IMPROVEMENTS CARTRIDGE BELTS OR POUCHES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augusto Albini, of Genoa, and also of No. 1, New
Broad Street Buildings, in the City of London, Captain in the
Royal Italian Navy, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
CARTRIDGE BELTS OR POUCHES."
Sealed the 26th June 1868, and dated the 4th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augusto Albini at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th January 1868.
I, AUGUSTO ALBINI, of Genoa, and also of No. 1, New Broad Street
Buildings, in the City of London, Captain in the Royal Italian Navy,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARTRIDGE BELTS OR POUCHES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
cartridge belts or pouches, whereby great facility is obtained in intro-
ducing and removing cartridges from the belt or pouch.
In constructing and arranging the parts of a cartridge belt or pouch
according to one of my improvements I make a series of cases for
holding the cartridges of tubes of sheet metal closed at bottom and open

page_text: at top, and somewhat shorter than the cartridges. I connect a series
of the said tubes between two bands of leather or other flexible material,
the said bands being sewn together at their ends, and between each two
contiguous tubes. The tubes are also secured to the said bands by
rivets passing through their bottom ends. The cartridges are placed
in the tubes with the projectile downwards, the metallic bases of the
cartridges protruding from the tops of the said tubes, from which they
may readily be removed by hand, and they can be also placed with the
bullets upwards. The cartridges may be covered by one or more flaps,
which may be secured down by buttons or other fastenings. Or a
tubular flexible covering may be employed divided at its middle, and
capable of sliding in opposite directions from the middle towards the
ends of the belt or pouch. Instead of a single row of tubes for holding
the cartridges a double row may be employed. In this case I arrange
the tubes of the outer row (i.e., that row which is farthest from the
body of the wearer of the bolt) with their open ends upwards, and the
tubes of the inner row with their open ends downwards, so that when
the supply of cartridges contained in the outer row is exhausted the
belt can be reversed so as to bring what was the inner row outwards
with the open ends of its tubes upwards. I make the belt easily rever-
sible by fixing it at each end with elastic bands or with a swivel. In
some cases I also arrange the closed ends of the tubes end to end so as
to have a double row in the same vertical plane. A flexible flap is
provided on each row to keep the cartridges in position, which flap may
be opened or closed as required. The belt or pouch has a strap or
flexible band, by which it may be secured over the shoulder or around
the waist.
In constructing and arranging a cartridge belt or pouch according to
another of my improvements I employ a series of thick tubular cases
made of wood, papier mâché, or other light solid material. These tubes
are open at top and bottom, and are sewn between two bands of leather
or flexible material. In this arrangement the cartridges are introduced
into the tubes at their lower ends, the projectile being uppermost. The
lower end of each tube is countersunk or made conical, and is fitted
with a diaphragm of india-rubber having a hole in it somewhat less than
the metallic base of the cartridge. When the cartridges are placed in
the tubes the base of the cartridge is pushed through the hole in the
india-rubber diaphragm, which contracting prevents the return of the
cartridge except by the application of considerable pressure on the

page_text: protruding end at the top of the tube. The cartridge is thus removed
from the tube by a downward motion. The top of each tube is pro-
vided with a nearly conical thin flexible cap, which on pressing down
the cartridge is forced into the tube, and then shows that the tube has
no cartridge in it. The lower ends of the tubes may be covered when
the belt or pouch is not in use by one or more flexible flaps secured by
buttons or otherwise. One or two rows of the tubes may be employed.
The belt or pouch is secured to the body by a strap or band.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Augusto Albini in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTO
ALBINI, of Genoa, and also of No. 1, New Broad Street Buildings, in
the City of London, Captain in the Royal Italian Navy, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Augusto Albini, Her special licence that I, the
said Augusto Albini, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Augusto Albini, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, sliould at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGE BELTS OR POUCHES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Augusto Albini,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Augusto Albini, do hereby declare
the nature of said Invention, and in what manner the same is t

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
cartridge belts or pouches, whereby great facility is obtained in
introducing and removing cartridges from the belts or pouches.
In constructing and arranging the parts of a cartridge belt or pouch
according to one of my improvements, I make a series of cases for
holding the cartridges of tubes of sheet metal or other light and hard
material, closed at bottom and open at top, and somewhat shorter than
the cartridges. I connect a series of the said tubes between two bands of
leather or other flexible material, the said bands being sewn together at
their ends and between each two contiguous tubes, and sometimes
instead of sewing I use rivets or other metallic fastenings. The tubes
are also secured to the said bands by rivets passing through their bottom
ends. The cartridges are placed in the tubes with the projectile down-
wards, the metallic bases of the cartridges protruding from the tops of
the said tubes, from which they may readily be removed by hand. The
cartridges may be placed with the bullets upwards. The cartridges may
be covered by one or more flaps, which may be secured down by buttons
or other fastenings. Or a tubular flexible covering may be employed,
divided at its middle, and capable of sliding in opposite directions from
the middle towards the ends of the belt or pouch. Instead of a single
row of tubes for holding the cartridges, a double row may be employed,
arranged and secured like the single row. When a double row is
employed I sometimes arrange the tubes of the outer row (that is, that
row which is furthest from the body of the wearer of the belt) with their
open ends upwards, and the tubes of the inner row with their open ends
downwards, so that when the supply of cartridges contained in the outer
row is exhausted, the belt can be reversed so as to bring what was the
inner row outwards with the open ends of its tubes upwards. I make
the belt easily reversible by fixing at each end of it clastic bands or a
swivel, In some cases I also arrange the closed ends of the tubes end to
end, so as to have a double row in the same vertical plane. A flexible
flap is provided on each row to keep the cartridges in position, which flap
may be opened or closed as required. The belt or pouch has a strap or
flexible band, by which it may be secured over the shoulder or around
the waist, or is fitted with a suitable hook at each end, so as to fix it to
the body without straps.

page_text: In constructing and arranging a cartridge belt or pouch according to
another of my improvements, I employ a series of thick tubular cases
made of wood, papier mâché, or other light solid material. The tubes are
open at top and bottom, and are sewn between two bands of leather or
flexible material. In this arrangement the cartridges are introduced into
the tubes at their lower ends, the projectile being uppermost. The lower
end of each tube is countersunk or made conical, and is fitted with a
diaphragm of india-rubber having a hole in it somewhat less than the
metallic base of the cartridge. When the cartridges are placed in the
tubes the base of the cartridge is pushed through the hole in the india-
rubber diaphragm, which contracting prevents the return of the cartridge
except by the application of considerable pressure on the protruding end
at the top of the tube. The cartridge is thus removed from the tube by
a downward motion. The top of each tube is provided with a nearly
conical thin flexible cap, which on pressing down the cartridge is forced
into the tube and then shows that the tube has no cartridge in it.
The lower ends of the tubes may be covered, when the belt or pouch is
not in use, by means of one or more flexible flaps, secured by buttons or
otherwise. One or more rows of tubes may be employed. The belt or
pouch is secured to the body by a strap or band. For some special
cartridges I make the body of the belt or pouch of vulcanized india-
rubber, cast or shaped in a mould so as to form a solid body with the
required holes for the cartridges. I also use vulcanized india-rubber or
ebonite tubes lined with tin, and closed at their lower ends and fixed
contiguously to a strap of suitable material.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in plan, and Figure 3
in transverse section a cartridge belt or pouch constructed according to
my Invention to be secured to the waist. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
a, a, is a series of tubes for holding the cartridges, the said tubes being
closed at bottom and open at top. The said tubes a are connected
between two bands b, c, of leather or other flexible material in the
following manner :-The bands b, c, are made by preference of one piece
of leather, which is folded under the closed bottoms of the tubes a and
around the sides of the said tubes in the manner best seen in the plan

page_text: Figure 2, and section Figure 3. The bands b, c, are then sewn together
at their ends d, e, and also between each two contiguous tubes a, a. The
threads passed between each two contiguous tubes of the series are
marked, and the manner in which the said threads bind or connect the
bands b, c, together and thereby secure the tubes a, a, to the said bands
will be seen by referring to Figure 3. That part of the band passing
under the closed bottoms of the tubes a, a, is also secured to the said
tubes by rivets marked g in Figure 2. Instead of securing the two bands
or sides b, c, of the leather together by sewing, as described and illustrated,
rivets or metallic fastenings may be employed for the same purpose.
The cartridges placed in the tubes of the belt or pouch are covered and
secured in the tubes by the flexible flaps 7, i, the said flaps being fastened
down by means of straps k, k, engaged with studs or buttons secured
-to the rivets at the bottoms of the tubes a. The cartridge belt or pouch
is secured round the waist by the strap m.
Figure 4 represents in plan, Figure 5 in side elevation, and Figure 6
in transverse section a cartridge belt or pouch to be worn over the
shoulder provided with a double row of tubes constructed according to
my Invention. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts
in Figures 4, 5, and 6.
n, p, are the two rows of tubes for holding the cartridges, the open
ends of the tubes of the row n being upwards and the open ends of
the tubes of the row p being downwards. In this arrangement of my
Invention in addition to the outer bands of leather q, r, a band of
leather & is secured between the two rows of tubes n, p, and the threads
att (or rivets or metallic fastenings) between each two contiguous tubes
of each row are passed through the said three bands q, r, 8.
The manner
in which the piece of leather of which the bands q, r, s, are made is
passed round the sides and closed ends of the rows of tubes n, p, will be
readily understood by an examination of Figure 6. The closed ends of
the tubes of both rows are rivetted to the leather of the bands q, r, as
in the first described arrangement. To the band at the closed ends. of
the tubes p flexible flaps u, v, are fixed, and to the band q at the closed
ends of the tubes n similar flexible flaps w, x, are fixed. These flaps
are folded over the ends of the cartridges in the tubes, and are fastened
down by the studs or buttons y. The covering flaps in both of the
arrangements represented are divided at the middle so that one half of
the cartridges of each row may be uncovered without uncovering the

page_text: other half. To either end of the cartridge belt or pouch india-rubber or
other flexible bands z, z, are secured, to which are affixed the strap 1 and
buckle 2 for fastening the belt or pouch over the shoulder. When the
cartridges in the outer row n have been removed the belt may be reversed
so as to bring the row p which was the inner row outwards with the
open ends of its tubes upwards so that the cartridges can be readily
removed from the said row p. This reversal of the belt is permitted
without its removal from the person by the twisting of the flexible
bands z, z.
Instead of the flexible bands z, z, swivels may be employed.
Instead of employing two rows of tubes side by side, as represented, a
double row may be used, in which the closed ends of the tubes are
arranged end to end, both rows being in the same plane; or two or
more rows of tubes may be used side by side, their open ends being
turned in the same direction.
Although in the accompanying Drawings I have represented the bands,
between which the tubes for containing the cartridges are secured, made
of one picce of leather or other flexible material, yet each of the said
bands described may be made of a separate piece of leather or flexible
material.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,.
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention, the improvements in cartridge
belts or pouches herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say, constructing cartridge belts or pouches
of one or more rows of tubes fastened between bands of leather or other
flexible material, substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augusto Albini, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
A. ALBINI. (L.S.)