Abstract:
A magazine and compact feed mechanism for firearms includes an end cap on the magazine to keep cartridges from falling out and a stop mechanism for preventing a rotating cartridge transfer disk from traveling beyond 90°. The magazine is placed in a horizontal position so that it is parallel to the barrel and includes an end cap that is shaped to prevent cartridges from inadvertently falling out of the magazine. A spring-loaded cover may also be added to the magazine for further protection. Cartridges from the magazine are delivered to a rotatable transfer disk by an injector arm driven by the recoil of the slide mechanism. A rotatable cartridge transfer disk is also driven by the recoil of the slide mechanism and functions to receive the cartridge from the horizontal magazine and rotate it 90° so as to present it properly to the breech mechanism so that it can be presented to the barrel. In order to prevent the rotating transfer disk from traveling beyond 90°, as might be the case with high power ammunition, the slide and transfer disk include a mechanism to stop the transfer disk from rotating after precisely 90° of rotation.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application relates to, and claims the priority of, my U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/037,670 filed on Feb. 11, 1997 and entitled “MAGAZINE AND FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS AND OTHER APPLICATIONS”, the entire substance and contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into this application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to the field of firearms and, in particular, to firearms utilizing cartridges fed from a horizontal magazine and in which the cartridges are rotated 90° after delivery from the magazine so that they can be presented properly to the barrel prior to discharge. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Ammunition magazines are well known in the prior art. The vast bulk of such magazines, however, discharge the cartridges in a plane that is parallel to the major flat surface of the magazine itself. A very small minority of magazines, however, discharge their cartridges at an angle perpendicular, i.e., 90° to the major plane of the magazine. This is, of course, the case with most horizontal magazines. By “horizontal” the term is used to mean that the magazine lies in a plane parallel to that of the barrel. Since the use of horizontal magazines is relatively unique, the prior art related thereto is relatively limited 
     The following prior art magazine devices may be of possible relevance. U.S. Pat. No. 2,630,645 describes an abutment at the end of the magazine slide which holds laterally oriented cartridges in place. An expanding spring causes the abutment to cover the exit opening thereby preventing bullets from exiting the magazine. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,773,325 discloses a magazine wherein abutting shoulders limit the extent of insertion of the cartridge container. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,635 describes a cartridge container having an end cap which retains the cartridges within the container only until the container is loaded into a firearm and, thereafter, the cartridges are free to move to a transfer mechanism. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,081 describes another magazine which positions its cartridges laterally relative to the direction of fire and relies on an elevator to raise them to a transfer member which orients them with respect to the firing mechanism. Apparently, gravity retains them in the magazine well. 
     Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,499 describes a feed mechanism including a feed lip, and a bias spring, and a curved guide surface for guiding the cartridges downward to a transferring mechanism. 
     It is dear from a review of the patent prior art that mechanisms for keeping cartridges from falling out of horizontal magazines are an area of very limited development. 
     Similarly, devices which employ rotating transfer disks to deliver cartridges from a horizontal magazine to the barrel of an automatic or semi-automatic weapon are relatively limited in number. The following U.S. patents are believed to be typical of the state of the art. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,241 describes a transfer disk, including an arcuate slot which mates with a pin in the firearm&#39;s chamber to control rotation of a transfer disk. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,363 describes an arresting means for a rotatable cartridge chamber which also helps to limit travel. In that embodiment, a pin drops into a special detent to prevent further rotation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,994 assigned to Heckler &amp; Koch is of general interest in that it describes a swivel breech which is designed to accommodate variations in gas forces used to power the breech&#39;s swivel action so that the breech is limited to approximately 90° of arcuate rotation without the need for a locking means as such. For similar mechanisms, also note the following U.S. Patents assigned to Heckler &amp; Koch: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,152,857 and 4,348,941. 
     Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,362 is of general interest in that it discloses another mechanism for controlling the rotation of a rotatable cartridge transfer disk. 
     The improvements described in this disclosure relate primarily to mechanisms developed by the present inventors and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,672 issued on Jun. 25, 1985 entitled “MAGAZINE AND FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS” by Walter S. Balsavage, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,743 issued on May 2, 1989 entitled “MAGAZINE AND FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS” naming Walter S. Balsavage and Floyd O. Aikman as co-inventors and assigned to Walter S. Balsavage, Jr., Trenton, N.J. The present invention is intended to improve over the specific mechanisms described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,524,672 and 4,825,743. While both devices perform well, two problems were noted. First, cartridges delivered from the horizontal magazine would sometimes fall out of the magazine or were not properly presented to the rotatable transfer disk by the insertion mechanism. Second, and synergistically, the rotatable transfer disk might occasionally travel beyond 90° thereby misaligning the cartridge with the feed mechanism and causing a jam. This is more likely to happen with high-powered ammunition in which the momentum created by the recoil of the firearm was such that the transfer disk was overdriven beyond the 90° alignment point. It has been found that by improving the magazine as described in this disclosure and improving the rotatable transfer disk so that it does not travel beyond 90°, synergistically enhances the performance and dependability of the firearm. Insofar as understood, none of the prior art references cited herein, or known to the inventors, hint, teach or disclose the inventive concept set forth herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly described, the invention comprises an improvement to horizontal magazines employed on small firearms and the rotatable cartridge transfer disks used in conjunction therewith. The improved magazine preferably includes an end cap and/or a related leaf spring mechanism to keep the cartridge at the loading end of the magazine in proper alignment prior to insertion into the rotatable transfer disk. The magazine end cap may also be used in conjunction with a spring-loaded flap and/or a cartridge guide mechanism to further enhance the accuracy of the alignment of the cartridge with respect to the rotatable cartridge transfer disk after ejection from the magazine by the injector mechanism. 
     The rotatable cartridge transfer disk is typically driven by the slide and rail mechanism either during cocking or by the recoil of the firearm after firing. According to a first embodiment, pins on the transfer disk interact with projections and indentations in one of the slide rails to rotate the transfer disk and then hold it in position after the disk has rotated 90°. According to a second embodiment of the rotatable transfer disk mechanism, tabs or irregularly spaced teeth on the periphery of the rotatable transfer disk interact with apertures and surfaces on one of the rails to rotate the mechanism 90°. After the mechanism has rotated 90° there is sufficient slack or space in the last tooth engaged aperture to prevent the transfer disk from traveling beyond 90°. 
     According to a third embodiment, the transfer disk has regularly spaced teeth which engage with regularly spaced teeth on the rail, like a rack, but includes an arresting mechanism for preventing the transfer disk from substantially traveling beyond 90° once it reaches that point. 
     According to a fourth embodiment of a rotatable transfer disk, the regularly spaced teeth on the transfer disk interact with regularly spaced pins on a guide rod which includes a spring loaded stop to gently bring the rotatable transfer disk to rest at the 90° rotation point without over travel. 
     These and other features of the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1A-1J illustrate various different views of the improved horizontal magazine including an end cap for holding the cartridge in place prior to insertion according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate different views of another horizontal magazine embodiment including a spring loaded bottom flap for additional protection against accidental loss of cartridge. 
     FIGS. 2D-2F illustrate another horizontal magazine embodiment in which a built in cartridge holder and guide assists in the correct orientation and alignment of the cartridge at the dispersal end of the magazine prior to injection. 
     FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate different views of possible magazine latch and ejector mechanisms appropriate for use with the improved horizontal magazine structure, 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate top plan and right side elevational views, respectively, of the slide, rail, rotatable cartridge transfer disk and cartridge injector assemblies. 
     FIGS. 5A-5F illustrate the left slide, the left rail, the right rail, the right slide, an end view of the left rail, and an end view of the right rail, respectively. 
     FIG. 6A illustrates the preferred embodiment of the rotatable transfer disk mechanism in which the disk includes three pins which engage with indentations or projections on the slide mechanism and in which the rotatable transfer disk is shown prior to recoil or cocking according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 6B illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 6A in which the transfer disk has started to rotate under the influence of the recoiling slide. 
     FIG. 6C illustrates the rotatable transfer disks of FIGS. 6A and 6B in which the disk and cartridge have rotated 90° and are held in that position by the structure of the slide rail and transfer disk. 
     FIG. 7A illustrates an alternative embodiment of the rotatable transfer disk invention in which the transfer disk includes irregularly spaced teeth or projections which engage with irregularly spaced apertures and projections on the left slide and in which the rotatable transfer disk is shown in its cocked position. 
     FIG. 7B illustrates the rotatable transfer disk according to FIG. 7A partway through the recoil or cocking motion. 
     FIG. 7C illustrates the rotatable transfer disk of FIGS. 7A and 7B in which the rotatable transfer disk has rotated 90° and is held in that position by the structure of the rotatable transfer disk and the drive rail. 
     FIG. 7D illustrates in further detail the additional play in the left rail aperture that permits the rotatable transfer disk to rotate 90° but no further. 
     FIG. 7E illustrates a prior art rotatable transfer disk in which evenly spaced teeth on the transfer disk ride on a rack on the rail and in which the cartridge has traveled well past 90° thereby making injection into the breech difficult, if not possible, thereby leading to jamming or other dangerous malfunction conditions. 
     FIG. 8A illustrates another alternative embodiment of the rotatable transfer disk in which the rotatable transfer disk includes evenly spaced teeth which engage with, and are driven by, evenly spaced teeth on a rack on the right side rail, all of which are seen prior to recoil. 
     FIG. 8B illustrates the same rotatable transfer disk after full cocking or recoil has taken place with the cartridge shown in its 90° position and held there by the structure of the transfer disk and rail. 
     FIG. 8C illustrates in better partial cross sectional detail the mechanism for preventing the rotatable transfer disk from travelling beyond 90° and how the cartridge is held safely inside of the slide in case of accidental firing. 
     FIG. 9A is a top plan view which illustrates another embodiment for driving a rotatable transfer disk in which the rotatable transfer disk has a plurality of evenly spaced teeth which engage with pins on a guide rod which also guides the recoil spring and where the pins are located on the guide rod instead of on the slide as shown in FIGS. 8A-8C. 
     FIG. 9B is a side elevational view of the rotatable transfer disk mechanism illustrated in FIG.  9 A. 
     FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate orthogonal views of the front support. 
     FIGS. 10D-10F illustrate orthogonal view of the breech block. 
     FIGS. 10G-10I illustrate different orthogonal views of the rotatable transfer feed disk. 
     FIGS. 10J-10L illustrate different orthogonal views of the spring guide and related clearance. 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate top and side views of the injector link driver. 
     FIGS. 11C and 11D illustrate side and front views of the ejector link showing the injector head. 
     FIGS. 11E illustrates the front of the breech face and  11 F illustrates a side view of the return cam mechanism for the cartridge injector. 
     FIGS. 11G and 11H illustrate front and side views of the feed lips. 
     FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate rear of slide and lower portion of the cartridge injector. 
     FIG. 12C is a side elevational view showing the cartridge injector in position above the slide mechanism. 
     FIG. 12D is a partial cross-sectional view of the feed disk with a cartridge in position and held by a cartridge catch as it is being forced therein in the injector mechanism. 
     FIGS. 13A-13E illustrate top, side, bottom, front and rear views respectively of the slide and actuator elements. 
     FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate side and top views partially assembled receiver plate and related structures. 
     FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate orthogonal views of the barrel mount and its relationship to the slide mechanism. 
     FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate various orthogonal views of the barrel mount, recoil springs and guides, receiver top, the barrel, and the slide. 
     FIGS. 17A and 17E illustrate various orthogonal views of the slide bushings. 
     FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate the trigger bar and an associated lock and plunger mechanism. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     During the course of the description, like numbers will be used to identify like elements according to the different figures that illustrate the invention. 
     The purpose of the improved magazine  10  is to prevent cartridges from inadvertently coming out of the magazine  20 . FIGS. 1A-1C show that the follower  12  has a curved face  14  which is angled to interact with cartridges  24 A- 24 D. The magazine  12  includes an end plate or face  16  that curves beyond 90° and holds the cartridge  24 A in position against the pressure of the follower  12 . Endplate  16  includes a pair of lips  28 , which are spaced slightly wider than the diameter of the cartridge  24 . Follower  12  is biased towards the front face  16  of the magazine  20  by spring  22 . The views of FIGS. 1C,  1 D and  1 E illustrate a top rib  26  on the follower  12  which fits into a slot at the front of the magazine  12  and which serves as a guide for the follower and protrudes out the front part of the magazine, as shown in FIG. 1D, allowing the user to push it back thereby making the loading of the magazine  10  easier. 
     FIG. 1F illustrates the use of a leaf spring  28  which, when combined with the follower  12 , holds the cartridges  24 A- 24 D in the magazine  10 . 
     The views of FIGS. 1G and 1H and  11  illustrate a spring biased protrusion mechanism  30  that also serves to hold cartridges  24 A- 24 D in position until forced out of the opening by the injector head  52 . Instead of having a large slot in front of the magazine as illustrated in FIG. 1D, a smaller T-shaped slot  32 , illustrated in FIG. 11, into which a correspondingly T-shaped injector  34 , illustrated in FIG. 1J, is received. This prevents the magazine  20  from accepting more debris than necessary. 
     There are also other mechanisms for preventing cartridges from inadvertently coming out of a horizontal magazine such as described herein. FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate the use of a movable flap  36  which is biased by a spring  38  to close off the cartridge outlet aperture when the magazine is not in use. When the magazine is placed into position on the firearm, projections  40  force the flap  36  backwards against the bias spring  38 , thereby permitting the injector  12  to force cartridge  24 A into the rotatable transfer disc as will be described in detail later on. 
     FIGS. 2D,  2 E and  2 F illustrate a cartridge holder/guide mechanism for centering cartridges of different lengths and holding the cartridges in position until pushed out by the head  52  of the cartridge injector  12 . The cartridge  24 A according to embodiment  50  is located between sidewalls  56 . Guides  54 ,  58  and  60  guide the cartridge  24 A into proper centered alignment so that it is neatly received in the aperture in the rotatable transfer disc after it is ejected by the injector head  52 . 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a frame  70  that includes a magazine latch and ejector mechanism  86 . The magazine  82  is located between the two slide sides  72 . This particular latch and ejector mechanism can be used with both vertical and horizontal magazines. Magazine  82  is held in the frame  72  by the tip  74  of the magazine latch pin which protrudes through an aperture  76  in the frame  72 . The opposite end  80  of the latch  86  also protrudes through an aperture in the frame  72  and impinges upon the magazine  82  to keep it in position. A spring  78  biases the latch  86  into its normally locked condition. When the magazine latch  86  is depressed, it pivots around the pivot point thereby withdrawing the tip  74  and unlatching the magazine  82 . The distal, or other, tip  80  simultaneously pushes the magazine  82  out of or off of the firearm. FIG. 3B illustrates a similar structure for a horizontal magazine  82 . The magazine  82  can be located anywhere around the axis of the barrel or stock. The magazine  82  is held in place by the tip  74  of the magazine latch  86  in the matter previously described. Tip  74  passes through an aperture  80  in the frame  72 . The other end  80  of the latch  86  passes through a second aperture  76  and touches the bottom portion of the magazine  82 . Pushing on the latch  86 , withdraws the tip  74  from aperture  84  and simultaneously forces the tip  80  against the bottom side of the magazine  82  forcing it out of the frame  72 . 
     FIG. 3C illustrates an additional ejector mechanism  90  comprising a spring having a tip  92  and mounted on bracket piece  94 . Ejector mechanism  90  is an alternative method for popping magazine  82  out of the frame. Pulling the bracket  94  away from the magazine  82  releases part  92  and simultaneously pushes up with the foot of the frame  94  forcing the magazine  82  out of the frame  72 . 
     FIG. 3D illustrates a magazine ejector  100  attached to the front sight mount  102  and including the magazine ejector element  104  biased by coil spring  106 . Ejector leaf spring  108  is located between the frame  72  and the broad under face portion of the magazine  82 . The releasing of the ejector  104  permits the leaf spring  108  to force the magazine  82  out of the frame  72 . 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B respectively disclose how the rails interface with the pins to rotate the feed disk from the load to the chambered positions. FIG. 4B illustrates the injector lever  110  attached to a pivot point  112  including the ejector face  52 . See also the elements in FIGS. 11A-11D. The right side slide  130  supports the right side rail  132  and is held in position by the front support  118  and the bolt guide  116 . The right side slide  136  and rail  134  are likewise connected by the bolt guide  116  and the front support  118 . The right and left slides  130 ,  136  respectively include a feed window  120 . Breech block  114  provides further support to the slides  130  and  136 . The rotatable feed disc  202  is located aft of the breech block  114  and is driven in the manner described in FIGS. 6A-9B. 
     The preferred embodiment  200  of the transferred disc drive mechanism is illustrated in progressive detail in FIGS. 6A and 6C. Rotatable transfer disc  202  is located between the upper rail timing bar  206  and the lower rail  208 . Barrel  204  is shown in alignment with cartridge  24 . A pair of slots  210  are located aft of the transfer disc  202  for accepting the feed lips. Rotatable transfer disc  202  includes three ( 3 ) drive pins  212 ,  214  and  216  respectively. Pins  212 ,  214  and  216  engage respectively with projection  218 , indent  220  and projection  222  of the upper rail/timing bar  206 . FIG. 6A illustrates the preferred embodiment  200  prior to cocking or recoil. 
     FIG. 6B illustrates the preferred embodiment  200  after recoil or cocking has begun and the rotatable transfer disk  202  has started to revolve about 30°. Projecting surface  218  has just contacted the first pin  212  on disk  202  causing it to rotate and bring the second pin  214  into indentation  220 . Continued backward motion of the slide away from the barrel  204  causes the transfer disk  202  to continue to rotate until it is in the full 90° position as illustrated in FIG.  6 C. Further rotation of the transfer disk  202  beyond the 90° point as shown in FIG. 6C is impossible because the ends of the feed lips  215   a ,  215   b ,  215   c , and  215   d  and pins  214  and  216  hold the disk in the 90° position between the two rails  206  and  208 . Therefore, the cartridge  24  is always properly presented from the magazine to the transfer disk  202  regardless of the amount of recoil that may have been occasioned by high power ammunition. 
     A second alternative embodiment  300  is illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C. The rotatable transfer disk  302  is aligned in FIG. 7A with the bore of the barrel  304  and is positioned between upper rail  306  and lower rail  308 . Rotatable transfer disk  302  includes four irregularly shaped and spaced teeth  310 ,  312 ,  314  and  316 , respectively. Teeth  310 - 316  are respectively received in apertures  322 ,  324 ,  326  and  328 , respectively. FIG. 7A illustrates the transfer disk  302  in parallel alignment with the barrel  304  immediately prior to cocking or recoil. Recoil causes the slide mechanism  306  and  308  to move backwards as illustrated in FIG.  7 B. Note also the slots for the feed lips  330 . Tooth  310  moves along aperture  322  until it impinges upon the projection which causes the transfer disk  302  to rotate. Thereafter, tooth  312  engages rail aperture  324 ,  314  engages rail aperture  326 , and finally, tooth  316  engages rail aperture  328  so that the transfer disk ultimately arrives at the full 90° position as shown in FIG.  7 C. If the slide mechanism continues to move backwards, as illustrated in FIG. 7D, the transfer disk  302 , nevertheless, remains in the 90° position held between the rails  306  and  308  by the contact of tooth  318  with rail  306  and the contact of tooth  314  with rail  308 . In addition, very importantly, aperture  328  in rail  308  is significantly wider than transfer disk tooth  316  so that there is a substantial amount of play illustrated by arrow  330 . This permits the slide mechanism to continue to move backward without forcing the transfer disk  302  beyond the 90° position. 
     In contrast, note FIG.  7 E and embodiment  400  which illustrates a generic prior art rotatable transfer disk in which the transfer disk includes a plurality of regularly spaced teeth which mate with regularly spaced teeth on the slide rail. In this worse case embodiment, the slide is shown to be fully driven backwards, perhaps by a very high powered charge, causing the transfer disk to move beyond the 90° position perhaps as much as 100° or 110°. This, in turn, creates a mismatch by 10-20° between the magazine and the transfer disk thereby causing jamming or other malfunctions. The embodiments  200  and  300  just described are not susceptible to travelling beyond 90° because of the mechanisms provided prevent such overtravel. 
     Embodiment  500  illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8C discloses another approach to prevent overtravel of a rotatable cartridge transfer disk  502 . Transfer disk  502  is shown in alignment with barrel  504  in FIG.  8 A. Upper rail  506  includes a plurality of regularly spaced teeth  516  in a rack-like formation. Rib  510  is attached to rail  506 . Lower rail  508  similarly has a second rib  512  attached thereto. Regularly spaced teeth  514  are located on the periphery of rotatable transfer disk  502  and mate with the valleys between the teeth  516  in rail  506 . During recoil, the teeth  516  drive the disk teeth  514  into the 90° transfer position as illustrated in FIG.  8 B. FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional view illustrating the cartridge in the 90° transfer position shown in FIG.  8 B. When the slide recoils to the rear, the gear teeth  514  turn the feed disk  502  to the feed position where the cartridge injector (not shown in this view) would inject the cartridge into the feed disk  502 . Since there are no gear teeth  516  after the last one on the rack, the slide is free to recoil to the rear without overdriving the rotatable transfer disk  502 . In the mode illustrated in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the disk  502  is held in position by the feed lips  516   a ,  516   b ,  516   c  and  516   d , which ride between the inner ribs or rails  510  and  512 , respectively. While the gear teeth  514  are shown on the top surface of the transfer disk  502 , they could also be placed on the bottom surface if desired also. 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate another alternative embodiment of the invention  600  in which the transfer disk  602  also includes a plurality of teeth  601  on the periphery thereof. A slide  604  supports a spring guide rod  606  which has mounted thereon a plurality of pins or teeth  612  and also supports the recoil spring  608  for the slide  604 . A spring-loaded stop  610  is located on the rod  606  and is biased by recoil spring  608 . A machine screw  614  holds the distal end of the spring guide rod  606  in position. Recoil causes the pin teeth  612  to chive the disk teeth  601 . When the disk  602  gets to the 90° position; it operates in a manner similar to that described in FIGS. 8A-8C FIGS. 10A-18B illustrate detail subassembly views and element views to further assist in the understanding of the basic mechanism. 
     The invention just described provides a number of significant advantages over prior art firearms having horizontal magazines and rotatable transfer disks. In particular, the invention is substantially less likely to jam or malfunction because of the synergy between the magazine and the transfer disk. The magazine, with the end cap, especially if combined with a spring-loaded flap or guide mechanism, prevents cartridges from being presented to the rotatable transfer disk until specifically ejected by the injector lever mechanism. Therefore, loose cartridges presenting themselves at random to the rotatable transfer disk cease being a problem. Also, and most importantly, the rotatable transfer disk is prevented from traveling beyond the 90° transfer position by a variety of reliable mechanisms thereby preventing jamming or malfunctions during the critical transfer function. The foregoing advantages all combine to improve the overall safety and reliability of the weapon thereby benefiting the user and the general public. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made to the structure and elements of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.