Improved Repeating Pistol.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
Improved Repeating Pistol.
I, BURKARD BEHR, citizen of the Russian Empire, and residing at Bendlikon,
near Zurich, in the Republic of Switzerland, Inventor, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention has for its object a repeating pistol which stands midway between
an ordinary pistol and a revolver.
In place of the cylinder usual in revolvers the present weapon is provided with
a flat box for receiving the cartridges, which after the cartridges in one half
of the box have been successively fired off is adapted to be turned by hand 180°
so as to bring the other half of the box, which is also filled with cartridges, into
position for firing.
This improved hand firearm is thus characterised by great simplicity in its
construction, which renders it possible to build the pistol as flat as possible so that
it can be packed or carried anywhere convenient and consequently it is particu-
larly suitable for cyclists for giving warning shots for scaring dogs and the like.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pistol;
Figure 2 a front view;
Figure 3 a vertical longitudinal section;
Figure 4 a plan view;
Figures 5, 6, and 7 are end and sectional views of the cock with a peculiar revol-
uble striking bolt mounted thereon.
The pistol as in a revolver consists of a frame A in which however in place of
the drum or cylinder there is mounted a flat box B provided with four cartridge
chambers b, Figures 2 and 3, pivotted on a removable, pin B¹. The thickness
of this box is equal to that of the frame A. so that when closed it fits flush every-
where in the frame A, that is to say no part projects out of the frame. The box B
is secured in the closed position in the frame A by means of a spring lever C
Figures 3 and 4 which springs into a recess b¹ formed on each side of the box.
A back sight c is also mounted on the lever C. When the box B is in the frame A
in the closed position it lies with the cartridge chambers b of its upper half in
front of the barrels D of the pistol so that the two cartridges can be successively
fired off. This successive firing of the two barrels and cartridges is effected by
a peculiarly constructed cock. This cock carries on its head a roller F mounted
in the eyee of the part E and provided on the rear end with curved grooves or
screw spirals f Figures 3 and 7 extending in the form of a thread. In the rear
or back g of the lock casing G a spring pin H is so arranged that when the cock
is moved back to be set, the roller F is engaged by the said pin H which enters
the spiral groove of the roller until the eye e passes under the pin H and lifts
the same out of the groove f. As however the pin H is only vertically movable
and is laterally immovable the roller F when the cock is set thus receives a partial
rotation whereby a projection f on the cock, which for instance previously lay
opposite the upper firing pin J, is now brought opposite the under firing pin K

page_text: and therefore strikes the latter on the firing of the pistol and thus discharges
the lower cartridge.
On the next setting of the cock, the roller F, in the manner herein before
described, is again revolved a half revolution so that the projection f' comes
opposite the upper striking bolt J and the upper cartridge is fired off. When
two cartridges have thus been discharged, the box is rotated 180° on its axis B¹
after the spring lever C has been pressed to release the box, and the other half of
the box with its cartridges is thus brought into position for discharging.
In order that, after the partial revolution has taken place, the roller F may not
during the springing forward of the cock be turned back again by means of
the pin H, the said roller F is provided at its rear end with a ring of ratchet
teeth in which a pawl L, Figures 5 and 6, snaps at each forward revolution of
the roller and thus prevents the roller making a backward rotation.
The remaining parts of the lock mechanism may be of any suitable form of
construction and in the example shown are made exactly as in other revolvers
and are well known.
In order to load the box B it is either entirely withdrawn from the frame A
after the pin B has been pulled out, or the box is turned into the horizontal
position shown in Figure 2 in which the cartridges are easily inserted into the
box from the rear. The insertion or ejection of the middle cartridges, that is
to say the cartridges lying next to the pin B' on which the box rotates, is rendered
possible by means of a recess or groove A¹ formed in the frame A, Figures 1 and 2.
A suitable appliance in the form of a screw driver M screwed into the handle N
accompanies the pistol.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A repeating pistol, characterised by the cartridges being arranged in a flat
box (B) instead of in the cylinder usual in revolvers, which box fits everywhere
flush in the frame (A) and after the cartridges contained in its upper half have
been successively discharged is adapted to be rotated by hand 1800 in order that
its second half also filled with cartridges may then come into position for dis-
charging, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A form of construction of the repeating pistol hereinbefore described in which
the successive discharge of the cartridges contained in one half of the box takes
place by means of a cock (E), the head (c) of which carries a revolubly mounted
roller (1) provided with a screw thread or spiral groove and with a striking pro-
jection (f) in front, a spring pin (H) being suitably mounted to engage in said
groove on the setting of the cock and to thus turn the roller to a given angle (180°)
so that its striking projection (f¹) will strike alternately on first one and then
the other of the two firing pins (J K) acting on the cartridges, substantially as
herein before described.
3. A form of construction of the repeating pistol hereinbefore described, in
which the fixing of the cartridge box (B) after each revolution effected by hand
takes place by means of a spring lever (C) adapted to snap into recesses in the
box, which lever also carries a back sight (c), substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 25th day of May 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.