IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN THE Means of Loading THE SAME
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Dearing Granville, of 44, Holborn
Hill, in the City of London, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN THE Means of Loading THE SAME.”
Sealed the 16th October 1857, and dated the 18th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Dearing
Granville at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th April 1857.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DEARING GRANVILLE, of 44, Holborn Hill, in the City
of London, Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS, IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN THE MEANS OF LOADING THE
SAME," to be as follows:-
In a magazine or cartridge chambers consisting of any number of tubes,
each tube containing a spiral spring and forcer to push forward the cartridges
as required, and each forcer having a rod with a lock spring to confine the
spiral spring while the magazine is being loaded, which magazine is rotated
upon centres bring up each tube as required, also fitted with spring or springs
to retain it in the required position. Next, in a horizontal revolving cylinder
moving in the framework of the fire-arm, bored with any number of chambers
opposite to each other, so that while one chamber is brought into a line with
the barrel of the fire-arm, the opposite chambers receive a cartridge from the

page_text: magazine and brings it round to the barrel to be discharged. This is effected
by certain actions of the lock acted upon by the trigger, which, on being
pressed by the finger, sets in motion a driver, which rotates the horizontal
cylinder, and at the same time propels a bar, which raises the hammer to the
point required, when it releases it to discharge the fire-arm. On removing
the pressure from the trigger, a spring acting upon it brings it back to its
former position, and with it also the driver and bar, each of which is provided
with a spring to keep it in its proper position. These several parts (and
their actions) are placed under the cylinder in the framework of the fire-arm,
thereby leaving the top of the pistol or fire-arm entirely clear, so that nothing
impedes the aim. To ensure the accuracy of such aim a sight marked for
certain distances is fixed thereon. The cartridges used in this method aro
made to contain an explosive substance, or percussion cap, or powder; a needle
being struck by the hammer explodes the charge. The cartridge cases are
made of metal of any kind, so that they can be refilled and used again if
required, or they may be made of a chemical, prepared paper satuated with
nitric acid, or other acid possessing similar properties), cloth or skin, which
explodes or consumes on the discharge of the fire-arm.
I propose applying the improvements herein-before mentioned, with slight
modifications, to fire-arms with two or more barrels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Dearing Granville in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY DEARING GRANVILLE, of 44, Holborn Hill, in the City of London, Gun
Manufacturer, send greeting. .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry Dearing Granville, Her special license that I, the said
William Henry Dearing Granville, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such otliers as I, the said William Henry Dearing Granville, 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

page_text: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN THE
MEANS OF LOADING THE SAME," upon-the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Henry Dearing Granville, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is 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 William Henry Dearing Granville, 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 (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to produce a fire-arm capable of being
effectually and safely discharged and recharged many times without the loss of
time consequent upon loading after every fire in the ordinary manner. I am
aware that several persons have patented fire-arms having this object in view,
but I do not think they have succeeded in producing one capable of ensuring
a great number of discharges deliverable with certainty and at the same time
with safety, in which latter particular my improvements will be found of
eminent importance. I have shewn in this my Specification the improve-
ments as applied to a pistol, with modifications, which may be made without
any departure from the principle of my improvements. Fire-arms of larger.
calibre may be constructed with magazines or cartridge chambers, and other-
wise fitted for the purpose of securing many successive discharges without
reloading. It is needless to describe the manner of making the barrel, stock,
or the various parts herein mentioned or referred to, as all persons conversant
with or skilled in the manufacture of fire-arms are ablo to understand ar
make the same without any instructions from me.
In the Drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved pistol,
shewing all parts that can be seen in such section; Figure 2, longitudinal
section of magazine detached; Figure 3, end view of magazine; Figuro 4,
forcer; Figure 5, side view of revolver; Figure 6, plan view of bottom of
revolver and spring guard; Figure 7, trigger piece; Figure 8, trigger spring;.
Figure 9, hammer and needle; Figure 10, main spring for hammer.;.
Figure 11, lifter; Figure 12, spring for lifter; Figure 13, driver; Figure 14,.
spring for driver; Figure 15, spring for top of revolver; Figure 16, rod for.
locking forcers while loading; and Figure 17, form of cartridge to be used:.
Similar letters of reference are placed upon and denote corresponding parts..

page_text: Upon
(where such parts appear) at each of the Figures respectively.
referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that in order to load the pistol in tho
first instance the magazine a must be taken out from the breech end of the
pistol, the rammer 6 is then pushed down each chamber so as to drive tho
ends of the forcers c out of small holes at the end of each chamber; the result
being that as the forcers o are opened down the centre, forming a spring, tho
moment the ends pass through the holes they expand, and prevent the spiral
springs & bringing them forward until required, when by merely pinching the
ends of each forcer they will be immediately brought into their places ready
for use. The horizontal chamber e, having four chambers in it, now receives
a cartridge from the magazine a, the point of the driver f being in a groove
at the bottom of the revolver e, and upon drawing back the trigger 9 the
driver f causes the revolver to rotate one quarter of a circle, by which means
at every discharge of the fire-arm a fresh cartridge is inserted in the chamber
of the revolver immediately behind the one just vacated, the chamber in
between having already been supplied, the cartridges being prevented from
falling out by the circular spring guard, shewn at Figure 6. Each of the
chambers of the magazine is slotted at top to within a short distance of the
breech; in these slots pins in each forcer work to prevent the forcers entering
the revolver. The driver f is kept up in its place by means of a small
spring h, both being attached to the top. of the trigger pieco i, as shewn;
a lifter j is also loosely attached to the trigger piece i by a pin at one end,
the other end taking into a notched piece under the hammer k; so it will
appear that while the driver f is causing the revolver to rotate one quarter
revolution the lifter j is at the same time forcing the bammer k down, and
withdrawing the needle from the puncture in the bottom of the revolver; by
the time the drivor f has effected its purpose the end of the lifter slips over
the notched piece at the bottom of the hammer k, when on being disengaged
the main spring / forces it upwards; the needle passing through the puncture
in the revolver strikes the detonator in the cartridge and causes it to explode.
At Figure 6 will be seen a projecting piece * on the under edge of the
revolver e. This piece or tooth is here placed to take into a pinion fixed on
the end of the magazine a, and having six teeth, the magazine having also six
chambers with four cartridges in each chamber, so that when the forcer c has
placed the last cartridge of one of the chambers of the magazine a in the
revolver e, the piece takes into one tooth of the pinion and turns the
magazine one-sixth of a revolution, presenting the second chamber of the
magazine to the action of the revolver, and so on until the whole of the cart-
ridges are discharged. A small spring m is placed above the revolver o to

page_text: counteract the upward pressure of the driver f. The cartridge I use in my
improved fire-arm is prepared as follows:-I make a framework of papier
mâché, or other suitable substance that will so far resist the blow of the needle
as to ensure the explosion of the detonator which belts this framework, and
by explosion communicates with the powder.
Having now described the nature of my improvements in fire-arms, I
declare I do not confine myself to the precise details of parts herein shewn
or described, or to their relative proportions to each other, so long as no
departure is made from the peculiar character of my improvements, and I do
not claim any of the mechanical parts herein mentioned taken as parts and
not in combination or for the purposes of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Dearing Granville, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
W. H. D. GRANVILLE. (L.s.)
Witness,
JOHN GEDGE, Patent Agent,
4, Wellington Street South, Strand.