An Improved Magazine Toy Pistol.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Magazine Toy Pistol.
I, HOMER WESLEY RIGHTMYER, of Rowlesbury, Preston County, West Virginia,
U.S.A., Stone Dealer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:--
The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient
magazine toy pistol, and the pistol herein illustrated also includes mechanism
whereby it is made self-cocking, or double setting.
The only ammunition employed is a strip or roll of fulminate patches, and the
improvements relate particularly to (1) the means for automatically feeding
this strip as the hammer rises, (2) the means for holding the strip against
retrograde movement as the hammer falls, (3) the means for preventing the
explosion of that one of the fulminate patches which is on the anvil from ignit-
ing those on the strip which have not yet reached the firing point, and (4) the
self-cocking mechanism.
The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing where
Figs. 1 and 2 are central longitudinal sections the latter showing the hammer
cocked and the former showing it uncocked.
Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 1 on the line y-y, and Fig. 4 is a section on the
line x-x.
Fig. 5 is a detail showing the relation of the bridge over which the fulminate
strip feeds to the anvil where the patches are exploded.
Fig. 6 is a top plan view, the magazine slide being removed.
Fig. 7 is a detached view of the strip holder, and
Fig. 8 shows the cutter which may be secured to the hammer if desired to
more effectually cut the fulminate strip.
The frame of the pistol, including the barrel a, the magazine b, and the
handle c, is made in halves lengthwise the toy, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6,
and these halves are permanently secured together, after the working parts have
been put in place, by rivets, 1, 1, 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The magazine is covered by a slide d, which may be drawn forward, as indi-
cated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to allow access to the interior for loading, etc.
The ammunition consists of the ordinary strip of fulminate patches commonly
used in this class of toys. It is wound into a coil and placed loosely in the
magazine as illustrated in the 1st and 2nd figures.
The pistol is a double-acting one, and is made self-cocking by the following
means. The hammer e, has a heel below its pivot, against which the main-
spring reacts as usual. The trigger g has an extension above the pivot, and
is provided with a rearwardly extending link which is adapted to engage a
notch in the heel of the hammer when the latter is down. This link rests
upon the top of the trigger spring ; which holds it up and causes it to snap into
the notch when the trigger is released after the hammer has fallen. The

page_text: action of these devices is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the former of which
shows the normal position of the parts, and the latter the position after the
hammer has been cocked and is about to fall.
The fulminate strip is drawn (by mechanism to be presently described) over
the face of the bridge as it unwinds from the roll, and the caps or patches are
exploded upon an anvil 7 which is located slightly below the level of the bridge.
Two results are obtained by this arrangement; first, the front end of the
hammer shears against the edge of the bridge and cuts off the patch that is being
fired from the rest of the strip, and, secondly, the end of the hammer fits against
the shoulder between the bridge and the anvil and prevents the flame from the
exploding patch or cap from being communicated to those on the strip in front.
I regard this as an important feature, for, should the explosion of one cap set
off any or all the others, the pistol would be practically useless as a magazine
pistol.
The strip is fed over the bridge by means of a hook m having a backward
bent and sharpened point. This hook is connected to the hammer above its pivot
and is arranged to engage directly with the fulminate strip while it is on the bridge.
The advantage of this arrangement is that the strip is fed exactly the same dis-
tance at every rise of the hammer, no matter how large or small the roll, and
the fulminate patches are always accurately placed on the anvil in position to be
struck by the hammer. The feeding hook catches in the strip between the
patches as the hammer is cocked, and it yields freely and passes over the patches
as the hammer falls.
As the strip feeding hook drags over the strip when the hammer falls, it
might cause some retrograde movement of the strip, but I provide a strip stop
or holder n which is normally out of action and comes into play when the
hammer is about to fall and holds the strip or bridge until the trigger is released.
It also acts to hold the fulminate patches in position on the anvil so that the
hammer cannot miss them. The form of this holder is shown in Fig. 7, and its
location and arrangement are seen in Figs. 1 and 2. It has a curved spring
extension o which bears against a curved part of the frame so that the spring
of the part o tends to keep the holder in a raised position and its point elevated
above the strips, as seen in Fig. 1. The bend at the lower end of the holder
is engaged by the nose r of the trigger when the latter is pulled, and this draws
the holder down into the position shown in Fig. 2 which holds the strip and
effectually prevents any retrograde movement while the hammer is falling. As
soon as the trigger is released, the holder rises and the strip is free to be fed
forward again. The end of the holder is so bent and located that it does not
engage the fulminate patches, but acts on the strip between the patches.
If desired the forward end of the hammer may be provided with a knife s
(Fig. 8) for the purpose of cutting the patches of fulminate from the strip as
fast as they are exploded. A partition forms the front end of the barrel into
a convenient holder for shooting-crackers, fuses, or torches, and the sight u
prevents the slide from being drawn clear out and being lost.
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 consider novel and desire to claim is:-
1. The combination of the bridge over which the fulminate strip is drawn,
the hammer, and the strip-feeder connected to the hammer and engaging the
strip in advance of the hammer.
2. The combination of the hammer over which the fulminate strip is drawn,
the hammer, the strip feeder connected to the hammer and engaging the strip in
advance of the hammer, and the holder operated to prevent retrograde movement
of the strip when the hammer falls.
3. The combination of the bridge over which the fulminate strip is drawn,
the hammer, the trigger connected to the hammer below its pivot, and the strip-

page_text: feeder connected to the hammer above its pivot and engaging the strip in
advance of the striking point of the hammer.
4. The combination of the bridge over which the fulminate strip is drawn, the
hammer, the strip-feeder connected to the hammer and engaging the strip, the
trigger, and the holder operated by the trigger, and acting to prevent retro-
grade movement of the strip when the hammer falls.
5. The combination of the bridge, the anvil, the hammer, and the strip-
feeder connected to the hammer and engaging the strip, the anvil being located
below the bridge so as to prevent the explosion from igniting the fulminates
on the bridge.
6. The combination with the bridge over which the fulminate strip is drawn,
of a hammer, and a strip-feeder connected to the hammer, with its free end
over the bridge, and adapted to engage the strip in advance of the hammer.
7. The combination with the bridge over which the fulminate strip is drawn,
of a hammer and a strip-feeder connected to the hammer and engaging the strip
in advance of the hammer, a trigger and a holder actuated by the trigger for
preventing retrograde movement of the strip when the hammer fails.
8. The combination with the hammer, the main spring, and a trigger and
spring actuated link for cocking the hammer, of a holder actuated by the trigger
for holding the fulminate strip against movement while the hammer is falling.
9. The combination of the hammer, the mainspring engaging the hammer,
the trigger, the trigger spring, the notch in the heel of the hammer below its
pivot, and the horizontally arranged link pivoted to the trigger and supported
on the trigger spring, and engaging the hammer notch when the hammer is
down and acting to cock the hammer when the trigger is pulled.
Dated this 24th day of April 1899
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.