IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF MULTITUBULAR FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Giovanni Pace, of the City of Valetta, in the Island of
Malta, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE
CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF MULTITUBULAR FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Giovanni Pace at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1880.
GIOVANNI PACE, of the City of Valetta, in the Island of Malta. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF MULTITUBULAR
FIRE-ARMS."
This Invention has reference to certain improvements in or connected with the
construction and working of fire-arms, the Invention having especial reference to
combined rovolving multitubular and magazine fire-arms.
The front
In carrying this Invention out in practice I mount any desired number of barrels
parallel with each other in the front plate of a recessed cartridge receiver which
revolves with the barrels and has its recesses situated opposite thereto.
ends of the barrels are similarly mounted in a plate, and a shaft passes centrally
therefrom rearwards through the centre of the cartridge receiver, and forms the
centre of motion of the barrels and receiver, and behind the rear plate of the
receiver it is fitted with a bevil wheel through which an intermittent revolving
motion is imparted to the receiver and barrels. The rear-plate of the receiver forms
a standard or part of the framing of the machine, and it carries other brackets or
standards by which a vertical shaft is supported, and which shaft can be rotated
directly by placing a handle on a squared end thereof, or it can be actuated by
bevil gearing by means of a shaft carried by other brackets, and either driven
directly by placing the handle on its squared-end, or by spur gearing by means of
a parallel shaft carried by other brackets and directly rotated by the handle.
The vertical shaft carries a sectionally toothed bevil wheel which gears with the
bevil wheel on the centre shaft of the barrels and cartridge receiver, and thus
impart the above referred to intermittent revolution thereto. The object of the
pauses in the revolution of the barrels and cartridge receivers is, that they and the
cartridge to be exploded shall be stationary during the firing or explosion of
the latter.

page_text: The cartridges are fed to, fired in, and ejected from the apparatus as follows:-
On one side of the receiver a revolving case or magazine is suitably supported, and
is fitted with internal removable slides by which the cartridges are carried. The
bottom of the magazine has a slot through which the cartridges can singly escape,
as the recesses of the receiver necessarily present themselves; and when one slider
is thus exhausted the magazine is turned and another slide is placed over the slot,
and thus the supply of cartridges is kept up until the magazine (which may be
made of any convenient capacity) is exhausted.
As each cartridge falls into a recess of the receiver in a semi or part revolution
of the latter, it is gradually pushed into the opposite barrel by a stationary cam
carried by the framing until it reaches the firing position, and after being fired in
completing the revolution it is gradually withdrawn from the barrel by one of a
series of extractors which are operated upon by a continuation of the said cam,
until it falls from the surrounding case of the apparatus at the bottom, thus leaving
the recess in the receiver vacant for the reception of another cartridge.
The striker or needle is carried by a hinged container which is removed from the
firing position previously to and immediately after the firing, in order to allow the
extractors in revolving with the receiver to pass under it; it is removed from
the firing position by incans of a lover operated by a cam on the said vertical shaft,
and it is restored to the firing position by means of a spring. When a cartridge
and the needle or striker are in firing position the latter is. impelled with energy
so as to cause the explosion of the cartridge by means of a hammer, the striking
end of which passes through an aperture in the said bevil wheel and in the rear
plate of the receiver, and the other end thereof is carried by a bracket projecting
from the frame, and is impelled or acted upon by a spring when released from the
action of another cam on the vertical shaft, and by which it is withdrawn from the
firing position.
Among the advantages of the above described arrangement as compared with
other fire-arms of a similar class are, its comparative lightness and small
compass, enabling it to be carried and worked without fatigue; its simplicity,
enabling it to be loaded and fired while the bearer is in any position, and its
capability of continuously ejecting a continuous supply and practically indefinite
number of projectiles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters ratent nied by
the said Giovanni Pace in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th April
1881.
GIOVANNI PACE, of the City of Valetta, in the Island of Malta. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF MULTITUBULAR
FIRE-ARMS."
This Invention has reference to certain improvements in or connected with the
construction and working of fire-arms, the Invention having especial reference
to combined revolving multitubular and magazine fire-arms.
The Invention is illustrated on the accompanying Drawings in Figures 1 to 4,
of which Figures 1 and 2 are sectional plans; and Figures 3 and 4, transverse
sections respectively through the lines a, b, and c, d.
In carrying my Invention out in practice I mount any desired number of
barrels parallel with each other in the front plate 2 of a recessed cartridge
receiver 3, which revolves with the barrels, and has its recess 4 situated opposite
thereto. The front ends of the barrels are similarly mounted in a plate 5, and a
shaft 6 passes centrally therefrom rearwards through the centre of the cartridge
receiver, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, and forms the centre of motion of the barrels
and receiver; and behind the rear plate 7 of the receiver it is fitted with a bevil
wheel 8, through which an intermittent revolving motion is imparted to the
receiver and barrels. The rear plate 7 of the receiver 3 forms a standard or part
of the framing 9 of the machine, and it carries the brackets or standards 10 by
which a vortical shaft 11 is supported, and which shaft can be rotated directly by
placing a handle on a squared end thereof; or it can be actuated by bevil gearing 12
by means of a shaft 13 carried by other brackets 14, and either driven directly by
placing the handle on its squared end, or by spur gearing 15 by means of a parallel
shaft 16 carried by other brackets 17, and directly rotated by the handle.
The vertical shaft 11 carries a sectionally toothed bevil wheel 18, which gears
with the bevil wheel 8 on the centre shaft 6 of the barrels and cartridge-receiver,
and thus imparts the above referred to intermittent revolution thereto.
The object of the pauses in the revolution of the barrels and cartridge receivers
is that the barrels and the cartridge 19 to be exploded shall be stationary during
the firing or explosion of the latter.
The cartridges are fed to, fired in, and ejected from, the apparatus as follows:-
On one side of the receiver a revolving case or magazine 20 is suitably supported,
and is fitted with internal removable slides 21, by which the cartridges are carried.
The bottom of the magazine has a slot 22 through which the eartridges can singly
escape, as the recesses 4 of the receiver 3 successively present themselves; and
when one slide 21 is thus exhausted the magazine 20 is turned, so as to bring the
next adjacent slide to over the slot 22, and thus the supply of cartridges is kept
up, until the magazine (which may be made of any convenient capacity) is
exhausted.
As each cartridge falls into a recess of the receiver at the position e in a semi or
part revolution of the latter, it, together with one of a series of extractors 23,
hereinafter more particularly referred to, is gradually pushed into the opposite barrel
by a stationary cam 24 carried by the plate or framing 7 until it reaches the firing
position and after being fired, in completing the revolution, it is gradually
withdrawn from the barrel by its proper extractor (the series of which are operated
upon by and receive all their movements from a continuation of the said cam, and
are suitably connected thereto by a swivel or turning joint piece 25) until at
the position g it falls from the surrounding case 26 of the apparatus, thus leaving
the recess in the receiver vacant for the reception of another cartridge.

page_text: The striker or needle 27 is carried by a hinged container 28, which is removed
from the firing position shown in full lines in Figure 4 to the position indicated in
dotted lines previously to and immediately after the firing, in order to allow the
extractors 23 in revolving with the receiver 3 to pass under it; it is removed from
the firing position by means of a lever 20 operated by a cam 30 on the vertical
shaft 11, and it is returned to the firing position by means of a spring 31. When
a cartridge and the needle or striker are in firing position the latter is impelled
with energy, so as to cause the explosion of the cartridge by means of a hammer 32,
the striking end of which passes through an aperture 33 in the bevil wheel 8, and
in the rear plate 7 of the receiver, and the other end thereof is carried by a bracket 34
projecting from the frame 9, and is impelled or acted upon by a spring 35, to which
it is linked when released from the action of a cam 36 on the shaft 11, and by
which it is withdrawn from the firing position.
Among the advantages of the above described arrangement as compared with
other fire-arms of a similar class are, its comparative lightness and small compass,
enabling it to be carried and worked without fatigue; its simplicity, enabling it to
be loaded and fired while the bearer is in any position; and its capability of
continuously ejecting a continuous supply and practically indefinite number
of projectiles.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention,-
The combination in combined revolving multitubular and magazine fire-arms of
a recessed cartridge receiver, which revolves with a series of parallel barrels, and
has the cartridges fed to it singly from a magazine having a series of removable
slides, and occupying a relatively fixed position, the cartridges in the intermittent
revolution of the receiver being gradually pushed into the opposite barrels until
they reach the firing position by a stationary cam, and being singly exploded, and
when discharged being gradually withdrawn by means of extractors engaging with
and worked by the said cam, and with a needle container and hammer, each
receiving the motions, and having them imparted at the times and by the means,
substantially as herein before described, and as illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Giovanni Pace, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one