US 66542
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
ROLLIN WHITE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.
Letters Patent No. 66,542, dated July 9, 1867.
IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.
The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Be it known that I, Rollin White, of Lowell, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which—
Figure 1 is a side elevation.
Figure 2, a front elevation.
Figure 3, a rear elevation; and
Figure 4, a longitudinal section.
The same letters indicate like parts in the several figures.
The first part of my said invention relates to improvements in that class of fire-arms which consist of a cylinder of chambers placed behind a fixed barrel, so that by the rotation of the cylinder the chambers can be brought successively in line with the barrel to fire the charges, when such arms are adapted to the use of metallic cased cartridges which contain the fulminate priming.
In that class of firearms in which the cartridges are inserted in the chambers of the cylinder from the front or rear end, it is desirable that the arm should be so constructed as to admit of ejecting the cartridges or cartridge-cases without the necessity of dismounting the cylinder. When the arm is so constructed, it is obvious that whenever a chamber happens to be in the position which admits of ejecting the cartridge, that either by the force of the recoil in firing another charge, or by carelessness in handling the arm, the cartridge is liable to be partially ejected from its chamber, thereby impeding the rotation of the cylinder.
The object of the first part of my invention is to provide a means to prevent the cartridge from being partially ejected from the chamber which happens to be in the position indicated, whilst at the same time such means will not prevent the cartridges or cartridge-cases from being intentionally ejected when brought to that position. And to this end, my said invention consists in combining with an arm so constructed as to admit of ejecting the cartridges or cartridge-cases without dismounting the cylinder, a movable plate connected with the the whole or a part of the bore of the chamber to prevent the cartridge from being accidentally ejected, but which will yield to the force applied when the cartridge or cartridge-case is to be intentionally ejected.
And the second part of my said invention relates to a means for firing the fulminate priming contained in the rear end of the cartridge-case. When such cartridges are used it is necessary that that part of the cartridge case which contains the fulminate priming should have a support on one side to act as an anvil whilst it is struck by the hammer, and the practice heretofore has been so to construct the cylinder that some portion of its surface will be the anvil. The objection to this system is that the charges are liable to be fired by something accidentally striking the cartridge.
The difficulty above pointed out I avoid by the use of a movable anvil, so combined with the hammer and with the lock or its equivalent, that by the pull of the trigger the said movable anvil may be moved under that part of the cartridge which contains the fulminate priming, as the hammer is moving to, and before it strikes the opposite side of that portion of the cartridge.
In the accompanying drawings, a represents the fixed barrel, and b the many-chambered rotating cylinder, mounted in the usual manner within the frame c, with which the barrel is connected. The chambers d in the cylinder are bored in from the front end for the reception of the cartridges, and they are partially bored through, that the part of the rear end of the cartridge which contains the fulminate priming may extend beyond the rear end of the cylinder, or so that the hammer may strike into the rear end to reach the cartridge. The recoil-shield e on the right-hand side is cut away as at f, to permit a rod to be inserted for thrusting out a cartridge or cartridge-case from the chamber of the cylinder that happens to be in line with the part so cut away. The front part of the frame e is made of sufficient size to extend in front of a portion of the chambers, to prevent the cartridges from being ejected, except on the right-hand side at g, where it clears one of the chambers, From that side of the frame projects a stud-pin, h, on which is mounted a plate, i, so that it can turn thereon. I denominate this plate a “yielding obstructor.” This obstructor i, when in the position represented by full lines, extends in front of a portion or the whole of the chamber, so that when held in that position the cartridge in the chamber which happens to be in that line cannot escape. The obstructor, however, can turn on the stud pin h, and it is held in the position represented by full lines by the tension of a spring, j, which is attached to the obstructor, and bears against a portion of the pin h, which is made eccentric, or with a cam-like projection. The obstructor with connections is represented on an enlarged scale at fig. 5, which is a section taken at the line A a of fig. 2.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the obstructor will yield to permit the cartridge or cartridge-case to be ejected when sufficient force is applied to overcome the tension of the spring, but the tension of the spring should be sufficient to force back the obstructor to its proper position, and to prevent the cartridge from being projected out by the force of the recoil or by accidental handling. The cartridge may be formed with a projecting teat, k, at the rear, containing the fulminate, or with a projecting flanch to be struck on top by the hammer m of the lock to fire the charge. The anvil n turns on a fulcrum-pin, o, and its front end is so formed as represented, as to pass under the part of the cartridge containing the fulminate, and it is thrown forward to that position by the projection o’ on the hammer as it is advancing to fire a charge.
This anvil may be variously modified without changing its mode of operation, and it may be applied equally well to non-repeating fire-arms using this kind of cartridge.
What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—
The rotating many-chambered cylinder and the frame constructed so that the cartridges or shells can be ejected without dismounting the cylinder, in combination with the movable obstructor, pressing directly against the ends of the cartridges and detaining them in the cylinder, as well when it is rotating as when in position for firing, and with a spring to force back the movable obstructor against the end of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
And I also claim, in combination with the rotating many-chambered cylinder, the vibrating anvil to support the primed portion of the cartridge in combination with the hammer or equivalent, for striking the opposite side of that portion of the cartridge which contains the fulminate priming, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
ROLLIN WHITE.
Witnesses:
Andrew F. Jewett,
Tappan Wentworth.