Year: 1886

page_text: I, GEORGE EDWARD VAUGHAN, of 57, Chancery Lane, in the county of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, being
a communication to me from abroad by Josef Werndl, General Manager of the
Austrian Small Arms Manufacturing Company, of Steyr, in the Empire of Austria,
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 improvements in magazine rifles, the principal feature
of such improvements being that the rifle is constructed with a magazine holder at
the breech for the reception of a magazine containing cartridges and such magazine
when empty is ejected by the simple insertion of another charged magazine from
above, or it can be pushed upwards by hand and thus ejected.
The box-shaped cartridge magazine A. (Figures I. II. III.), which is open at the
top and provided internally with a feed spring for pressing the cartridges up into
the breech, has, at its lower back corner, a rounded off or bevilled edge n. and near
the top of its back a notch e., into which a projection a., on the spring f. (Figures I
and II.), or spring lever f¹ (Figure III.), catches as soon as the magazine is pushed
down far enough into the magazine holder.
The upper free end of the spring f. Figures L and IL or of the spring lever f¹
Figure III. is tapered or suitably rounded at 8. When the empty cartridge
magazine is to be replaced by a full one, the latter is pushed downwards through
the aperture O. as shown in Figure II. The rounded off edge n of the full
magazine presses back the spring f., or spring lever f¹, at 8.; the empty magazine
is thus released by the disengagement of the projection a. on the spring f. from the
notch e, and falls to the ground, the full magazine taking its place.
In order to be able to push the magazine upwards, the surfaces of the head 8.
and projection a. on the spring, and of the notch surfaces e. and w. and of the
projection above the same on the magazine A. are suitably inclined or rounded as
shown in Figures I and II. so that the projection a. of the spring f. is pushed out
of the notch e. when the magazine is forced upwards.

page_text: In order to prevent the magazine being accidentally pushed up the sides of the
magazine holder project downwards far enough to cover the magazine as shown in
Figure I. When however it is desired to dispense with the lengthened sides of the
magazine holder, as in Figure III., the spring f. is replaced by a crank lever f¹
kept in its normal position by a spring and pivotting on the pin Z. as shown in
Figure III. the said lever has a handle r. and the contact surfaces of the notch and
projection are not inclined or rounded.
In inserting the magazine from above, this lever f¹ with its spring acts in the
same manner as the spring f., but, if the magazine is to be pushed upwards the
projection a. on the spring lever f¹ must first be withdrawn from the notch e. by
depressing the lever handle r.
The same end can be attained by connecting the long spring f. Figures I. and II.
with a button K. as shown in Figure IV. by means of a pin passing through the
slot . in the magazine holder in which case the inclined or rounded surfaces of the
notch and projection are dispensed with. To release the magazine, the button is
drawn back and with it the spring f. Any other suitable contrivance for releasing
the spring f., such as a wedge shaped key, may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is. to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. The construction of magazine repeating rifles with an aperture and
magazine holder O. at the breech for the passage and reception of a charged
cartridge magazine, in such a manner that an empty cartridge magazine within the
holder is released and ejected by the introduction from above of the charged
magazine, substantially as herein before described and shown at Figures I and II
of the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. In the construction of magazine repeating rifles of the nature referred
to in the first claim, inclining or rounding the surfaces of the notches and pro-
jections on the back of the magazine and on the spring whereby an empty magazine
can be ejected by hand pressure from below, substantially as herein before described
and shown at Figures I. and II. of the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly. In the construction of magazine repeating rifles of the nature referred
to in the two previous claims, the modification consisting of the substitution of the
spring lever fl for the spring f. the said spring lever being constructed and
arranged substantially as herein before described and shown at Figure III. of the
accompanying drawings.
And Fourthly. The combination and arrangement of the button K. with the
spring f, substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore described and shown
at Figure 4. of the accompanying drawings.