Improvements in Revolvers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Revolvers.
I, PETER HENRY FINNEGAN, of Nos. 437 & 438 Monadnock Building, in the City
of Chicago, County of Cook, and State of Illinois, United States of America,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to fire-arms, the object being to provide an improved
construction of that class thereof herein showu and described.
In the drawing forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a side elevation, with cover removed, the case being shown partly in
section, and the cylinder partly broken away.
Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the under side of the cover.
Figure 4 is a sectional perspective view of the case.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a part of the trigger.
Figures 6 and 7 are plan views of opposite sides of the cylinder.
Figure 8 is an edge view of the cylinder.
Figure 9 is a section on line 9*-9*, Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a similar view to Figure 1, but illustrating the positions of the
parts of the weapon when the hammer is at full cock.
The improvements in said revolver construction, herein below described, relate
to safety devices for preventing the arm from being fired inadvertently:
To an improved manner of constructing the case, the barrel, and the breech-
block, whereby increased strength and durability are secured, and the cost of
construction is reduced, and whereby the grip of the arm is improved :
To an improved construction of the devices for locking the cover to the case
which contains the cylinder and other parts, and to means connected with the
arm, for ejecting shells from the cylinder.
In the drawing, A is the case containing certain operative parts of the arm, as
below set forth; B, is the barrel, and D is the hollow, cylindrically formed breech-
block on which the cylinder of the arm rotates. Said case, barrel, and breech-
block, are integrally made from steel, iron, or other suitable metal.
Said case has heretofore been made separate from the barrel, B, the latter being
screwed into the border of the case. Also, the breech-block, D, has heretofore
been made separate from the case and united to the latter by screws, passing
through one side of the case into one end of the block. But by changing the block
by forming the longitudinal slot, 3, in it so that the nose, x, of the hammer, 4, can
be introduced through the side of said block, to the working position shown in
Figure 1; the breech-block is made of one piece with the case, A, thereby effecting
a considerable saving in construction.
Likewise, by making the case and barrel of one piece, the weakness of a joint
between said two pieces does not exist, the manipulation of, and work upon,
two pieces is avoided and the work in finishing the same is rendered more
economical.
The said case has on its border two inwardly overhanging lips or flanges, 5, 5,
which, with two flange sections, 6, 6, on the border of the cover, J, serve to secure
aid cover onto the case.
To facilitate the quick removal of said cover from the case, the cover is provided
with a cam-shaped formation, 7, at the end of one of said flanges, 6. When said

page_text: cover is to be placed on the case, the two flanges, 6, on the cover, are first brought
between the flanges, 5, of the case. The cover is then turned, (bearing on the
edge of the case) and the flanges, 6, run under the flanges, 5, thus locking the
cover on.
On turning the cover backward to unlock it, said cam, 7, strikes the end of one
of said flanges, 5, and one edge of the cover is thereby lifted from the case and can
be grasped by the fingers to lift it off. The thick end of said cam, 7, runs against
one end of one of the flanges 5, on the cover, and prevents the cover from being
turned too far when locking it on.
A stop-pin, s, is placed under one of said flanges in the case when it is desired to
limit the movement of the cover, J, in locking it.
The cover, J, has two springs, 99, on its inner side which bear frictionally
against one side of the cylinder, h, when the cover is on the case, and prevent
any by-throw of the cylinder and assist in holding it closely on the breech-
block, D.
The case, A, has two finger-rests, 10, 12, on its border, one behind the other,
in the forward one, 12, of which, preferably, is hung a safety latch, 13, one end
thereof extending sufficiently through a slot, o, (see Figure 4) in the side of the
case to engage with the side of any one of recesses, n, in the periphery of the
cylinder, h. Said latch is held normally in the position shown in Figure 1, by a
suitable spring, e, placed under the outer end thereof; that is to say, in engagement
with the cylinder, so that the arm can not be discharged inadvertently. The outer
end of said latch, 13, lies in convenient position to be pressed upon by the finger
before firing, to disengage the cylinder and permit it to rotate to bring a cartridge
opposite the barrel when the trigger is pressed.
The finger rest, 10, serves as a rest for the latch finger when holding the arm,
but not in a position to fire it.
The fire-arm, constructed as herein shown, has a cylinder, h, of disk form with
cartridge chambers, 14, extending radially from its axis, in which the cartridge
shells are left after firing.
To provide convenient means attached to the fire-arm for ejecting said shells
from the cylinder, an ejector, 15, is pivoted by one end on one edge of the trigger, 16,
and remains normally shut, as shown in Figure 1, but when used as an ejector,
(the cylinder being taken out of the pistol-case) it is swung outwardly, as shown in
Figure 5, at right angles to the side of the trigger so that its free extremity may
enter the chambers of the cylinder and eject the shells therefrom when the cylinder
is forced against it.
The trigger, 16, is hinged by one end to the border of the case, A, and has a
pawl, 17, attached by one end thereto and its opposite end extends through the
border of the case under the cylinder, h, and engages with any one of the recesses, 18
(see Figure 7) in the under side of the cylinder and intermittently rotates the
ylinder when the trigger, 16, is successively pressed upon.
A spring, 19, retracts the trigger: The said trigger has an arm, 20, pivotally
connected thereto near its hinged end which also enters the case, A, and engages
with the notched edge of the hammer to swing that back for a blow against the
cartridge while the cylinder is turning to bring one opposite the barrel, B.
A spring, 22, holds the end of arm, 20, yieldingly against the edge of the hammer.
A main-spring, 21, is secured to the bottom of the case, and has its free end
engaging with a notch in the hammer.
It will be seen, from the foregoing description, that when the arm is properly
held for firing, one finger presses the outer end of the latch, 13, and the trigger is
then pressed forward, turning the cylinder on the breech-piece, D, and operating
the hammer, as described. The cover, J, is taken off to remove the cylinder and
reload it, and upon replacing the cylinder the cover is locked on as described. A
suitable perforation through the side of the breech-block permits the firing pin of
the hammer to extend therethrough and strike the cartridge primer.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a revolving fire-arm of the class described, a cylindrical case, a cartridge-
cylinder having an intermittent rotary movement in said case and having recesses
in its periphery, combined with a safety-latch pivotally hung on the border of said
case, one end of which passes through said border, a spring under one end of said
latch operating to retain the opposite end thereof normally in engagement with any
one of said recesses, substantially as set forth.
2. In a revolving fire-arm of the class described, the cylinder-case having the
integrally formed tubular breech-block centrally located therein, said block having
a slot through its side extending from its extremity to its base whereby the nose of
the hammer may be passed therethrough substantially as set forth.
3. The case, A, having the finger rests, 10, 12, on its border, one behind the
other, combined with a safety-latch pivotally hung on the border of said case, and
having one end opposite the forward side of said projection, 12, and its opposite
end extending through said border in proximity to the periphery of the cylinder, h,
said rear rest, 10, serving as an abutment for the finger for carrying the arm,
thereby leaving the outer end of said latch free, combined and operating substan-
tially as set forth.
4. In a revolving fire-arm, of the class described, means for locking and
removing the cover of the cylinder-case, consisting of sections of inwardly
extending flanges 5, 5, on the borders of said case, at the end of one of which
flanges is a stop to arrest the circular movement of the case-cover, combined with
a cover having sections of flanges thereon to engage under those of said case, one
of said cover-flanges having a cam, 7, at one end to engage with one end of one of
said case-flanges, thereby causing the cover to be lifted from the case when turned
in one direction, substantially as set forth.
Dated this Soranth day of 1.1 1902
PETER HENRY FINNEGAN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Clerical error in the Applicants address in the original Specification
having been amended by the Patentee, with the consent of the Comptroller, the
printed Specification will now read as shown below:-