IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIREARMS
Year: 1885

page_text: We HENRY WEBLEY, of Weaman Street, Birmingham of the Firm of P Webley
& Son, Gun and Pistol Manufacturers, and JOHN CARTER, of 33 Ford Street,
Birmingham, Action Filer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIREARMS" to be as follows
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The first object of our Invention is to attain greater solidity, strength, and
security in the mechanism used for fastening the extension rib of extracting
revolvers to the standing breech, to guard against the blowing open of the weapon
when firing, and to enable heavy charges to be used with safety
We cut a slotted opening in a vertical direction through the rear end of the
extension rib. When the barrel is closed as for firing, this slotted opening drops
over and around a vertical lug on the standing breech, the slotted opening in
the extension rib, and the vertical lug on the standing breech being so formed
as to fit together as nearly as may be like one solid piece. To lock the extension
rib down to the standing breech, we use a stirrup fastener, turning on an axis
passing through the standing breech. The cross bar of this stirrup fastener swings
over the extension rib where the latter embraces the lug on the standing breech,
and so prevents the extension rib from rising. One arm of the stirrup is longer
than the other and forms a thumb lever for releasing the stirrup when opening
the pistol
Our next improvement consists in raising and releasing the hammer in a novel
way.
Pivoted to the trigger is a limb, which, by its upper end, operates on a projec-
tion on the breast of the hammer, by means of a bent which engages under the
said projection. Above this bent the limb pivoted to the trigger terminates in a
claw. This claw bears against the breast of the hammer, and, as the hammer
approaches the point of pull-off, the claw gradually levers the bent of the before
mentioned limb free from engagement with the haminer, and so causes the discharge
of the fire-arm.
A very smooth and equal pull-off is thus secured.

page_text: Our third improvement consists in attaching the lower side of the mainspring to
a swivel, the said swivel having its other end attached to the tiigger; or the lower
side of the mainspring is caused to bear upon a lever, the said lever being attached
to the said swivel, instead of attaching the mainspring directly to the said swivel.
The end of the lever, other than that attached to the swivel, bears upon some part
of the body of the firearm.
The effect of this improvement is to render easier and smoother the action of
raising the hammer by the trigger, and also to secure a more vigorous and certain
return of the trigger, when the pressure of the finger is eased.

page_text: Improvements in Revolving Fire Arms.
We HENRY WEBLEY of Weaman Street Birmingham, of the Firm of P Webley
& Son Gun and Pistol Manufacturers, and JOHN CARTER of 33 Ford Street
Birmingham Action Filet do hereby declare the nature of our 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
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The first object of our Invention is to attain greater solidity, strength, and
security in the mechanism used fastening the extension rib of extracting revolvers
to the standing breech, to guard against the blowing open of the weapon when
firing, and to enable heavy charges to be used with safety.
We cut a slotted opening in a vertical direction through the rear end of the
extension rib
When the barrel is closed as for firing, this slotted opening drops over and
around a vertical lug on the standing breech, the slotted opening in the exten-
sion rib, and the vertical lug on the standing breech being so formed as to fit
together as nearly as may be like one solid piece To lock the extension rib down
to the standing breech, we use a stirrup fastener, turning on an axis passing through
the standing breech.
The cross bar of this stirrup fastener swings over the extension rib where the
latter embraces the lug on the standing breech, and so prevents the extension rib
from rising. One arm of the stirrup 1 longer than the other and forms a thumb
lever for releasing the stirrup when opening the pistol.
Our next improvement consists in raising and releasing the hammer in a novel
way when operating the pistol by means of the trigger action.
Pivotted to the upper part of the trigger is a limb which, by its upper end
operates on a projection on the breast of the hammer, by means of a bent which
engages under the said projection. Above this bent the limb pivoted to the
trigger terminates in a claw
We shall call this lumb the hammer-lifter by reason of the function it performs
The claw on the hammer-lifter bears against the breast of the hammer, and, as
the hammer approaches the point of pull-off, the claw gradually levers the bent
of the hammer-lifter free from engagement with the hammer, and so causes the
discharge of the fire aim
When the trigger commences its movement, in using the trigger action for
firing, the hammer lifter stands nearly at a tangent to the arc of movement of
the pivot which attaches the hammer-lifter to the trigger, but, as the point of
discharge is approached, the hammer-lifter approximates more and more to the
radial line of the said aic of movement, and so balances the increasing compression
of the main spring.
A very smooth and equal pull-off is thus secured, and even when using the
trigger action the aim can easily be dwelt upon while the hammer is held suspended
ready for and close to the release from the hammer-lifter

page_text: Our third improvement consists in attaching the lower side of the mainspring
to a swivel, the said swivel having its other end attached to the trigger; or, the
lower side of the mainspring is caused to bear against a lever, the said lever being
at one end attached to the above mentioned swivel, and its other end having a
fulcrum upon some part of the body or frame of the firearm.
The effect of this improvement is to render easier and smoother the action of
raising the hammer by the trigger, and also to secure a more vigorous and certain
return of the trigger when the pressure is released.
The accompanying drawing shews a revolving fire arm embodying the three
before described improvements. The arm is shewn with the breech fastener closed
and the weapon as on the point of discharge by use of the trigger action The
frame of the pistol is shewn partly stripped, and part of the extension rib 18 in
section.
The projecting lug a on the standing breech is shewn in black, and the extension
rib B is shewn partly in section at b and 61 It will be seen that the lug a is
embraced on both sides and back and front by the extension rib B.
The stirrup fastener C-shewn by a dotted outline--turns on the axis d, and the
cross bar clocks over the part 6' of the extension rib B, and against and partly
over the lug a. Thus the extension rib and the lug are held firmly together.
The aim of the stirrup fastener C forms a thumb lever for operating the said
fastener.
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When the hammer falls the raised forehead o comes nearly into contact with the
cross bar c¹ of the stirrup fastener, and, if the said stirrup fastener be not securely
locked over the extension rib, the hammer cannot reach the primer of the cartridge,
because the cross bar will arrest the notion of the falling hammer
It is therefore impossible to fire the charge unless the breach be securely
fastened, and blowing open is thus guarded against
The construction of breech fastening shewn is capable of withstanding very
heavy charges of powder, because the breech fastening cannot give way unless
the extension rib be torn asunder or the lug a be torn from the breech
The stirrup fastener C is kept in position by a spring shewn in the drawing at S
The spring t attached to the lifter bears against the hammer raiser, and performs
the double function of pressing the lifter against the ratchet wheel on the cylinder,
and the hammer raised against the breach of the hammer.
The hammer-lifter before described is shewn ate and is shaded by horizontal
lines. The position of the firing mechanism shewn in the drawing is the moment
of disengagement of the hammer from the hammer-lifter, at the point f, by reason
of the pressure of the claw e¹ of the hammer lifter on the breast of the hammer
at g It will be seen that at this moment of disengagement the point f, the
pivot kon which the hammer-lifter is carried by the trigger-and the pivot q
of the trigger are nearly in a straight line, and the pull-off is thus easy and smooth
The swivel pivoted to the trigger at h and to the lever at r-forms the
means of causing the underside of the mainspring m and the trigger to act on
each other through the lever . The lever is provided with a fulcrum at ni
the frame.
It will be seen that the pivot h moves in an arc such as to graduate the action
of the underside of the mainspring, and thus contribute materially to the smoothness
of the pull-off
When the trigger is released from the controlling pressure of the finger the
action of the underside of the mainspring causes a very vigorous return of the
trigger to its normal position.
The lever, when this return action takes place, also presses upon the hammer
at p by means of a stud on the inner side of the said lever, and draws the
hammer slightly back.
The lever may be dispensed with, if the underside of the mainspring be con-
nected to the swivel i at the point r In this case the underside of the mainspring

page_text: must be prolonged and shaped like the lever from t to r and provided with a stud
to act upon the hammer at p.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claun is
1. The fastening of the breech in a revolving firearm by the combination of
the projecting lug, slotted extension rib, and stirrup fastener, as described and
illustrated.
2. The combination of the projecting forehead on the hammer with the stirrup
fastener for securing safety against firing the arm unless the breech be fastened.
3. The hammer-lifter as described and illustrated.
4. The combination of the swivel, lever and underside of the mainspring as
described and illustrated.
5. The combination of the swivel and underside of mainspring without the
lever as described.
6. The general construction of the breech closing mechanism as described and
illustrated.
7. The general construction of the firing mechanism as described and illustrated.
8. The general combination of the breech closing mechanism and firing mechanism
as described and illustrated.
Dated tins Eighteenth day of December 1865.
For the Applicants,
W. E. GEDGE,
Agent.