IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARKS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Ohancery Lane, .
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARKS."-A communication from
abroad by Charles John Linberg and William John Phillips, both
of the City and County of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States
of America.
Scaled the 25th April 1871, and dated the 1st December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st December 1870.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Ohancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in revolving pistols or other
fire-arms, and it consists in mounting the barrel on an axis parallel with
the axis of the cylinder in such a manner that the securing of the barrak-

page_text: !
with the cylinder for firing and the releasing of the cylinder for loading.
is effected by swinging it sidewise in a manner better calculated for
convenience in manipulating the arm than the present arrangements...
The Invention also comprises an arrangement of two cylinders to
be shifted on the' spindle for being respectively used, said cylinders
being provided with needles contained in one of the spaces between
the chambers, and communicating the blow of the hammer through the
rearmost to the caps on or the cartridges in the one to be fired placed
at the front: The said cylinders are also arranged so that the caps or
cartridges are protected from wet and accidents by cavities and bases,
which meet together and form completely enclosed chambers when
placed on the spindle with the ends having the caps placed together.
The Invention also comprises an improved arrangement of operating
gear for revolving the cylinders, comprising a push bar communicating
motion from the hammer through a channel under and at one side of the
cylinders to a bell crank and lifting pawl in a chamber at the rear and
below the barrel, which pawl acts on a ratchet on the end of the front
cylinder, and is retracted by a spring. The cylinders, of which there
are two, are mounted on a common spindle, the barrel being mounted
on a pivot pin projecting from the end of the stock below the chambers
and parallel with their spindle, said pin passing through an arm pro-
jecting from the stock of the barrel. This stock carries a shoulder piece
which swings into a cavity in the upper side of the spindle, and firmly
locks the barrel against the tendency of the force of the discharge to
throw it forward. The barrel is held in position against swinging back
by a plate pivoted to the stock of the barrel, and swinging at the free
end up past ratchet teeth which project slightly from the end of the front
cylinder, or it may bear against the side of the cylinder spindle. One
cylinder has an annular recess at the end having the nipples for receiving
the caps, and the other has a corresponding projecting flange fitting the
said recess, and shutting in the chamber in which the nipples and caps
- are contained, said chamber being formed by annular grooves in the ends
of the said cylinders. Each cylinder is provided in a longitudinal holo
formed between two of the chambers, with a needle or rod capable of a
slight movement lengthwise, and arranged for receiving the blow of the
hammer and communicating it to the cap in front of it to be exploded.
The rear cylinder is held so as not to revolve, and for its needle to receive
the hammer at the rear end by a pin projecting from the seat of the
1

page_text: stock-for the rear ends of the cylinders into a hole suitably arranged in
the end of each cylinder for it, and the front cylinder is held by a
locking lever, so, that the caps for the respective. chambers will be in
front of the needle. The rotation of the front cylinder is effected by
a pawl' jointed to a T headed lever acted on by a sliding push bar. The
latter extends backward under one side of the cylinders in a groove in
the stock to the hammer arm, to the side of which below its pivot it is
connected by a stud pin which passes through an oblique slot in the said
bar, and imparts a forward movement to it when the hammer is raised,
throwing the front end which is bevelled under the one arm of the
T headed pawl lever, which being pivoted at the other arm will force up
the pawl and turn the cylinder. The falling of the hammer draws the
sliding bar back, and the pawl is thrown back by a spring. The T headed
pawl lever and the spring are arranged in a cavity in the barrel stock at
the side opposite to that on which is the plate before referred to, which
cavity is covered by a thin plate capable of being readily detached when
access is desired. The sliding bar and the pawl lever are so arranged
that when the hammer is on "half cock" the point of contact between
them coincides with the line of the joint between the barrel' stock and
the cylinder stock, so that when in this condition the barrel may be
swung around to detach the cylinder. The cylinder locking lever before
mentioned is thrown down at the moment the pawl begins to act on
the ratchet by the head of a spring on the sliding bar passing under a
projection on the lower end of the locking lever. This lever is thrown
up again as soon as the head of the spring passes beyond the pro-
jection by another spring, and the upper end is forced into the notch in
the cylinder when the said notch arrives at the right position. When
the sliding bar moves back the head of the spring passes at the side
of the projection on the locking lever, the latter being suitably bevelled⚫
on one side to allow the former to go back without catching. By the
employment of the two cylinders, which are shifted when one has been
exhausted, the empty one being placed at the rear and the other at
the front, the capacity of the arm, is doubled, and it may be further
increased by the employment of any number of extra cylinders, all-fitted
alike to apply loaded ones as the others are discharged, the said extra
cylinders being carried in holsters suitably adapted for the purpose, or
in any other convenient way. By the employment of two cylinders a
better distribution of the weight of the arm is secured, for the weight
being more distant from the hand the latter is more sensitive to its
.

page_text: influence in bringing it to the eye and holding it there than when the
weight is nearer the hand. The arrangement of the two cylinders at
the ends which meet together ensures protection to the caps from wet
or accidents. I propose to screw the nipples into the rear ends of the
cylinders, so that they may be readily detached for shooting cartridges
instead of loose ammunition as may be preferred.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
. Office on the 25th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS," a communication to me from abroad by Charles
John Linberg and William John Phillips, both of the Oity and County
of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I; the said Alexander Melville. Clark, 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, referenco being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) —
This Invention relates to improvements in revolving pistols or other
fire-arms, and it consists in mounting the barrel on an axis parallel with
the axis of the cylinder in such a manner that the securing of the barrel
with the cylinder for firing and the releasing of the cylinder for- loading
is effected by swinging it sidewise in a manner better calculated for
convenience in manipulating the arm than the present arrangements.
The Invention also comprises an arrangement of two cylinders to
be shifted on the spindle for being respectively used, said cylinders
being provided with needles contained in one of the spaces between the
chambers and communicating the blow of the hammer through the
rearmost to the caps on or the cartridges in the one to be fired placed
at the front. The said cylinders are also arranged so that the caps or
cartridges are protected from wet and accidents by cavities in bases,
which meet together and form completely enclosed chambers when
placed on the spindle with the ends having the caps placed together.
The Invention also comprises an improved arrangement of operating
gear for revolving the cylinders, comprising a push bar communicating
motion from the hammer through a channel under and at one side of the
cylinders to a bell crank and lifting pawl in a chamber at the rear and
below the barrel, which pawl acts on a ratchet formed on the end of
each cylinder, and is retracted by a spring.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the improved revolving
fire-arm; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a trans-
verse section taken on the line x, x, of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view
of the sliding bar and spring used for actuating the revolving cylinders;
Figure 5 is an edge view of the same; Figures 6 and 7 are sectional
views of the cylinders showing the detachable nipples. Similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A and B represent the cylinders, and O the spindle on which they are
mounted; D represents the barrel; it is mounted on the pivot pin B

page_text: I
projecting from the end of the stock F below the chambers and parallel
with the spindle C, said pin E passing through the strong arm G
projecting from the stock H of the barrel. This stock, which has a
hollow cavity J at the under side, carries the shoulder piece I, which
swings into the cavity K in the upper side of the spindle C behind the
shoulder L, and firmly locks the barrel against the tendency of the force
of the discharge to throw it forward, and the bottom of the cavity J
arrests the barrel when closing. The barrel is held in position against
swinging back by the plate M pivoted to the stock Hat N, and swinging.
at the free end up past the ratchet teeth O, which project slightly from
the end of the cylinder, or it may bear against the side of the spindle C.
One cylinder has an annular recess a at the end, having the nipples b
for receiving the caps, and the other has a' corresponding projecting
flange d fitting the said recess and shutting in the chamber e in which
the nipples and caps are contained, said chamber being formed by
annular grooves in the ends of the said cylinders. Each cylinder is
provided (in a longitudinal hole formed between two chambers) with a
needle or rod R capable of a slight movement lengthwise, and arranged
for receiving the blow of the hammer and communicating it to the cap
in front of it to be exploded. The rear cylinder is held so as not to
revolve and for its needle to receive the hammer at the rear end by a
pin S projecting from the seat T of the stock into a hole suitably
arranged in the rear end of the cylinder for it, and the front cylinder is.
held so that the caps for the respective chambers will be in front of the
needle by the locking lever U. The rotation of the front cylinder is
effected by the pawl P, T headed lever Q, and sliding push bar V, the
latter extending backward under one side of the cylinder in a groove
in the stock F to the hammer arm W, to the side of which, below its
pivot, it is connected by the stud piny, which passes through the oblique
slot Z in the said bar, and imparts a forward movement to it when the
hammer is raised, throwing the front end, which is bevelled, under the
one arm of the T headed lever Q, which being pivoted at the other arm,
as shown at Q¹, will force up the pawl P and turn the cylinder. The
falling of the hammer draws the bar V back, and the spring P¹ throws
the pawl P back. The pawl lever Q and the spring are arranged in a
cavity in the arm G of the stock H at the side opposite to that on which
plate M is, which cavity is covered by a thin plate A', which may be
readily detached when access is desired. The bar V and the lever Q are
so arranged that when the hammer is on "half-cock" the point of
'
-

page_text: "
When the bar V
contact between them coincides with the line of the joint between the
barrel stock H and the cylinder stock F, so that when in this, condition.
the barrel may be swung around to detach the cylinders. The cylinder
locking lever U is thrown down at the moment the pawl P begins to act
on the ratchet by the head of the springfon bar V passing under the
projection 9 on the lower end of lever U. This lever is thrown up
again as soon as the head of spring f passes beyond projection.g by
spring, and the upper end is forced into the notch in the cylinder
when tho said notch arrives at the right position.
moves back the head of the spring ƒ passes head at the side, the
latter being suitably bevelled on one side to allow, the former to go
back without catching. By the employment of the two cylinders, which
are shifted when one has been exhausted, the empty one being placed at
the rear and the other at the front, the capacity of the arm is doubled,
and it may be further increased by the employment of any number of
extra cylinders, all fitted alike and applied ready loaded as the others are
discharged, the said extra cylinders being carried in holsters suitably
adapted for the purpose, or in any other convenient way.. By the
employment of two cylinders .a better distribution of the weight of the
arm is secured, for the weight being more distant from the hand, the
latter is more sensitive to its influence in bringing it to the eyo and
holding it there than when the weight is nearer the hand. The arrange-
ment of the two cylinders at the ends which meet together ensure
protection to the caps from wet or accidents.
•
•
I propose to apply the nipples to the cylinders by screwing them in so
that they may be readily detached for shooting cartridges, or loose
ammunition, as may be preferred. This is fully represented in Figures 6
and 7.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The barrel stock pivoted on an axis parallel with the axis of the
cylinder for opening to disengage the cylinders, and having the cavity in
the side for receiving the spindle C when closing with the cylinders, all
substantially as specified.
2ndly. The locking plate M. arranged with the barrel stock H and the
•
1
1

page_text: 3rdly. The two cylinders arranged in connection for alternate use
and provided with the enclosed needles R arranged and operating
substantially as specified.
4thly. The arrangement of the cylinders A, B, for enclosing tho
chamber containing the nipples and caps at the ends fitting together, 5
substantially as specified.
5thly. The turning pawl P, lever Q, bar V, and hammer arm, all
combined and operating substantially as specified.
6thly. The combination with the locking lever U having the bevelled
head and slide bar V of the headed spring f, all substantially as 1
specified.
7thly. The nipples for the caps applied to the cylinders detachably
for removing them to employ cartridges, substantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in 1
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
JAS. O. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)