IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Kiel Volmar Barnekov, of the City of Newburgh,
State of New York, in the United States of America, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 17th October 1868, and dated the 27th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Kiel Volmar Barnekov
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th April 1868.
I, KIEL VOLMAR BARNEKOV, of the City of Newburgh, State of New
York, in the United States of America, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in providing a fire-arm with a single cylindrical
breech piece which is moveable around a centre pin below the barrel
by means of a lever fastened to such breech piece, and this breech
piece is cut out on its circumference at different places for the admission
of the cartridge and for the reception of a cartridge extractor, which is
worked by the lever which revolves the breech piece. Such cartridge
extractor is so constructed and arranged with respect to the hammer

page_text: that by the operation of extracting the shell of the exploded cartridg
the hammer is cocked to the first or second stop as desired by the
operator. The breech piece also carries in suitable places a pin fo
transmitting the blow of the hammer to the cartridge, and another pir
having a conical head and a spiral spring behind it for marking o
regulating the three different stopping places of the breech piece, that is
1st, the position of the breech piece for extracting the shell and cocking
the hammer; 2nd, the position for putting a new cartridge into the
breech of the barrel; and, 3rd, the position of the breech piece when the
gun is ready for firing..
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the gun when fired; Fig. 2
is a transverse section through the centre pin of the hammer, showing a
back view of the back plate of the breech piece and the section of the
trigger plate; Fig. 3 is a section through the cylindrical breech piece as
it is when the gun is ready for firing or fired; Fig. 4 is a transverse
section of the breech piece; and Fig. 5, a side view thereof in the
position when ready for pulling out the exploded cartridge (drawn in full
lines), and the position of the lever and hammer and extractor when
the. shell is pulled out (shown in dotted lines); Fig. 6 shows a
cylindrical breech in position to load the gun again.
A is the cylindrical breech piece, moveable about a centre pin B
between two strong plates C, D. The pin B is screwed into the back
plate D, and the front plate is held against a shoulder on the pin B by
means of a key b; the breech piece A turning easily between the
plates C and D. The front plate O receives the barrel F and stock G.
The trigger plate D¹ is an extension of the back plate D, and to it
are fastened the necessary parts of the lock; and between this and the
top strap E is secured the stock G by screws d, f. A hollow cylindrical
shell M, M, fastened to the plate C, D, surrounds the breech piece or
cylinder A; such shell is open at the top to allow the cartridge to be
placed in the breech of the barrel, and at the bottom to allow of the
movement of the lever L and to guide such lever in its movements.
L is a two-armed lever connected with the breech piece A by a screw p;
the short arm Q of such lever being attached to the shell extractor O,
which is a fork-shaped piece of steel, having two wedge-shaped points,
and having on its lower end an extension P which runs in a swallow-
tail-shaped groove the whole length of the cylinder A in a direction
parallel with the centre pin B, and guides the extractor in its forward

page_text: and backward motions. A slot is cut in the arm Q to allow the
extractor to move in such direction. Such extension P acts also to
cock the hammer H by striking in its backward movement against a
lip H on such hammer, and pushing back such hammer to its first
stop St, at which time also the shell is drawn entirely from the barrel.
A further backward movement to the same extent of the extractor will
carry the hammer to its second stop S". This second position of the
hammer can also be effected by applying the finger to the part h¹.
When the breech piece A. is moved by the lever L to the position shewn
in Figs. 4, 5, the wedged shaped points of the extractor O pass behind
the shell S, and the breech of the barrel being seamed tapering the least
backward movement of the extractor loosens the shell. The shell is
wholly withdrawn from the barrel when the lever L reaches the position
shown in Fig. 5 in dotted lines. From such position, however, the lever
has to be carried to the position shown in beavy lines, so as to draw the
extension P entirely from out of the back plate D, and thus permit the
cylinder A to be turned. The shell is left behind the extractor in the
space R cut out from the cylinder for the admission of the extractor
and the shell. The cylinder or breech piece A is then turned to the
position shown in Fig. 6, bringing up another chamber T. cut out on
the circumference of such cylinder for the admission of a new cartridge S,
and corresponding with the piece cut out of the top of the shell M, .M.
The cartridge having been deposited, the breech piece is turned to the
position Fig. 3, when the gun is ready for firing. This movement of
the cylinder A also causes the withdrawn shell which was left in the
cavity R to drop out through the lower cavity or recess in the shell M, M,
made for the movements of the lever L. These different positions of the
breech piece are regulated by a conical-headed pin N moving in a cavity
in such breech piece, and having behind it a spiral spring which pushes
its head against the front face of the back plate D into the recesses
N', N', N', which mark the three stopping places of the cylinder,.
pulling out the shell and cocking the hammer, loading, and ready for
firing. The firing is caused by the hammer H striking against the head
of a pin K placed behind the cartridge S in a hole in the cylinder A.
A solid part of the breech piece thus. covers the face of the cartridge, and
a solid square resistance is offered to the blows which the explosions of
the cartridge may cause to the oun.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Kiel Volmar Barnekov in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, KIEL
VOLMAR BARNEKOV, of the City of Newburgh, State of New York, in the
United States of America, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Kiel Volmar Barnekov, Her special
licence that I, the said Kiel Volmar Barnekov, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Kiel Volmar Barnekov,
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
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
the said Kiel Volmar Barnekov, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Kiel Volmar Barnekov, 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 :-
The nature of my Invention consists in providing the gun with a
single cylindical breech piece movable around a centre pin below the
bore of the barrel by means of a lever fastened securely to the movable
piece, and which cylinder is cut out on its circumference at different
places for the admission of the cartridge into the barrel, and for the
reception of a cartridge extractor which is worked by the same lever which

page_text: e breech piece; said cartridge extractor is also so constructed
anged with respect to the hammer that by the operation of
g the shell of the exploded cartridge the hammer is cocked to
stop or to the second stop as the operator of the gun may
the breech piece also carries in suitable places a pin for trans-
the blow of the hammer to the cartridge, and another pin with
spring and a conical head for marking the three different
places of the breech piece, that is, 1st, the position of the
for extracting the shell and cocking the hammer; 2nd, the
for putting a new cartridge into the breech of the barrel, and,
position of the breech piece when the gun is ready for firing.
e 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the gun showing the
position of the parts when the gun is fired.
2 is a transverse section through the centre pin of the hammer
showing the back view of the back plate of the breech piece
and the section of the trigger plate.
3 represents a section through the cylindrical breech piece as
it is when the gun is ready for firing or fired.
4 & 5 represent a transverse section of the breech piece and
the side view of the cylinder in the position when ready for
pulling out the shell of the exploded cartridge (shown in full
lines) and the position of lever and hammer with the extractor
when the shell is pulled out, shown in dotted lines.
6 shows the same cylindrical breech piece in position to load
the rifle again.
7 to 11 show another construction of breech piece and shell
extractor.
1 these sections A is the cylindrical breech piece movable around
ter pin B and between two strong plates C and D. The pin B
ed into the back plate. D, and the front plate C is held against a
on such pin by a key b; the two plates C and D being so
s to allow the cylinder A. to turn easily between them. A hollow
cal shell M, M, surrounds the breech piece A and is securely
to each of those two plates C and D; such shell is cut open on
the admission of the cartridge S (Fig. 6) into the breech of the
nd- on the bottom to permit the movement-of-the-lever-L, and
guide the lever L in its right course. The front plate C receives

page_text: also the barrel F and the stock G. To the trigger plate D, which is an
extension of the back plate D, are fastened all the necessary parts of
a gun lock, and between this and the top strap E is fastened the stock G
by the screws d and f. To the cylindrical breech piece A is fastened by
means of a strong screw p a two-armed lever L, the short arm Qof
which lever is attached to the extractor Q, which is a fork-shaped piece
of steel, the two points of which are wedge-like shaped, and the straight
side of which is near the plate C. This extractor O has on its lower end
an extension P running the whole length of the breech cylinder in a
swallow-tail-shaped groove to guide the extractor in a direction parallel
to the center pin B in its forward or backward movement, as effected
by the lever L, for which purpose a slot is cut in the arm Q to allow the
extractor O to move in said direction. The extension P serves not only
to guide the extractor O in its movements, but also to cock the hammer
by striking the lap H³ on the side of the hammer H, and pushing by its
back motion the hammer backward until such hammer comes to its
first stop St (Figs. 1 & 6). At this point the shell of the cartridge is
pulled out entirely free from the breech of the barrel, but the extractor
can be moved back by the lever L, as much more so as to bring the
hammer back to its second stop S². This last movement of the hammer
can also be effected by the thumb of the operator of the gun by means
of the wingh near the face of the hammer H (Fig. 5). When the
breech piece A is moved by means of the lever L to a position as shown
in Figs. 4 & 5, the wedge-shaped points of the extractor O slide behind
the shoulder of the shell S and start it loose from its place in the breech
of the barrel, where it was fast from the expansion of the shell caused
by the explosion of the cartridge, but the least backward movement
of the extractor will loosen the shell, as the breech of the barrel is reamed
out so as to be slightly tapering. This first backward movement of the
shell is easily effected by means of those wedges of the extractor being
pressed between the plate C and the shoulder of the shell. The shell
is entirely pulled out when lever L is brought in a position, as shown in
dotted lines (Fig. 5). From this position the lever L has to be brought
back to the place as drawn in full lines (Fig. 5) to enable the cylinder A
to be turned, as the extension P has to be clear of the back plate D,
through which it has to pass by means of the opening D' (Figs. 2 & 5)
to cock the hammer. The shell of the cartridge S remains now behind
the extractor and is laying in the space R which is cut out from the
breech cylinder A for the admission of the extractor O and the shell S.

page_text: The cylinder A is now to be turned to the position shown in Fig. 6.
Another chamber T is cut out on the circumference of the cylinder A
corresponding with the piece cut out the top of the shell M, M, for
the admission of a new cartridge S, which is placed in the breech of the
barrel by the fingers of the operator; the cylinder is then turned to
the position shown in Fig. 3, when the gun is ready for firing. These
different positions of the cylinder are governed or secured by the conical
head of a pin N placed in a hole in the cylinder A; a spiral spring
behind the shoulder of such pin (Fig. 5) pushing its head against the
front face of the back plate D, where it passes three different recessed.
plates N, N, N, (Fig. 2), which indicate the three different stopping
places of the cylinder, pulling out the shell and cocking the hammer,
loading, and ready for firing. The firing of the gun is effected by the
hammer H striking the head of a pin k, which is also placed in a
suitable hole in the cylinder A and so as to be behind tha cartridge S
when ready for firing (Figs. 1 & 3). In this position a solid part of
the breech piece A covers the whole face of the cartridge and a solid
square resistance is offered to all the blows which the explosions of the
cartridges may cause to the gun. The shell of the former cartridge,
after it has been withdrawn from the barrel, remains enclosed in the
space R, but as soon as the cylinder A is revolved and is brought in
position ready for firing (shown in Fig. 3) the shell S drops out below
through the opening in the shell M, M, cut for the movement of the
lever L.
Figures 7 to 11 show another construction and arrangement of
revolving breech piece and shell extractor, both of which are operated
by a common lever, which revolves the brecch piece, and at the same.
time causes the extractor to withdraw the discharged shell from the gun.
In this case, however, the lever is applied directly to revolve the breech
piece, and this by its revolution operates the shell extractor or causes it
to withdraw the shell. Figure 7 shows the breech piece A in the
position it is when the gun is about being loaded; the chamber T', cut
out of the breech piece A to receive the cartridge or shell, being turned
up and in a line with the barrel, and also shows the position of the shell
extractor O' at the same time and the the withdrawn shell in it. Figure 8
is a view from the other side than that shown in Figure 7, and shows
the position of the breech piece A and shell extractor O' when the gun
is ready for firing or has been fired; the breech piece having been.

page_text: revolved its full extent by the lever L in the direction of the arrow
shown in Fig. 7, the chamber T" being then directly opposite the position
shown in Figure 7. The shell extractor O', a detached view of which
is shown in Figure 10, moves backward and forward in the irregular
chamber or recess Y in the breech piece A and upon the center pin B
on which such breech piece revolves, and is moved or carried backward
and forward in such chamber as the breech piece A is revolved by means
of a projecting stud or point at which enters into a spiral slot b,
Figure 9, cut in the center pin B; such shell extractor is also con-
structed with a curved pointed lip o', the back or inner edge of which
is inclined, substantially as represented, & between such lip and the
bottom part or plate of such extractor the shell passes as it is withdrawn
from the gun. The gun having been fired, at which time the breech
piece A and shell extractor O¹ are in the position shown in Figure 8,
the lever L is pressed downward and the breech piece A revolves toward
the right, and the point of the lip o' of the shell extractor enters or
passes behind the shoulder or flange of the shell, and as the breech piece
is further revolved the shell, by means of the inclined edge of the lip o'
and the backward movement of the extractor (the latter being effected
by the action of the slot 6¹ on the stud a¹), is wholly withdrawn from the
gun before the breadth of the chamber or recess Y passes beyond the
barrel bore, and the shell being so withdrawn is held in such cavity
and by the extractor, as shown in Figure 7. Another shell having been
placed in the chamber T and inserted into the gun barrel the breech
piece A is revolved or turned backward to the position shown in
Figure 8, and the withdrawn shell drops out of the chamber Y of its
own gravity. The lever L may be so connected to the breech piece A
that it can be turned down horizontally in line with the barrel either
forwards or backwards after the breech piece has been revolved to
make the gun ready for firing. The hammer H in the firing of the
gun takes the position shown in Figure 8, but it is again brought to
a cock ready for the next discharge by the revolving of the breech
piece A. This is effected by means of an inclined groove X cut in the
back end of the breech piece A, as shown in Figure 11, in or against
which plays a pin x connected with the cock or hammer. When the
gun is fired the deepest part of such groove receives such pin, such pin
being not so long as the depth of the groove so as to offer no resistance to
the full force of the hammer. As the breech piece is revolved the inclined
surface of such groove acts against the pin referred to and carries the

page_text: hammer back to a half or full cock, as desired, ready again to be acted
upon by the trigger.
This breech-loading rifle has many advantages over any other of
this class of rifles. It is built very compact and strong. The whole
action is simple and all enclosed; nothing is exposed but the lever L,
by which all the work is performed. By having only one single breech
piece all joints or hinges in the breech are avoided, and a square solid
resistance is offered to the blows of the explosion of the cartridges. No
small pieces are to be worked or handled independent of each other to
remove the shell of the cartridge or to open the breech of the gun.
The lever only has to be used to pull out the shell, which is accom-
plished with certainty, as the motion of the extractor is a positive one
and is easily effected by means of the wedge shape of the extractor in
connection with a long lever. By the same action that removes the
shell the hammer is cocked simultaneously to its first or second stop as
the operator may choose, and the hammer can also be cocked by the
hand independently. For all these different reasons this gun is very
well adapted for use by the soldier in the field.
This Invention can also be applied to fire-arms of different kinds,
as rifles, carbines, muskets, &c., and can also be adapted to field pieces
and heavy guns.
What is claimed and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is,―
I. The cylindrical breech piece A cut away, substantially as described,
to take the cartridge and receive the cartridge extractor movable around
a center pin B, and operated by the lever Lor its equivalent, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
II. The forked-shaped shell extractor O, having wedge-shaped points
arranged and operating substantially as specified.
III. The combination and arrangement, substantially as described,
of the breech piece A, shell extractor O, and lever L, whereby the
action of such lever is made both to revolve the breech piece and
operate. the shell extractor, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
IV. The combination and arrangement, substantially as described, of
the shell extractor O, hammer H, and lever L, whereby the extracting
of the shell and the cocking of the hammer is effected by the same
movement of the lever for the purposes set forth.

page_text: V. In combination with the cylindrical breech piece A and lever L,
the arrangement of the enclosing shell M, M, having openings at the
top and bottom, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
VI. The combination of the cylindrical revolving breech piece A,
shell extractor O hammer H, lever L, Q, and enclosing shell M, M,
constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
VII. The combination of the revolving breech piece A, shell extractor O¹,
and center pin B, constructed and arranged substantially as described,
and as illustrated in Figures 7 to 11 inclusive, whereby the revolving of
the breech piece both revolves and moves backward the shell extractor,
for the purposes mentioned.
VIII. Giving the shell extractor two simultaneous movements, one
around its axis to cause it to pass between the head or flange of the
shell and the barrel, and the other parallel to its axis to withdraw the
shell from the barrel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Kiel Volmar Barnekov, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of
our Lord 1868.
KIEL VOLMAR BARNEKOV. (L.S.)