Patent GB-316645-A (GB)
Title: Automatic firearms
IPC: F41A9/68
Filed: 1928-05-02
Abstract: 316,645. Herlach, F., and Rakula, T. May 2, 1928. Loading-appliances.-An automatic firearm is provided with means for receiving two cartridge magazines simultaueously in such a way that the magazines can be exchanged independently of one another and can be brought into action successively. As shown in Fig. 4, each' magazine is in the form of a flat easing e containing cartridges side by side, confined by a hinged lid f against a spring feeder e<2>. A bolt g<2> locks the lid f, but when depressed against a spring releases the lid, which springs open and becomes interlocked with a notch g<1> in the bolt until the lid is again forcibly closed. The gun, Figs. 1 and 2, has an open-ended magazine chamber c divided into two compartments by a horizontal partition c'. When a magazine e is first introduced into the upper compartment, lateral lugs e<3> on the magazine compress spring plungers i<1> at the side of that compartment, and these plungers, being connected to arms h<3> on a lower shaft h, rock this shaft and move an arm h<1> on it to carry a cam h<2> out of action. At the same time, the bolt g<2> of the magazine is depressed by the cam h<2> of the upper compartment, and the lid of this magazine opens out. The magazine is locked in position by pawls k<1> on a shaft k under the influence, of a torsion spring k<2> When a magazine is next inserted in the bottom compartment, the cam h<2> thereof being out of action, the lid of the magazine remains closed, but the spring plungers i<1>, for this compartment are compressed and put the cam h<2> of the upper compartment out of action. If after this the magazine in the upper compartment is withdrawn, the corresponding spring plungers i' put the cams h<2> of the lower compartment in action, and thus automatically open the lid of the magazine in that compartment. The withdrawal of the upper magazine is performed by the spring plungers i<1> when the pawls k<1> are released by a handle k<3>; simultaneously, a lever on the same shaft k as the pawls k' closes the lid f of the magazine which is being ejected. When the upper magazine has thus been ejected and the lid f of the lower magazine has been opened, the lower magazine cannot be ejected by the operation of the lower handle k<3> unless the cam h<2> which opens the lid of the magazine is first put out of action by a compression of the upper spring plungers i<1> by a handle i<3>. For automatically ejecting a spent magazine and putting the adjacent one in action, levers m are provided adapted to be operated bv lugs e<6> on the feeders e<2> of the magazines. When the last cartridge of a magazine is used, the lug e<6> deflects the lever m, and this deflects an arm k<4> on the shaft k of the pawls k<1 >and lever l, whereupon the spent magazine is closed and ejected, and the other magazine opened. The ejected magazine can then be refilled and replaced. A trigger stopping lever q is operated by a spring bolt o connected to a pair of levers n. When one magazine at least is in position, a lug e' thereon deflects a lever n and puts the lever q out of action. The lever q is put in operation when both magazines are ejected or when the lugs e<7> are deflected by the lugs e<6> of the feeder when the magazines are empty. The gun then remains loaded and stops firing. The lever q may be released by a handle q<2>. The gun shown has a recoiling barrel and breech-sleeve a in a casing b, with slots in the breech-sleeve for lips d projecting from the magazine chamber to guide the cartridges to a lateral inlet in the breech-sleeve.