Improvements relating to the Filling or Charging of Feed-belts or Bands for Supplying Guns with Cartridges, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Filling or Charging of Feed-belts or
Bands for Supplying Guns with Cartridges, and to Apparatus
therefor.
We, FRANCIS EDWARD DYKE ACLAND of 32 Victoria Street in the City of
Westminster late Captain Royal Artillery, LOUIS SILVERMAN of Crayford Works
Crayford in the County of Kent, Engineer and BENJAMIN ORMAN of 5 Sheppard
Lane, Dartford in the County of Kent, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to facilitate and expedite the operation of filling or
charging with cartridges, feed belts or bands such as are frequently employed for
supplying ammunition to automatic guns.
Such belts or bands are usually made of two strips or webs of canvas or similar
material firmly united at intervals so as to leave apertures between the said strips
or webs for the reception of the cartridges.
Heretofore these belts or bands have been filled or charged by taking up the
cartridges one by one and pushing them successively into the apertures in the belt
or band. This is a very tedious operation, chiefly by reason of the difficulty of
separating the two strips or webs of material to admit the cartridges. Moreover
the belt or band cannot be conveniently held by one hand whilst the cartridges are
inserted by the other hand. Consequently the filling or charging of the said
cartridge-belts has hitherto involved the expenditure of a considerable amount of
time and labour.
The present invention comprises an improved method of filling or charging the
said belts or bands, which method consists in feeding the belt or band intermittently
between suitable guides, and, during each interval between the successive feed
movements thereof, inserting a pin or pointed rod into one of the apertures in the
belt or band to separate the two strips or webs thereof, and then withdrawing the
said pin or pointed rod from the said aperture and simultaneously inserting a
cartridge therein.
The said invention, moreover, comprises a convenient and advantageous machine
for the purpose above specified. This machine is constructed with suitable devices
for effecting the intermittent feeding of the belt or band through the said machine
between suitable guides, and with a slide or sliding bar which is arranged to move
to and fro in a path at right angles to the direction of movement of the belt or band
between its guides, and which is provided with a suitable pin or pointed rod for
separating the strips or webs forming the belt or band. The said machine, more-
over, comprises a plunger or similar contrivance for pushing the cartridges into the
belt. The said sliding bar may be operated either by manual or other power.
In one form of the said machine, the plunger is fitted to slide in suitable guides
and is connected with an operating lever; and the sliding bar provided with the
pointed rod is arranged to effect the feeding of the belt through the machine. For
this purpose the said bar is connected with the plunger in such a manner that it can
be turned about its axis through a small angle. Suitable inclined or curved
surfaces or fixed cam-pieces are provided, whereby the said bar, in the latter part
of its longitudinal movement in either direction, will be turned about its axis in one
or the other direction. By these means, in the to-and-fro movement of the plunger
and sliding bar, the latter is partially rotated alternately in either direction for the
purpose of intermittently feeding the belt through the machine. A toothed or
serrated retaining pawl provided with a spring is suitably arranged for the purpose

page_text: of preventing backward movement of the belt. This pawl is sometimes made with
a groove in line with the aforesaid pointed rod so as to facilitate the entrance of
the latter into the apertures between the webs forming the said belt. Moreover an
adjustable spring or other suitable holding-down device is arranged to bear upon
the belt, preferably above the said pawl.
A suitable hopper is provided from which the cartridges will descend one by one
into the space in front of the plunger.
A very advantageous form of hopper for this purpose is constructed as follows,
viz. In the upper part of the hopper are arranged suitable ribs or guides between
which the cartridges can pass with the exception of their heads or flanges. The
upper part of the hopper is, moreover, made with inclined sides so formed that,
when cartridges are dropped into the hopper, without regard to their position
relatively thereto, they will fall between the said ribs or guides until their heads
or flanges strike against the same. Some of the said ribs or guides are so arranged
that the cartridges thus falling upon them will slide down the same to an aperture,
through which the said cartridges will fall one by one in a vertical position. Each
cartridge after falling through this aperture is received by other guides which
gradually turn it from the vertical to the horizontal position, and then allow it to
drop in front of the aforesaid plunger. The said ribs or guides are so formed as to
deliver the cartridges successively in front of the plunger with their heads or flanges
next the same, whatever may be the position of the cartridge relatively to the
hopper when dropped into the same. By this form of construction both time and
labour are saved, as the cartridges can simply be dropped by handfuls into the
hopper.
In another form or modification of the improved machine, the parts are so
arranged that the cartridges fall from the hopper upon the said sliding bar; aud
this bar is provided with a projection or head to bear against the base of the
cartridge for the purpose of pushing the same into the belt or band. For inter-
mittently feeding the cartridge-belt through the space between the said guides, a
feed-wheel is used, which is fixed upon a shaft fitted to rotate in suitable bearings
in the said guides, so that the said feed-wheel will engage successively with the
cartridges in the belt and will move the said belt as required. A ratchet-wheel is
formed or fixed on the said shaft and is arranged to be intermittently rotated by
means of a pawl which is pivoted to a lever arranged to be operated by an inclined
or cam surface on the said sliding bar, and which is held in engagement with the
said ratchet-wheel by means of a suitable spring; this spring may also serve for
keeping the said lever, or an antifriction roller carried thereby, in contact with the
said inclined or cam surface on the sliding bar.
When the said sliding bar is to be operated mechanically, it is coupled, either
directly or through the medium of one or more suitable levers, to an eccentric or a
crank fixed upon a shaft driven by a steam engine or other suitable motor.
may be connected in any other convenient manner with such motor.
Or it
To provide for the operation of the machine by hand, it is advantageous to
employ a bent lever pivoted to the underside of the guides and having one of its
arms slotted to receive a pin or stud which projects downward from the said
sliding bar.
The pin or pointed rod carried by the sliding bar is arranged to work in a hole
in the adjacent guide. A slot is formed in the other guide to permit the introduc-
tion of a cartridge in front of the projection or head of the sliding bar. A suitable
support or trough is, moreover, secured to the slotted guide to receive the said
cartridge and support the same until pushed into the belt by the sliding bar. This
trough is slotted to permit the required movement of the said sliding bar.
The cartridges may be placed one by one in this trough by hand. It is prefer-
able, however, to arrange above the said trough a suitable hopper from which the
cartridges will fall one by one into the trough, as the sliding bar is moved
to and fro.
A spring arm is used for keeping taut the belt during the insertion therein of the

page_text: said pin or pointed rod and of the cartridge. This arm is so arranged that it will
yield to permit the feeding of the belt as required.
A split-pin is sometimes employed for opening the band or belt to admit the
cartridges. This split-pin is so arranged that its two parts will be pressed together
while within the hole in the guide, and will subsequently spring outward and thus
effectually separate the strips or webs of which the belt is composed, so as to permit
the ready insertion of a cartridge between them.
It is obvious that the construction of the improved machine can be modified, if
desired, without departing from the nature of the said invention. For instance,
other suitable means may be employed for intermittently feeding the belt through
the space between the guides. Moreover two slides or sliding bars may be used
in place of that above mentioned, one being provided with a pin or pointed rod for
the purpose above specified, and the other being arranged to push the cartridges
into the belt.
Or other suitable means can be employed for opening the apertures in the belt
and inserting the cartridges therein.
Dated this 6th day of November 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Filling or Charging of Feed-belts or
Bands for Supplying Guns with Cartridges, and to Apparatus
therefor.
We, FRANCIS EDWARD DYKE ACLAND, of 32 Victoria Street in the City of
Westminster, late Captain, Royal Artillery, LOUIS SILVERMAN, of Crayford
Works, Crayford, in the County of Kent, Engineer, and BENJAMIN ORMAN, of
5 Sheppard Lane, Dartford, in the County of Kent, Engineer, 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 reference to improvements relating to the filling or charging of
feed belts or bands for supplying guns with cartridges, and to apparatus therefor.
Such belts or bands are usually made of two strips or webs of canvas or similar
material, firmly united at intervals in such a manner as to leave apertures between
the strips or webs for the reception of the cartridges.
Heretofore these belts or bands have been filled or charged by taking up the
cartridges by hand, one by one, and pushing them successively into the apertures
in the belt or band. This is a very tedious process, chiefly by reason of the
difficulty of separating the two strips or webs of material to admit the cartridges.
Moreover the belt or band cannot be conveniently held by one hand while the
cartridges are inserted by the other hand, and consequently the filling or charging
of the said cartridge-belts has hitherto involved the expenditure of a considerable
amount of time and labour.
The present invention comprises an improved method of filling or charging the
said belts or bands, which method consists in giving the belt or band by automatic
mechanism intermittent movement between suitable guides, and, during each interval
between the successive feed movements thereof, inserting a pin or pointed rod into
one of the apertures in the belt or band to separate the two strips or webs thereof,
and then withdrawing the said pin or pointed rod from the said aperture and simul-
taneously inserting a cartridge therein.
The said invention moreover comprises convenient and advantageous machines
for the purpose above specified. The said machines will now be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the said machine,

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine illustrated in Figure 1,
Figure 3 is an end view of the said machine,
Figure 4 is an elevation of the machine viewed from the opposite side to that
which is shewn in Figure 1,
Figure 5 is an elevation of a cartridge-hopper and its support forming part of
the machine, and hereinafter more particularly described,
Figure 6 is a plan of the hopper illustrated in Figure 5,
Figure 7 is a vertical section on the line of Figure 5,
Figure 8 is a sectional plan on the line yy of Figure 7,
Figure 9 is a plan of an alternative form of cartridge hopper.
Figure 10 is a vertical section of the said hopper on the line of Figure 9.
Figure 11 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 12 is a plan of an alternative form of machine.
Figure 13 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Figure 12.
Figure 14 is an end elevation of the same,
Figure 15 is a section on the line of Figure 12,
Figure 16 is an underside view of another alternative form of machine,
Figure 17 is an end view of the same, and
Figure 18 is a view of the lower part of Figure 17, with the mechanism thereof
in an altered position.
With reference first to Figures 1 to 8. A is the body of the machine; A¹ is an
extension therefrom in which the screw B is mounted, so that the machine may be
clamped to any convenient support adapted to be engaged between the head B¹ of
the screw and the portion A² of the body of the machine.
C is a bar which slides endwise in bearings in the body A. D is a handle
fixed to a short shaft E which turns in a bearing A³ provided upon the body of
the machine. F is a crank connected at one end to the said short shaft E and at
the opposite end to the bar C by the connecting rod G. H is a pointed rod
secured to one end of the bar C in such a manner that the greater portion of its
length lies parallel thereto, and I is a push piece secured to the opposite end
thereof; the former is for the purpose of separating the two strips or webs of
the cartridge-belt or band, and the latter is for pushing cartridges into the apertures
so formed.
J is a spindle which turns in bearings in the upper part of the body A. K is a
ratchet wheel and L is a collar both of which are firmly secured to the said
spindle. M and N are wheels which in the present instance are formed in one
piece with the collar L, the said wheels being provided with teeth M' and N'
respectively, to gear with the cartridges in a manner hereinafter explained as they
are placed in the belt. The spaces between the teeth M are made wider than
those between the teeth N in order to receive tags which project from one side
of the cartridge belts used with the Maxim gun, for example. O is a pawl,
jointed at Oto one end of a lever P. The said lever turns upon a fulcrum
screw Q on the body A and carries at its opposite end an antifriction roller P¹
which runs on the underside of the bar C, and, at certain times, in a suitably
shaped groove C₁ formed therein. The said pawl O engages with the ratchet
wheel K, and is maintained in engagement therewith by the spring O² which is
secured at one end to the pawl, and at the other end to the body A.
QQ are parallel guides grooved as at Q to receive the opposite ends of
the cartridges, as shown in Figure 4. R is a channel between the said guides
through which the cartridge-belt or band passes, below a bridge piece S. The
bottom of the channel is curved at the ends as shown at R R³, so that the
cartridge-belt or band may enter and leave the said channel easily. R³ is a
raised portion of the floor of the channel, provided at the end thereof at
which the cartridge-belt or band enters, so that the space between the floor
of the channel and the underside of the bridge-piece S is narrowed for a purpose
to be hereinafter explained. T is a cartridge-belt or band and T are the
cartridges.

page_text: U is the hopper from which cartridges are delivered to the belt-charging
mechanism in a manner which will be hereinafter explained.
The said hopper has curved and inclined sides so that when cartridges are
dropped into it they will gravitate to the exit orifice U₁ which is of such
dimensions that a cartridge can only pass therethrough when its rim is above the
notches U.
The hopper is supported by a standard V provided with flanges V' which extend
to within a short distance of the bottom of the standard, and are undercut or
grooved as shown at V2, in line with the notches U2, to receive the rims of cartridges
which pass through the opening U. At the foot of the said standard V is a tray W
with side walls W₁. The said tray is slotted at W' as shown, and is provided with a
circular opening at its rear end and with a lateral extension W by which the
standard V and its appurtenances are secured to the machine.
The operation of the said machine will now be explained :-The end of the
cartridge-belt or band is passed by hand into the channel R at R' and below the
bridge-piece S, between which and the raised portion R³ of the channel the belt
fits with sufficient tightness to prevent it from slipping back. The first loop or
aperture between the two strips or webs of the cartridge-belt or band is brought
by hand into line with the pointed rod H, which is forced into the said loop by the
bar C, which is operated by turning the handle D to actuate the crank F and
connecting rod G. The hopper U is now charged with cartridges, which fall
successively through the opening U', the rims of the cartridges passing through
the notches Us into the grooves V', in which they slide downward. The lower-
most cartridge comes to rest in the tray W and opposite the circular opening
thereof, with its rim clear of the flanges V'. In this position the said lowermost
cartridge is in front of the push piece I, which, when the pointed rod H is right
home in a loop of the cartridge-belt is always clear of the standard V and the
cartridges therein.
If now the movement of the crank be continued the bar C will be moved to
cause the push piece I to enter the tray W by the said circular orifice and force
the lowermost cartridge out of the tray into the first loop of the cartridge-belt, the
movement of the said bar simultaneously withdrawing the pointed rod H from
the said loop. In the drawings the bar C is shown at half stroke, with the pointed
rod H in the position it would occupy when withdrawing from a loop of the belt
for example, while the push piece I is in the position it occupies when forcing a
cartridge thereinto. The cartridge next above the lowermost one bears upon the
top of the push piece I as shown in Figure while the push piece is moving
towards the belt, and when the push piece has completed its return movement away
from the belt, that cartridge drops down in front of the said push piece, by which
it is in turn moved forward, and so on.
The movement of the cartridge-belt, in order to bring the loops thereof succes-
sively into line with the pointed rod H and push piece I, is effected automatically
in the following manner :-
After a cartridge is inserted in the belt its opposite ends lie between the teeth of
the wheels M and N as shown in Figure 4, and, during the time that the pointed
rod H moves towards the said wheels from its extreme position, the action of the
inclined portion of the groove C¹ on the antifriction roller P moves the roller out
of the groove C¹ and moves the lever P so as to cause the pawl O to rotate the
ratchet wheel K and with it the spindle J and the wheels M and N. The wheels M
and N act upon the cartridge which lies between their teeth and move it and the
belt a sufficient distance to bring the next loop into position to receive a cartridge.
The frictional resistance to the movement of the belt in the narrow portion of the
channel R below the bridge piece S enables the wheels M and N to keep the belt
taut and maintain it at the proper level in the said channel. The inclined groove C'
is so situated upon the bar Ċ that movement of the lever P, and consequently of
the spindle J, ceases when the head of the pointed rod H arrives within a short
distance of the wheel M. When the pointed rod H is withdrawn to the limit of

page_text: its travel away from the cartridge-belt the antifriction roller P is raised, by the
action of the spring O2 on the pawl O and lever P, into the groove C, and permits
the lever P and pawl K to move into position in readiness to be again operated in
the manner above described. The direction of the movement of the feed belt is
indicated by the arrows in Figure 3.
It will be readily seen that the bar C may, if desired, be operated by means
of a lever instead of by a crank and connecting rod. Cartridges may be
placed in the tray W by hand if desired, but the employment of a hopper is
preferable.
Instead of the bridge picce S a spring arm may be used for keeping taut the
belt during the insertion therein of the pin or pointed rod and of the cartridge.
With reference now to Figures 9, 10, and 11, which illustrate an advantageous
alternative form of hopper for receiving the cartridges for delivery to the feed
belt, V' are suitable slightly-inclined ribs or guides arranged in the upper part of
the hopper between which ribs or guides the cartridges can pass with the exception
of their heads or flanges. The upper part of the said hopper is, moreover, made
with inclined surfaces, so formed that when cartridges are dropped into the hopper
without regard to their position relatively thereto, they will fall between the said
ribs or guides until their heads or flanges strike against the same, when they will
hang down between the said ribs or guides as shown. V are vertical ribs or :
guides, extending downward from the ribs V. The ribs or guides V₁ are so
arranged that the cartridges thus hanging from them will slide down the same and
past the ends thereof so as to fall one by one in a vertical position, into the space
between the ribs and the end wall of the hopper, which is inclined at U³ so that
each cartridge as it falls vertically, is received by the said inclined portion U³
which causes it to turn gradually from the vertical to the horizontal position in
which latter position it is received by the tray W into which it falls in front of
the aforesaid plunger I. Thus the cartridges are delivered successively in front
of the plunger with their heads or flanges next the same, whatever may be the
position of the cartridges relatively to the hopper when dropped into the same.
By this form of construction both time and labour are saved, as the cartridges can
simply be dropped by handfuls into the hopper.
In Figures 12, 13, 14 and 15 an alternative form of machine is shown, which is
adapted to feed the belt through the channel R by means of a pawl, which, imme-
diately after the distension of each loop by the insertion of a cartridge, pushes
against the outside of the filled loop and feeds the belt onward sufficiently far to
bring another loop into position in readiness to be similarly filled. In this form
of the machine the amount by which the belt is moved onward after the insertion
of each cartridge may be varied, as hereinafter described, to accord with the
distance between the loops in belts of different classes. 03 is the said pawl,
which is secured upon a pin O' free to turn in bearings in two arms J¹ formed
upon a collar J. The said collar is secured upon a rock-shaft J³ mounted in a
bearing formed upon the frame of the machine. The rock-shaft has also an arm J¹
secured thereon, which is connected by the link P to the lever P, which is oscillated
by means similar to those herein before described with reference to the oscillation
of the lever P in Figures 1 to 4. The oscillation of the rock-shaft J effects the
movement of the cartridge belt in the manner hereinbefore stated. The amount
of movement imparted to the link P' rock-shaft J³ and pawl O³ may be varied
in accordance with the distance between the loops of any belt which it is desired
to fill, so as to suitably regulate the distance through which the belt must be
moved at each operation of the pawl; for this purpose the pivot by which the
said link is connected to the lever P is arranged to be secured at various distances
from the fulcrum of the latter by the following means -A stud P³, screw-threaded
at one end, is passed through a slot P' in the end of the lever P and through a
bush in the end of the link; a wing-nut P is placed upon the screwed portion of
the stud so that the stud after adjustment to any suitable position in the slot P
may be readily secured therein.

page_text: In this example, the bridge-piece S over the raised portion of the floor of the
channel R, is pivoted to the frame of the machine by a pin S' about which it
may be turned to enable the cartridge belt to be readily removed from or placed
in the channel.
The pawl O³ is provided with a roughened projection or heel () as shown, by
which it may be tilted so that its point can be raised at any time; the said
point normally rests upon the bridge S, in readiness to move over the edge thereof
and into engagement with the belt. The pin O' projects through one of the
arms and has a spring 0 secured thereon and bearing upon one of the arms J
as shown, so that the pin tends always to force the point of the pawl towards
the cartridge-belt. The spring may in certain cases be dispensed with, provided
that the pawl be made sufficiently heavy to keep down upon the bridge and belt.
The spiral spring O* secured to the frame of the machine and to the upper end
of the link P is provided in order to maintain a pull upon the latter so that the
roller P¹ is maintained always in contact with the bar C.
In Figures 16, 17, and 18 another alternative form of machine is shewn, wherein
the feeding of the belt through the machine is effected by means of the pointed
rod which opens out the loops in the belt to receive the cartridges.
In this machine, C³ is a rod which is arranged to turn in bearings A* on the
underside of the frame A and also to move endwise in the same. G is a connecting
rod operated by means similar to those herein before described, but connected to
one end of the rod C3 by a link C2 in which the end of the said rod is free to turn.
To the other end of the rod C³ is secured an arm H' from which the pointed rod H
for opening the loops and feeding forward the belt, projects as shown. C' is a pin
passed through the rod C³, and projecting on both sides of the same.
u¹
u
A A are pieces firmly secured upon the frame A and provided with grooves
in which the ends c c¹ of the pin C can slide. At the ends of the pieces A³ A*
are fixed two cam-pieces A7 A8 provided respectively with inclined faces a² a³.
X is a pawl serrated upon its upper face, and suitably grooved, to allow the
pin H to pass over it as hereinafter explained and is supported upon a strong
spring X by which it is attached to the frame. X2 is a spring arm also secured
to the frame. The cartridge belt passes over the pawl X and under the spring X'
which presses on it with sufficient force to keep it taut as it is drawn forward
between them in the manner hereinafter set forth.
The operation of this form of machine is as follows. The cartridge belt is
passed between the spring X2 and the pawl X and is adjusted by hand to bring
the first loop of the belt opposite to the pointed rod H the latter having been
moved to its rearmost position clear of the belt. The short arm H' is then in the
position shewn in Figure 17 and the end c of the pin C is opposite the end of
the groove a of the piece A". The hopper is now charged with cartridges and
the handle D rotated to cause the rod H to enter and open out the loop in the
belt. When the rod C³ is nearly at the end of its stroke the end of the
pin C strikes the inclined surface a of the cam piece A' and is thereby deflected
downward and rotates the bar (3 on its axis, till the end of the rod C+ is
opposite the groove a¹ of the piece A°. This rotary movement causes the arın H¹
to take the position shewn in Figure 18 thus feeding the belt, by means of the
pin H, on into position for the cartridge to be inserted. On the rotation of the
handle being continued the pointed rod H is withdrawn from the belt, and a push
piece arranged and operating in a manner similar to that described with reference
to the push-piece I in Figures 1 to 4, closely follows the rod H and forces home a
cartridge into the belt. When the bar C³ has nearly reached the other end of its
stroke and the cartridge is nearly home the end c¹ of the transverse pin C strikes
the inclined part a³ of the cam piece A" and is moved downward so as to rotate the
rod C³ backward until the pin H is returned into the position indicated in
Figure 17. As the handle is further rotated the pin H enters the next loop of the
belt, opens it, and feeds the belt on in the guide R, for the next cartridge to be
forced in.

page_text: A split pin is sometimes employed for opening the band or belt to admit the
cartridges. This split pin is so arranged that its two parts will be pressed together
while within a hole in the guide and while entering the loop of the cartridge belt,
and will subsequently spring outward and thus effectually separate the strips or
webs of which the belt is composed so as to permit the ready insertion of a cartridge
between them.
It is obvious that the construction of the aforesaid improved machines can be
modified if desired without departing from the nature of the said invention. For
instance other suitable means may be employed for intermittently feeding the belt
through the space between the guides. Moreover two slides or sliding bars may be
used in place of the single bars above mentioned, one being provided with a pin or
pointed rod for the purpose above specified, and the other being arranged to push
the cartridges into the belt.
Or other suitable means can be employed for opening the apertures in the belt
and inserting the cartridges therein.
The machine may be operated either by hand or by steam or other power as may
be most suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :—
1. An improved method of filling cartridge-belts or bands which consists in the
employment of mechanism that gives the belt or band intermittent movement
between guides, and during the interval between the successive movements inserts
a pin or rod into one of the apertures of the belt or band to separate the two strips
or webs thereof, and then withdraws the said pin or rod from the said aperture and
inserts a cartridge therein.
2. The combination of guides adapted to receive the cartridge-belt or band, a
sliding bar or sliding bars carrying a pointed rod and a push piece and movable
at right angles to the said guides, and feed mechanism for moving the belt or band
substantially as, and for the purposes, specified.
3. The combination, with the sliding bar, of a split pin to open the loops of the
cartridge-belt or band, substantially as hereinbefore described, for the purpose
specified.
4. The combination with the guides adapted to receive the cartridge-belt or
band, of wheels which are adapted to engage with the cartridges in the belt
or band and are rotatable so as to impart movement to the same, substantially as,
and for the purpose, specified.
5. The mechanism for operating the wheels which engage with the cartridges
in the cartridge-belt or band, substantially as herein before described.
6. The modification of our invention wherein to feed the cartridge-belt or band
through the guides we employ a pawl and a rock shaft with or without the adjusting
device, substantially as described.
7. The feeding mechanism in which we employ a rod or bar adapted to slide
in stationary bearings in the machine and provided with a pin or rod for separating
the two strips or webs of the cartridge belt or band, and arranged to receive an
oscillatory movement about its axis, for the purposes specified.
8. The means for imparting oscillation to the rod C³ Figure 13, substantially
as described for the purpose specified.
9. The raised portion of the floor of the channel R, in combination with the
fixed or pivoted bridge piece above the same, or a spring equivalent for the bridge,
substantially as herein before described, for the purpose set forth.
10. The combination of the serrated spring pawl over which the cartridge belt
or band passes, the spring by which the said pawl is secured to the framing of the
machine, and a holding-down spring to bear upon the upper side of the belt, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
11. The hopper supported by a flanged standard, substantially as hereinbefore
described, for the purpose specified.

page_text: 12. The combined hopper, standard, and tray, substantially as described with
reference to Figure 7, for the purpose specified.
13. The alternative form of hopper provided with ribs and inclined guiding
surfaces, substantially as hereinbefore described, for the purpose specified.
14. The combined hopper with ribs and guiding surfaces, and the tray, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described, for the purpose specified.
15. A machine for filling cartridge-belts or bands substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or to Figures 12 to 15, or to Figures 16
to 18 of the accompanying drawings, and operating as specified.
Dated this 6th day of August 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.