Improvements in Toy Pistois for Shooting Marbles and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Toy Pistois for Shooting Marbles and the like.
I, WALTER EDWARD EVERITT, of 527 South Division Street, in the City of
Buffalo, County of Erie and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer of Horse Shoes and Iron Work, 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 to certain improvements in toy pistols for boys to play
marbles with, and it will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed,
reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Fig. 1, represents a side elevation of the device complete, showing the hammer
down.
Fig. 2, represents a top or plan view of the device.
Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the device, showing one side of the casing removed
so as to expose the interior construction, showing also a vertical longitudinal
central section through the spiral propelling spring and disc.
Fig. 4, represents a vertical cross section on or about line a, a, Fig. 3,
showing the two part construction of the case.
Referring to the drawing in detail,
The whole pistol-case comprising the barrel, handle and trigger-guard, is made
in two halves of sheet metal stamped in a die to the proper form and when the
two are put together they form a complete pistol.
1 and 1, represent the two parts of the barrel, 2 the trigger-guard and 3 and 3*
the handle, the whole of each half consisting of half of the barrel, trigger-guard
and handle, formed in one integral piece of sheet metal in the manner above
described.
One half of the barrel, 1, is provided at the top side, with a longitudinal
grooved flange 4, and the other half with a similar flange 5, at the bottom edge, so
that the opposite edges fit in said grooved flanges when put together substantially
as shown in Fig. 4, the concavo-convex halves forming the handle 3, 3, and trigger-
guard 2, meet edge to edge and the whole when thus put together may be secured
by solder or in any other well-known way.
The muzzle of the barrel is provided with a series of longitudinal slits 8, thereby
forming a series of separated spring portions 9.
The object of this construction is to provide the means by which the pistol may
be used to pick up the ball or marble, which is done by simply placing the muzzle
over the ball, in which position it is held by the springs 9, and ready to be fired off
by the spring as will appear further on.
Surrounding the muzzle is an elastic spring of rubber or other suitable material 10,
to increase the force of the spring portions 9.
In the barrel is fitted a spiral spring 11, nade preferably of steel wire, but other
suitable material may be used, see Fig. 3.
Between the two side portions of the case is pivoted a combined trigger and
hammer, the portion 12, being the hammer and the part 13, the trigger. On each
side is two pivots 14, extending outward in opposite directions in the same central
line, and on one side is a holding pin 15, the whole formed in one piece of cast
metal. At the front of the spiral spring 11, is a concave disk 16, having a
connecting wire 17, rigidly secured to it, by riveting or otherwise. This wire 17,
extends backward and is provided with a bend 18, which rests on the pin when the

page_text: hammer is raised, and from thence it extends back and is provided with an eye-
piece 19, which fits over the holding pin 15, on the hammer 12, all of which is
shown in Fig. 3, in which the spiral spring is represented as compressed and
the hammer thrown upward.
In this position it will be noticed that the pin 15, is slightly below the central
pivotal pins 14, so that the force of the compressed spring holds the hammer up
in the position shown in Fig. 3. When the trigger is pulled so that the pin 15, is
raised very little above the centre of the pins 14, the spring acts on the hammer
and moves it quickly and suddenly into the position shown by the dotted lines 20,
(see Fig. 3) thereby driving the disk 16, against the marble and expelling it with
considerable force.
It will be noticed that, when the hammer is down as shown by the dotted
lines 20, it rests against the rear end of the spring 11, which thereby acts as a
cushion when the hammer is released and strikes downward.
The spring 11, in the above described construction, therefore, has a double office.
It acts as a cushion against which the hammer strikes thus rendering the device
less liable to get out of order, and also as the propelling spring for ejecting the
ball or marble. The rear end of the spring 11, rests and is supported against the
partly closed rear end 21, of the barrel."
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 employment, in a toy pistol for shooting marbles, of a barrel having a
series of longitudinal slits in the end thereof, thereby leaving spring portions
forming an integral part of the barrel, and adapting the muzzle to pick up a
marble, substantially as described.
2. The combination, in a toy pistol for shooting marbles, of a bell-shaped muzzle
consisting of a series of longitudinal springs forming an integral portion of the
barrel and adapted for picking up a marble, and a spring surrounding and clasping
the muzzle, substantially as described.
3. In a pistol, the combination, with a holding case comprising the barrel, handle
and trigger-guard, of a spiral spring within the barrel and having its rear end
supported at the rear end of said barrel, a concave ejecting plate at the front of
said spring, a combined hammer and trigger pivoted to the holding case, and a
bar or wire extending longitudinally through the spiral spring and connecting the
concave ejecting plate with a pin or projection on the hammer, said bar or wire
being hent to allow said pin to pass down below the pivotal centre on which the
hammer turns when the hammer is thrown back, substantially as described.
4. In a toy pistol, the combination, with the pistol-barrel provided with an
opening at its rear end and a pivoted hammer, of a spiral spring located in the
barrel and having its rear end extending beyond the opening at the top of the
barrel so as to act as a cushion for the hammer to strike on, and means for
connecting the front of the spring with the hammer for the purposes described.
Dated the 16th day of December 1895.
WALTER EDWARD EVERITT.