IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIREARMSs
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN CARTER, of 33 Ford Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Action Filer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REVOLVING FIREARMS to be as follows:-
"
The object of my Invention is to provide such improved means of locking and
unlocking the rotating cylinders of revolving firearms as shall at all times secure a
correct position of the said cylinders at the moment of discharging the said fire-
arms, and shall only free the cylinders when the same are required to rotate, and
further that the locking bolts shall not cause any friction when the cylinders are
rotating. By the use of these improvements revolving firearms can be made
with their cylinders as free from friction as good workmanship can render them, and
yet be free from any danger of the cylinders rotating at the wrong time, or being
in the wrong position at the time of discharge.
My improvements consists in the application of locking bolts which are operated
by the firing mechanism and only unlocked during the term that the cocking of
the hammer and the rotating of the cylinder are taking place.
As soon as the rotation of the cylinder is completed, bringing one chamber
opposite the barrel for discharge, the cylinder is locked by one bolt operated by the
trigger such bolt ferning part of, or being connected to, the upper part of the
trigger, and rising, as the trigger moves backward to rotate the cylinder.
As the cylinder completes as much rotation as is needed to bring the required
chamber opposite the bore of the barrel, the bolt forming part of, or connected to
the trigger, rises into a recess in the periphery of the cylinder, and rests the
rotatory movement of the said cylinder. This first bolt remains in engagement
with the cylinder until the firing is complete, and the pressure of the finger on
the trigger is released.
The motion of the firing mechanism for the actual discharge of the weapon
brings the second locking bolt into gear with the cylinder. This second locking
bolt is operated by the fall of the hammer in the following manner. The second
bolt lies in the body of the revolver, one part being under the cylinder and by the
side of the trigger, and a prolongation backwards passes by the side of the hammer,
in a groove cut in the frame of the revolver.

page_text: The bolt rocks upon a fulcrum. Attached to the bolt is a spring; and, as the
hammer falls to discharge the revolver; a projection on the said hammer presses
upon the said spring and causes the abovementioned second locking bolt to lock
into a recess in the periphery of the cylinder.
At the moment of actual discharge therefore the cylinder is locked by two bolts,
the first beld up by the trigger, and the second by the hammer.
During the return of trigger the first bolt is released from the cylinder; but the
bolt which is locked by the fall of the hammer, at the moment of discharge, remains
so locked until the hammer is raised for the next action of cocking the hammer
and rotating the cylinder.
]

page_text: I, JOHN CARTER, of 33 Ford Street Birmingham, in the County, of Warwick
Action Filer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS 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 my Invention is to provide such improved means of locking and
unlocking the rotating cylinders of revolving fire arms as shall at all times ensure
a correct position of the said cylinders at the moment of discharging the said
firearms, and shall only free the cylinders when the same are required to rotate,
and further that the locking-bolts shall not cause any friction when the cylinders
are rotating.
By the use of these improvements revolving fire arms can be made with their
cylinders as free from friction as good workmanship can render them, and yet be
free from any danger of the cylinders rotating at the wrong time, or being in the
wrong position at the time of discharge.
My Improvements consist in the application of locking bolts which are operated
by the firing mechanism, and only unlock during the time that the cocking of the
hammer and the rotating of the cylinder are taking place.
As soon as the rotation of the cylinder is completed bringing one chamber
opposite the barrel for discharge, the cylinder is locked by one bolt operated by the
trigger; such bolt forming part of, or being connected to, the upper part of the
trigger, and rising as the trigger moves backward to rotate the cylinder.
As the cylinder completes as much rotation as is needed to bring the required
chamber opposite the bore of the barrel, the bolt forming part of, or connected to
the trigger, rises into a recess in the periphery of the cylinder, and arrests the
rotatory movement of the said cylinder. This first bolt remains in engagement
with the cylinder until the firing is complete, and the pressure of the finger on the
trigger is released.
The motion of the firing mechanism for the actual discharge of the weapon
brings the second locking bolt into gear with the cylinder. This second locking
bolt is operated by the fall of the hammer in the following manner.
The second bolt lies in the body of the revolver, one part being under the
cylinder and by the side of the trigger, and a prolongation backwards passes by
the side of the hammer in à groove cut in the frame of the revolver.
The bolt rocks upon a fulcrum.
Attached to the bolt is a spring; and, as the hammer falls to discharge the
revolver, a projection on the said hammer presses upon the said spring and causes
the above mentioned second locking bolt to lock into a recess in the periphery of
the cylinder.
At the moment of actual discharge therefore the cylinder is locked by two bolts,
the first held up by the trigger, and the second by the hammer.
During the return of the trigger the first bolt is released from the cylinder; but
the bolt which is locked by the fall of the hammer, at the moment of discharge,
remains so locked until the hammer is raised for the next action of cocking the
hammer and rotating the cylinder.
In the accompanying drawing a revolver is shewn having my improvements
applied. The firing mechanism is shewn in its normal position. a is the first
locking bolt, forming part of, or being connected to the upper part of the trigger.
6 is the second locking bolt operated by the hammer, which carries the stud c for
this purpose.

page_text: When the firing mechanism has all its parts in the normal position as shewn, the
stud c presses on the part 6 of the backward prolongation of the bolt b, and
compressing the spring 63, turns b on its fulcrum 6, causing the bolt b to enter a
wn, the
notch in the periphery of the cylinder D; and so long as the hammer is do
cylinder remains so locked.
When the trigger is drawn backwards in the act of cocking the hammer, the
stud c rises from 63, and the spring 6 causes the withdrawal of the bolt b from the
notch in the periphery of the cylinder, and the latter is then free to revolve. At
the moment when the rotation of the cylinder has proceeded far enough to bring
the next chamber true with the bore of the barrel the bolt a having risen by the
movement of the trigger, arrests the motion of the cylinder.
Next after this the hammer is released and its fall raises the bolt b into
engagement with the cylinder; and then, and for so long as the trigger is held
back, the cylinder is held by both the bolts a and b. When the pressure on the
trigger is released, the trigger returns and withdraws the bolt a, but the bolt b still
locks the cylinder; and continues so to do until the hammer is again raised. I wish
it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein
described and illustrated, as the same may be considerably varied without departing
from the nature of my invention.
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; operating the locking bolts by the firing mechanism
so that they are only unlocked during the raising of the hammer and rotation of
the cylinder, but not during the return of the trigger, substantially as described.
2° In a revolving fire-arm, the locking bolt operated by the hammer for locking
the cylinder when the hammer is down, substantially as described.
3° In a revolving fire-arm, the combination of the locking bolt operated by the
hammer with the locking bolt connected to the trigger, substantially as described.
Dated this thirtieth day of October 1884.
°