Britain 299
A.D. 31st January. № 299
Revolving Fire-arms.
(This Invention received provisional protection only.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 81st January 1866.— A communication from abroad by Charles Mason, of Iliom, New York, United States of America.
I; William Robert Lake, of the “International Patent Office” No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chaucery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “Improvement in Revolving Fire-arms,” a communication; to be as follows:—
The chief object of these improvements is the adaptation of that class of small arms known as revolving pistols to the firing of metallic cartridges; and the said improvements consist chiefly in the employment of an adjustable recoil block at the back of the revolving breech, and in the construction and arrangement of the extractor for withdrawing the empty cases from the said breech.
The recoil block is formed of a strong plate of steel or other suitable metal, and is jointed by hinges or pivots to the frame. Space is left for this recoil block to vibrate slightly upon its hinges between the back of the revolving breech and the inside of the framers The said recoil block is operated by a spring catch or other suitable device connected with the trigger. When the piece is fired the recoil block is pressed up by the said catch into contact with the end of the cartridge, and sustains the entire pressure due to the recoil of the piece at the time of firing. When the empty case is to be removed from the breech chamber the bummer is set at half-cock, the revolving breech is turned on its trunnions till the empty case is brought into position to be drawn out by the extractor. This construction and arrangement of the recoil block prevents any difficulty in rotating the breech arising from the bulging out of the cartridge case, where a perfectly rigid recoil block is employed.
The extractor is by preference constructed to operate by turning upon a pin or stud fixed in the required position on the right of the frame, a little in advance of the centre pin of the hammer for discharging the piece. This extractor is furnished with a hook or claw which takes hold upon the rim of the cartridge case, and thereby draws the said case from the breech. The said extractor is also provided with a flange or wing, in which a groove or channel is cut of the form of a segment of a circle struck from the centre of the pin or stud, upon which the extractor is supported and turns. This groove or channel terminates in a circular recess at one end of the flange or wing, and when the extractor is thrown forward into contact with the breech, the centre of this circular recess falls just over the centre of the fulcrum pin of the discharging hammer. This pin or stud, upon which the said hammer turns, carries a curved guide of the same radius, and corresponding in form with and fitting accurately the groove or channel cut in the flange or wing of the extractor, and of such a length as to turn freely in the circular recess in the said flange. When the hammer is at half-cock the curve of this guide also coincides in direction with the said groove or channel, and therefore allows the extractor to be turned freely on its centre, which it can only do when the hammer is in this position. When the hammer is in this position the cartridge cases are extracted. A small countersunk hole is formed in the exact centre of the pin carrying the hammer, and a small catch of corresponding form is fitted in the centre of the circular recess. This catch is pressed up by a spring, and when the extractor is against the. end of the breech the said catch drops into the countersunk hole, and ensures the extractor remaining in that position while the piece is cocked., Where the hammer is at full-cock the curved guide acts as a stop and holds the extractor firmly up against the end of the revolving breech, but allows the hammer to fall when the trigger is pulled, because the circular recess in the flange of the extractor is concentric with the said guide. It is only when the hammer is brought to half-cock that the curved guide comes into such a relative position with the curved recess as will allow the extractor to be turned on its centre to withdraw the cartridges from the breech chambers.
From the peculiar construction and arrangement of the above mentioned curved guide and the corresponding groove or channel in the extractor, it is obvious that except when the said extractor is pressed up against the back of the revolving breech the hammer cannot be drawn back to full-cock, which prevents any possibility of accidentally discharging the said piece. This method of arrangement also prevents the extractor being drawn back except When the hammer is at half-cock, as that is the only position in which the curves of the recess and the guide coincide in direction. A slight modification of parts only is necessary to adapt these improvements to any kind of revolving fire-arms.