IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING CYLINDER PISTOLS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING CYLINDER PISTOLS." A communication from
abroad by Edward Palmer Boardman, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, United
States of America, Manufacturer.
Sealed the 12th May 1876, and dated the 3rd February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd February 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING CYLINDER
PISTOLS." A communication.
My Invention relates to that class of pistols generally known as revolvers, and
consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts by which the size of
the implement is greatly reduced while its effectiveness is increased.
It is well known that pistols of this nature when constructed with a stock or
handle of sufficient proportions to enable them to be held in the hand and dis-
charged in the usual manner without depending upon the barrel to steady the
saine, are too cumbersome to be conveniently carried in the pocket.
It is also well known that most pistols, whether revolvers or otherwise require
cocking by an independent or entirely different motion of the hand from that
made in discharging the same, that is to say, the hammer is drawn back and set by
one movement and the trigger pulled by another, thus rendering it impossible in
many instances to fire as rapidly as desirable.
My said Invention is designed to obviate this objection and difficulty, and to
that end I make use of the following means:- -The cylinder, which is of the
ordinary construction, is arranged to revolve on the pintle or axis having the pull
or head, and is provided with a series of cartridge chambers arranged parallel with
each other and with the barrel in the usual manner. A lever is pivoted in the
lower part of the stock, and to one end of this lever there is jointed the locking pin
or bolt, working vertically in a hole in the stock, its upper end fitting into a groove
cut around the pintle and into which it is forced by the expansive action of the
coiled spring beneath the free end of the lever. Pivoted in a proper socket or
cavity formed within the breech of the pistol there is a hammer provided with
a spring, the expansive action of which tends to force the hammer in the direction

page_text: of the cylinder. On the lower part of the hammer, contiguous to the cylinder, is a
flange or projection, to which is pivoted a click or pawl provided with a spring.
This spring has one of its ends attached to the interior of the stock, its opposite
or free end resting upon the pawl and forcing it down into contact with a series
of ordinary ratchet teeth arranged in circular form on the end of the cylinder.
A pin is fitted to work in a hole drilled vertically in the hammer, and bencathi
this pin there is a coiled spring the action of which causes it to protrude slightly
above the top of the hammer forming a yielding stud or dog.
The stock is extended somewhat above the barrel and provided with a longi-
tudinal aperture or hole in which the rod is fitted to slide freely in parallelism
with the barrel, being kept from revolving by a projection on the outer end of
the rod working in a groove or runlet formed on the upper side of the barrel.
The inner end of the rod is provided with a downwardly projecting tooth or
stud, and the outer end is provided with the pull or finger piece which is pivoted
therein. The outer end of the rod is also drilled to receive a short coiled spring, the
inner end of which rests against the rod, and the outer end against the pulley, the
action of the spring tending to keep the pulley in a vertical position.
Attached to the stock beneath the rod and arranged to extend over the cylinder
is a flat spring provided upon its lower face with a stop or catch fitted to work in
a series of depressions or nicks formed in the periphery of the cylinder and
corresponding in number with the number of chambers therein. The trigger rod
is provided with a spiral spring to force it outward when released.
A boss on the trigger rod is so formed, and the aforesaid flat spring so arranged,
that the boss elevates the said spring catch as the boss advances, until the hammer
is nearly ready to strike, when the catch is released and permitted to fall. into one
of the nicks as described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
August 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING CYLINDER
PISTOLS." A communication from abroad by Edward Palmer Boardman, of
Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer.
My Invention relates to that class of pistols generally known as revolvers, and
consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts as herein-after
more fully set forth and claimed, by which the size of the implement is greatly
reduced, while its effectiveness is increased.
It is well known that pistols of this class, when constructed with a stock or
handle of suitable proportions to enable them to be held in the hand and discharged
in the usual manner without depending upon the barrel to steady the same, are too
cumbersome to be conveniently carried in the pocket.
It is also well known that most pistols, whether revolvers or otherwise, require
cocking by an independent or entirely different motion of the hand from that
made in discharging the same, that is to say, the hammer is drawn back and set by
one movement and the trigger pulled by another, thus rendering it impossible in
many instances to fire rapidly.
My Invention is designed to obviate this difficulty, and to that end I make usc
of means the nature and operation of which will be readily understood from the
following description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.

page_text: A is the stock or body; D, the barrel; the cylinder; and D, the push pin or
trigger rod. The cylinder, which is of the ordinary construction, is arranged to
revolve on the pintle or axis R provided with the pull or head T, and is provided
with a series of cartridge chambers arranged parallel with cach other, and with the
barrel B in the usual manner. A lever Vis pivoted in the lower part of the stock,
and to one end of this lever is jointed the locking pin or bolt U working vertically in
a hole in the stock, its upper end fitting in a groove S cut around the pintle R and
into which it is forced by the expansive action of the coiled spring W beneath the
free end of the lever. Pivoted in a proper socket or cavity formed within the breech
of the pistol there is a hammer m provided with a spring N, the expansive action
of which tends to force the hammer in the direction of the cylinder Q. On the
lower part of the hammer m, contiguous to the cylinder, there is a flange or pro-
jection to which is pivoted a click or pawl P provided with the spring O.
This
spring has one of its ends attached to the interior of the stock, its opposite or free
end resting upon the pawl and forcing it down into contact with a series of ordinary
ratchet teeth arranged in circular form on the end of the cylinder.
A pin K is fitted to work in a hole drilled vertically in the hammer, and beneath
this pin there is a coiled spring L, the action of which causes it to protrude slightly
above the top of the hammer, forming a yielding spring stud or dog.
The stock A is extended somewhat above the barrel B and provided with a
longitudinal aperture or hole in which the rod D is fitted to slide freely in
parallelism with the barrel, being kept from revolving by the projection I on the
outer end of the rod working in a groove or rimlet C formed on the upper side of
the barrel.
The inner end of the rod is provided with a downwardly projecting tooth or
stud J, and the outer end with the pull or finger piece G, which is pivoted
therein at H. The outer end of the rod is also drilled to receive the short coiled
spring i, the inner end of which rests against the rod, and the outer end against
the pull G; the action of the spring tending to keep the pull in a vertical position.
Attached to the stock beneath the rod D and arranged to extend over the
cylinder there is a flat spring X provided upon its lower face with the stop or
catch Y which is fitted to work in a series of depressions or nicks a formed in
the periphery of the cylinder Q, and corresponding in number with the number of
chambers therein.
In the use of this improved revolver the spring V is depressed, withdrawing the
pin U from the slot S, thus enabling the pintle R and cylinder Q to be removed,
when the cylinder may be charged or loaded with cartridges in the usual manner
and again returned to its position. The pistol is then held in the palm of the hand,
the end of the barrel B resting on the second finger, the forefinger being placed
around the pull G, which should be elevated, as shown in Figure 2. The rod D
is then pulled or forced inward, the tooth J being thus brought into contact
with the pin K, pushing the hammer m back, and causing the pawl P to act against
the ratchet on the cylinder R to revolve the saine, the catch Ỷ being in the mean-
time raised out of the nick a. As the rod D continues to advance and the cylinder
to revolve the hammer m will be thrown back to full cock, when the tooth J will
escape or pass by the pin K, leaving the spring N to force the hammer down upon
the cartridge with a sharp percussive blow, and explode the same. Just prior to
the tooth J passing or escaping the pin K. as described, one of the loaded chambers
in the cylinder will be brought into such a position that its axial or central line
will be coincident with that of the barrel B, in which position it will be held by
the stop Y falling into one of the nicks a, thus properly securing the cylinder
before the discharge takes place. The rod D being now released the expansive
action of the spring F will force it outward, causing the tooth J to pass over the
pin K, the spring L yielding for that purpose, and thus bringing the parts again
into the position shown in Figure 2, preparatory to firing another shot. The pull G
serves not only as a finger piece with which to pull the rod D but also as a guard
or stopper to prevent the entrance of foreign substances into the barrel B, as seen in

page_text: Figure 1.
The forward end of the stock is cut out or made concave at Z to enable
the pistol to be held more securely by the finger on which the barrel is rested, as
described. The boss h on the rod D is so formed and the spring X so arranged
that the boss elevates the catch Y as the boss advances, until the hammer is nearly
ready to strike, when the catch is released and permitted to fall into one of the
nicks, as described. The hammer m being entirely concealed within the stock or
breech, the pistol is in a great measure prevented from being accidently discharged
after the manner of ordinary pistols.
It will be obvious that the spring F may be dispensed with by employing a ring
attached to the rod D, and so arranged that the rod may be worked both ways by
the finger inserted in the same without departing from the spirit of my Invention ;
also that the pull G may be either pivoted or rigid, as preferred.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
First. In and forming part of a pistol of the class above described, the sliding
rod D and hammer m combined to operate, as above specified.
Second. The hammer m provided with the spring pin K, as above set forth.
Third. The spring F in combination with the rod D, as above specified.
Fourth. The pull G arranged to operate, as above set forth.
Fifth. The cylinder Q, barrel B, hammer m, pawl P, and rod D, combined to
operate as above specified.
Sixth. The boss h in combination with the spring catch Y, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
W. ROB LAKE. (S.)