IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING MECHANISM AND CARTRIDGE MAGAZINES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE ARMS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edward Vaughan, of 67 Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REPEATING MECHANISM AND CARTRIDGE MAGAZINES FOR BREECH-LOADING
FIRE ARMS Communicated to him from abroad by Josef Werndl, Managing
Director of the Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft, of Steyr, in the
Empire of Austria.
12
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Vaughan
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th January 1883.
GEORGE EDWARD VAUGHAN, of 67 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING MECHANISM AND CARTRIDGE
MAGAZINES FOR BREECH LOADING FIRE ARMS," a communication to ine from
abroad by Josef Werndl, Managing Director of the Oesterreichische, Waffenfabriks,
Gesellschaft, of Steyr, in the Empire of Austria,
The said improvements have reference to the improvements in removable
repeating mechanism for guns with a breech bolt and to the cartridge magazine
connected therewith for which Letters Patent were granted to Alexander Melville
Clark on October 2nd 1878. N° 3878. and to me on April 27th 1882. No 1982.
respectively.
The said Improvements consist:—
First. In a new cartridge magazine case to be filled from the rear. Secondly.
In the connecting arrangement of the cartridge magazine with the removable
repeating mechanism and also in the connecting arrangement of the removable
repeating mechanism with the gun. And thirdly. In the arrangement of mechanism
by means of which the repeating fire can be discontinued and the gun used as an
ordinary gun even when the magazine is fastened thereto.
I will now proceed to describe the first part of this invention.
The cartridge magazine is substantially constructed on the type of those for
which the before mentioned Letters Patent dated April 27th 1882. N° 1982, were

page_text: granted to me, and consists of a case made of a single piece of steel plate the sides
of the said case being perforated. The back wall is replaced by a sliding plate
which catches with its folds over the folded edge of the said case, and which can be
moved up and down. The said sliding plate has a longitudinal slit or slot through
which travels a guiding screw, which has its extremity screwed into the pressure
plate which is nearly bent at a right angle. The pressure plate is provided with a
magazine spring the last spring bow of which either travels through the pressure
plate or is rivetted thereto in a fixed manner.
As the said sliding plate is raised the pressure plate is carried up with it by
means of the guiding screw by which means the magazine spring is compressed. If
through the open back wall of the magazine the cartridges are laid in, and the
sliding plate pushed down, the magazine spring presses freely, with the said
pressure plate, against the said cartridges.
The side walls of the magazine are slightly elastic, that is to say, they give with
a spring. The left wall carries a thumb grip in order that when the magazine is
grasped with the right hand, the position of the thumb may thus be fixed.
The lower aperture of the magazine case, through which the cartridges must
come out when the repeating mechanism is employed, is provided with folded
edges which fit into the edge grooves of the case of the distributor and render
possible a connection between the cartridge magazine and the repeating mechanism.
Near the said lower opening a spring catch is fastened by means of two screws to
the right wall of the magazine. The end, which is bent at a right angle that is to
say, the arm of the spring catch, runs along the back wall of the magazine, and
terminates in a heel which is arranged so that, when the magazine is pressed
together with the hand, it will snap over the edge of the left wall, and thereby
straiten the mouth of the magazine, to such an extent, that the cartridges beld
therein cannot fall out. On the arm of the spring catch is a shoulder by means of
which the spring catch when the magazine is pushed within the repeating
mechanism, is automatically thrown back whereby the straitened mouth of the
magazine can again expand so that the cartridges in the magazine can freely full
downwards into the repeating mechanism.
For the purpose of fixing the cartridge magazine on the distributor case the
magazine has a stud soldered to its left wall which stud catches on an opening of
one of the edge grooves of the distributor-case. As soon as the magazine is pushed
into the distributor case, the lower opening or mouth of the magazine, as herein-
before described, opens itself, the stud soldered to the left wall, as herein before
described, snaps into a cut on the distributor case thereby holding the magazine
fast.
The following is a description of the second part of this invention.
The removable repeating mechanism consists in the main of the distributor case
with the cartridge distributor.
The distributor case is a hollow three sided prism the two front surfaces of which
contain the bearings for the two turning pivots of the distributor. The rear surface
of the distributor case is held fast in position by means of a screw. Within the
distributor case is arranged the distributor which is a hollow cylindrical segment
capable of rotating round its two pivots. At the end of one of the said pivots is
the swinging head piece of the distributor the superficies of which is broken by a
protruding helical ramp.
The larger bottom wall of the distributor projects in the form of a nose.
The breech chamber of the gun is cut open on the first left octagonal face opposite
the loading opening to facilitate the falling in of the cartridges. Moreover, in
order to enable the breech bolt to be drawn back further, than is the case with
guns of ordinary construction, when the repeating is being effected, the longitudinal
groove of the breech bolt head is made longer and the breech bolt head has, to the
left, & guiding stud, with which it glides on a groove in the breech chamber.
The screw of the ejector is enlarged, and on the tail end of the breech is fastened
a support plate. To prevent the cartridges from being hurled out when the

page_text: repeating is being enected, a counterwall is screwed in the right waking opening
of the breech.
For the purpose of facilitating its attachment to the breech of the gun the
distributor case has two projecting pieces on its open right hand side wall, of which
the front one is fork shaped, whilst the rear one presents a three cornered plate
with a small cutting corresponding to the fork shaped projecting piece, the breech
has, at the rear end of the left cutting, that is to say, on the left of the breech,
a screw whilst for the second projecting piece a block is screwed fast in the breech
chamber.
When the distributor case is caught by its forked shaped projecting piece on
the said screw, it is only necessary to push its rear end down with the said second
projecting piece into a groovo in the last mentioned block. A pawl, placed on the
said block is caused by a spring to enter into the before mentioned cutting of
the said second projecting piece and to secure the repeating case (and the whole
repeating mechanism) fast to the gun.
A simple backward pressure exerted upon the before mentioned pawl with the
thumb of the left hand by means of a coinb, frees the distributor case, which can
then be removed from the gun.
When the repeating mechanism is placed upon the gun in order that the motion
of the breech bolt may be communicated to the repeating mechanism, that is to
say, to the cartridge distributor, so as to allow the latter to function, the breech
bolt head is provided with a catch. The said catch which is fastened to the
guiding rail of the breech bolt head, presses, when the bolt is being drawn back,
upon a helical ramp connected with the swinging head piece of the distributor and
thereby forces the distributor to turn round on its pivots from left to right. As
the undermost cartridge in the hollow-distributor will be separated from the
remaining cartridges by the above described rotation of the distributor it will be
thrown into the breech. The return of the distributor in order to take up a new
cartridge is effected by the pushing forward of the bolt, whereby the toe of the
chamber strikes against the nose of the distributor and the motion of the
distributor is assisted by a spring, which is screwed upon the rear frontal face of
the distributor case, and presses upon the head pieco of the distributor.
The modification of the repeating mechanism forming the second part of this
invention relates to a distributor case opening on top and on the right, and also to
a rotating distributor.
The distributor case has two projecting pieces serving to fasten it to the breech
of the gun. The position of the projecting pieces is reversed, that is to say, the
fork shaped projecting piece is placed at tho rear, and the other projecting piece in
front. The latter has a cavity for the reception of the extremity of the pawl
placed on the point of junction of the breech in the block. A screw is screwed on
the rear end of the breech to the left for the said fork shaped projecting piece.
According to the arrangement of the projecting pieces and blocks, when tho
repeating mechanism is placed upon the breech, the forked shaped projection is first
caught under the said screw, and then the front part of the distributor case is
pushed downwards.
In the distributor is a pivot provided with a nut to secure it to the pivot collar.
At the extremity of the rearward pivot, is a square projection upon which is placed
a swinging or rotating head piece held fast by means of a screw. The swinging
headpiece has a helical incline which turns the flat surface downwards. As soon
as, the repeating mechanism is fixed upon the gun, the breech bolt is drawn back,
a tooth which is fastened to the breech bolt head presses from below against a
helical inclined surface of the swinging head piece of the distributor and thereby
turns the distributor from right to left. As the distributor is caused to hold the
cartridge, which reaches it from the magazine, fast in its cavity by the said over-
turning the cartridge must fall into the breech of the gun. In order to impart to
the distributor the desired retrograde motion, a projection or nose is arranged at
one extremity of the same, which nose protrudes, when the distributor performs

page_text: the above described motion. When the bolt is again pushed home, the before
mentioned tooth which is placed on the breech bolt head piece glides over the
said nose and thereby turns the distributor over from right to left, with its cavity
inward for the reception of a fresh cartridge.
In order to hold the distributor in each of the above described positions, and to
support its motion, the before mentioned swinging head piece thereof has on its
superficies certain longitudinal grooves on which the wedge like edge of the fixing
pin which is, with its spring let into a cavity between the before mentioned forked
projecting piece and the frontal wall of the distributor case, catches.
The following is a description of the third part of this invention.
In order to be able at will, to put the repeating mechanism, when placed in
position, out of gear, the following arrangement of mechanism is employed.
A detent pawl in a suitable block at the breech of the gun is made to rotate
round its axis. On the inner surface of the comb of the said pawl is a projection
and when the comb is turned down to the left, the wedge like edge of the pawl
pressing against the side wall of the cutting slightly raises up the distributor case
and the said projection of the comb catches into a cutting arranged for that purpose
on the rear edge of the said block, thus fixing the whole repeating mechanism in
the upper position. In this position the tooth of the breech_bolt head piece can
work upon the helical incline of the swinging head piece. To put the repeating
mechanism out of gear, it is only necessary to turn the handle of the before
mentioned pawl upwards to the right until the said projection catches into a
second cutting arranged on the edge of the block, and the repeating mechanism
sinks, so that the tooth of the breech bolt head piece can no longer reach the helical
incline of the swinging head piece of the distributor.
The mechanism is, in some cases, placed out of gear by raising a lever arm placed
on the swinging head piece of the distributor, to such an extent to the right in an
upward direction, until the fixing pin which is in the distributor case catches with
its wedge like edge into the longitudinal groove on the swinging head piece. The
helical incline of the swinging head piece is thereby brought into such a low
position that the tooth of the breech bolt cannot reach it any more.
A simple downward pressure upon the last mentioned lever arm suffices to place
the repeating mechanism again into gear.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Edward Vaughan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th July 1883.
"
GEORGE EDWARD VAUGHAN, of 57 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING MECHANISM AND CARTRIDGE
MAGAZINES FOR BREECH LOADING FIRE ARMS, A communication to me from
abroad by Josef Werndl, Managing Director of the Oesterreichische, Waffenfabriks
Gesellschaft, of Steyr, in the Empire of Austria,
The said improvements have reference to the improvements in removable
repeating mechanism for guns with a breech bolt and to the cartridge magazine
connected therewith for which Letters Patent were granted to Alexander Melville
Clark on October 2nd 1878 N° 3878., and to me on April 27th 1882. No 1982.,
respectively.
The said improvements consist. First. In a new cartridge magazine case to be
filled from the rear. Secondly. The connecting arrangement of this magazine with
the removable repeating mechanism of which two arrangements are represented in
the accompanying drawings and also the connecting arrangement of the removable
repeating mechanism with the gun. Thirdly. The arrangement of mechanism by
means of which the repeating fire can be discontinued and the gun used as an
ordinary gun even when the magazine is fastened thereto.
I will now proceed to describe the first part of this Invention.
The cartridge magazine is substantially constructed on the type of those for
which the before mentioned Letters Patent dated April 27th 1882, No 1982, wero
granted to me, and consists of a case made of a single piece of steel plate the sides
of the case being perforated, as shown in the accompanying drawings, at A.
Figures 1. 2. and 3. The back wall, Figure 2, is replaced by a sliding plate S. c. h.
which catches with its folds f. f. over the folded edge of the case, and which can
be moved up and down. The said sliding plate has a longitudinal slit or slot
8. c. h. l. through which travels a guiding screw f. 8. which has its extremity screwed
into the pressure plate D. p. Figure 4. which is nearly bent at a right angle. The
pressure plate is provided with a magazine spring M.f. Figures 4. and 5., the last
spring bow of which either travels through the pressure plate as in Figure 4., or,
as in Figure 5, the said spring bow is rivetted in a fixed manner to the pressure
plate.
As the said sliding plate s. c. h. is raised the pressure plate Dp is carried up with
it by means of the guiding screw f. 8. and thus compresses together the magazine
spring. M. f. If through the open back wall of the magazine the cartridges aro
laid in, and the sliding plate pushed down, the magazine spring presses freely with
the said pressure plate against the said cartridges.
The side walls of the magazine W. W'. are slightly elastic, that is to say, they
give with a spring. The left wall carries a thumb grip dg in order that when the
magazine is grasped with the right hand the position of the thumb may thus be
fixed.
The lower aperture of the magazine case o. Figure 3. through which the
cartridges must come out when the repeating mechanism is employed is provided
with folded edges f.z.-f.c. which fit into the edge grooves f.n.f.nl. of the case
of the distributor, Figures 6. and 15., and render possible à connection between
the cartridge magazine and the repeating mechanism. Near the said lower
opening o. is fastened, by means of two screws, a spring catch k. 1 to the right wall
of the magazine.

page_text: The end which is bent at a right angle, that is to say, the arm of the catch
spring runs along the back wall of the magazine and terminates in a heel h. k.
Figure 3. which is arranged so that when the magazine is pressed together with
the hand it will snap over the edge of the left wall, and thereby straiten the
mouth o. of the magazine to such an extent that the cartridges held in the
magazine cannot fall out. On the arm of the catch spring k. l. is a shoulder a. s.
by means of which the spring catch, when the magazine is pushed within the
repeating mechanism is automatically thrown back whereby the straitened mouth of
tho magazine can again expand so that the cartridges in the magazine can freely
fall downwards into the repeating mechanism.
For the purpose of fixing the cartridge magazine on the distributor case the
magazine has a stud s. t. soldered to its left wall W1, Figure 3. which stud catches
on an opening of one of the edge grooves f. n. of the distributor case, Figures G.
and 15. As soon as the magazine is pushed quite into the distributor case the
lower opening or mouth o of the inagazine, as hercinbefore described, opens itself,
the stud 8. t. soldered to the left wall, as herein before described, snaps into a
cut a. a. on the distributor case, thereby holding the magazine fast.
The following is a description of the second part of this invention.
The removable repeating mechanism is represented in the accompanying
drawings in two forms of construction differing slightly from each other and the
improvements in the same consist. in the main, of the arrangement of the
distributor case with the cartridge ..istributor.
The distributor case in the first form of construction of the removable repeating
mechanism is shown in the accompanying Drawings, at Figures 6. to 14. V. g. is
n hollow three sided prism the two front surfaces of which contain the bearings
1. m. for the two turning pivots of the distributor. The rear surface (t. of the
distributor case is held fast in position by means of a screw 8. c. h. r. Within the
distributor case is arranged the distributor V. Figure 7. which is a hollow
cylindrical segment able to rotate_round its two pivots x. y. At the end of the
pivot x. is the swinging head piece D. k. of the distributor the superficies of which
is broken by a protruding helical ramp.
The larger bottom wall b. d. of the distributor projects in the form of a nose.
The breech chamber of the gun is cut open on the first left octagonal face
opposite the loading opening at E. Figure 14. to facilitate the falling in of the
cartridges. Moreover in order to enable the breech bolt to be drawn back farther
than is the case with guns of ordinary construction when the repeating is being
effected the longitudinal groove l. g. n. of the breech bolt head Figure 8. is mado
longer and the breech bolt head has, to the left, a guiding stud f. h., with which it
glides in a groove n. u. in the breech chamber, Figure 14.
The screw of the ejector A. w. Figure 13. is enlarged, and on the tail end of the
breech, as shown in Figures 11. and 12., is fastened a support plate S. b. To
prevent the cartridges from being hurled out when the repeating is being effected
a counter wall is screwed in the right loading opening of the breech, Figure 13.
For the purpose of facilitating its attachment to the breech of the gun the
distributor case has two projecting pieces F. l. G. L. on its open right hand side
wall, of which the front one G. . is fork shaped whilst the rear one F. Z. presents a
three cornered plate with a small cutting e. s. corresponding to the fork shaped
projecting piece G. 1. the breech has at the rear end of the left cutting E., that is,
on the left of the breech, as shown in Figure 12., a screw L. 8. whilst for the
second projecting piece F. l. a block L. 2. is screwed fast in the breech chamber.
When the distributor case is caught by its fork shaped projecting piece G. l. on
the said screw L. 8. it is only necessary to push its rear end down with the
projecting piece F. l. into a groove n. h. in the last mentioned block L. 7. A
pawl S. 8. placed on the said block L. r., the construction of which is shown in
Figures 9. and 10. is caused by a spring s. p. to enter into a cutting e. s. of the
said projecting piece F. L. and to secure the repeating case and the whole repeating
mechanism fast to the gun.

page_text: A simple pressure back exerted upon the before mentioned pawl with the thumb
of the left hand by a comb g. r. frees the distributor case, which can then be
simply removed from the gun.
When the repeating mechanism is placed upon the gun, the distributor case
with the fixed cartridge magazine is represented in Figures 11., 12. and 13. in
order that the motion of the breech bolt may be communicated to the repeating
mechanism, that is to say, to the cartridge distributor so as to allow the latter to
function, the breech bolt head is provided with a catch 2. n. Figures 8. and 13.
The said catch which is fastened to the guiding rail of the breech bolt head,
presses when the bolt is being drawn back upon a helical ramp 8. n. connected
with the swinging head piece D. k. of the distributor and thereby forces the
distributor to turn round on its pivots from left to right. As the undermost
cartridge in the hollow distributor, is separated from the remaining cartridges by
the above described rotation of the distributor it will be thrown into the breccb.
The return of the distributor, in order to take up a new cartridge, is effected by
the pushing forward of the bolt whereby the toe of the chamber strikes against the
nose 8. c. h. 1. of the distributor as represented in Figure 14. and the motion of the
distributor is assisted by a spring 8. p. Figure 11. which is screwed upon the rear
frontal face a. of the distributor case, and presses upon the headpiece of the
distributor.
The modification of the repeating mechanism as shown in Figures 15. to 23.
forming the second part of this invention relates to a distributor case opening on
top and on the right and also to a rotating distributor. Figure 15. shows the
arrangement of the distributor case and Figure 16. that of the distributor.
The distributor case V. g. has two projecting pieces serving to fasten it to the
breech of the gun as hereinbefore described. The position of the projecting piecos
is reversed, that is to say, the fork shaped projecting piece g. l. is placed at the
rear and the other projecting piece F. . in front. The latter has a cavity e. 8.
for the reception of the extremity of the pawl S. a. placed on the point of junction
of the breech in the block L. r. with its spring. A screw L. 8'. is screwed on the
rear end of the breech, to the left, for the said fork shaped projecting piece g. l.
According to the arrangement of projecting pieces and blocks when the repeating
mechanism is placed upon the breech the fork shaped projection is first caught
under the said screw and then the front part of the distributor case is pushed
downwards.
In the distributor V¹. Figure 16. is a pivot provided with a nut m. z. to securo
it to the pivot collar.
At the extremity of the rearward pivot is a square projection upon which is
placed a swinging or rotating head piece D. k. held fast by means of the scrow
8. c. h. a. The swinging headpiece D. k¹. has a belical inclino s. n'. which turns
the flat surface downwards.
As soon as the repeating mechanism is fixed upon the gun, the breech bolt is
drawn back, a tooth 2. n', which is fastened to the breech bolt head V. k'.
Figure 17. pressos from below against a helical incline surface 8. n. of the
swinging head piece D. k. of the distributor and theroby turns the distributor from
right to left. As the distributor is caused to hold the cartridge which reaches it
from the magazine fast in its cavity by the said overturning the cartridge must full
into the breech of the gun.
In order to impart to the distributor the desired retrograde motion a projection
or noso n. e. Figure 16. is arranged at one extremity of the same, which nose
protrudes when the distributor performs the above described motion. When the
bolt is again pushed home the before mentioned tooth z. n'. which is placed on the
breech bolt head glides over the said nose and thereby turns the distributor over
from right to left, with its cavity inward for the reception of a fresh cartridge.
In order to hold the distributor in each of the above described positions and to
support its motion the before mentioned swinging head piece D. k. thereof has on
its superficies certain longitudinal grooves n. t. h. n. t. h³. n. t. h", in which the

page_text: wedge like edge o. of the fixing pin S. z. f. Figure 18. which is with its spring f. d.
let in a cavity R. between the before mentioned forked projecting piece g. l. and
the frontal wall a. of the distributor case, catches.
The following is a description of the third part of this invention. In order to
bo able, at will, to put the repeating mechanism, when placed in position, out of
gear, and thus to alter the gun in such a manner as to be loaded in the ordinary
way the following arrangement of mechanism is employed.
In those Figures of the drawings which illustrate the first form of construction
of the removable repeating mechanism a detent pawl S. 8. in a suitable block L. r.
at the breech of the gun is made to rotate round its axis. On the inner surface of
the comb g. r. of the said pawl is a projection w. z. and when the comb g. r. is
turned down to the left the wedge like edge R. s. of the pawl pressing against the
side wall of the cutting, slightly raises up the distributor case and the said projection
w. z. of the comb catches into a cutting e. t. arranged for that purpose on the rear
edge of the said block thus fixing the whole repeating mechanism in the upper
position. In this position the tooth z. n. of the breech bolt head piece can work
upon the helical incline of the swinging head piece. To put the repeating
mechanism out of gear, it is only necessary to turn the handle of the before
mentioned pawl S. 8. upwards to the right until the said projection w. z. catches
into a second cutting e. t. arranged on the edge of the block, and the repeating
⚫mechanism sinks so that the tooth 2. n. of the breech bolt head piece can no longer
reach the helical incline 8. n. of the swinging head piece of the distributor.
In those Figures of the accompanying drawings which illustrate the modification
herein before referred to of the construction of the repeating mechanism the putting
out of gear of the mechanism is effected by raising a lover arm H. b. placed on the
swinging head piece D. k². of the distributor to such an extent to the right until the
fixing pin S. a. f. which is in the distributor case catches with its wedge like edge O.
into the longitudinal groove n. t. h. on the swinging head piece. The helical
incline 8. n. of the swinging head piece is thereby brought into such a low position
that the tooth 2. n¹. of the breech bolt head can no longer reach it.
A simple downward pressure upon the last mentioned lever arm H. b. suffices to
I place the repeating mechanism again into gear.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider novel and original and therefore claim as constituting the invention
secured to me by the said herein before in part recited Letters Patent, are:-
First. The construction and arrangement of removable cartridge magazine cases
for occasional repeating rifles, substantially as and for the purposes herein before
set forth and described, and shown in Figures 1. to 5. of the accompanying
drawings.
Secondly. The combination of the cartridge magazine case, constructed as herein-
before described, with the removable repeating mechanism, substantially as herein-
. before set forth and described.
And thirdly. The combinations and arrangements of mechanism whereby the
repeating mechanism when arranged on the fire arm, can be placed in, or out, of
gear, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and described.
In witness whereof I the said George Edward Vaughan have hereunto set
my hand and seal this fourteenth day of July in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.