British 996
Double-action revolver
LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Brentnall Sheath, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of “ Certain Improvements in Fire-arms.”
Sealed the 14th June 1853, and dated the 26th April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Brentnall Sheath at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th April 1853.
I, Isaac Brentnall Sheatii, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for Certain Improvements in Fire-arms ’* to be as follows :■—
My Invention relates to revolving pistols and other fire-arms, and consists, in the first place, in forming the frame in which the revolving chamber turns in two portions, one being solid with the barrel, and the other solid with the body of the pistol or other fire-arm. On the portion of the frame, solid with the body, is firmly fixed a rod with a screw cut upon its end, by means of which it is screwed into the portion of the frame solid with the barrel, after the revolving chamber has been placed upon the said rod, which forms the axle for the said chamber to turn upon.
And my Invention consists, in the second place, in adapting and applying to fire-arms of the same description a peculiarly formed spring lever, fixed to the trigger, by means of which the revolving chamber is both propelled or turned and stopped as required. This lever is so formed at the upper end as to wrork into the ratchet teeth in the revolving chamber for the purpose of turning the chamber, the spring retaining the end of the lever between the said teeth; also on the lower end of this lever is formed an enlarged portion or projection, which is intended either to fit into a corresponding cavity in the revolving ehaml>er, or to come in contact with a suitable projection formed thereon, for the purpose of stopping the revolution of the chamber, as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by the said Isaac Brentnall Sheath, in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 26th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
Isaac Brentnall Sheath, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, send greeting. *
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Isaac Brentnall Sheath, Her special licence that I, the said Isaac Brentnall Sheath, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Isaac Brentnall Sheath, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree wnth, 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 “Certain Improvements in Fire-arms,” upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Isaac Brentnall Sheath, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Isaac Brentnall Sheath, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of “ Certain Improvements in Fire-arms ” has reference to pistols and other fire-arms having revolving chambers, and consists, in the first place, in forming and constructing the frame within which the revolving chamber is mounted in two portions, whereof one is solid with the barrel, and the other with the stock of the fire-arm. The rod which constitutes the axle of the revolving chamber is firmly fixed into the part of the frame that is solid with the stock; and the end of the rod has a screw thread cut upon it, in order that the portion of the frame solid with the barrel may be screwed into its place after the chamber has been placed upon the rod. This portion of the frame is also screwed to the portion which is solid with the stock, by means of a thumb-screw passed through the former, and into the latter.
And my Invention consists, in the second place, in adapting and applying to the same description of fire-arms a peculiarly formed spring lever, fixed to the trigger, by means of which the chamber is both made to revolve, and stopped, as required. This lever is made to rise as the trigger is drawn back, and to move the chamber forward the required portion of a revolution, by its upper part pressing against one of the teeth in the ordinary ratchet wheel, at the back of the chamber; at the same time a projection or tail-piece on the lower end of the same lever serves to retain the chamber in the position into which it has been turned, by resting against one of the pieces of solid metal usually formed between the nipples; or the lower end of the lever maybe made to retain the chamber in its required position by passing into a cavity formed in the chamber, should such mode of constructing the same be preferred; or the chamlx»r may be retained by the lower end of the said lever coming against the nipple, or any other suitable projection on the chamber. Thus, the chamber is held by the lever so as to be prevented from turning in one direction, by the upper part of the said lever pressing against the tooth of the ratchet wheel, and in the other by the lower part of the same lever either resting against a projection, or falling into a cavity in the said chamber.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it more particularly by the aid of the accompanying Drawing, which represents the Invention as applied to a revolving pistol; and as the same arrangements are followed in adapting it to other fire-arms, it will not be necessary to describe them separately.
Fig. 1, is a side view of a pistol, shewing the two parts of the frame separated, and the revolving chamber in dotted lines; Fig. 2, is an opposite side view, shewing the two parts of the frame united, and the spring lever down or out of action, a portion of the frame being represented as broken, in order to exhibit the spring lever; Fig. 3, is a similar view to Fig. 2, but shewing the spring lover up, or in action ; Fig. 4, is a back view of the revolving chamber, with the spring lever in dotted lines ; and Fig. 5, is an end view of a portion of the frame, shewing the screw for uniting the two parts of the frame. In these several Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A, is the portion of the frame solid with the stock of the fire-arm; and B, is the portion solid with the barrel. C, is the rod on which the revolving chamber D, is mounted and turned. This rod is firmly fixed into the portion A, of the frame, and has on its end a screw* E, a corresponding internal screw being formed within the portion B, at B*. F, is a thumb-screw, which passes through the portion B, of the frame, and screws into the portion A, of the same. G, is a small set-screw, to prevent the screw F, from falling out of its place when the portion B, with the barrel, is unscrewed.
The pistol or other fire-arm is put together by placing the revolving chamber D, on the rod C, screwing the portion B, on to the end of this rod, and screwing the two portions of the frame together by turning the screw F.
The spring lever for causing the chamber D, to revolve and to stop, as required, is shewn at H, (Fig. 3.) This lever is fixed on to the trigger I, by a pin at J, which allows of the requisite motion of the lever in working into the ratchet wheel Iv, on the back of the chamber D. The lever is made to pass into the spaces of the ratchet teeth by the pressure of the -spring L. On the trigger being drawn back the lever becomes raised into the position shewn in Fig. 3, (and by dotted lines in Fig. 4,) and the upper part H1, of the same is made to act upon a tooth of the ratchet wheel K, so as to force the chamber D, forward the requisite distance; by which time the lower part IF, of the lever has passed up into the space within which one of the nipples is fixed, and has come in contact with the piece of solid metal M, between the nipples, (or has passed in to any other suitably form’ed cavity in the chamber,) thereby retaining the chamber in its proper position in the one direction, while it is prevented from turning in the opposite direction by the upper part IF, of the lever resting against the tooth in the ratchet wheel K, at the time when the piece is discharged.
On the pressure being removed from the trigger, the lever H, will be brought down, so that the lower part H2, of the same will be out of contact with the chamber D, (as shewn at Fig. 2,) and admit of its being again made to revolve for another discharge of the piece, on the pressure being applied to the trigger.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not mean or intend to confine myself to the precise forms of the parts represented and described; but what I claim as of my Invention is, first, the mode described of forming and constructing the frame of the revolving chamber in two parts, and uniting them by screws; and, secondly, the spring lever, by means of which the chamber may be both made to revolve, and stopped, as required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Brentnall Sheath, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
ISAAC BRENTNALL SHEATH. (l.s.) Witness, Jno. R. Botham.