Improved Construction of Cartridge Holders for Feeding Magazine Small Arms.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Construction of Cartridge Holders for Feeding Magazine
Small Arms.
I, MURRAY HAINES DURST, of Wheatland, County of Yuba, State of
California, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 cartridge holders, or chargers for loading or charging
the magazines of breech-loading guns.
The object of the invention is to provide a holder adapted for securely containing
a series of cartridges, and from which, cartridges may be readily forced out into
the magazine of the gun the points as well as the heads being guided in the delivery
to the magazine; also to furnish a holder of the class specified adapted to be used
either side up, that is, to be reversible.
In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an empty holder, and
Figure 2 a similar view of a filled one.
Figure 3 is a part perspective elevation of a holder having a jointed connection
bar.
Figures 4 and 5 are reverse side views of a modification of the holder.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3 inclusive, my improved cartridge-holder consists
of two similar oppositely-disposed clips or cages A, B, these being fixed a suitable
distance apart by connecting rods C, C, for uniting said cages in a single structure.
Each end cage is shown having an end-wall, front side-wall, and back side-wall.
One end cage is shown of a size and proportion suitable for engaging the heads of
the cartridges, while the other is proportioned for properly enclosing the points or
bullet-ends of the same.
The side walls are shown joined together diametrically opposite to each other by
the connecting bars C, C, whose forward and rearward ends are rigidly joined to
said walls by means of eyes D, D, on opposite sides respectively, which will be
understood by reference to Figure 1.
It is evident that the holder, as a whole, would appear substantially the same in
the several views if its position were reversed by turning the same on a horizontal
axis (as for instance on the line a, a).
As a means for securing a small bearing surface to act upon the cartridges for
the purpose of retaining them in place in the holder, the opposite inner edges of
each of the side-walls are slightly bent inwardly, as at E, E, the corners of the
side walls have bent lips F, F, to bear upon the sides of the cartridges for holding
them with a moderate force, not sufficient however to materially interfere with the
operation of pushing the entire series of cartridges out of the holder into the
magazine of the gun.
For loading a magazine, the holder when filled with cartridges, as in Figure 2,
is set one edge of it in the receiver of the gun (without regard as to which edge is
uppermost), and by putting the thumb on the upper cartridge of the series, the
whole series may be instantly forced downwardly from the holder, the thumb
going down to the lower connecting-bar, which owing to its small size and location
n the general structure, permits the operator to force all of the cartridges entirely
out of the holder by a single thrust. This operation being performed, the empty
holder may be put aside for re-loading, or may, especially when the arm is used in
battle, be thrown away.
My improved cartridge holder is adapted to be made entirely of thin sheet-metal
and wire, and owing to its simple organization may be produced very cheaply, so

page_text: that troops can be supplied with holders already filled with cartridges ready for
instant use, and at a cost only slightly in excess of the cost of the cartridges.
In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cartridge-holder, formed from
a single piece of sheet metal, consists of the rearward and forward clips A, B,
respectively, each substantially the same in a general way as the aforesaid clips.
In the present instance however, the clips are shown connected at one side and
one edge only, by a connecting-bar C shown formed of a connecting continuation,
which is (for the purpose of stiffening the same) bent into the form of a channel-
bar; which bar may be of a rectangular cross-sectional form, as therein shown, or
of other suitable cross-sectional shape, as may be preferred.
By this means, the two clips are joined together with sufficient rigidity for
practical purposes, at the same time the connecting-bar is of such small transverse
dimensions that it does not materially interfere with the use of the holder either
side up, thus preserving its reversible character.
As will be perceived by an inspection of the drawings, my charger consists
essentially of two separate clips or chargers, one for each end of the cartridge,
joined by connecting, bars, preferably of wire which by their arrangement do not
interfere when the cartridges are pushed from the charger into the magazine, or
there may be only one connecting bar, as in Figures 4 and 5.
The modification shown in Figure 3 provides for the connecting bar being so
jointed that in case the thumb engages on the top of the bar, the downward
pressure causes the bar to yield downward, and the tendency for the finger to slip
off the bar and charger is thus obviated.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved cartridge holder herein described consisting of two oppositely
disposed cartridge-holding clips, one for the heads, and one for the points of the
cartridges, and a connecting-bar joining them together from diametrically opposite
corners, as shown.
2. In a cartridge-holder, the combination with the clips A, B, each provided
with retaining lips E, E, and F, F, the two clips being connected at one side, or
at opposite side edges thereof, substantially as shown.
Dated this 21st day of December 1892
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Murray Haines Durst.