IMPROVE MENTS IN ROTATING BREECH FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Colt, of Spring Gardens, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN ROTATING BREECH FIRE-ARMS."-Partly a communication.
Sealed the 23d April 1853, and dated the 3d March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Colt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3d March 1853.
I, SAMUEL COLT, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATING BREECH FIRE-ARMS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a mode of preventing the arbor
or pin on which the breech cylinder rotates from fouling by the
entrance of smoke between it and the cylinder. To prevent this,
the forward end of the central bore of the cylinder is closed, and the
pin or arbor is inserted at the rear end, it being passed through the
recoil shield or other equivalent part of the lock frame for that purpose.
This pin is retained in its place by a spring catch, which may be
attached to or form part with the pin.
A second feature of this Invention is, that the rear end of the breech
cylinder bears against a hollow screw, through which the breech

page_text: cylinder pin passes. By turning this screw the position of the
cylinder, as respects its proximity to the barrel, may be nicely adjusted.
In some cases, I propose to connect the barrel to the lock frame by
a hinge joint, so that by throwing up the barrel the breech cylinder
may be removed when its charges are expended, and quickly replaced
by a loaded cylinder.
The barrel is held firmly in place by a button with cam grooves cut
in it to receive and act upon a pin projecting from the barrel, and
thereby bring the barrel up to its bearing against the lock frame. Or
a simple wedge may be used for the like purpose.
The last feature of this Invention relates to a means of transmitting
motion to a plunger, which is a substitute for the ordinary ramrod,
the object being to give the plunger the required range of motion
within a contracted space.
The lever which carries and works the plunger is provided at its
inner end with a segment rack, which takes into a rack formed on the
barrel, and forms a progressing fulcrum for the lever.
When the lever is depressed the segment rack will roll over the
rack on the barrel, and drive the plunger into that chamber of the
breech cylinder which is in a line therewith, and thereby ram down
the ball that has been inserted therein.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Colt, in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 3d September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
SAMUEL COLT, of Spring Gardens, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant.
unto me, the said Samuel Colt, Her especial licence that I, the said
Samuel Colt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others

page_text: as I, the said Samuel Colt, 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 ROTATING BREECH FIRE-
ARMS," being partly a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Colt, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and as-
certain 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 Samuel Colt, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto an-
nexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention relates, firstly, to a mode of preventing the arbor or
centre pin on which the breech cylinder of repeating fire arms rotates
from fouling by the entrance of smoke or dirt between it and the
cylinder, and also of facilitating the removal of the breech cylinder
from the arm, and the insertion of a charged cylinder; secondly, to a
mode of adjusting the position of the breech cylinder with respect to
its proximity to the barrel; thirdly, to certain means of transmitting
motion to a plunger which is permanently secured to the fire arm, and
is to be used as a substitute for the ordinary ramrod; and, fourthly, to
certain means, where the barrel is connected to the lock frame by a
hinge joint, of bringing the barrel up to its bearing against the lock-
frame.
In the accompanying drawing these several improvements are dis-
tinctly set forth. Fig. 1, shews in longitudinal section so much of a
repeating fire arm as will serve to explain my first and second improve-
ments. In this Figure, a, is a portion of the recoil shield, which is
formed in one piece with the frame that carries the barrel b. Through

page_text: the recoil shield a hole is bored for the reception of a pin or arbor c
which projects into a central hole formed in the rotating breech cy-
linder d, and thereby supports that cylinder. Instead of boring the
central hole quite through the cylinder, I leave the forward end solid
at that part; or I may insert a plug, if thought more convenient, and
thereby close the end of the central hole. By this means I prevent the
possibility of the arbor c, fouling from the smoke and powder which
escape from the fore end of the cylinder. In order to adjust the
position of the cylinder with respect to its proximity to the barrel, so
as to prevent close contact, and yet at the same time reduce, as much
as may be, the amount of lateral fire escaping from between the ap-
proximating parts, I enlarge the bore made in the recoil shield for
the reception of the arbor c, and fit a threaded collar or hollow nut e,
therein, making the inner end of the collar project through the recoil
shield, and bear against the rear end of the cylinder d. When, there-
fore, I find it necessary to bring up the cylinder closer to the barrel, I
can effect this simply by turning the collar by means of a screw-driver,
it being provided with nicks for the purpose of being turned as shewn
in the detached view, Fig. 2. An annular recess is cut in this
collar, as shewn in the drawing, for the purpose to be presently ex-
plained. The arbor c, which passes through this collar and carries
the cylinder, as above stated, is recessed to receive a spring f, which
is riveted to the arbor, and is provided with catches at its opposite
ends, and with a thumb piece at its outer extremity (see the end view
of the arbor, Fig. 3). When the arbor is thrust home the catch at s
the hinder end of the spring takes into the annular recess cut in the
collar e, and thereby the arbor is prevented from getting loose or out
of its place; but when the arbor is drawn back, as shewn at Fig. 4,
for the purpose of removing the cylinder from the arm, the catch at
the inner end of the spring will take into the annular recess, and a
thereby prevent the arbor from dropping out of its bearing. To allow
of the arbor being drawn back, the hinder catch must be first lifted out
of the recess in the collare; and for this purpose the thumb piece is
provided, which, by being pressed up, will raise, the catch free of the
recess.

page_text: The third feature of this Invention is shewn, as applied to a pistol, at
Fig. 5. Instead of jointing the lever g, (which works the plunger h,)
to the underside of the barrel, as described in the Specification of
my Patent, dated the Twentieth day of June, One eight hundred
and forty-nine, I provide the lever with a segment rack i, the teeth of
which take into a rack or line of holes k, formed in the underside of
the barrel b, as shewn in the plan view, Fig. 6, and thereby I obtain
a creeping or progressing instead of a stationary fulcrum, the advantage
of which is that the required range of motion for the plunger may be
imparted thereto within a contracted space (see the diagram, Fig. 7,)
as compared with the stationary fulcrum. The plunger h, is made to
embrace the segment termination of the lever, and it is jointed thereto
by a pin. A guide is provided in the frame 1, for directing the course
of the plunger.
The fourth feature of the Invention is shewn at Figs. 8. Affixed to
the barrel a, is a strap b, which passes over the breech cylinder, and is
jointed to the recoil shield c, of.the. lock frame. Projecting from the
underside of the barrel is an abutting piece d, which rests against the
forward extremity of the lock frame. This abutting piece is furnished
with a pin that takes into a groove formed in a button e, carried by a
pin on the lock frame. This groove. is shewn in the detached view of
the button e, as of a volute form, receding gradually from the edge of
the button, and approaching the centre pin. By turning this button
the pin on the abutting piece of the barrel will be drawn inwards, and
thus the barrel will be held firmly to and in close contact with the
lock frame. Instead of this rotating button I propose to effect the
same object by means of a wedge having taper edges, which, by being
driven through corresponding slots cut in the abutting piece of the
barrel and the forward extremity of the lock frame, will draw the
parts closely together. The object of connecting the barrel to the
lock frame by a hinge joint is to allow of the ready release of the
breech cylinder when all its charges are expended, and the insertion of a
loaded cylinder in its place; but as this construction of arm presents.
insuperable inconveniences when not. provided with a means of
drawing the barrel up to the frame, .I have..designed the above con-

page_text: trivances for the purpose of removing one great and hitherto fatal
objection to the use of the jointed barrel.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,―
First, constructing the breech cylinder with a stopped or closed
central hole, for the purpose above set forth.
Secondly, supporting the breech cylinder by means of a centre pin
or arbor projecting from the recoil shield, and capable of being drawn
back to allow of the removal of the cylinder.
Thirdly, I claim the adjustment of the position of the breech
cylinder with respect to its proximity to the barrel by means of a
screw nut or threaded collar, which is made to bear against the rear
end of that cylinder.
Fourthly, I claim the use of a creeping fulcrum for transmitting
motion to the plunger employed in loading rotating breech fire arms.
And lastly, I claim the means above set forth for bringing the barrel
up to its bearing against the lock frame.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Colt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
SAM. COLT. (L.S.)
Witness, A. V. NEWTON.