US3145495A - Exchangeable revolver cylinder and cartridge indexing device - Google Patents

Description

ug- 25, 1954 D. L. KATZ ETAL 3,145,495

EXCHANGEABLE REVOLVER CYLINDER AND CARTRIDGE INDEXING 'DEVICE Filed July 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 25, 1964 D. KATz ETAL 3,145,495

EXCEANGEABLE REVOLVER CYLINDER AND CARTRIDGE INDEXING DEVICE Fil'ed July 6, 1962 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 @pap gba. fjwwf EXCHANGEABLE REVQLVER CYLINDER AND CARTRlDGE INEEXING DEVCE David L Katz, Longmeadow, and Cyril A. Moore, Springfield, Mass., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed `lluly 6, 1962, Ser. No. 208,148

4 Claims. (Cl. 42-59) (Granted under Title 35, ELS. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to magazine-type lirearms and more particularly to the magazines therefor which are of revolver type.

It is one object of this invention to provide for those firearms having revolver-type magazines a chambered cylinder which, after all of the cartridges therein are red, is easily replaced with another cylinder containing live cartridges.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a cylinder which is rotated by spring means to successively index the chambered cartridges at the tiring station.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an indexing device for such a cylinder whereby the cartridges are indexed at the tiring position by a pawl which acts against the projectile of the cartridge which is positioned at the iiring position so that, when such cartridge is tired and the projectile leaves the cylinder, the cylinder is freed to be automatically rotated under spring-bias to index the next cartridge at the ring station.

The specific nature of the invention as Well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a longitudinally cross-sectioned side view of the cylinder mounted in a shoulder firearm;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line 22 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. l.

Shown in the figures is a gun 12 for firing cartridges 14 of low pressure type, which cartridges include a case 16 with a projectile 18 extending forwardly thereof. Gun 12 is provided with a receiver 28 which houses a triggeractuated firing mechanism including a firing pin 22. Fixedly mounted on the front end of receiver 28 is a housing 24 including an essentially semicircular front end plate 26, a similar rear end plate 28, and an arcuate top plate 30.

Front end plate 26 and rear end plate 28 are provided respectively with semicircular flanges 32 and 34 which depend integrally therefrom so as to be symmetrical thereto. A slot 36 extends upwardly in ange 32 coincident with the vertical centerline of housing 24 and past the center thereof and a slot 38 extends similarly upward in ange 34. A barrel 48 is fixed by coupling means 42 to front end plate 26 above slot 32 so that the bore of the barrel has communication with the inside of housing 24.

Replaceably mounted in housing 24, as hereinafter described, is a cylinder 44 provided with iive symmetrically disposed chambers 46 respectively arranged for receiving a cartridge 14. Cylinder 44 is axially bored at 46 and counterbored from the rear at 47 to receive a spindle 48 having the same diameter as bore 46 so that the cylinder is journaled on the spindle at the front end. A cylindrical bearing S is integrally formed on spindle 48 adjacent the rear end thereof which bearing has a diameter similar to that of counterbore 47 so that cylinder 44 is journaled in the bearing at the rear end. A torsional 445,495 Patented Aug. 25., 1964 coil spring 52 is wound around spindle 48 with the front end anchored thereto and the rear end anchored to cylinder 44. Spring 52 is wound so as to be energized when cylinder 44 is rotated in a clockwise direction, (see FIG. 2).

Spindle 48 extends from cylinder 44 at opposite ends thereof and such extending sections are squared off, as noted at S4, at the front end and at 56 at the rear end, with the sides of the squared sections having the same dimensions as the width of slots 36 and 38. Thus, when cylinder 44 is to be installed in housing 24, the squared sections 54 and 56 are respectively inserted into the mouths of slots 36 and 38, and then the cylinder is pushed upwardly therealong. The lengths of slots 36 and 38 are so designed that, when spindle 48 is in contact With the top ends thereof, the center of spindle 48 is coincident with the center of housing 24 and chambers 46 are successively alignable with barrel 40 when cylinder 44 is rotated. Through the cooperation of squared sections 54 and 56 With slots 36 and 38, spindle 48 is prevented from rotation relative to housing 24.

Cylinder 44 is releasably held in housing 24 by a pair of spring-pressed latches 58 and 60 which are respectively mounted to the outside faces of front end plate 26 and rear end plate 28. Latches S8 and 60 are arranged to permit the passage of the squared sections 54 and 56 thereby, when slid upwardly in slots 36 and 38 to the installed position, and to snap under the squared section to hold the squared sections in the assembled position at the ends of the slots.

Chambers 46 are respectively indexed at the ring station in alignment with barrel 4t) by a pawl 62 which is pivotally mounted on the outside of top plate 30 and is arranged to contact projectile 18 of cartridge 14 at the tiring station, as hereinafter described. Pawl 62 is pivotally mounted on an axle 66 disposed parallel to the center axisv of housing 24 and to the left of the vertical centerline thereof (FIG. 2). Pawl 62 includes an arm 68 which extends through an opening 70 in top plate 30 for contact with projectile 18 of the cartridge 14 positioned at the firing station. Contact is made with projectiles 18 through clearances 72 provided through cylinder 44 at each of the chambers 46.

Opening 78 is terminated at the left end by a Wall 73 (FIG. 2) which is contacted by arm 68 when the arm is in contact with the cartridge 14 at the firing station to block counterclockwise displacement of cylinder 44. Opening 70 is long enough so that pawl 62 is free to be displaced by cartridges 14 when cylinder 46 is rotated in a clockwise direction to load spring S2. Pawl 62 is resiliently pressed against wall 73 by a spring 74 to assure the proper indexing of cylinder 44 after spring 52 is wound.

Thus, when a fresh cylinder 44 is installed in housing 24, the cylinder is rotated in a clockwise direction to wind spring 52. Gun 12 is now ready to be fired. When the trigger mechanism is triggered to discharge cartridge 14 at the firing station and projectile 18 is propelled down barrel 40, cylinder 44 is freed to be rotated by the tension of spring 52 until the projectile of the next cartridge in cylinder 44 contacts arm 68, whereby the next cartridge is indexed at the firing station. Feeding automatically takes place until all of the cartridges 14 are fired. Gun 12 is reloaded by actuation of latches 58 and 66 which releases the spent cylinder 44 for extraction from housing 24. A cylinder 44 with fresh cartridges 14 is then inserted into slots 36 and 38 and pushed upwardly therealong until latches 58 and 60 snap under squared sections 54 and 56 to hold the cylinder in housing 24. Cylinder 44 is then rotated one and one-fourth turns in a clockwise direction to load spring 52.

From the foregoing it is clear apparent that there is provided herein for firearms having revolver-type magazines a quickly replaceable cylinder and a cooperating indexing device which are simple but rugged in construction and positive in operation.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

We claim:

1. The combination including a cartridge having a projectile at the front end thereof, a firearm housing, a barrel mounted on said housing so as to extend forwardly therefrom, a cylinder rotatingly mounted in said housing, a plurality of chambers formed in said cylinder so as to respectively receive said cartridge and so as to be successively positionable at a tiring station in alignment with said barrel when said cylinder is rotated, spring means, means for Y transferring the energy in said spring toY said cylinder for rotation thereof, and a pawl arranged for contact With said cartridge when in the tiring position and for cooperation with said spring means to automatically position the next one of said chambers at the tiring station when said cartridge in said chamber at the tiring station is tired.

2. The combination including a cartridge having a projectile at the'front end thereof, a firearm housing, a barrel mounted on said housing so as to extend forwardly therefrom, a cylinder r'otatingly mounted in said housing, a plurality of chambers formed in said cylinder so as to respectively receive said cartridge and so as to be successively positionable at a firing station in alignment with said barrel when said cylinder is rotated, spring means, means for transferring the energy in said spring to said cylinder for rotation thereof, a pawl pivotally mounted on the outside ot said housing on an axle disposed parallel to the aXis of said cylinder, an arm on said pawl, a clearance formed through said cylinder vat each of said chambers to permit contact of said arm with said projectile of said cartridge at said chamber at the firing station to hold said cartridge thereat against the bias of said spring means, an opening through said housing to permit extension of said arm therethrough into contact with said projectile, and an end Wall of said opening arranged for contact by said arm to block displacement thereof by said proiectile through the bias of said spring means, said opening having suicient length to permit pivotal displacement of said arm by contact of said projectile when said cylinder is rotated in a direction against the bias of said spring for Vthe energizing thereof. Y

3. ylhe combination as defined in claim 2 including a spindle for rotatingly supporting said cylinder, squared sections on each end of said spindle arranged to extend outwardly from said cylinder, a kpair of slots formed in said housing so as to receive said squared sections to guide said cylinder into an installed position in said housing and restrain rotation of said spindle relative to said housing, and a pair of latches mounted on said housing for-engagement with said squared sections to releasably retain said spindle in the installed position.

4. The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein said spring means is of a torsional type and is coiled around said spindle with one end anchored to said housing and the opposite end is anchored to said spindle.v

References Cited in the tile of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 34,922 lDraeger c Apr. 8, 1862 1,487,722 Coenders Mar. 25, 1924 3,050,892 Vogler et al. Aug. 28, 1962

Claims (1)

1. THE COMBINATION INCLUDING A CARTRIDGE HAVING A PROJECTILE AT THE FRONT END THEREOF, A FIREARM HOUSING, A BARREL MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING SO AS TO EXTEND FORWARDLY THEREFROM, A CYLINDER ROTATINGLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF CHAMBERS FORMED IN SAID CYLINDER SO AS TO RESPECTIVELY RECEIVE SAID CARTRIDGE AND SO AS TO BE SUCCESSIVELY POSITIONABLE AT A FIRING STATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID BARREL WHEN SAID CYLINDER IS ROTATED, SPRING MEANS, MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE ENERGY IN SAID SPRING TO SAID CYLINDER FOR ROTATION THEREOF, AND A PAWL ARRANGED FOR CONTACT WITH SAID CARTRIDGE WHEN IN THE FIRING POSITION AND FOR COOPERATION WITH SAID SPRING MEANS TO AUTOMATICALLY POSITION THE

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