Improvements in and relating to the Feed-mechanism of Automatic and similar Fire-arms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1897-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Feed-mechanism of Automatic
and similar Fire-arms.
I, HUGH WILLIAM GABBETT-FAIRFAX, of 107 Lambeth Palace Road, London,
S.E., Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to feed-mechanism for automatic and similar fire-arms,
the said mechanism being more especially applicable to that class or type of
automatic fire arms wherein the barrel and the breech-block recoil together
against the resistance of springs or other elastic resistances so arranged that by
their reaction the barrel is returned to its firing position without the breech-block
which after pausing in its return movement subsequently advances to close the
breech.
According to my invention the magazine box or case may be situated below the
breech and may be provided with an endless belt or chain arranged to travel over
rollers at the top and bottom of the magazine, the said rollers being so disposed
that the belt moves in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the gun. The
belt is provided with spring clips or jaws which are so constructed and arranged
that as each cartridge comes into position for insertion into the barrel it can be
released from the clips or jaws by simply pushing it forward; that is to say it is
unnecessary to provide means for first withdrawing the cartridge rearwardly
from the clips, as is usual in some arrangements of feed-mechanism. This pushing
forward of the cartridge from the clips is effected by the advance of the breech-
block in closing the breech. If the loading position, i.e. the position into which
the cartridges are brought by the belt, be out of alignment with the axis of the
barrel I provide the breech-block with a transverse lug or projection and provide
an incline extending upwardly from the loading position to the breech end of the
barrel so that the aforesaid lug will, as the breech-block advances to close the
breech, push out a cartridge from the belt-clips and force it up the said incline
into the barrel.
Sometimes I provide a device for diminishing the height of the aforesaid inclined
plane up which the cartridges are directed into the barrel. For this purpose I
may employ below the breech aperture of the barrel a fixed transverse eccentric
or cam which is so arranged that the nose of a cartridge while travelling around
the upper roller to reach its loading position will bear upon the said fixed eccentric
or cam and be thereby raised from the clip and be brought into juxtaposition to
the inclined plane up which it will be caused to travel when the breech-block
advances to close the breech.
Or the lower portion of the aforesaid inclined plane may itself be so formed as
to serve as the said fixed eccentric or cam.
In some cases the belt may be so arranged that the breech-block will act directly
upon the cartridges to force them into the barrel without the intervention of the
aforesaid lug or the incline.
In order to assist in releasing the cartridges from the clips I may employ a

page_text: pivoted or hinged lever so arranged that the barrel or the breech-block in its move-
iments causes the said lever to be actuated and thereby raise the nose of each
cartridge as it reaches the loading position, the said lever also acting if desired as
the inclined surface for guiding the cartridge into the barrel.
This cartridge elevating device may be in the form of a pair of pivoted arms
having a scissors like action the said arms also being capable of turning about a
horizontal or other suitably arranged axis.
The feed belt or chain may be operated by the sliding barrel through the
agency of ratchet wheels or a worm or other suitable devices that will impart thereto
an intermittent movement whereby the belt or chain will bring the cartridges
successively into the loading position and pause in that position to allow them to
be pushed forward by the breech-bolt.
Instead of employing a belt or chain as above stated I may employ a rotary
cricular feed apparatus. For this purpose I may construct the frame of the
weapon with an annular part arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis of
the barrel and arrange a metal ring to rotate freely upon this annular part of the
frame, the said ring being provided with clips or recesses for receiving the
cartridges.
In some cases I employ a rotary feed wheel instead of a belt or chain, the said
feed wheel being provided with spring clips or recesses for holding the cartridges.
The feed wheel may be operated by means of a spiral or other suitable spring
which may be so disposed that it will be wound up or put in tension in the act of
opening a door to insert the cartridges into the magazine case. Or the said spring
may be wound up in any other suitable manner. Any appropriate device such as
an escapement may be employed for allowing the wheel to intermittently revolve
to bring the cartridges successively into the loading position.
When actuating the feed wheel in this manner it will be found advantageous
to make the body portion thereof separable from the ends and to provide means
for enabling the said body to be readily attached to or detached from the said ends.
In this manner I am able to provide a number of body portions all ready filled
with cartridges so that the magazine can be very conveniently and quickly
charged with fresh cartridges by merely removing the empty body and replacing
it by a full one.
If desired the aforesaid feed belt or chain may be adapted to be operated by a
spring in an analogous manner to that already stated with reference to the feed
wheel.
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to the Feed-mechanism of Automatic
and similar Fire-arms.
I, HUGH WILLIAM GABBETT-FAIRFAX, of 107 Lambeth Palace Road, London,
S.E., Civil 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 relates to feed-mechanism for automatic and similar fire-arms,
the said mechanism being more especially applicable to that class or type of

page_text: automatic fire arms wherein the barrel and the breech-block recoil together
against the resistance of springs or other elastic resistances so arranged that by
their reaction the barrel is returned to its firing position without the breech-block
which after pausing in its return movement, subsequently advances to close the
breech.
According to my invention the magazine box or case is situated below the
breech and is provided with an endless belt or chain arranged to travel over rollers
at the top and bottom of the magazine, the said rollers being so disposed that the
belt moves in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the gun. The belt
is provided with clips or jaws which are so constructed and arranged that as each
cartridge comes into position for insertion into the barrel it can be released from
the clips or jaws by simply pushing it forward; that is to say it is unnecessary
to provide means for first withdrawing the cartridge rearwaily from the clips,
as is usual in some arrangements of feed-mechanism. If the loading position, .e.
the position into which the catridges are brought by the belt, be out of alignment
with the axis of the barrel I furnish the breech-block with a transverse lug or
projection and provide an incline extending upwardly from the loading position
to the breech end of the barrel so that the aforesaid lug will, as the breech-block
advances to close the breech, push out a cartridge from the belt-clips and force it
up the said incline into the barrel.
In some cases the belt may be so arranged that the breech-block will act
directly upon the cartridges to force them into the barrel without the interven-
tion of the aforesaid lug and incline.
In order to assist in releasing the cartridges from the clips I employ a pivoted
lever or wedge like block so arranged that the barrel or the breech-block in its
movements causes the said lever or wedge block to be actuated and thereby
raise the nose of each cartridge as it reaches the loading position, the said lever
being sometimes provided with means to serve as the inclined surface for guiding
the cartridge into the barrel.
Instead of employing a belt or chain as above stated I sometimes construct the
frame of the weapon with an annular part or magazine arranged transversely to
the longitudinal axis of the barrel anil arrange a metal ring or feed wheel to
rotate freely upon this annular part or magazine, the said ring being provided.
with clips or recesses for receiving the cartridges.
In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully by aid of the accom-
panying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the rear portion of an automatic pistol
provided with my improved feed mechanism.
Figures 2 to 6 are detail views of the feed belt employed in such feed mechanism.
Figure 7 shows in longitudinal section a modification of the feed mechanism
shown in Figure 1.
Figures 8 to 11 are detail views of the feed belt employed therein..
Figures 12, 13 and 14 are sectional elevations of a pistol provided with means
for assisting in releasing the cartridges from the cartridge clips.
Figure 14 is a plan of the aforesaid means.
Figure 15 is a longitudinal section of a pistol having instead of a belt or chain,
a rotary feed wheel arranged within an annular magazine.
Figure 16 is an end view of the said annular magazine and feed wheel.
In all these figures A is the barrel, A' the spiral spring by which the said barrel
is caused to assume the firing position after each discharge and B the breech-
block. These parts operate in a similar manner to that set forth in the specification
of my rior Patent No. 18686 of the year 1895.
Referring more particularly to the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 6, C is
the cartridge belt provided with clips c for carrying the cartridges. These clips
are so constructed that the cartridges can be released therefrom by the breech block
pushing them forward, as it advances to close the breech. For this purpose each

page_text: clip is formed from a blank, shaped as shown in Figure 2. The tail e' of this
blank is bent or folded as shown in Figures 3 and 4 so that it forms an incline
by which the cartridges when pushed forward will be forced out of the clip. The
said clips may also be formed with curved portions which aid in releasing the
cartridges as they are pushed forward by the breech block.
Owing to the fact that in the example shown the loading position i.e. the
position into which the cartridges are brought by the belt prior to being inserted
into the breech, is out of alignment with the axis of the barrel, I provide an
incline a extending upwardly from the loading position to the breech end of the
barrel, such incline being so situated that as the breech block advances a lug
or projection thereon pushes the cartridge forward and brings the nose of its
projectile against the said incline and by the continued advance of the breech
block releases the cartridge from the clip and guides it into the barrel. The
aforesaid incline a is slotted longitudinally to permit the projection to work
therein.
The cartridge belt passes over suitable guide rollers the upper of which is
mounted on an axle C. The rotation of this axle for the purpose of feeding
the belt forward is effected by means of a pair of bevel wheels the latter of
which is mounted loosely on a shaft, (see Figure 6) and is rotated intermittently
by the reciprocation of the barrel. For this purpose the harrel is provided with
a rack A² which engages with a toothed wheel C fast on the shaft C. This
shaft carries a pawl C which is adapted to engage with ratchet teeth on the
upper side of the wheel C. The consequence of this is that as the barrel recipro-
cates the wheel C is rotated alternately in opposite directions by the rack A³,
but only the motions in the forward direction are transmitted to the wheel C by
the pawl C, to shift the belt forward step by step. The feed belt may however
be operated by the sliding barrel through the agency of other suitable devices that
will impart thereto the necessary intermittent movement.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 11 the belt is so arranged that the
cartridges are brought more or less into alignment with the axis of the barrel,
and the incline a and lug & can therefore be dispensed with, the breech block being
arranged to act directly upon the uppermost cartridge to force the same into the
barrel.
In order to avoid the difficulty that would otherwise be experienced by the head
of the breech block having to pass through the clips of the feed belt, I construct
the clips in this instance of bent wires having studs or heads at their free
ends (see Figures 8 to 11). The said wires are pivoted loosely to plates carried
by the cartridge belt, and are adapted when the cartridge is pushed forward by the
breech block to fold down into the position shown in Figures 10 and 11 and thereby
completely release the cartridge and at the same time lie out of the path of the
advancing breech block.
In order to assist in releasing the cartridges from the clips, more especially when
the cartridges are carried in a rotary magazine of the kind illustrated in
Figures 12 to 14, I employ a contrivance of the kind shown in these figures. In
this case the said contrivance consists of a pair of levers d which are pivoted or
hinged at to the opposite side plates of the fire-arm (see Figure 14). These
levers are acted upon by springs which normally tend to keep them in the
elevated position shown in Figure 12 which position they assume when the barrel
recoils as shown in this figure. The free end of each of the said levers d is con-
nected by a link to the short arm of a bell crank lever pivoted at d, the
long arm of such bell-crank lever being pivotally connected at to the wedge
like block d. By these means as the barrel regains its firing position (see
Figure 13) it acts upon the elevated ends of the levers d and by depressing them
causes the said block 8, through the intervention of the link and bell crank
lever, to enter the clip and come below the nose of the uppermost cartridge, thereby
not only releasing it from the clip or recess in the feed wheel, but assuming such
a position that it will serve as an incline for guiding the cartridge into the barrel

page_text: when the breech block advances. The said block is advantageously made
hollow for sake of lightness.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 15 and 16 the feed mechanism comprises
an annular casing E closed by a detachable end cover E. Around the inner
concentric wall of the casing is fitted a rotary cartridge carrier or feed wheel con-
sisting of a circular ring e having a series of semi-circular grooves or recesses e
which take the place of clips. These grooves or recesses can be readily filled with
cartridges by removing the cover E, the outer concentric wall of the casing
serving to keep the cartridges in the recesses.
The rotation of the ring e is effected by a feed wheel e, which is in the form of a
toothed wheel or pin-wheel the teeth or pins of which project through an aper-
ture in the casing E and engage with a series of holes e formed around the
projecting flange e of the ring e. The feed wheel is driven by a ratchet wheel e*
and a pawle (see Figure 16) depending from an arm e which is pivotally con-
nected to the casing E. The end of this arm e engages with the forward end of
a lever e that is pivoted at e to the framing of the fire-arm, and the rearward end
of such lever normally projects into the path of the breech block. When there-
fore the breech block recoils into the position shown in Figure 15 the elevated
end of the lever e is depressed and the pawl e is raised thereby rotating the feed
wheel the requisite distance to cause the next cartridge to come into the loading
position. The said pawle is kept in engagement with the ratchet wheel e by
a spring e. el is a retaining pawl for controlling the movements of the said feed
wheel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An automatic or similar fire arm having an incline for guiding the cartridges
from the loading position into the barrel and a lug or projection on the breech
block for pushing the cartridges up said incline substantially as described.
2. In an automatic or similar fire arm a feed belt having cartridge clips or
holders adapted to fold down to release the cartridges and lie out
of the path of the advancing breech block substantially as described and for the
purpose specified.
3. In an automatic or similar fire-arm the wedge like block or lever actuated
substantially as described by the longitudinally moving barrel for disengaging
the cartridges from their clips or holders.
4. The construction and arrangement of the aforesaid wedge like block or lever
so that it will serve both to disengage the cartridges and to guide them towards
the cartridge chamber of the barrel substantially as described.
5. An automatic or similar fire-arm having an annular cartridge magazine
rranged substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
6. The construction of the annular cartridge magazine with a recessed ring
dapted to be rotated step by step substantially as described.
7. The improvements in automatic and similar fire arms substantially as here-
nafter described with reference to the various arrangements illustated in the
ccompanying drawings.
HUGH W. GABBETT-FAIRFAX.
Haseltine Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.