IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE- ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME AND FOR OTHER FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-
ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME AND FOR OTHER FIRE-ARMS,"―A
communication from abroad by Ebenezer Howard Plant, Amzi
Perrin Plant, and Alfred Hotchkiss, all of Southington, in the State
of Connecticut, United States of America.
Sealed the 8th June 1869, and dated the 31st December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, ou
the 31st December 1868.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS,-
AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME AND FOR OTHER FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide for the loading of the
chambers of the revolving many chambered cylinder of a revolving

page_text: fire-arm with metal cased cartridges carrying their own fulminate
priming by the insertion of such cartridges at the front of the cylinder,
to provide for the firing of the cartridges so inserted, and to provide
for the expulsion of the discharged cartridge cases from the cylinder
in a forward direction.
The improvement in the cartridges consists in constructing a metal
cased cartridge with a hollow flange around the rear end of its metal
case. This hollow flange projects backward parallel or nearly so with
the length of the cartridge, and has an external circumference no
greater than the rest of the case. This flange contains a fulminate
priming which may be fired by the hammer of the fire-arm striking
through a suitable opening provided in the rear of each chamber of
the cylinder.
The features of novelty in the revolving fire-arm are, constructing
the rear portions of the chambers of the cylinder with openings through
which the hammer may strike the cartridges. These openings are
otherwise closed or partly closed to support the rear end of the cartridge.
The loading of the arm with a metal cased cartridge carrying its own
priming is effected at the front, and the firing of such cartridge is
produced by the blow of the hammer upon the flange of its shell.
Openings are made in the rear of the chambers of the cylinder, so
that the hammer is enabled to strike upon the interiors of the flanges
of cartridges such as those above mentioned.
The cartridge case ejector consists of a plunger or piston arranged
upon or in the frame or stock of the revolving fire-arm at the rear
of the recoil shield through which a hole for its passage is made. This
plunger or piston is provided with a projecting button or knob whereby
it may be moved in and out, or this may be done by means of a slotted
lever connected at one end to the piston or plunger.
Another form of cartridge case ejector consists of a lever provided
with a pointed wedge or cam piece which when the lever is moved
down is inserted behind the flange of the case and, pushes it forward.
This lever is applied to the frame of a revolving fire-arm under the
stock and in rear of the rotating chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Newton, 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 the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN. CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME.
AND FOR OTHER FIRE-ARMS,"" being a communication to me from abroad.
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Newton, 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 was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed:
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object to provide for the loading of the
chambers of revolving fire-arms with metal cased cartridges carrying
their own fulminate priming by the. insertion of such cartridges at
the front of the cylinder, also to provide for the firing of the cartridges

page_text: so inserted and for the expulsion or the discharged cartridge cases
from the chambers.
The improvement in the cartridges consists in constructing a metal
cased cartridge with a hollow flange a around the rear end of its metal
case. This hollow flange projects backward parallel or nearly so with
the length of the cartridge, and has an external circumference no
greater than the rest of the case. This flange contains the fulminate
priming which may be fired by the hammer of the fire-arm striking
through a suitable opening provided in the rear of each chamber of
the cylinder.
The improvement in cartridges is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2
which represent a longitudinal section of a cartridge and cartridge case.
A is the case of copper or other suitable metal of a sufficient length
to contain the charge of powder and the whole of the ball B, and
also to fill the whole length of the chamber of the fire-arm. This
cartridge may be used not only in revolvers but also in breech-loading
fire-arms. In either case the fire-arm must have the rear portion of
the chamber or chambers so constructed that while being partially
closed to prevent the cartridge from slipping out at the back, and
also to support it against recoil in firing, the hammer will have sufficient
room to enter and strike the flange and explode the fulminate priming.
That part of the Invention which provides for the firing of the
cartridges may be carried out in two different methods. One of these
methods (see Figures 3 and 8 which represent respectively a longi-
tudinal section of a revolving fire-arm and a horizontal section of
the cylinder and frame) provides for striking the interior of the flanges
of the cartridges. To effect this object the chambers i, i, in the cylinder E
are provided with openings 6 directly through the rear of the chambers
for the entrance of the nose d of the hammer D, and the hammer is
arranged so that its nose may enter the chambers through the openings
and strike upon the interiors of the flanges of the cartridges. These
chambers i, i, are of a cylindrical or slightly taper form, and are bored
from the front nearly to the rear or bottom of such chambers so as to
leave only a suitable thickness of metal at the rear or bottom to support
the cartridges A. The openings b in the rear of the chambers E may be
concentric with or slightly eccentric to the chamber so as to leave a
flange all round the chamber of sufficient width to form a bearing for
the flange a of the cartridge. The nose d of the hammer D is made

page_text: with a downward dip, and the hammer is mounted on the pin f and
so arranged that it may strike in a slightly downward direction through
the openings 6 upon the interior of the flange a of the cartridge that
contains the fulminate priming. In order to keep the cartridges
always close against the flanges g of the chambers their cases are made
of the full length of the chambers as before described, and the front
of the frame F of the fire-arm is so constructed as to cover a portion
of the front end of each chamber (say about the thickness of the cartridge
shell) when the hammer is at full cock and during its fall, by this
means the cartridges cannot be jarred out of place by the force of
the explosion.
The second method of providing for the firing of cartridges is shewn in
Figures 4 and 5, which represent a central section and rear view of a
cylinder in which the striking of the exteriors of the flanges is effected.
A boss or projection h, Fig. 4, is made upon the interior of the rear of
cach chamber i to enter the cavity c (see Fig. 2) in the rear of the
cartridge, and so form a support or anvil to sustain the flange a during
the blow from the hammer. The rear end of each cylinder is cut away
opposite to each chamber, as shewn at j, to form an opening k into the
chamber through which the hammer of the fire-arm can enter to strike
on the exterior of the flange a of the cartridge to effect the explosion of
the charge. The hammer of the fire-arm may be applied in the usual
or any other convenient manner.
l
That part of the Invention which relates to extracting the discharged
cartridge cases embraces three distinct improvements; the first of these
improvements, shewn in Figures 6 and 7, which is a side and front view
of a pistol, and Fig. 8 before referred to, is intended to be employed
when a cylinder such as that represented in Figures 3 and 8 is used, and
consists of a plunger m attached to and working in a slot or guide p cut
in a swell or projection upon the stock or frame F of the fire-arm and
parallel with the chambers i. The plunger m is made to work through
an opening n, see Fig. 8, in the recoil shield F, and is so arranged that:
the chambers of the cylinder E are by turning the cylinder on its axis
brought successively opposite to the opening n, and the plunger is
moved forward into the chamber, and so pushes out the cartridge
case. The plunger m is constructed or furnished with a knob or
handle m, which when the plunger is drawn back clear of the cylinder.
fits into a notch p at the rear end of the guide p. To make the.

page_text: handle secure that the plunger cannot be moved forward accidentally in
this notch a spring 9 is employed (see Fig. 8), which may be composed
of a small piece of vulcanized india-rubber or of coiled steel wire inserted
between the rear end of the plunger m and the back of the slot or
guide p of the swell 7, and which presses the handle m³ hard against the
front of the notch p'. On the same side of the frame Fas the plunger m
and in front of the cylinder is a shallow groove ŕ (see Figures 6 and 7)
to allow the cartridge cases to pass out of the chambers in a forward
direction, when the latter are severally brought opposite to the plunger.
When it is desired to expel the discharged cartridge shells from the
chambers i the hammer is brought to half-cock, and the knob m¹ of the
plunger m is raised out of the notch p'. The cylinder E is then turned
by hand, so as to present the several chambers successively opposite the
plunger, and on each one being brought to this position the plunger is
pushed forward through the opening b. When the cartridge case has
been drawn out the plunger must be drawn back and a fresh cartridge
may be introduced immediately; or the whole of the cartridge cases
may be first pushed out, care being taken that the hammer always
remains at half-cock.
The second improvement relating to the extraction of the discharged
cartridge cases consists in the employment of a slotted elbow lever G in
connection with the plunger m for the purpose of operating the plunger.
This improvement is shewn in Fig. 9, and is intended more especially
for fire-arms of large size, in which considerable force may be necessary
to push forward the cartridges in the chambers. In applying this im-
provement the plunger m is arranged as in the improvement previously
described in a swell on the side of the frame, but instead of this swell
having a slot in the face, as shewn in Figures 6 and 8, it has a similar
straight slot underneath for the entrance and passage of the lever G.
This lever G is pivotted by a pin S to the rear end of the plunger, and
works on a stationary fulcrum pin t secured to tho lower part of the
side of the frame F, and is slotted, as shewn at u, where the fulcrum
pin passes through it. The elbow of this lever is formed below the
fulcrum, so that when the plunger is drawn back the longer and forward
arm of the lever lies beside the frame F (Fig. 9) parallel with the bottom
thereof. The plunger m is pushed forward by pulling down the front
end of the lever, and is drawn back again by raising the same. When
the plunger is drawn back it is locked against accidental movement by a

page_text: pin on the inner face of the lever, which springs into a notch or hole
in the side of the frame F.
The third improvement for extracting the discharged cartridge cases
is shewn at Fig. 10, and relates more especially to revolvers having a
cylinder like that shewn in Figures 4 and 5, namely, an opening to the
chambers through the side or periphery of the cylinder. This improve-
ment consists of a curved lever H, which is secured by its fulcrum
pin to in a mortise made in the side of the frame F and behind the
cylinder. The frame is made with a protuberance x for the reception of
the fulcrum pin w: This protuberance has within it a portion of the
mortise for the reception of the lever, and is formed to receive the
wedge y, which is of the same piece of metal with the lever when the
lever is thrown back or when it is not in use, as shewn in black outline
in the Drawing. In order to provide for the easy entrance of the point
of the wedge y between the rear ends of the cartridge cases and the rears
of the chambers the openings k, k, of the cylinder E (which are used for
the entrance of the hammer as well as for the entrance of the cartridge
When the
extractor) are slightly bevilled in a backward direction.
cartridge cases are to be ejected the cylinder is turned to present the
chambers one at a time opposite the extractor, and every time one is so
presented the lever H is moved forward, as shewn in dotted outline,
and the wedge y enters between the rear end of the chamber i and the
rear end of the cartridge case, and so starts the case forward. If the
chambers and cartridge cases are made slightly taper a sudden forward
movement of the ejector will throw the shell completely out of the
chamber, otherwise after being started forward the shell may be pulled
out by taking hold of its front end with the thumb and finger.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention as com-
municated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. A cartridge having a metal case constructed with a hollow
flange projecting from the rear thereof in a backward direction.
Second. The various methods herein described of constructing the rear
portions of the chambers of the cylinders of revolving fire-arms, and for
the purposes described.

page_text: Third. The several arrangements for the cartridge case extractor, as
berein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)