IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes of the Firm of Hughes and
Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS."A communication from abroad
by James Benjamin Doolittle and George Otis Downing, of New Haven,
State of Connecticut. United States of America
Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad
by James Benjamin Doolittle and George Otis Downing, of New Haven,
Sealed the 3rd October 1866, and dated the 7th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th April 1866.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS," a communication to
me from abroad by James Benjamin Doolittle and George Otis Downing, of
New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of America,, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of fire-arms which
receive several metallic cartridges into a revolving cylinder which is caused to
revolve by the act of cocking, so as to present successively each of the cart-
ridges to the barrel for discharge, and the Invention consists chiefly in the
peculiar construction of the cylinder and the mechanism combined therewith
for operating the arm.

page_text: To enable others to carry out this Invention I will proceed to fully describe
the same as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, which represent in
Fig. 1 a side view; Fig. 2, a front or muzzle end view; Fig. 3, a side view
with the side plate removed; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section; and Figs. 5 to
16 inclusive illustrate the operation of the Invention.
A is the frame, within which are placed the operative parts, and enclosed
by a stock B in the usual manner; C is the hammer, pivoted at a; D, the
main spring; and E, the trigger, all constructed and operated in a common
and well-known manner. F, the cylinder, differs from the cylinder as com-
monly constructed in that instead of having the chambers entirely through the
cylinder the rear part of this cylinder, as seen in Fig. 14, is cut away, retaining
only so much of the entire cylinder as will enclose the ball and just extend
over the front end of the cartridge shell, the front of the cylinder presenting
the usual appearance, as seen in Fig. 15, the rear being cut down to the centre
of the chamber, as seen in Fig. 6. The said cylinder is placed in the frame in
the usual position, and secured thereto by a pin G fixed to or made a part of
the barrel H, the said barrel being provided with projections biabove and
below, as seen in Fig. 13, which lock into corresponding notches c; Fig. 10,
the said pin G passing centrally through the cylinder, and when the barrel
is thus placed in the frame in the proper position a latch d, see Figs. 9 and 16,
catches into a notch f, see Fig. 12; to hold it in its proper position. I is a
yoke arranged to slide vertically within the frame at the back of the cylinder,
and extending over the cylinder so as to set down upon the cylinder and com-
plete the chamber, which is in line with the barrel, as seen in Figs. 6 and 16.
The said yoke is moved up and down by the operations of a lever h having its
fulcrum at i, and acted upon by à pin n on the hammer, as seen in Figs. 4
and 5. As represented in Figs. 4 and 6, the yoke is down; forming a com-
plete chamber; and to raise the yoke I draw the hammer back, as seen in
Fig. 5, and the pin n bearing against the lever h, which extends into the mor-
tice in the lower end of the yoke I, will turn the lever, and raise the yoke, as
seen in Fig. 5, and when sufficiently raised for the purpose hereafter shown
the pin n passes over the end of the lever h, and drops off at the back of a
projection m, see Fig. 8, and permits the yoke and lever h to return to the
position seen in Figs. 4 and 6. To the said yoke I is attached a pawl L which
acts upon a ratchet on the rear of the cylinder to revolve the cylinder at each
upward movement of the yoke. When the yoke is down, to complete the
chamber in Figs. 4 and 6, it is necessary to lock it in that position before the
discharge takes place, and for this purpose I place a slide N in the frame, as
seen in Fig. 10, which is operated by a pin P on the hammer, so that when

page_text: the hanimer is drawn back, as from the position in Fig. 10 to that in Fig. 11,
the slide also is drawn back, and when the hammer is returned the slide N
will be forced forward, and enter a notch in the yoke, and securely hold the
yoke down upon the cylinder. To charge the arm, remove the barrel,
turning it from the notebes in the frame which secures it thereto, take the
cylinder from the frame, insert the cartridges in the usual manner, return the
cylinder and barrel. to their respective places; and the arm is charged pre-
paratory to firing; then draw the hammer to full, cock, and release it in the
usual manuer. The hammer passes through a mortice in the yoke, striking,
the cartridge to discharge it in the usual manner. Then for a second dis-
charge again draw back the hammer, and in this operation the yoke I will be
raised to permit the discharged shell to pass on and a new cartridge to be
presented to the barrel, and the cylinder will be revolved, and thus present the
new cartridge. When thus presented the yoke I will drop down on to the
cartridge, thus forming a chamber around the cartridge, and in the return of
the hammer the yoke will be locked in the manner described and the second
cartridge discharged, and so on until all the cartridges have been discharged;
then remove the cylinder, eject the discharged shell from the cylinder (the pin
G on the barrel being used for that purpose), place other cartridges in the
cylinder, and operate as before. The latch d which holds the barrel in its
position. extends at its rear end downwards so as to rest upon the cartridge,
within the chamber, so that while a cartridge is in line with the barrel the
barrel cannot be turned from its position,, and, will be thus held until the
cylinder has made a partial movement so as to permit the latch to be raised
from the notch in the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her,
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
suid Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special licence that I, the said Edward

page_text: Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
1, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS," a communication to me from abroad by
James Benjamin Doolittle and George Otis Downing, of New Haven, State,
of Connecticut, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors or adminis-.
trators, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of fire-arms which
receive several metallic cartridges into a revolving cylinder which is caused to.
revolve by the act of cocking, so as to present successively each of the cart-
ridges to the barrel for discharge, and the Invention consists chiefly in the
peculiar construction of the cylinder and the mechanism combined therewith
for operating the arm.
To enable others to carry out this Invention I will proceed to fully describe
the same as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, which represent in
Fig.. a side view; Fig. 2, a front or muzzle end view; Fig. 8, a side view
with the side plate removed; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section; and Figs. 5 to
16 inclusive illustrate the operation of the Invention.
A is the frame, within which are placed the operative parts, and enclosed
by a stock B in the usual manner; C is the hammer, pivoted at a; D, the
main spring; and E, the trigger, all constructed and operated in a common
and well-known manner. F, the cylinder, differs from the cylinder as com-
monly constructed in that, instead of having the chambers entirely through the
cylinder, the rear part of the cylinder, as seen in Fig. 14, is cut away, retaining
only so much of the entire cylinder as will enclose the ball and just extend
over the front end of the cartridge shell, the front of the cylinder presenting
the usual appearance, as seen in Fig. 15, the rear being cut down to the centre

page_text: of the chamber, as seen in Fig. 6. The said cylinder is placed in the frame in
the usual position, and secured thereto by a pin G. fixed to or made a part of
the barrel II, the said barrel being provided with projections b above and
below, as seen in Fig. 13, which lock into corresponding notches c, Fig. 10,
the said pin G passing centrally through the cylinder, and when the barrel-is'
thus placed in the frame in the proper position a latch d, see Figs. '9 and 16;:
catches into a notch f, seo Fig. 12, to hold it in its proper position. Lisa
yoke arranged to slide vertically within the frame at the back of the cylinder,
and extending over the cylinder so as to set down upon the cylinder and com-
plete the chamber, which is in lino.with the barrel, as seen in Figs: 6 and 16;
the said yoke is moved up and down by the operations of a lever h having its.
fulcrum at i, and acted upon by a pin n on the hammier, as seen in Figs. 4
and 5. As represented in Figs. 4 and 6, the yoke is down, forming a com-:
plete chamber; and to raise the yoke I. draw the hammer back, as seen in
Fig. 5, and the pin n bearing against the lever h, which extends into the:
mortice in the lower end of the yoke I; will turn the lever and raise the yoke,
as seen in Fig. 5, and when sufficiently raised for the purpose hereafter shown.
the pin n passes. over the end of the lever h and drops off at the back of a
projection m, see Fig. 8, and permits. the yoke and lever h to return to the:
position seen in Figs. 4 and 6. To the said yoke. I is.attached a pawl L which
acts upon a ratchet in the rear of the cylinder to revolve the cylinder at each
upward movement of the yoke. When the yoke is down to complete the
chamber in Figs. 4 and 6 it is necessary to lock it in that position before tho:
discharge takes place, and for this purpose I place a slide N in the frame, as
seen in Fig. 10, which is operated by a pin P on the hammer, so that when
the hammer is drawn back, as from the position in Fig. 10 to that in Fig. 11,
the slide also is drawn back, and when the hammer is returned the slide N
will be forced forward, and enter a notch in the yoke, and securely hold the
yoke down upon the cylinder. To charge the arm, remove the barrel, turning
it from the notches in the frame which secures it thereto, take the cylinder
from the frame, insert the cartridges in the usual manner, return the cylinder
and barrel to their respective places, and the arm is charged preparatory to
firing; then draw the hammer to full cock, and release.it in the usual manner.
The hammer passes through a mortice in the yoke, striking the cartridge to
discharge it in the usual manner. Then for a second discharge again draw
back the hammer, and in this operation the yoke I will be raised to permit
the discharged shell to pass on and a new cartridge to be presented to the
barrel, and the cylinder will be revolved, and thus present the new cartridge.
When thus presented the yoke I will drop down on to the cartridge, thus

page_text: forming a chamber around the cartridge, and in the return of the hammer the
yoke will be locked in the manner described, and the second cartridge dis-
charged, and so on until all the cartridges have been discharged, then remove:
the cylinder, eject the discharged shell from the cylinder (the pin G on the'
barrel being used for that purpose), place other cartridges in the cylinder,
and operate as before. The latch d which holds the barrel in its position:
extends at its rear end downwards so as to rest upon the cartridge within the
chamber, so that while a cartridge is in line with the barrel the barrel cannot
be turned from its position, and will be thus held until the cylinder has made
a partial movement so as to permit the latch to be raised from the notch in
the barrel.
Having, therefore, thus fully described this Invention, what I claim as new
and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,
First, the combination of a cylinder constructed with chambers complete for
a portion of their length and but half chambers at the rear or remaining
portion with the yoke I constructed and arranged so as to complete the
chamber in line with the barrel, as and for the purpose specified.
. Second, the combination of the lever h with the yoke I and hammer,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third, the combination, of. the slide N, yoke I, and hammer, substantially
as and for the purpose. described.
Fourth, the combination of the latch d with the barrel when constructed
and arranged so that the cartridge within the cylinder operates to lock the
barrel in position, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
E. T. HUGHES.
(L.S.)