Improvements in Revolvers and Automatic Firearms.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolvers and Automatic Firearms.
I COLOMBO RICCI of 25 Tennison Street, Lambeth, London, in the County of
Surrey Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention chiefly relates to that class of firearms in which the cartridges are
carried in a revolving drum, and successively brought and exploded in front of the
barrel, by a suitable mechanism; and to all those arms generally known under the
name of revolvers.
The greatest fault of these weapons resides in the little space existing in a more
or less degree, between the front part of the drum and the rear end of the barrel ;
which space is always necessary to enable the drum to revolve freely on its axis and
bring each cartridge in turn in front of the barrel.
During the explosion of the cartridge in the chamber of the drum, and as soon as
the bullet is out of the metallic case & has just entered the barrel, the gases which
have at this moment the greatest pressure rush in great quantity through the
aforesaid aperture and greatly reduce the energy & initial velocity of the bullet,
besides causing a great deal of corrosion of all the parts which they come in contact
with during the escape.
My principal object is to construct such weapons in which the metallic cartridge
before being struck & fired will be partly driven forward from the drum & thrust
into the chamber of the barrel ensuring thus a perfect check to the gases generated
by the explosion, give the bullets the greatest energy possible & be free from the
above mentioned faults.
In applying my invention to an ordinary revolver I sometimes suppress that piece
generally called the dog or hammer & substitute in its place a plunger capable of
sliding longitudinally behind the drum & drive each cartridge forward of a certain
quantity into the chamber of the barrel.
I provide this plunger (in its centre) with a suitable firing pin & coil spring for
firing the cartridges.
About an inch beneath the axis of the plunger, & behind the drum I hinge a
vertical lever somewhat S in shape, the upper part of which gears with the plunger,
the low part is connected behind with a suitable spring placed inside the stock which
constantly presses the lever forward & consequently tends to pull the plunger
backward.
The lowest part of this lever is suitably shaped to receive the action of two or
more fingers of the right hand for working the mechanism.
The upper part of this lever is forked shape so as to leave room between its two
branches for the trigger, which is hinged on the same pin ; & for the bolt or piece
that I employ for locking the plunger after it has driven the cartridge into its seat
into the chamber of the barrel.
I hinge this bolt immediately under the plunger & enable it to engage with a
shoulder provided at the foremost & lowest part of the same; & securely lock it
before each explosion.
I hinge the sear immediately behind the plunger in line with the firing pin &
provide it with a small rod capable to disengage it from the firing pin every time
the trigger is pulled.
The trigger, which is hinged on the same pin as the lever & placed immediately

page_text: under the bolt is so shaped, that during the first part of its motion will rise the
bolt & lock the plunger, & soon afterwards will come in contact with the small
rod that is hinged on the sear cause this last to revolve on its axis, disengage the
firing pin & fire the cartridge.
The action of this weapon so constructed is as follows.
Supposing that it is gripped tightly in the right hand, the trigger pulled & one
round fired for firing every successive round four movements are necessary.
let. Release the forefinger from the trigger, this movement disengages first tbe
sear and afterwards the bolt which pressed by a spring unlocks the plunger.
2nd.. Release the pressure on the lever by slightly opening the hand; this movement
rauses the lever to swing on its axis forced by the spring enclosed in the stock,
withdraws the plunger & with it the empty case from the barrel into the drum,
partly cocks the firing pin & ultimately by means of a pawl hinged vertically on the
front part of the lever causes the drum to revolve on its axis & bring a fresh
cartridge in front of the chamber of the barrel.
3rd. Close the band, tightly gripping the weapon, this movement compresses the
spring into the stock pushes the plunger forward & with it the fresh cartridge
from the drum of the necessary quantity into the chamber of the barrel, & completes
the cocking of the firing pin.
4th. Pull the trigger with the forefinger, this movement brings the upper part
of the trigger in contact with the lower forward part of the bolt, causes the same
to rise & lock the plunger & secondly presses the sear releases the firing pin & fires
the cartridge.
Another way of applying my invention to this class of weapons is to use (instead of
the above described plunger & striker) two or more hammers or oscillating pieces
one of which serves to push the cartridges from the drum into the chamber of the
barrel another to lock it & fire the cartridge; or separate hammers may be used
for locking & firing, or hammers & plunger may be used in combination for
performing all the above mentioned operations.
-
The usual drum locking pieces & half cut spindles are used for the purpose of
keeping the mechanism cocked & in the impossibility of being fired.
I sometimes arrange the trigger immediately under the thumb so as to be released
by its pressure instead of the forefingers but keep all the other pieces of the
mechanism as above described.
The cartridges used for this sort of weapons differ slightly from the ordinary
ones by having the metallic case prolonged to the end of the bullet, completely
encasing it, in order to limit their thrust from the drum into the chamber of the
barrel.
The above described weapons require the outside force of the hand, applied on
the lever, in order to perform all the necessary operations of closing the breech,
cocking the striker etc., etc.
But I sometimes arrange the mechanism in such a manner as to perform all
these operations automatically by the force of the recoil limiting the outside
power of the hand to the pulling of the trigger & in certain cases also provide
means for the automatic pulling of the trigger.
One way of transforming the first weapon described in this Specification into an
automatic repeating pistol is to suppress the bolt or locking piece & the S-shaped
lever.
I arrange the spring that was connected to the S-shaped lever inside the stock,
in such a manner that the pressure of its two branches may be brought, one against
the back of the plunger & the other against the firing pin. The pressure of both
branches is used in this case for keeping the cartridge inside the barrel at the
moment of the explosion.
The action of this weapon so constructed is as follows:
Supposing that it is ready for firing, a slight pressure of the forefinger on the trigger
releases the striker & the cartridge is fired. The pressure of the gases on the
bottom of the case and against the front part of the plunger causes this last

page_text: piece as well as the empty case to recoil against the two branched spring, inside
the stock, above described. At the end of this backward motion the striker is
arrested by the sear while the plunger is immediately driven forward again by the
other branch of the same spring.
In the first part of its forward motion, the plunger which is provided with a
projection strikes against a lever (pivoted immediately underneath & on the same
pin as the sear) which bears at its end a pawl that causes the drum to turn of the
necessary quantity bringing thus a fresh cartridge in front & between the two jaws
with which the plunger is provided.
During the remaining part of the sliding motion of the plunger caused by the
same spring the cartridge is thrust of the necessary quantity from the drum into
the chamber of the barrel, & the weapon is ready to be fired by simply pulling the
trigger.
The arrangement of trigger & sear in this case is of a peculiar kind as in this sort
of weapons, the action is so quick that it would be utterly impossible (in the case
that an ordinary trigger was used) for anyone to lift the finger from it quickly
enough as soon as the firing pin had struck the cartridge & two or more shots would
certainly be fired before the trigger was left free.
In order to avoid this, I hinge a pawl on the trigger; this pawl I provide with a
shoulder which every time the trigger is pulled strikes against the sear & thus
releases the striker. As soon as the cartridge is fired an incline, shoulder or
projection provided on the plunger or any other recoiling or oscillating piece strikes
against the above mentioned pawl, & puts it out of gear with the sear which is
free again to engage the firing pin. By lifting the finger from the trigger, the pawl
pushed by a spring comes in gear again with the sear & the weapon is thus ready
for another shot.
Sometimes, instead of using the motion of some of the recoiling parts to put this
pawl out of gear, I make its spring to keep it continually out of gear & use the
forward motion of the recoiling or oscillating parts for putting in gear this pawl
with the sear without altering any other part of the above described mechanism.
Sometimes, instead of the plunger & firing pin I employ two or more hammers
or oscillating pieces (pivoted in a suitable place & under the pressure of suitable
springs) one of which serves to push the cartridge from the drum into the chamber
of the barrel & the other for firing the cartridges; or a combination of plunger &
hammer may be used without altering any other part of the mechanism, or parting
from the principle of my invention.
The spring or springs that push the cartridge into the chamber of the barrel, are
always made strong enough to allow the bullet to be out of the muzzle before the
cartridge is withdrawn from the barrel & ensure thus a perfect check to the gases
during the explosion.
A suitable lever (the spindle of which serves for pivot to the sear & the small
lever that causes the drum to revolve on its axis) is provided outside for working
the plunger by hand in case of hang fire or bad cartridges.
I sometimes use the above described mechanism for sporting, & military rifles,
either with or without revolving drum. In this latter case I preferably use two
plungers one of which, supported by a very powerful spring serves to keep the
cartridge in the chamber of the barrel during the explosion & recoils only of a
quarter of an inch or so, the second plunger that carries the striker slides inside
the first one and at the end of its forward motion is locked to the same, by the
interrupted thread system, by turning on its axis of the necessary quantity.
The action of this second plunger is controlled by a suitable coil spring capable
of pushing it forward first, and make it turn radially at the end of its motion.
The cartridges in this case are always driven beyond the chamber of the barrel
of that quantity that the first plunger recoils, so as to enable the bullet to be out of
the muzzle before the rear part of the cartridge itself is out of the chamber of the
barrel & prevent their bulging or bursting; and imparting to the bullet the greatest
possible energy.

page_text: The trigger arrangement & other parts of the mechanism remain the same as
before.
The action of this weapon is as follows:
By pulling the trigger the cartridge is fired, the explosion drives it backward in
the same time as the big plunger (supported by a strong spring) of about a quarter
of an inch without however being driven out of the chamber before the bullet has
left the muzzle of the barrel. During this motion, the small plunger that carries
the firing pin is caused to revolve on its axis by one or more inclines, suitably
provided on the body of the rifle, and as soon as it clears the interrupted_threads
that lock it to the big plunger, is driven backward against the above described coil
spring completely withdrawing the empty case out of the chamber of the gun &
ejecting it at the end of its backward motion.
In this position the plunger is kept by a suitable catch provided for this purpose.
After a fresh cartridge has been put in the receiver, either by hand or from a
magazine, a slight depression of the thumb on this catch releases the plunger,
which pushed by the coil spring behind it, flies forward driving the cartridge into
the chamber of the barrel, cocking the striker & locking itself to the larger plunger
above described.
The weapon is thus ready for a second shot by simply pulling the trigger.
In case of rifles without magazines, instead of the trigger arrangements above
described, I preferably connect the trigger, with the catch that serves to arrest the
bolt in its rear position, with a suitable rod so as to render the motion of these two
pieces dependent on each other & when one of them is put out of gear the other is
forcibly put in gear & vice versa.
The cartridges I use for this sort of weapons are preferably rimless i.e. a groove
is cut at the rear end of the cartridge & makes thus a rim of the same diameter
as the cartridge itself; they are slightly conical, the metallic case is prolonged to
the end of the Iullet, completely encasing it & the bottom or rear part is made
thicker than usual, having a spherical or egg shape section inside so as to prevent
them from bulging or bursting during the first part of the recoil.
Dated this 27th day of August 189.1
Improvements in Revolvers and Automatic Firearms.
I COLOMBO RICCI of 28 Harwood Road, Walham Green, London, in the County
of Middlesex, late of 25 Tenison Street Lambeth Mechanical 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 :-
My invention relates chiefly to revolvers, but comprises various improvements
which are also applicable to military rifles & other guns.
One object of my present invention is to construct a revolver in such a manner,
that the cartridges before being struck & fired, will be partly driven forward from
the drum into the chamber of the barrel; ensuring thus a complete check to the gases,
which being utilized during the whole length of the barrel, will give the bullet the
greatest possible energy.
In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated different ways of carrying this
invention into effect.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, showing the mechanism of a revolver, con-
structed according to my present invention, & so arranged as to be worked by
hand.
Fig. 2. represents another revolver, which is constructed like the one represented
in Fig. 1, with the difference, that instead of being provided with an ordinary

page_text: trigger to be worked by the forefinger, it is provided with a trigger, suitably placed
so as to be worked by the thumb.
Fig. 3 represents the mechanism of a revolver, in which, all the operations of
cocking the firing pin, extracting the empty case, & thrusting a fresh cartridge into
the chamber of the barrel, are performed automatically by the pressure of the
gases (generated by the powder) on the front face of the plunger, every time the
weapon is fired.
Fig. 4. is a modification of Fig. 3. so constructed, as to be used automatically or
worked by hand as may be the case.
Fig 5 represents the internal construction of a cartridge to be used especially
with automatic weapons as shown in Figs. 3, 4, & 6.
Figs. 6 & 7 are respectively a longitudinal section & transversal section (full
size) of a rifle, in which the barrel is fixed, & all the operations of cocking the
firing pin, ejecting the empty case, & thrusting a fresh cartridge into the
chamber of the barrel, are performed automatically by the pressure of the gases,
on the front face of the plunger or breech bolt, as in the weapons represented in
Figs. 3 & 4.
Fig. 8. is a general view of the above rifle at scale.
The general shape & size of the weapons shown at Figs. 1, 2, 3, & 4, are those of
the existing revolvers.
In Fig. 1. A. is the barrel, hinged at a on the body of the revolver B. & locked
at C, by the ordinary half pin system. D the drum carrying the cartridges &
mounted on a central spindle in the ordinary manner; E. is a plunger capable to
slide longitudinally, in suitable grooves in the body B & carrying in its centre a
firing pin F. & a suitable coil spring for the same.
On the spindle G is mounted the lever L, the upper part L' of which is fork
shaped & allows thus the trigger H (which is mounted on the same spindle G) &
the bolt I., which is pivoted at i to oscillate between its two branches L'.
The upper part L gears in suitable shoulders with the plunger E & firing pin F.
The lower part L³ is suitably shaped to receive the action of two or more fingers
for working the weapon.
J is a two branch spring mounted inside the body of the revolver.
The shorter branch J' is connected to the lever L at L³ through the link K. &
tends to push it continually open; the longer branch J gears with the tail 13 of the
bolt I. very close to the pivot i & tends to push this bolt I. in the unlocked position
as it will be seen hereafter.
M is the sear, which is pivoted at m & acted upon by the trigger H. through the
little rod N. O & P are respectively the sear & trigger springs.
The trigger H is provided with a shoulder Q which serves for raising the bolt I
& completely locks the plunger E (in the position shown in the drawing Fig. 1)
before the trigger itself, comes in contact with the extremity of the rod N. for
releasing the sear M.
R is a spindle of a peculiar shape as shown in the drawing & made solid with the
handle S which is on one side of the weapon, & can be shifted by hand in the two
different positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.
A narrow gap is cut off, on this spindle R just opposite the sear M. Eo as to
allow this piece, room enough to oscillate on its pivot m, when it is pushed by
the trigger H through the rod N for the purpose of disengaging the firing pin F.
Another
gap,
much wider than the former one, is cut off, on the same spindle R
just opposite the tail 13 of the bolt I (which is three times as wide or thick as the
sear M) & deep enough to allow the bolt I free room to oscillate on its pivot i. so
as to lock or disengage the plunger E as it may be the case.
When this spindle R is in the position shown in the drawing Fig. 1, the sear M
& bolt I., are free to move, but when the handle S is turned from the upper position,
to the lower one S¹ the two gaps of the spindle R, are also rotated through the
same angle as well as the spindle R itself; the surface of which is brought against
the sear M & tail I³ of the bolt I. rendering thus these two pieces, as well as the

page_text: weapon.
and prevenning any accidental discharge of GIF:
T. is a pawl that serves to rotate the drum in the usual manner after every
round fired.
U. is part of the body B. of the revolver that connects the two sides, & takes
the thrust of the plunger E through the head I¹ of the bolt I at the moment of the
explosion.
The working of this weapon is as follows:
Supposing the weapon gripped in the right hand, if the forefinger is released
from the trigger, this piece will be in the position shown in dotted lines at H¹ io
Fig. 1.
The shoulder will be out of gear with the corresponding shoulder 12 of the
bolt I which pushed by the spring J will be free to swing on its pivot & unlock
the plunger E.
If now, the two fingers that grip the handle L at L³ are slightly open, the
shorter branch J₁ of the spring J will cause the lever L to swing on its axis G ;
during which motion, the upper part L will partly cock the firing pin & extract
the empty cartridge from the chamber of the barrel.
During this movement, & as soon as the empty case is completely out of the
chamber of the barrel, the pawl T. which is hinged on the lever L will cause the
drum D to rotate on its axis of one space & bring thus a fresh cartridge in front of
the plunger E.
By closing the hand again the lever L will be brought in the position shown in the
drawing Fig. 1, the firing pin completely cocked & the plunger E will consequently
drive the fresh cartridge into the chamber of the barrel, of that distance, which is
considered sufficient to ensure a complete check to the gases.
The locking of the plunger, is effected by the first movement of the trigger
(from the position shown in dotted lines H¹ to the position in full H Fig. 1) which
through its shoulders Q causes the bolt I to rise into the position shown in the
drawing Fig. 1.
The subsequent movement of the trigger causes the sear M. (through the rod N)
to turn on its axis m release the firing pin & fire the cartridge.
It is obvious, that all the cartridges contained in the drum D. can be fired in
turn by simply opening & closing the hand & pulling the trigger.
The weapon shown in Fig. 2, is in principle & general construction the same as
that shown in Fig. 1, with the difference that the locking of the bolt I & releasing
of the sear M, instead of being effected by the trigger H operated by the forefinger,
they will be effected by the trigger X Fig. 2 operated by the thumb.
The sear M Fig. 2 is mounted on the spindle m. as well as the trigger X. which
is provided with two shoulders X' (one on each side of the sear M.) that are made
to gear with the tail 13 of the bolt I & serve for the purpose of raising the bolt I.
into the position shown in the drawing at Fig. 2, during the first motion of the
trigger X from the position shown in dotted lines to the position shown in full lines
Fig. 2.
The subsequent forward oscillating motion of the trigger X. causes the sear M.
(through its projection M¹ which is made solid with the same sear M) to release the
firing pin F & fire the cartridge.
The revolver shown in Figs. 1 & 2 requires the outside power of the hand at
every round fired; but I sometimes construct the mechanism of this weapon in such
a manner, that all the operations of loading & extracting the empty case & cocking
the firing pin will be performed automatically by the pressure of the gases on the
front face of the plunger at the moment of the explosion.
Figs. 3 & 4 represent two different ways of carrying this invention into effect.
The general construction (as far as the thrusting of the cartridges into the
chamber of the barrel is concerned) remains the same, as that in Figs. 1 & 2.
with the exception that the hand lever & bolt are suppressed, & a special device is
used for ensuring single firing.

page_text: In Fig. 3 A. is the barrel, B. the body of the revolver, D. the drum, E. the
plunger, F. the firing pin, J. a two branched spring one of which J. operates
the plunger, & the other J₁ the striker, & both are employed in resisting the
backward pressure of the gases at the moment of the explosion. L. is a lever
(carrying a pawl T for rotating the drum D.) & pivoted at m, as well as the
sear M.
The mechanism for ensuring single firing consists of the trigger H. hinged
at G. carrying a tumbler K. hinged at 9. & gearing at K¹ with a shoulder E¹ of
the plunger E. h. is a spring that operates both the trigger H & tumbler K..
R is a spindle made solid with the little handle S (which is on the outside of the
weapon) & serves as before for locking the sear M & prevents thus any accidental
discharge of the weapon. Q. is the ordinary pawl used to stop the rotation of the
drum D. & O. a spindle connected to the handle P. for the purpose of releasing the
tension of the spring J. when the weapon is not in use.
U. is a lever on the outside of the revolver, connected with the pivot m, &
carrying a small pin or projection V. which gears with the plunger E & serves for
loading the first time & working the weapon by hand.
The action of this weapon Fig. 3 is as follows:
By pulling the trigger H. the firing pin F. is released by the sear M through the
tumbler K & the cartridge is fired.
The pressure of the gases developed by the powder drives the plunger E & firing
pin F. backward (at the same moment that the bullet is driven out of the muzzle
of the barrel) against the two branches of the spring J.
This first movement extracts the empty cartridge from the chamber of the
barrel, cocks the firing pin in the position shown at Fig. 3, & the shoulder E' (of
the plunger E) that gears with the head K' puts the tumbler K. out of gear with
the sear M until the single firing mechanism acquires the position shown in.
Fig. 4.
It is obvious that it will be utterly impossible to fire any subsequent shot until
the pressure of the forefinger is released from the trigger H. and the tumbler K can
gear again with the sear M as shown in Fig. 3.
I sometimes, instead of using the shoulder E' for putting the tumbler K out of
gear with the sear M, arrange this mechanism in such a manner that the tumbler K.
is kept out of gear with the sear by the action of a spring, & the shoulder E¹ or
other projection will put it in gear with the sear, when the plunger is completely
driven home & the cartridge lodged into the chamber of the barrel.
As soon as the energy stored up in the backward motion of the plunger E is
expended, the branch of the spring J. that has been compressed, will react instantly
& drive the plunger forward again in the position shown at Fig. 3.
During this forward movement of the plunger E. the shoulder f. of the lever L.
(which was forced upward during the backward motion of the plunger by the
spring n.) comes in contact with the shoulder e of the plunger E & causes the
lever L to swing downwards & rotate the drum D of one space, through
the pawl T.
The rotation of the drum D. causes the empty cartridge to slide out of the two
clutches of the plunger E & a fresh cartridge to be brought in front of the same by
which it will be thrust into the chamber of the barrel & the weapon will be ready
for a second shot.
It is thus evident that all the cartridges in the drum will be fired in turn by
simply pulling & releasing the trigger at every round.
The branches of the spring J. are always made strong enough to allow the bullet
to be entirely out of the muzzle before the empty case is completely extracted from
the chamber of the barrel.
From the above description it will be seen that the weapon shown at Figs. 1 & 2
is made to be worked by hand, & the one shown at Fig. 3 will work entirely
automatically.

page_text: The revolver shown by Fig. 4 is constructed in such a manner that its action
will be either automatic or dependent on hand power.
The general construction is that of Fig. 3. with the difference that the backward
thrust of the plunger E instead of being taken up by the two branched spring, will
be taken up by a flat spring, which operates the firing pin, together with a coil
spring through a system of two links and thrust piece suitably arranged for this
purpose.
N. is a thrust piece pivoted at 9. (on the body of the weapon) that takes up the
backward motion of the plunger E. at N¹ & slotted in the middle to allow the
spring J. to act freely on the firing pin F.
The upper link O. is hinged at N' on the piece N & also at P1 on the lower
link P which is pivoted at P2 on the body of the weapon. X. is a coil spring
connected by mears of a stud X' to the link P. at P4 & on the other side bearing
against the body of the revolver at B'. The upper link O. passes through the
body of the revolver & is extended outside in a sort of tail O¹ which serves for
working the revolver by hand.
P³ is a projection on the link P. which strikes against the slide V & stops both
links O. & P. in the position shown at Fig. 4 i.e. with the centre Pl out of the
line N2 P³ when the weapon is wanted to work automatically. V. is a slide connected
by a sort of eccentric to the stud U' of the lever U.
When this lever U. is rotated in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. this
slide V. will be withdrawn from between the projection P³ & the body of the
weapon B. in which case the projection P³ instead of striking the slide V. will
strike the body at B³ & the centre P' will be above on the left of the line N' P³.
N³ is a shoulder on the piece N. which serves to withdraw the plunger E by means
of the projection E².
The action of this weapon is as follows:
Supposing it is required to work automatically; the lever U. must be turned
upwards in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4. when the slide V. will rest
between the body B³ & projection P³ & the centre P¹ will be out of the line N³ P'
as shown in the drawing at Fig. 4.
All the parts of Fig. 4 are represented in the position they acquire soon after
firing a shot & before the forefinger is released from the trigger.
The explosion of the cartridge has driven the plunger E backwards against the
thrust piece N. & the firing pin F. against the spring J.
The whole thrust of the plunger is ultimately taken up (through the joints N'
& P¹) by the pin P2 and coil spring X; the amount being inversely proportional to
the distance that the centre PI is out of the line N P & the distance P¹ to P4.
These dimensions vary according to the calibre & size of the cartridge & the
quality of the powder used.
The backward motion of the plunger E. causes the thrust piece N. to swing on
its pivot q., & the links O & P to rotate accordingly with the centre P¹ in the
direction of the arrow, thus compressing the coil spring X & cocking the firing pin
in the position shown at Fig. 4.
As soon as the total energy stored up in the plunger is completely expended, the
coil spring will react instantly & cause all the parts to take up again their respective
position as shown in Fig. 4.
The rotation of the drum D. the driving of the cartridge into the chamber of the
barrel & the action of the single firing mechanism remain the same as explained
before in regard to Fig. 3.
In this case also, as in Fig. 3 all the cartridges contained in the drum will be
fired by simply pulling & releasing the trigger at every round.
If one intends to work this weapon by hand, the lever U. must be rotated by half
a turn from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines
Fig. 4.
This movement withdraws the slide V from under the projection Ps & the

page_text: links O. & P. pushed by the spring X. will then acquire a position with their
common centre P₁ slightly above on the left of the line N P in which position,
the whole thrust of the explosion will be taken up by the pin P' and both links O
& P as well as the thrust piece N. will remain fixed.
For firing every single cartridge contained in the drum D. all it is necessary to
do, is to act with the thumb on the tail O¹ of the link O. in the same manner as in
cooking the hammer of an ordinary revolver or pistol. This movement will cock
the firing pin & extract the empty case from the chamber of the barrel; the
reverse movement caused by the coil spring X. will rotate the drum D. bring a fresh
cartridge in front of the plunger, which will thrust it into the chamber of the
barrel and the weapon will be ready again for another shot by simply pulling the
trigger.
The cartridges I use for this sort of weapons, are preferably rimless as shown in
double size Fig. 5. slightly conical with the case prolonged to the extremity of the
bullet, & above all with the bottom greatly increased in thickness & of an egg
shaped form as shown at Y. so as to prevent them from bulging or exploding; as
they begin to withdraw from the chamber of the barrel at the instant the bullet
starts in its forward motion.
The part W. is preferably filled up with wax or any other suitable lubricating
grease.
I sometimes use the above described mechanisms for sporting & military rifles,
either with or without revolving drum.
Fig. 6 represents a military rifle constructed according to my present invention.
A. is the barrel screwed on a sleeve C. & firmly secured to the stock S. B is a
plunger capable of sliding freely inside the sleeve C & K a powerful coil spring
that checks the backward motion of the plunger B at the moment of the explosion.
D is an ordinary breech bolt made to be locked to the plunger B by means of
interrupted threads G & carrying a lever E, & a firing pin H. extractor F & other
necessary parts. J. is another coil spring which is connected to the rear part of
the breech bolt D & is so arranged that it can push forward & rotate the breech
bolt D on its axis for locking it to the plunger B. O is the hammer, P the main
spring, Q. the trigger & N a catch for arresting the breech bolt D in its rearmost
position. R is a rod hinged on the catch N & gearing with trigger Qrendering
thus the motion of these two pieces dependent on each other. q. is a safety catch
that locks the trigger & hammer & prevents thus any accidental discharge of the
weapon.
The action of this rifle is as follows:
By pulling the trigger, the cartridge is fired, & the pressure of the gases drives
the breech bolt D backwards together with the plunger B (to which it is locked
by means of the interrupted threads G) against the coil springs K & J. During
the first part of the recoil of the breech bolt D & plunger B (about of an inch)
the bandle E travels up an incline g. (shown in the general arrangement at scale
of Fig. 8) & forces the breech bolt to rotate on its axis see Fig. 7 until it gets
free from the corresponding threads on the plunger B.
As soon as the breech bolt is completely unlocked from the plunger B. it
continues in its backward motion until it is arrested in its rearmost position by
the catch N & while the plunger B. under the pressure of the spring K is returned
instantly home.
During the backward motion of the breech bolt D. the hammer O. is cocked &
the empty case ejected in the ordinary manner.
Now without taking the weapon from the shoulder a cartridge can be inserted
in the receiver, and by pressing downwards with the thumb the catch N. the
breech bolt D will be immediately pushed forward by the action of the coil
spring J which after driving the fresh cartridge completely into the chamber of
the barrel will cause the. breech bolt D to rotate on its axis & lock itself to the
plunger B.
The weapon is now ready to be fired again by simply pulling the trigger Q.

page_text: The rod R ensures the catch N to arrest the breech bolt D in its rearmost,
position when the trigger is pulled, & forces as well the trigger Q to gear with the
hammer O. when the catch N. is pressed downwards (for disengaging the breech
bolt) preventing thus any premature discharge of the weapon.
The safety sear b. is released by the shoulder c. during the rotating motion of
the breech bolt D & after it has been securely locked to the plunger B.
The rifle can be made with a cylindrical or box shaped magazine without any
alteration in the other parts of the mechanism.
The single firing mechanism described above, & shown in Figs. 3 & 4 can be also
used for all sorts of automatic rifles & other automatic weapons without parting from
the principle of the invention itself.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A revolver (or other firearm provided with a drum or its equivalent in
which the cartridges are carried & exploded) with means for driving each cartridge
in turn into the chamber of the barrel previous to its being struck & fired for the
purpose above specified.
2nd. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 a lever L & plunger E Fig. 1 or its
equivalent for effecting the thrusting of the cartridges from the drum into the
chamber of the barrel.
3rd. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 a spring J. in combination with
lever L. & bolt 1 Fig. 1 & for the purpose above specified.
4th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 a trigger H in combination with the
bolt & sear M Fig. 1 which sear cannot be released until the bolt has completely
locked the plunger E as described & for the purpose set forth.
5th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 a lever S. & spindle R in com-
bination with the sear M & bolt I Fig. 1. as described & for the purpose above
specified.
6th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 the trigger X substantially as
described in reference to Fig. 2 & for the purpose set forth.
7th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 the utilization of the explosion of the
cartridge for the purpose of automatically cocking the firing pin extracting the
empty case & thrusting a fresh cartridge into the chamber of the barrel ready for
the next discharge.
8th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 & 7 a plunger E. or its equivalent, with
firing pin F. in combination with a spring J. substantially as described in reference
to Fig. 3 & for the purpose above specified.
9th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 & 7 a plunger E or its equivalent,
in combination with the lever L & pawl T as described in reference to Fig. 3 & 4
& for the purpose set forth.
10th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 & 7 the combination of the sear M
lever L. & pawl T. with the spring n. Fig. 3 & 4 which spring is so arranged as
to act on all the three mentioned pieces independently of each other.
11th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 & 7 a lever U. with projection V. in
combination with a plunger E substantially as described in reference to Fig. 3 &
for the purpose above specified.
12th. In a firearm as described at Claim 1 & 7 a lever P. & spindle O Fig. 3 for
releasing the tension of the spring J when the weapon is not in use.
13th. In a firearm as described at Claims 1 & 7 a plunger E or its equivalent in
combination with a system of links O & P & coil spring X either with or without
thrust piece N-the whole as described in reference to Fig. 4 & for the purpose
above specified.
14th. In a firearm as described at Claims 1 & 7 the link O with its projection O'
in combination with the thrust piece N and plunger E for cocking the firing pin &
working the weapon by hand.
:

page_text: 15th. In a firearm as described at Claims 1 & 7 a lever S & spindle R for
locking the sear M. Fig. 3 & 4 in a safety position when the weapon is not
in use.
16th. In automatic firearms (of the two links or toggle joint system) a slide V
with lever U & eccentric U¹ or any other equivalent means to stop the links O. P..
Fig. 4 with their common centre P¹ either above or under the line N' P' as
described & for the purpose specified.
17th. In automatic firearms, a single firing mechanism composed of a trigger H.
or its equivalent Fig. 3 & 4 carrying a tumbler K. that gears with a sear M by
means of the spring h. & is automatically put out of gear by a shoulder E' (of the
plunger E or of any other sliding or oscillating piece) every time a cartridge is
fired & for the purpose set forth.
18th. In automatic firearms, a single firing mechanism composed of a trigger H.
or its equivalent carrying a tumbler K. that is kept out of gear with the sear by a
suitable spring & is automatically put in gear with the sear by the plunger or any
other sliding or oscillating piece of mechanism after each cartridge has been thrust
into the chamber of the barrel.
19th. A cartridge substantially as described in reference to Fig. 5 & for the
purpose above specified.
20th. An automatic firearm (either with or without magazine) composed of a
barrel A screwed on an outer sleeve C & rigidly fixed or attached to the stock S.
in which the backward thrust of the cartridge is taken up by a breech bolt D.
locked on a plunger B. capable to slide longitudinally into the outer sleeve C. &
controlled by a powerful coil spring K & in which the explosion of the cartridge is
utilized for performing automatically all the operations necessary to get the weapon
ready for a subsequent discharge.
21st. In an automatic firearm as described at Claim 20, the combination of the
bolt D with the coil spring J attached to its rear end; said coil spring J having
torsional tension imparted thereto for rotating the bolt on its axis after having
driven it forward into its normal position, substantially as described in reference to
Fig. 6. 7 & 8 & for the purpose set forth.
22nd. In an automatic firearm as described at Claim 20, the combination of the
bolt spring J the hollow plug M & nut d. secured to the spring J & adapted to be
put in different positions into a hole of corresponding shape in the end of
the plug M for the purpose of regulating the torsional tension of the said
spring J.
23rd. In an automatic firearm as described at Claim 20 the combination with the
hammer O & trigger Q of the sear 6 which is adapted to be released automatically
by the rotary movement of the bolt D. substantially as described in reference to
Fig. 6 & for the purpose set forth.
24th. In an automatic firearm as described at Claim 20, the combination with
the trigger of the catch q. (as shown in the drawing of Fig. 6) for the purpose
of locking the above & preventing any accidental discharge when the weapon is
kept loaded.
25th. In automatic firearms, the combination with the trigger Q & catch N of
a rod R or its equivalent for the purpose above specified.
26th. The improved firearms provided with mechanisms consisting of the parts
constructed & combined substantially as described & shown in Fig. 1 to 8 of the
drawings & for the purposes set forth.
021 1
1005