US 38336
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
JAMES REID, OF NEW YORK, N.Y.
IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,336, dated April 28, 1863.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, James Reid, of the city and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, wherein—
Figure 1 is a side view of my fire-arm. Fig. 2 is a section of the cylinder and chambers, and Fig. 3 is a rear view of the nipple-breech.
Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.
The nature of my said invention consists in a nipple-breech screwed into the rear end of the chamber of a revolving cylinder, said breech being of the size of the barrel, and capable of being easily removed, so that the arm can be fired with a charge of ordinary powder and ball by a percussion-cap; or the said breech-nipple can be removed and fixed ammunition introduced, consisting of the copper case containing the powder and base of the ball with the fulminating material in the flange surrounding the base. Thus my fire-arm is adapted to the various circumstances that may arise, and the arm may be used with ordinary ammunition if the fixed ammunition gives out.
a represents the barrel; b b, the straps or connecting-bars to the stock or handle c.
d is the revolving cylinder on the axis 1, and 22 are the chambers in said cylinder. These chambers are bored entirely through the cylinder, and a screw-thread is formed around the rear end of each chamber, as shown in Fig. 2.
e is a breech, screwed into the rear end of the chamber by any suitable wrench or driver acting in notches 33 in a flange surrounding the rear edge of said breech. This breech is recessed so as to leave a nipple, 4, within the said breech, upon which an ordinary percussion-cap is to be placed.
f is a hammer, actuated by any ordinary mechanism, the end of which is formed with a projecting rib, and the part 5 of said rib projects slightly beyond the face of the hammer, and this part enters one of the notches 3 3 as the hammer is projected to strike the cap on the nipple 4, the part 6 of said rib taking the cap.
When the nipple-breech e is removed the open rear end of the chamber or barrel is adapted to receive the fixed ammunition, as shown at g, in which the copper case is represented as containing the fulminate at 9. The powder at 7 and the ball at 8 are to be as usual.
When the piece is fired the hammer f strikes the cartridge, exploding the detonating material at 9, the projecting part 5 penetrating said case, as usual. By this shape at the front end the hammer is adapted to either the nipple or the fixed cartridge.
The cylinder d and the fixed ammunition are sustained at the rear by the recoil-plate h, the hammer passing through a slot in the same; and at the side of this recoil-plate is the segmental plate i, set on and attached by the screw 10; and 11 is a small latch or catch to hold said plate in place, and a projecting flange on the side of this plate i covers the base of the cartridges g and prevents the same falling out; but when this plate is turned aside, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the cartridges can be introduced, or the nipple-breech unscrewed and withdrawn or inserted, as may be needed for the ordinary or fixed ammunition.
I do not claim a cylinder with removable sections, either perforated or provided with cones, as shown in the patent of T. J. Mayall, November 25, 1S62, whereby the entire cylinder can be adapted to ordinary or fixed ammunition. Neither do I claim a breech fitted to screw into the rear of a barrel and provided with a nipple for a cap; but
What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—
1. The nipple-breeches screwed into the rear ends of the chambers in the revolving cylinder, in combination with the recoil-plate at the rear of the cylinder fitted in such a manner as to allow of the removal of said screw-nipple breeches and the introduction of fixed ammunition, as set forth.
2. The segmental plate i, fitted, as specified, on the side of the recoil-plate h to cover the rear ends of the cartridges in the chambers 2 2, as set forth.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 24th day of December, 1862.
JAMES REID.
Witnesses:
Lemuel W. Serrell,
Thos. Geo. Harold.