Patent GB-126033-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines or Appliances for Loading or Filling the Magazines of Machine Guns.
Inventor: NORTHOVER HARRY ROBERT
IPC: F41A9/83
Filed: 1916-11-03
Abstract: 126,033. Northover, H. R. Nov. 3, 1916. Cartridge magazines.-Relates to that type of machine for feeding cartridges into Lewis gun magazines in which the magazine centre block is keyed to a post on the machine with the entrance to the spiral groove in register with the outlet from a cartridge hopper, manuallyoperated mechanism being provided to feed a cartridge into the magazine and rotate the pan alternately. According to the invention, these alternating operations are effected by two distinct and independently acting devices both driven from a common operating mechanism. Figs. 1 and 13 show a magazine of the Lewis type comprising a fixed centre block b and a rotatable pan a in which the cartridges are retained radially by recesses a<3> and pins a<6>, the bullet ends moving in a groove b<2>, b<3> in the centre block as the pan is rotated. Fig. 4 shows a front view of the complete machine mounted by a screw clamp c<5> upon a service ammunition box. The magazine centre block is keyed in position on a post e so that its opening b<6>, Fig. 1, registers with the exit opening d<3>, Fig. 13, from the cartridge hopper dex, the magazine being retained on the post by a turn button i<3>. The cartridges are fed on service clips through an opening o in a vertical guide o<2>, and by pressing down a spring-controlled plunger p<3>, the cartridges are stripped from the clip and pass by gravity down the guide into the hopper, the clip being ejected by the contact of the plunger head p<3> with a lever o<3>. This clip stripper and ejector is of the kind described in Specification 130,100. The cartridges are pushed into the drum and the drum rotated step by step by turning a hand-crank f. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation seen from the handle side of the machine showing the cartridge and magazine feed arrangements, and Fig. 8 shows a corresponding plan. The hand-crank f rotates a shaft f<2> through the medium of a spring-controlled clutch f<5> which yields under abnormal resistance. The shaft f<2>, through a crank and connecting-rod f<3>, reciprocates a plunger g which pushes the lowermost cartridge through the opening d<3> into the magazine; the weight of the other cartridges in the hopper being supported by a plate d<9> carried by the plunger. The hopper carries a spring d<10> exerting an endwise, thrust on the bullet end of the lowermost cartridge. The shaft f<2> also through eccentric h<6> oscillates a lever h on a pivot h<2> and through a pawl h<3> acting on the projections h<4> rotates the magazine pan one step at a time after the cartridge is inserted. The pan is retained against movement, when the cartridges are being inserted, by a spring-controlled stoppawl mounted on the spindle i<2> which carries the button i', the pawl and button being turned aside together when the magazine is to be removed. The magazine feed pawl h' is pressed into its operative position by a spring h' stressed by a cam on the hub of the stop pawl i so that, when the stop-pawl is moved aside, the lever h is free from spring pressure and does not hinder the removal of the magazine. The spindle i<2> and the post e are arranged to slide axially to accommodate magazines of different sizes. The feed mechanism is automatically stopped when the supply of cartridges fails by automatic stop mechanism as described in Specification 130,098. The stop j<20>, Fig. 9, which acts on' the plunger g, is carried on a lever j<4> moving on a pivot j
 and connected to the weighted end of a second lever j<3>, the other end of which carries a platform j<6> acted on by the weight of the cartridges in the hopper. The cartridges in the loaded magazine are prevented from falling out by a guard n. The hopper carries a cam. surface m<2>, shaped in harmony with the inclined portion b<5> of the groove in the magazine centre block, which projects into the open end of the pan and guides the bases of the cartridges during their passage in the magazine from the groove b<2> to the groove b<3>. Specifications 263/00 and 15220/15 also are referred to.