Cartridge Feeding Devices for Machine Guns
Year: 1886

page_text: I, LUCIEN FREDERICK BRUCE of Springfield Hampden County & State of
Massachusetts, United States, mechanical 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 Cartridge Feeding Devices for Machine Guns, the
object being to provide improved means for so directing the movement of each
cartridge after it leaves the feeder above the hopper, that it shall, in passing
through the latter, be so held and governed that it invariably reaches the cartridge-
carrier from which it is driven into the barrel, in a line with the bore of the latter,
and whereby the misplacement of a cartridge owing to the overweight of its ball-
end is made impossible.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1, is a perspective view
of a portion of the rotating cartridge-carrier of a machine gun, and of the hopper
of the latter partly broken away to show the parts thereunder, said hopper having
applied thereto, in close proximity to the carrier, cartridge feeding and controlling
devices embodying my invention, said Figure showing also, a vertical, grooved
cartridge feeder attached to the hopper in the ordinary manner. Figure 2 is a view
of a portion of the rear end of the cartridge carrier, and a vertical section of the
hopper and a transverse section of the said cartridge-controlling devices, there
being shown also in said Figure a portion of the ring to which the rear ends of
the barrels are attached, and the end of one of the latter. Figure 3, is a perspective
view of said cartridge-controlling devices removed from the hopper.
In the drawing K, and E, indicate, respectively, portions of the rotating cartridge-
carrier, and the hopper of the well-known Gatling gun, in which said parts occupy,
substantially, the positions, relatively, shown in the drawings.
The cartridge-carrier K, is hung on a suitable axis and is rotated in the rear of
the barrels of the arm, and has the grooves 8, therein to receive the cartridges
after the latter have passed through the hopper E, from whence they are made to
enter the barrels (the end J, of one thereof being shown in Figure 2). by suitable
mechanism, not shown in the drawing.
The hopper, E, is ordinarily hinged over the carrier K and at y is shown a section
of the projection or handle which is grasped to swing the hopper on its hinge.
A suitable opening is made in the top of the hopper to receive the foot h, of'
the cartridge-feeder, as shown in Figure 1, and at one end of said opening is an

page_text: upwardly projection projecting lip d over which one end of said foot passes, and
through the latter is a thumb screw, a acting to force the shoe i, against the side
of said lip d and thereby secure said foot and its attached feeder rigidly to the
mouth of the hopper.
The said cartridge-feeder consists of the single-grooved guide or conductor c
communicating with the foot h and having in each of its side-walls a groove o in
which two grooves the flanges of the cartridge heads engage and the cartridges are
thereby held in nearly a horizontal position while they slide downward to the
hopper. The upper end of the conductor c is provided with an enlarged portion
or plate B, on which is pivoted the double-grooved conductor D, having the side-
walls ff, and the central partition, e thus forming two grooves on the conductor D,
whose lower ends one after the other, are capable of being swung over the upper
end of the groove in said conductor c.
The lower ends of the walls f of the conductor D are slotted as shown to engage
with the switch, plates z, s, located on opposite sides of the groove in conductor c.
The edges of said plates 2 are inclined towards said groove.
The conductor D is adapted to receive at once a certain number of cartridge
from a box, in which they are packed with their heads or flanges outward, by
engaging the latter with the grooves o, in the walls f and partition e, and then
drawing the box away from the cartridges. Thus such of the latter as are in the
groove of the conductor D; that communicates with the conductor c will at once
drop into the latter and from thence will move into the hopper E and immediatly
that said groove in conductor D is emptied, the weight of the cartridges in the
second groove thereof (the cartridges resting on the inclined edge of the plate 2)
will cause said conductor to swing and bring the cartridges in said second groove
over the end of conductor c letting them drop into the latter and so as often as
the two grooves f of the conductor Dare supplied with cartridges, each groove will
be emptied into conductor c one after the other as above described.
The construction of each of the grooves of conductor D, is substantially that of
the groove in conductor c, in respect to the grooves, o, whereby the heads of the
cartridges are engaged as above described.
The above mentioned cartridge feeder is only one of several devices which may
be employed to present the cartridges one by one at the opening in the hopper E
through which they pass controlled by the improved mechanism hereinafter
described to the carrier K. said mechanism being adapted to operate in connection
with any feeder which is capable of presenting the cartridges to the hopper of the
gun substantially in the manner above-described.
The above-mentioned cartridge governing devices which operate within the
hopper near the carrier K, consist of a wheel b, having in its surface a series of
recesses or longitudinal grooves for the reception of cartridges, whose axis is
substantially under the line of cartridges which enters the hopper from above,
said wheel being located in a suitable curved or circular chamber in the hopper
and between inclined tables located at either end of the wheel.
For convenience in constructing and applying said parts to the hopper a wheel-
case v is provided which is secured in the hopper E, under the aperture over which.
the cartridge-feeder is secured and from one of the inner sides of said wheel-case
there projects two inclined tables w, w, the face of one of which is plain, and at
the end of the other there is an off-set u as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3 and
the wheel b is hung to rotate freely between said inclined tables the shaft of the
wheel having suitable bearings in the case v. The space between the base of the
grooves on wheel b, and the adjoining curved inner wall 10 of the wheel-case is
sufficient to perinit a cartridge to pass freely therebetween, as shown in Figure 2.
The edges of the wings of wheel b rotate as close to the projecting parts of the
carrier K, at the side of the grooves 8, as possible and clear the same, in order that
the wing of the wheel may follow the cartridge until the latter is lodged on the
carrier.

page_text: The operation of the said hopper-enclosed devices in passing the cartridges from
the cartridge-feeder to the carrier K, is as follows:
The circles s', to 8 inclusive Figure 2 indicate substantially the position of such
of the cartridges which have come from the feeder above, as are passing or about
to pass through the hopper, the latter s indicating a cartridge already lodged on
the carrier K. In practice however the cartridges 8², &² and 8³ would lie one against
the other.
The interior of case v is slightly longer than the cartridge with which it operates,
and the diameter of wheel b, is proportionned somewhat to the distance between
the grooves 8 on the carrier K so that while the latter is being rotated to carry the
cartridge from under wheel b, the cartridge & will by the action of said wheel
combined with the wall 10, of the case v be dropped into the succeeding groove.
Each cartridge as.it enters the hopper drops on to the tables w, w the projecting
flange of the head thereof resting on the lower incline n and from said inclines
the cartridge slides or rolls against one of the wings of wheel b, rotating the
latter but being held in a line with the axis of the wheel after leaving the said
tables (see a) which axis is in a line with the grooves 8 in the carrier K. Said
cartridge then. passes between the wall 10, and the wheel and emerging from
between the two is dropped into one of the grooves 8, so directly and quickly that
it cannot become displaced between the hopper and carrier.
If the rotation of the carrier be stopped for a moment the weight of the
cartridges above the wheel causes the latter to turn until one wing strikes the
cartridge under it in the carrier, when it ceases to turn until the carrier again
starts.
From the above description it is seen that the wing of the wheel with which the
cartridge comes in contact as it leaves the inclined tables moves with the cartridge
until the latter is dropped on to the carrier, and thereby from the time the
cartridge encounters the wheel 6 until it is in the place on the carrier from whence
it is driven into the barrel to be fired, it is held in a true horizontal position by
the wheel or one in a line with said groove in the carrier.
The wheel b may be made in one piece as shown or it may consist of two or
more transverse sections of such a wheel secured on a suitable shaft.
It is obvious that the wheel-case vas a separate piece may be dispensed with if
desired and the chamber therein to receive the wheel, and having the inclined
tables thereon be made in the hopper itself but it is more convenient to make said
case separate and insert it in the under side of the hopper.
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. The within described cartridge-controlling mechanism for machine guns,
consisting of the hopper E provided with a wheel-chamber below its mouth having
on one side thereof the projecting inclined tables w, w combined with the wheel b
hung in said chamber and having a rotary movement between said tables and
provided with a series of groove for the reception of cartridges, substantially as
set forth.
2. The hopper E, provided with a wheel chamber below its mouth having on one
side thereof the projecting inclined tables w, w and on its side opposite the latter
the curved wall 10, combined with the wheel b hung in said chamber and having
a rotary movement between said tables and provided with a series of grooves for
the reception of cartridges substantially as set forth.
3. The wheel-case v having on one side of its interior the projecting incliued
tables w, w and opposite the latter the curved wall 10, and the wheel hung in
said cause and having a rotary movement between said tables and provided with
a series of grooves for the reception of cartridges combines with the hopper E
substantially as set forth.

page_text: 4. The hopper E provided with a wheel-chamber below its mouth having on one
side thereof the projecting inclined tables w, won one of which is the off-set n
combined with the wheel b hung in said chamber and having a rotary movement
between said tables and provided with a series of grooves for the reception of
cartridges, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with the hopper of a machine-gun, of a cartridge-controlling.
wheel substantially as described located in a suitable chamber below the mouth
of the hopper and rotating in close proximity to the walls of said chamber,
substantially as set forth.
6. In combination with the hopper E having a wheel-chamber substantially as
described below its mouth provided with the inclined tables w, wa suitable feeder
for supplying cartridges to said hopper and a cartridge-controlling wheel sub-
stantially as described having a rotary movement between said tables, substantially
as set forth.
7. The combination with the hopper of a machine gun and with the cartridge-
carrier thereof of a cartridge-controlling wheel substantially as described located
in a suitable chamber below the mouth of the hopper and rotating in close
proximity to one of the walls of said chamber and to said carrier, substantially as
set forth.