IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Adams, of King William Street, in
the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-
ARMS."
Sealed the 16th May 1854, and dated the 22nd November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Adams at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd November 1853.
I, ROBERT ADAMS, of King William Street, in the City of London,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS to be as follows:---
This Invention is more particularly applicable to that class of fire
arms where a series of short barrels are caused to revolve as the barrels
in succession discharge their contents through a stationary barrel, and
the improvements are intended to obviate an objection which has been
very generally made to such class of fire-arms when the same are
cocked, by the act of pulling the trigger, which is, that the strength of
effort necessarily called into force when pulling the trigger to cause the
barrels to revolve and to overcome the main spring, prevents that
steadiness of aim which is requisite for correct shooting; and these im-
provements consist of combining apparatus in connection with the
trigger and hammer, in such manner that the first and most powerful
effort on the trigger is used to overcome the main spring, to cock the

page_text: fire-arm, and to revolve the barrels; the second effort being simply
directed to discharge the fire-arm, and for this, very little force is
necessary, by reason of its only having to release and not to overconie
the main spring. For this purpose I prefer to use a driver, put in
motion by the trigger, which acts on a notch of the hammer and over-
comes the main spring, a pall or catch then retains the hammer at
cock. On again pulling the trigger, the driver moves away the pall or
catch and releases the hammer, and leaves it to the effort of the main
spring. Some of these details may, however, be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT ADAMS, of King William Street, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in
the year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Adams, Her
special licence that I, the said Robert Adams, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Adams, my
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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Robert Adams, 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 is 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Adams, 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 thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention is inore particularly applicable to that class of fire-
arms where a series of short barrels are caused to revolve as the barrels
in succession discharge their contents through a stationary barrel, and
the improvements are intended to obviate an objection which has
been very generally made to such class of fire-arms when the same are
cocked by the act of pulling the trigger, which is, that the strength of
effort necessarily called into force when pulling the trigger to cause the
barrels to revolve and to overcome the main spring, prevents that
steadiness of aim which is requisite for correct shooting; and these
improvements consist of combining apparatus, in connection with the
trigger and hammer, in such manner that the first and most powerful
effort on the trigger is used to overcome the main spring, to cock the
fire-arm, and to revolve the barrels, the second effort being simply
directed to discharge the fire-arm, and for this very little force is
necessary, by reason of its only having to release and not to overcome
the main spring. For this purpose I prefer to use a driver, put in
motion by the trigger, which acts on a notch of the hammer and over-
comes the main spring, a pall or catch then retains the hammer at
cock. On again pulling the trigger, the driver moves away the pall or
catch and releases the hammer, and leaves it to the effort of the main
spring. Some of these details may, however, be varied.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figures 1 and 2, show two sections of a fire-arm, having the parts
of the lock constructed and combined according to my Invention; one
view showing the parts immediately after discharging the contents of
one of the barrels, the other view showing the parts in the positions
they assume immediately before releasing or slackening the hold of the
trigger, after having caused the barrels to be revolved, and the cock
or hammer to be put back ready for discharging the contents of the

page_text: next barrel. Figure 3, shows some of these parts on a magnified
scale, in order more clearly to point out the manner in which the driver
acts to put back the hammer, and then to release it. The other
Figures of the Drawings show details, in which, as well as in the other
Figures of the Drawing, the same letters are used to indicate the same
parts.
a, is the trigger; b, the main spring; c, the hammer; d, is a
driver, connected with the trigger by a pin joint, as shewn; and by a
spring e, its upper end is constantly pressed back towards the hammer,
in which is formed a notch to receive the end of the pall or catch f
and a recess g, to receive the upper end of the driver, and there is a
spring b, recessed into the fore part of the hammer, the upper end of
which spring is pressed back when the driver d enters the recess in
the hammer, and cocks or presses back the hammer, but which upper
part of the spring, when the trigger is released, re-acts and forces
the upper end of the driver outwards, and the trigger is retained from
going back by the lower part of the recess g, coming under the step
or projection formed on the driver d, the pall or catch f holding the
hammer at cock till the trigger is again pulled; by which arrangement
and construction of parts the driver d, when the trigger is again
pulled, will not again enter the recess g, but will lift up the catch or
pall f, out of its notch, and thus release the hammer.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the details herein explained; but what I claim is,
the combination of parts herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Adams, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
12, Cursitor Strect,
Chancery Lane.
ROBERT ADAMS. (L.S.)