Improvements in Revolver Small Arms.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolver Small Arms.
We HUBERT HENRY GRENFELL, of 18 Ashburn Place in the County of London,
Captain R.N., and JAMES GEORGE ACCLES of Holford House, Perry Barr
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The objects of our invention are chiefly to improve revolving pistols in respect of
accuracy of fire and simplicity and durability of the mechanism.
For this purpose according to one part of our invention we provide the weapon
with a firing pin or plunger which has a rectilinear action, that is to say, its striking
portion is a straight piece and moves in a straight line to and away from the
cartridges in the cylinder. The said striking portion of the piu or plunger has
extending down from its under side a toothed projection which is arranged in
combination and gears with a toothed portion of the hammer or equivalent device
for driving the plunger forward when the trigger is pulled.
In cocking the hammer, the teeth thereon, acting on the teeth of the pin or
plunger, will pull the same back and when the trigger is pulled the teeth of the
hammer will drive the said plunger forward. We may provide the hammer or its
equivalent with a lever at the side of the pistol or with other convenient means for
pulling it back.
According to another part of our invention we provide the weapon with a separate
cylinder-stop, operated by the trigger. This stop is a nose or projection on the
forward end of a small arm pivoted to the frame below the cylinder, the said nose
being arranged in combination with notches or recesses in the said cylinder. There
is a small projection on the forward side of the trigger on which, when the trigger
is at rest, the rear end of the said arm is supported and onto which it is pressed by
a spring and the stop is then held out of the notches. But when the trigger is
pulled, the rear end of the arm is thereby depressed and as the cylinder is rotated
and each notch comes opposite to the said stop the latter enters the notch and acting
in combination with the lever or lifter, (which engages with the ratchet of the
cylinder when the trigger is pulled) holds the said cylinder rigidly and immovably
at the moment when the firing pin strikes the cartridge. The said nose or stop
projects through a slot in a part of the frame which forms a very firm support to
the said stop when engaging with the cylinder.
These improvements are preferably embodied in a revolver in which, to permit
the extraction of the spent cartridges, the barrel is turned over laterally about a
pin projecting parallel to the axis of the barrel from the fore-arm of the shoe. The
upper bar of the frame which encloses the cylinder is in one piece with the barrel;
at its rear end it is formed with a hook which, when the barrel is in the firing
position engages with a projection on the part of the shoe through which the firing
pin slides, the said cylinder frame and the shoe being securely locked together by
a spring-bolt arranged in combination with a stop which ensures the correct align-
ment of the barrel and cylinder with the firing pin. On the side of the shoe is a
lever for drawing back this bolt to release the barrel and cylinder frame so that it
may be turned laterally away from the shoe as above specified. The extractor-
pin extends through the base pin and forward through the cylinder frame. The said
extractor-pin is provided with a sleeve and by means of a small pin passing through
the sleeve into a longitudinal slot or groove in the extractor-pin the sleeve is kept
from turning independently about the said pin while free to slide thereon. The
forward extremity of the extractor pin is screw-threaded to receive a nut against

page_text: the under surface of which the sleeve is pressed by a spiral spring enclosed within
the base-pin. The accidental unscrewing of this nut is prevented by projections
on the end of the sleeve which enter notches in the face of the nut, or by other
suitable means.
The combination of the extractor-pin, the sleeve and the nut
as described affords very ready and convenient means for permitting the removal
and replacement of the cylinder. Pressure is applied to the nut to push the pin
back to eject the spent cartridges from the cylinder and the spiral spring then acts
to return the extractor to its place.
To prevent the turning of the barrel too far to the side of the weapon we provide
a stop which limits the movement to the exact distance required. This stop is
conveniently furnished by forming a flat portion or projection on the fore-arm in
the proper position for the lower part of the cylinder frame to come in contact
therewith when the barrel is turned down.
The barrel has a projection pivoted to the fore-arm by means of a pin with a
thin head which pin is secured in the fore-arm by a screw passed through the
same.
We prefer that the main spring should be formed in two separate pieces of steel
one of which bears on the trigger and the other of which engages with the arm that
operates the lifter both being united at their fixed ends in a recess or notch in the
butt or stock of the weapon.
Dated this 20th day of October 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolver Small Arms.
We, HUBERT HENRY GRENFELL, of 18 Ashburn Place, in the County of
London, Captain R.N., and JAMES GEORGE ACCLES, of Holford House, Perry
Barr, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of our invention is to improve revolver pistols in respect of accuracy
of fire, and simplicity and durability of the mechanism.
For this purpose, according to one part of our invention we provide the weapon
with a firing pin or plunger which has a rectilinear action, that is to say, its striking
portion is a straight piece and moves in a straight line to strike the cartridges in
the cylinder, under the action of a hammer or equivalent device.
According to another part of our invention we provide the weapon with a separate
cylinder-stop operated by the trigger for holding the cylinder rigidly at the moment
when the firing pin strikes the cartridge.
These and other improvements which we have devised are hereinafter described
with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent a revolver constructed
according to our invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the revolver.
Figure 2 is a front view of the revolver with the barrel and cylinder turned over
laterally as hereinafter described.
Figure 3 is a side view of the revolver partly in longitudinal section.
Figure 34 is an underside view of the rear end of the bar which extends from the
cylinder frame over the cylinder to engage with the breech frame.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line y y and
Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line xx Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a portion of Figure 3.
Figure 64 is a front view of a portion of the breech frame of the revolver showing
the cylinder frame turned down laterally thereon.

page_text: Figure 6 is a plan of Figure be.
Figure 7 is a side view of the firing pin and hammer.
Figure 8 is a top view of the cylinder stop and trigger.
Figure 9 is a side view of the said cylinder stop and trigger.
Figures 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6A, 6B, 7, 8 and 9 are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1
and 2.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.
a.is the breech shoe or frame; is the barrel; c is the cylinder; d is the firing
pin; e is the hammer; is the lifter or arm for acting on the ratchet of the
cylinder to rotate the same; is the trigger; h is the main-spring; is the afore-
said cylinder stop. The striking portion of the pin or plunger is preferably made
cylindrical in transverse section and has a suitably formed pivot or nose d' at its
extremity; it has extending down from its under side a toothed projection
which is arranged in combination and gears with a toothed portion e¹ of the
hammer e.
In cocking the hammer e the teeth thereon acting on the teeth of the pin or
plunger d will move the same back and when the trigger is pulled, the hammer will
drive the said plunger forward. We may use a hammer or its equivalent with a
lever at the side of the pistol, or with other convenient means for pulling it back.
The aforesaid cylinder stop is a nose or projection ou the forward end of a
small arm pivoted at to the frame a below the cylinder, the said nose being
arranged in combination with notches or recesses c¹ in the said cylinder. There is
a small projection g' on the forward edge of the trigger y and when the trigger
at rest the rear end of the said arm engages with this projection and the stop i
is then held out of the notches c'. But the rear end of the lever ', and the
part 9 of the trigger, are so formed and arranged that when the trigger is pulled
the rear end of the arm is thereby depressed and the nose or stop i is pressed up
towards the periphery of the cylinder; therefore in the rotation of the cylinder
about its axis, as each notch c' comes opposite the said stop the latter enters the
notch and acting in combination with the lever or lifter (which engages with the
ratchet of the cylinder when the trigger is pulled) holds the said cylinder rigidly
and immovably at the moment when the firing pin strikes the cartridge.. The said
nose or stop projects through a slot at k in a part of the frame a' which forms a
very firm lateral support to the said stop when engaging with the cylinder.
In the revolver shewn in the drawing, the part of the weapon comprising the
barrel and cylinder and the frame carrying the same, is turned over laterally about
a stud a to permit the extraction of the spent cartridges from the cylinder as
hereinafter described. The upper bar & which extends from the barrel over the
cylinder and which forms part of the cylinder frame is at its rear end provided
with a hook 2; when the barrel is in the firing position this hook engages with a
spring bolt m on the shoe. That is to say the hook has a curved surface as shewn
in Figure 34 which acting on the bolt as the barrel is turned into the firing position
pushes it back as the look passes from the right hand to the left hand side of the
said bolt. The latter then springs forward and locks the said bar and the shoe a
securely together when the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3.
The said spring bolt and hook are arranged in combination with a stop a on the
bar which ensures the correct alignment of the barrel and cylinder chamber with
the firing-pin. When the barrel is in the firing position the said stop enters a
suitable recess provided in the breech frame a as indicated at a in Figure 4.
At the side of the shoe is a lever m¹ for drawing back the bolt to release the
barrel part of the weapon so that the same may be turned about the stud laterally
away from the shoe a as above specified.
In Figure 3 we have shown devices for supporting the cylinder and permitting
its ready removal and replacement also the extractor or ejector and its adjunct..
n is the extractor formed or fixed on a stem or pin n. The extractor stem or
pin n extends through the base pin o which is fixed in the part projecting from
the barrel and forming the forward portion of the cylinder frame. The said

page_text: extractor stem is provided with a sleeve n¹ and by means of a small pin n² passing
through the sleeve into a longitudinal slot or groove in the extractor stem n* the
sleeve n¹ is kept from turning independently about the extractor stem while free to
slide thereon. The forward extremity of the extractor stem or pin n* is screw
threaded to receive a nut ³, against the under surface of which the sleeve n³ is
pressed by a spiral spring n enclosed within the base pin o which spring serves to
return the extractor or ejector after it has been operated to expel the spent
cartridges from the cylinder. The accidental unscrewing and displacement of
this nut can be prevented by any suitable means. We prefer however to use for
this purpose projections on the end of the sleeve n' which projections, under the
action of the spring, enter notches n' in the face of the mut, as shewn in the
drawing. When it is desired to remove the nut, the said sleeve is pressed back to
release the said projections from the nut which can then be unscrewed from the
pin n. The said nut forms a head to which pressure can be conveniently applied
for actuating the extractor n to expel the spent cartridges. The combination of
the extractor stem * the sleeve n' and the nut n as described affords very ready
and convenient means for permitting the removal and replacement of the extractor.
The barrel as above specified is movable about a stud a* to permit it to be turned
over laterally. This stud forms part of the fore arm a' and projects forward
parallel to the axis of the barrel. The projection on the barrel as shewn in
Fig. 6 has a hole bored to fit the stud in such a manner that the cylinder frame can
turn freely thereon. The projection is secured on the stud by means of a pin
which is fastened in the fore-arm by a screw passed through the same.
To prevent the turning of the barrel too far to the side of the weapon we provide
a stop which limits the movement to the exact distance required. This stop
conveniently furnished by forming a flat portion or projection a² on the fore-arm.
in the proper position for the lower part of the cylinder frame to come in contact
therewith when the barrel is turned down.
When the barrel has been turned over so that it rests on this stop the spent
cartridges can be readily ejected from the cylinder by applying pressure to the
aforesaid nut at the end of the extractor stem; then the spiral spring acts to return
the extractor to its place, the fresh cartridges can be inserted, and the barrel and
cylinder returned to the firing position.
We prefer to use a main spring formed of two separate pieces of steel; one of
these parts h bears on the hammer and the other part 2 engages with the arm fl
that operates the lifter f, both parts being united at their fixed ends in a recess or
notch at in the butt or handle of the weapon as clearly shown in Figure 3.
The ordinary cylinder holder or locking pin is shewn at q. We use the holder
or locking pin for its ordinary purpose in combination with our improvements.
It is obvious that the rectilinearly-acting firing pin and the auxiliary cylinder
stop may be applied or adapted to revolving fire arms of various kinds.
Having now particularly described and. ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The firing pin constructed with the straight striking portion and the toothed
portion, to operate in combination with the toothed portion of the hammer or its
equivalent, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. A firing pin or plunger such as the pin or plunger & herein described, in com-
bination with a cylinder and barrel that are arranged to be turned together laterally
away from the firing position for the purposes specified.
3. The combination, with the breech shoe or frame and the cylinder frame, of the
devices for locking the one to the other and ensuring the correct alignment of the
barrel substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The means for connecting the barrel to the fore-arm substantially as described
with reference to Figure 6, for the purposes specified.
5. The extractor stem n* extending through the base pin and provided with a

page_text: sleeve n' arranged in combination with the spring n' and with the nut n³ at the end
of the stem, substantially as and for the purposes specified.
6. A nut n³ with a notched or serrated face, and screwed upon the extractor stem
or pin in combination with a sleeve n arranged upon the said stem or pin and
provided with.notches or serrations which engage with the notches or serrations n
on the said nut substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
7. In a revolver the combination with the cylinder and the ordinary cylinder stop,
of an additional stop to operate as and for the purpose specified.
8. In a revolver a cylinder-stop such as the stop i on the lever i, arranged in
combination with the cylinder, the trigger g, and the hammer 1, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
9. A revolving fire-arm constructed as described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated this 20th day of July 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.