Improvements in Weapons for use by Cavalry.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Weapons for use by Cavalry.
DAVID TYRIE LAING, late Officer Commanding Belingwe Field Force, Royal
Colonial Institute, Northumberland Avenue, London, W.C., Major, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to combine with the ordinary cavalry lance
a firearm preferably of the revolver class the combination being effected in such
a manner that the utility and functions of the lance are not interfered with in
any way whilst at the critical moment during a charge the soldier may with his
lance in the ready position fire a number of shots at short range without checking
speed. The invention in one of its forms consists of so adapting the revolving
chamber and framework of a revolver as to enable these to be attached to a lance
and the substitution of special means of rotating the revolving chamber locking
the same and firing the cartridge in place of the mechanism usually employed in
revolvers to effect these operations. Surrounding the shaft of the lance and attached
securely thereto I place a steel or other metal collar or sleeve. Fixed to this
sleeve is the framework of the revolver including the barrel and attachments for
rotating the revolving chamber. Part of the sleeve aforementioned between the
back and front parts of the frame is turned truly circular and upon this portion
of the sleeve the revolving chamber rotates. The revolving chamber preferably
consists of an annular ring of steel surrounding the sleeve and bored out at regular
intervals to hold cartridges in the usual manner. The chamber is provided with
means by which it can be given a step by step rotating movement so as to con-
tinually present fresh cartridges opposite the striker and means whereby the
chamber is automatically locked when in the firing position. The mechanism
for rotating the chamber preferably consists of a metal bar bent over at the
forward end which can be made to slide backwards and forwards freely in guides
attached to the frame of the revolver. The rear end may be secured to a cross-
head fixed to the striker and from this crosshead projects a bolt called the locking
bolt. The forward end of the bar is formed into an inclined plane which acts upon
other inclined planes arranged in a circle and fixed to the front of the revolving
chamber. Upon the striker being drawn back by the pressure of the finger on the
trigger the inclined plane on the bar acts upon one inclined plane on the chamber
and thus rotates the chamber through a certain part of one revolution bringing
a cartridge in the chamber nearly but not quite opposite the barrel. When the
striker is released and flies forward to ignite the cartridge the locking bolt attached
to the crosshead first acts upon the chamber giving it a very slight rotation in the
same direction as previously imparted by the bar and bringing the cartridge
accurately in line with the barrel and locking the revolving chamber in this
position. This may be effected by forming a slight bevel or inclined plane upon
the locking bar which engages with the side of a recess formed in the rear end of
the chamber into which the locking bar enters. These holes are preferably
arranged in a ring. The firing mechanism I employ may be of various kinds

page_text: one of which I describe.. The striker consists of a circular steel bar sliding in a
cylinder with covers at both ends and having formed on it a piston fitting the
cylinder. Against this piston the main spring abuts being confined by the rear
end of the cylinder. The piston has a lug formed on it preferably at its under side
which is free to slide in a slot cut in the bottom of the cylinder but cannot turn
round in the cylinder. With this lug the releasing spring of the trigger bar
engages. The striker bar passes through the cylinder at both ends at the forward
end it is pointed so as to ignite the percussion cap of the cartridge and has the
crosshead fixed to it; at the rear end it passes through the cylinder cover which
acts as a guide. Beneath the main spring cylinder is the trigger spring cylinder.
The trigger is attached to the trigger bar which may be arranged with a piston
fitting the cylinder and a spiral spring as in the main spring cylinder. Attached
to the end of the trigger bar is a flat spring having a notch which engages with
the lug on the striker this flat spring is the releasing spring. On drawing back
the trigger the releasing spring engages with the lug on the striker and draws
it back compressing the main spring until when fully cocked the releasing spring
meets a pin fixed so as to depress it and allow the main spring to force the striker
forward and fire the cartridge. Releasing the trigger causes its spring
to force the trigger bar forward and the releasing spring to assume
a position in readiness for another discharge. Empty cartridge cases may be
removed in the usual manner or automatically as for example by means of an
extractor fixed to the crosshead on the striker bar. The latter method would be'
employed with the magazine described for loading. The chamber may be charged
or loaded in the usual way by opening a flap in the framework and inserting the
cartridges from the rear or automatically or the revolving part may be dispensed
with and a magazine rifle attached using a tube forming a magazine and holding
a number of cartridges placed end to end and fed forward by a spring the action
of feeding and extraction being effected by the movement of a lever in the usual
way. This tube may be fixed inside the lance shaft. To facilitate reloading
where magazine feed is not employed the striker and its attachments may be
arranged to lock at half cock in such a position as to leave the revolving chamber
free to rotate easily. This is preferably effected by a pin engaging with a notch
on the striker bar.
Dated this Tenth day of July 1897.
Improvements in Weapons for use by Cavalry.
°
I, DAVID TYRIE LAING, late Officer Commanding Belingwe Field Force, Royal
Colonial Institute, Northumberland Avenue, London, W.C., Major, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement;-
The object of my invention is to combine with the ordinary cavalry lance a
firearm of the revolver class the combination being effected in such a manner that
the utility and functions of the lance are not interfered with in any way whilst ab
the critical moment during a charge the soldier may with his lance in the most
convenient position fire a number of shots at short range without checking speed.
One method of carrying out the invention is shown at Figures 1 to 6 of the

page_text: drawings, Figure 1 being a longitudinal section, Figure 2 a side elevation, and
Figure 3 a front elevation.
Surrounding the shaft a of the lance and attached securely thereto I place a
steel or other metal collar or sleeve b. Fixed to this sleeve is the framework of
the revolver including the barrel c and firing mechanism, and attachments for
rotating the revolving chamber. Part of the sleeve aforementioned between the
back and front parts of the frame is turned truly circular and upon this portion
of the sleeve the revolving chamber d rotates. The revolving chamber d pre-
ferably consists of an annular ring of steel surrounding the sleeve and bored out
at regular intervals to hold cartridges in the usual manner. The chamber is
provided with means by which it can be given a step by step rotating movement
so as to continually present fresh cartridges opposite the striker and means whereby
the chamber is automatically locked when in the firing position. The mechanism
for rotating the chamber may consist of a metal bar e (shown separately in side
and front elevation at Figures 4 and 5) bent over at the forward end which can
be made to slide backwards and forwards freely in guides attached to the frame
of the revolver. The rear end may be secured to a crosshead f (shown separately
in rear elevation at Figure 6) fixed to the striker and from this crosshead
projects a bolt h called the locking bolt. The forward end of the bar is formed
into an inclined plane e¹ which acts upon other inclined planes arranged in a
circle and fixed to the front of the revolving chamber. Upon the striker being
drawn back by the pressure of the finger on the trigger the inclined plane c¹ on
the bar acts upon one inclined plane on the chamber and thus rotates the
chamber through a certain part of one revolution bringing a cartridge in the
chamber nearly but not quite opposite the barrel c. When the striker g is released
and flies forward to ignite the cartridge the locking bolt attached to the cross-
head first acts upon the chamber giving it a very slight rotation in the same
direction as previously imparted by the bar and bringing the cartridge accurately
in line with the barrel and locking the revolving chamber in this position. This
may be effected by forming a slight bevel or inclined plane upon the locking bolt
which engages with the side of a hole formed in the rear end of the chamber
into which the locking bolt enters. These holes are preferably arranged in a
ring. The firing mechanism I employ may be of various kinds, one of which I'
describe. The striker consists of a circular steel bar k sliding in a cylinder / with
covers at both ends and having formed on it a piston fitting the cylinder.
Against this piston the main spring abuts being confined by the rear end of
the cylinder. The piston has a lug formed on it preferably at its under side
which is free to slide in a slot cut in the bottom of the cylinder but cannot turn
round in the cylinder. With this lug the releasing spring 1 of the trigger bar
engages. The striker bar k, passes through the cylinder 7, at both ends, at the
forward end it is pointed so as to ignite the percussion cap of the cartridge and
has the crosshead f fixed to it; at the rear end it passes through the cylinder cover
which acts as a guide. Beneath the main spring cylinder is the trigger spring
cylinder m. The trigger is attached to the trigger bar which may be arranged
with a piston fitting the cylinder and a spiral spring as in the main spring
cylinder. Attached to the end of the trigger bar is a flat spring ¹ having a
notch which engages with the lug on the striker, this flat spring is the releasing
spring. On drawing back the trigger the releasing spring engages with the
lug on the striker and draws it back compressing the main spring until when fully
cocked the releasing spring meets a pin m¹ Sixed so as to depress it and allow the
main spring to force the striker forward and fire the cartridge. Releasing the
trigger causes its spring to force the trigger bar forward and the releasing spring
to assume a position in readiness for another discharge. Empty cartridge cases
may be removed in the usual manner or automatically, as for example by means
of an extractor fixed to the crosshead f on the striker bar. The chamber may be

page_text: charged or loaded in the usual way by opening a flap in the framework and
inserting the cartridges from the rear.
Figure 7 is a side elevation (with the cover removed) and Figure 8 a section on
the line 8-8, Figure 7, of a modification which I prefer.
As before the chamber d revolves on a sleeve fixed to the lance a.
1 is a
block made in one piece with the sleeve b. n is a hammer and o a trigger pivotted
at no respectively to the block 1. n³ is a pawl pivotted to the hammer and
engaging with the trigger so that when the latter is pulled the hammer is raised
compressing the spring 2. The rotation of the hammer about its pivot ultimately
carries the pawl n out of engagement with the trigger whereupon the hammer
is forced down by the spring p and the weapon is discharged. is a second
pawl pivotted to the hammer, it carries a spring n whose end engages with a
recess in the block b. This pawl engages with the ratchet teeth at the rear
of the chamber so that as the hammer is raised the chamber is revolved. 5 is a
lug on the side of the hammer which when the latter is fully raised engages with
one or other of the notches on the chamber and holds the chamber stationary.
2 is a cover which in Figure 1 is removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination of the lance, the sleeve fixed to it, and the revolving chamber
on the sleeve.
2. Weapons substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.