US14774A - Improvement in fire-arms - Google Patents

Description

F.NEUBURY.

MAGAZINE FIREARM. I N9. 14,774. VPATENTE'D. APR. 29, 1856.

, Inventor- UNITED STATES FREDERICK NEWBURY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 1,774, dated April 29, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK N EWBURY, of the city of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in the Construction of Fire-Arms; and I declare the following specification,withthe drawings accompanying and forming part of the same, to be a full and perfect description thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 represent a pistol with a portion of the stock removed to show the working parts of the apparatus as seen from the right side of the weapon; Fig. 3, the same as seen from the left side of the apparatus; Fig. 4, a cross-section of the barrel and magazinetubes at a b, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5, a plan of loadblock.-

Similar letters denote the same parts of the apparatus.

WVithin the stock, directly behind the plate A, to which the barrel B is attached or of which it forms a part, lies an oblong rectangular cavity, 0, having parallel sides and ends. A rectangular prismatic block, D, equal in length and thickness to the cavity and somewhat more than half its height, is fitted tov the cavity, so as to move freely but snugly up and down within it. Within its upper region is a chamber, (see Fig. 3,) intended to range with the bore of the barrel B when the block is in the position shown in Fig. 2, and is to hold a cartridge, (or charge of powder and ball.) It is a little larger in bore than the barrel, in order to slug the ball. The priming-cone is placed within a cavity cut into the upper rear angle of the block. The block D is kept in this last position by a spring, E, underneath it, but is moved downward to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 by the lever G, which is pivoted to the stock just back of the cavity at H. The forward end of the lever, by a peculiarly-shaped jaw, embraces a pin near the center on the side of the block at J. The rear end of the lever, by another jaw, embraces a pin, k, on the lower front limb of the hammer. It will be seen from the drawing that by this arrangement the fall of the hammer carries down the block. The cockin g of it permits it to rise to the top of the cavity. In order to insure steadiness in the movements of the block both laterally and vertically, its rear end is provided with a tongue, 1', which moves within a groove cut in the rear plate of its cavity. (See Fig. 5.)

In order to stop the block when it has reached its proper upper level, a button, a, is pivoted upon the barrel, which when in place lies along the block, its rear end being formed into a sight-piece, a. able for any reason to take out the block, it is only necessary to turn aside this sight-piece, the upper end of the lever G being an open fork, so that the block-pin at J is not held down by it.

The trigger operates the hammer in the usual manner; but I apply the sear-spring to it by forming it into a guard, as shown at M, and attaching it to the lower end of the trigger at m. Under the barrel is attached the load-magazine, consisting of two tubes, NV and Y, united together by a metal rib, and revolving on centers at each end of the rib, so adjusted as to bring at each half-turn the upper tube in range with the chamber in the block when down in its lowest position, as shown in Fig. 3. This magazine is fixed in and removable from its place byan y convenient device for the purpose of loading. When removed, the cartridges are inserted into the rear end and pressed down against a spring lying or coiled within each tube, by which spring the cartridges are pressed into the chamber of the block whenever it is brought in range with the upper tube. The tube is kept in place till emptied by a little spring-detent, q, when the pressure of a-finger upon (1 releases the tube and permits its revolution. I do not mean to confine myself to double tubes, since four times, or any other number, revolving round a center may as well be used, if needed.

It, from want of cartridges or other cause, it be desirable, by simply removing the magazine, the chamber in O can be loaded with loose-powder and ball.

The placing of the magazine in front of the firing apparatus is very important. First, it prevents any injury in case of explosion of the magazine; secondly, it secures the easy removal and management of the magazine; thirdly, it permits prompt use of loose powder and ball.

The magazine for priming-caps is shown in Fig. 3. It consists of a curved tube just large When it becomes desirenough to contain the caps, and opening into the cavity 0 exactly in range of the cone on the block D when it is brought to its lowest position by the cooking of the hammer, as in Figs. 1 and 3. The tube runs parallel with the upper edge of the stock, and has a slot in its own upper edge, through which a pin or spindle terminated by a button, P, moves. The spindle has at its lower end, within the tube, a disk, Q, behind which, coiled in the lower part of. the tube, is a spring, R, whose office it is to press the disk forward in the tube. By means of a cavity cut down through the stock at S the caps are introduced into the tube, filling up the space forward of the disk. The pressure of the disk upon the caps forces them forward whenever the cone is unprimed.

To insure the proper fitting of the cap on the cone, a small trigger, it, shaped as shown in the drawings, Fig. 3, is pivoted in a slot just back of the cavity 0, so arranged that its upper limb compresses upon the rear of a cap and urges it firmly upon the cone. Its lower limb is operated by a pin on the lower forward end of the hammer, so that the cooking of the hammer presses the upper limb forward, and the descent of the hammer drops it out of the way of the coming cap.

To prevent the flame in firing from communicatin g to the magazine-tube, the block D (see Fig. 2) is provided with a flat valve of metal, 0, extending across the block and fitting tightly to the front wall of the chamber, closing the entire month of the magazine-opening, against which it is kept by a spring lying in a cavity of the block behind it.

To clear the cone from fragments of exploded caps, there is a thin steel spring T T, lying across the upper part of the hammer and close to the stock. Its front edge is curved downward and forked to embrace the cone just below'the cap, and its back edge, pressing upon the stock in the act of cocking, holds the fork down upon the cap till it clears the cone. By

' chamber,

the construction of the fork or slot in the lower end of the lever G,leave is given to the hammer to move a short space before the block begins its descent, in order to permit the picker to do its work.

The operation of the apparatus is thus: The magazines of cartridges and caps being properly filled and the pistol cocked, a cartridge passes into the chamber of the block and a cap is pressed upon its cone. The pulling of the trigger drops the hammer, which permits the block to ascend by the agency of lever G and spring E. J us't before the hammer touches the cap the little nick in the lever lying under J permits the spring E to carry up the block to its position, Fig. 2, and bring the loadchamber and the bore of the barrel into range an instant before the cap is exploded, and at the same time places the upper end of lever G against a small stop, 10, upon the block, in order to hold it firmly to the barrel against the recoil. The recocking of the piece causes the cap-picker T to clear the cone of any fragments of the exploded cap, throws down the block D, puts a cap upon the cone while the magazine reloads the chamber, and all is ready for another discharge, and so on till the magazincs are exhausted.

I do not claim a movable block for loadnor tube-magazines; but

I claim, substantially as set forth in this specification- 1. The method of operating the block D by the hammer, in combination with the forked lever G, the spring E, and recoil stop-pin 1),

reference being had to the peculiar form of the lever Gr.

2. The formation of the front trigger-guard into a searspring and its attachment to the lower end of the trigger.

I disclaim as not new the other parts of the apparatus described in the specification.

F. NEWBURY.

Witnesses:

RIcHD. VARIOK DE WITT, W. G. MILLER.

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