during the operation. Two, three, or more breech pieces may be kept loaded and ready to be substituted for the discharged breech piece ; the facilities for such change secured by these improvements rendering the firing expeditious in the extreme.
As a further improvement I apply metal caps or covers on the extra breech pieces to enclose the nipples when loaded and capped to prevent their going off even if allowed to fall, or receive other violent concussion.
Fig. 1 represents a side view of a pistol (revolver) furnished with the improvements according to this Invention ; Fig. 2, a section through the Kne a, by looking towards the butt end ; Fig. 3, a partial horizontal section on the line cf d; and Fig. 4, a separate view of the breech piece, e is the additional centre piece or trunnion which I apply to revolving breeches; it is received in the recess /, seen in the side view, Fig. 1, and in the cross section, Fig. 2. This, with the ordinary projecting centre g at the opposite end, guides the breech into and sustains it in the pistol in position to receive the bolt m. To facilitate the withdrawal of the bolt mt I form on it a projecting thumb-piece i at the fore end, seen best dotted in Fig. 2, showing in black dotted lines the ordinary thumb-piece, while the extension, according to my Invention, is represented at k in red dotted lines. I further apply a spring l fixed to the pistol barrel, on which the head of the bolt m presses, and prevents it dropping back into its socket when the breech is removed. Slight pressure on the thumb-piece k releases the bolt m from this spring lt in order to replace it in position through the centre of the revolving breech. The pall that acts on the ratchet to rotate the breech offers objection to changing the breech pieces by obstructing their entrance into position ; to obviate this the nose of the pall p is rounded of on one side, as seen in the plan Fig. 3. By thus rounding the nose of p, the contact of the breech piece with the rounded side on entering, throws back the pall, and removes the obstruction that it would otherwise offer.
The detached view, Fig. 4, represents the application of the enclosing cap or cover r fitted to the breech piece, to prevent the accidental discharge of any of the charges when the nipples are capped. This cover r fits tightly on to the cylindrical form of the breech piece, & comes against the back centre piece e> this effectually prevents contact of cap r with the percussion caps, even on receiving any concussion to which it may be liable, thus preventing the possibility of any of the percussion caps exploding and discharging a barrel.
Although I have only represented my improvements applied to pistols, it will be readily understood that the same are also applicable to guns and like small arms.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First, forming revolving guns and pistols with the projecting centre e on the breech and recess / in the pistol frame for its reception, or their equivalents, as and for the purposes herein-before described.
Secondly, I claim the extension of the thumb-piece k of bolt m, as described. I also claim the application of the spring l for the purpose described.
Thirdly, I claim rounding the side of the pall p, as described and shown in Fig. 3, as and for the purposes herein-before described.
And, lastly, I claim the application of a metal or other cap r to spare breeches, as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jane Spratt, as such administratrix as aforesaid, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JANE SPRATT. (l.s.)