IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVER FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Harding, of Forest Hill, in the County of
Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVER FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 19th October 1858, and dated the 24th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Harding at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th May 1858.
I, WILLIAM HARDING, of Forest Hill, in the County of Kent, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVER FIRE-
ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in revolver fire-arms. The
cylinder is arranged to turn on two centres or points, which are either fixed to
the cylinder and turn in recesses formed in the frame or body, or else they are
fixed in the frame or body, in which case the cylinder is formed with two
recesses to receive them. The frame or body of the fire-arm in which the
cylinder revolves is made in two pieces, one piece is fixed to the stock, and the
other piece is made or forms part with the barrel. For these purposes,
the binder and the under parts of the frame or boy are made in one piece,
and fixed to the stock, and such piece is so formed as to receive the lock. Tho
top and fore parts of the frame or body are made in one piece with the barrel.
The two pieces of which the frame or body is composed are fixed securely
together, and are yet readily separated in order to take out the cylinder, in the
following manner :-The fore part of the frame or body is made with a curved
or hooked formed projection at its lower end, and such projection enters into

page_text: a corresponding recess formed in the under part of the frame or body, which
is fixed to the stock. The upper bar or part of the frame or body, which is
attached to the barrel and forms part with it, is notched out on either side at
its back end, and enters between projections formed to receive it at the upper
end of the hinder part of the frame or body; and these two parts are retained
securely together by a pin, or it may be by a screw. In connection with a
frame made in two halves or parts, as abovo described, a pin or axis may be
employed for carrying the revolving chambers, such pin or axis being fixed in
one of the halves or parts of the frame.
The Invention also consists in constructing the lock or action of revolving
fire-arms in the following manner:-On the trigger there is formed a pro-
jection, which when the trigger is drawn back, acts on an incline on a piece
carried by the hammer, and thus raises the hammer, for the piece having the
incline on it during this action acts exactly as if it were fixed to the hammer,
when by the motion of the parts the projection on the trigger comes to the
end of the incline on the piece connected with the hammer, the hammer
escapes, and by falling explodes the cap on the nipple opposite to it; the
trigger then returns by the action of its spring; and in order to allow it to
return, the piece on which the ineline is formed recedes by the yielding of a
spring which acts on it. This is the only motion which this piece has, in
other respects it acts as if it were fixed to the hammer. When the hammer
is drawn up by hand, a projection on it comes in contact with another pro-
jection on the trigger, and tho two projections, as the hammer is raised, rub ono
on the other. On the projection from the hammer a notch is formed, and
another notch is formed on the under side of the projection from the trigger.
When the hammer has been raised a short distance by hand, these notches
lock together, and the hammer is then held at half-cock; if the hammer is
raised a little higher than it can be raised by pulling the trigger, then the end
of the projection on the trigger drops into the notch on the projection from the
Lammer, and holds it at full-cock; by pulling the trigger tho projection from
it is lifted, and the hammer falls and explodes the cap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Harding in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1858.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Harding, Her special licence, that I, the said William Harding,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Harding, 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
REVOLVER FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Harding, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their bands 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Harding, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in revolver fire-arms. The
cylinder is arranged to turn on two centres or points, which are either fixed to
the cylinder and turn in recesses formed in the frame or body, or else they
are fixed in the frame or body, in which case the cylinder is formed with two
recesses to receive them. The frame or body of the fire-arm in which tho
cylinder revolves is made in two pieces, one piece is fixed to the stock, and the
other piece is made or forms part with the barrel. For these purposes,
the binder and the under parts of the frame or body are made in one piece and
fixed to the stock, and such piece is so formed as to receive the lock. The
top and fore parts of the frame or body are made in one piece with the barrel.
The two pieces of which the frame or body is composed are fixed securely
together, and are yet readily separated in order to take out the cylinder, in the
following manner :-The fore part of the frame or body is made with a curved
or hooked formed projection at its lower end, and such projection enters into
a corresponding recess formed in the under part of the frame or body, which
is fixed to the stock. The upper bar or part of the frame or body, which is
attached to the barrel and forms part with it, is notched out on either side at

page_text: its back end, and enters between projections formed to receive it at the upper
end of the hinder part of the frame or body, and these two parts are retained
securely together by a pin, or it may be by a screw. In connection with a
frame made in two halves or parts, as above described, a pin or axis may be
employed for carrying the revolving chambers, such pin or axis being fixed in
one of the halves or parts of the frame.
The Invention also consists in constructing the lock or action of revolving
fire-arms in the following manner:-On the trigger there is formed a pro-
jection, which when the trigger is drawn back, acts on an incline on a
pieco carried by the hammer, and thus raises the hammer, for the picce having
the incline on it, during this action acts exactly as if it were fixed to the
hammer. When by the motion of the parts the projection on the trigger
comes to the end of the incline on the piece connected with the hammer, the
hammer escapes, and by falling explodes the cap on the nipple opposite to it;
the trigger then returns by the action of its spring; and in order to allow it to
return, the piece on which the incline is formed recedes by the yielding of a
spring which acts on it; this is the only motion which this piece has, in other
respects it acts as if it were fixed to the hammer. When the hammer is
drawn up by hand, a projection on it comes in contact with another pro-
jection on the trigger, and the two projections, as the hammer is raised, rub
one on the other. On the projection from the hammer a notch is formed, and
another notch is formed on the under side of the projection from the trigger.
When the hammer has been raised a short distance by hand, these notches
lock together, and the hammer is then held at half-cock; if the hammer is
raised a little higher than it can be raised by pulling the trigger, then the end
of the projection on the trigger drops into the notch on the projection from the
hammer and holds it at full-cock; by pulling the trigger, the projection from
it is lifted, and the hammer falls and explodes the cap.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.

page_text: frame, and is shewn in side view, plan, and end view at Figures 4. In order
to secure the two parts of the frame firmly together, this second portion of the
frame is furnished with a hook a, which enters a recess formed for it at a¹ in
the other portion, and the extremity of the upper portion of the frame may be
notched on either side to enter between projections on the other part of the
frame, but by preference, a hole b is formed to receive a projection on the
top of the back part of the frame; a pin c passing through the two parts
secures the whole. A side view, a back view, and a plan of this pin, together
with a bolt d for locking the revolving chambers, are shown at Figures 5.
The pin c is kept in its plaeo by a small screw c¹, the end of which enters a
groove cut in it; the pin is, however, capable of turning within its hole to
allow of the end of the bolt d entering the holes formed for it in the back of
the revolving chambers; an end view of these chambers is shewn at Figure 6,
and the holes for the bolt are marked d¹. The revolving chambers are also
seen at e, Figure 1, as shown in the Drawing; they are arranged to turn on a
pin f, fixed on the back part of the frame; or in place of this construction,
centres or points may be formed on the chambers and suitable recesses are in
this case formed in the fore and back parts of the frame to receive the centres
or points; or the centres or points may be formed on the fore and back parts
of the frame, and the recesses in the two ends of the revolving chambers; by
cither of these latter arrangements, the use of a pin f is avoided. The method
in which the part of the frame which is fixed to the stock is cut away to
receive the lock is clearly shown by the longitudinal section, Figure 2. This
Figure also exhibits the construction of the lock. g is the trigger, turning on
the centre g, and having a projecting portion formed on it; this, when the
trigger is drawn back by acting on the incline at the end of the picce h' carried
by the hammer h, raises it (the piece 'not being able to move further out
from the hammer than the position in which it is shown), and the hammer
continues to rise until the end of the projection g passes the end of the piece h²,
and the hammer then descends by the action of its spring i. h is the centre
on which the hammer turns. The trigger g is shewn separately in side and
end views at Figures 7. Similar views of the hammer h are shewn at Figures 8,
and a side view and an under side view of the spring i at Figures 9. After
the banner has descended, the trigger is brought back by the action of its
spring j, the piece receding by the yielding of its spring to allow it to pass.
The form of the spring is shown by the plan and side view, Figures 10; it
has fixed at its end the piece k, which, when the trigger is drawn back, is
projected up through the hole in the frame and enters indentations formed
for it in the piece e, so as to lock it for firing; this piece k, in place of being

page_text: fixed to the trigger spring, as heretofore, formed part of the trigger. 1 is the
driver, it is pin-jointed to the piece k, and works to rotate the revolving
chambers e through the slot in the frame. This slot at its lower end enters
the hole ¹, as is shown at Figures 3. When the hammer is drawn up by
hand, a projection-3 on it comes in contact with the under surface of the
projection g3 on the trigger, which is thus brought back as the hammer rises.
On the end of the projection is a notch, as is shown, and on the under side
of the projection are two other notches. When the hammer has been raised
a short distance, the notch on the hammer falls into the first notch on the
trigger, and the hammer is then held at half-cock; this position of the parts
is shewn at Figure 11. If when the lock is in this position the trigger be
drawn back, the projection g³ comes in contact with the piece h' before the
half-cock notch of the trigger becomes clear of the hammer, and, consequently,
the piece can only be discharged by drawing the trigger sufficiently far back
to allow the end of the projection g² to clear the end of the piece ', as before
described. If the hammer be drawn back by hand beyond the half-cock notch
of the trigger, the notch on the projection h³ falls into the second or full-cock
notch of the trigger; this position of the parts is shewn at Figure 12. When
the piece is at full-cock, the notches are at once cleared on pulling the trigger,
and the hammer descends. The fire-arın shewn in the Drawing is furnished
with a lever rammer, such as is described in the Specification of a former
Patent granted to me.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Harding, have hereuuto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
WILLIAM HARDING.
(L.S.)