Improvements in Cartridge Belts for Magazine Fire Arms.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 4th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1898-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1898
Improvements in Cartridge Belts for Magazine Fire Arms.
I, SAMUEL NEAL MCCLEAN, of Washington, in the County of Washington, State
of Iowa, United States of America, Physician, 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:-
My invention relates to cartridge belts and certain improvements in connec-
tion therewith, and more especially to that class of cartridge belts intended to
receive, retain and release a cartridge package or series of cartridge packages.
The term cartridge package is used here and throughout the specification and
claims to mean a plurality of cartridges held in corelation by a cartridge packet,
cartridge clip, cartridge holder, magazine filler or other device.
The object of my invention, viewed in the entirety of its several parts, is to
construct a cartridge belt in which the movements involved in handling the
ammunition shall form the basis of the belt's construction; a further object is
that the relation of the belt to the bearer and the relation of the cartridge package
to the belt shall be such that a single, convenient and easily made movement shall
suffice to either insert or remove the cartridge packages from the belt, or to
transfer them from the belt to the weapon, and that the relation of the belt to
the bearer and of the ammunition to the belt shall be such as will be most con-
veniently adapted to the rapid and positive handling of the ammunition in con-
nection with the magazine system of the weapon with which the belt is intended
to be used; also that the belt shall carry, retain and release a large amount of
ammunition most conveniently adapted to the manual of arms adopted in connec-
tion with the weapon with which the ammunition is intended to be used, and
that the belt shall be especially adapted to the loading movements of said manual;
it is also my object that the improvements which I have invented in cartridge
belts, the preferred forms of which are hereinafter described and illustrated, may
be varied to suit any of the foregoing requirements without departing from the
spirit of the invention. Some of the more specific objects of my invention are
to provide a cartridge belt having a bullet proof backing which shall form a heart
or body shield; to provide a cartridge belt which shall be most conveniently and
detachably attached to the uniform or garment by a system of ball and socket
fastenings or snaps; to provide a cartridge belt which shall receive, retain and
release a cartridge package or series of cartridges by a yielding tension; to pro-
-

page_text: vide certain improvements in retaining means for cartridge belts, and
certain improvements in cartridge pockets; to provide an overlapping series
of cartridge pockets and certain details of improvement pertaining thereto; to
provide a cartridge pocket, a row of cartridge pockets, and a plurality of rows
of cartridge pockets, any and all of which may be advantageously formed from
a single band of material, and certain details of improvement in connection there-
with; also to provide certain improvements in retaining and releasing means for
cartridge pockets which shall firmly retain the cartridge package in the pocket
and assist in receiving and releasing the same; also to provide certain improve-
ments in the construction of the belt and in the manner of the connection, arrange-
ment and relation of the pocket to the belt, and certain other details of improve-
ment hereinafter more fully set forth.
For the purpose of illustration I have shown in the accompanying drawings
some of the forms in which my invention may be embodied, but such illustrations
and the descriptions thereof are not to be taken as defining the limits of my
invention, as the inventive idea therein illustrated may appear in various forms
and with many modifications without departing in the least from the spirit of
my invention.
In said drawings, which are hereby made a part hereof,.
Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a belt involving my invention, parts being
broken away;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, transverse section of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a cartridge pocket showing the retainer and a
cartridge package in place in the pocket;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the flap or web for uniting the pocket
and belt;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank for forming the web and pocket integrally;
Fig. 6 is a perspective detail illustrating the ball and socket fasteners for
attaching the belt to the uniform;
Fig. 7 is a plan view of a blank of elastic webbing from which the pocket and
retainer may be integrally formed;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of a belt showing one form which the
overlapping pockets may assume;
Fig. 9 is a plan view of a piece of elastic material from which the belt and a
series of pockets with the retainers may be integrally formed; and
Fig. 10 is a transverse longitudinal section of a part of a belt showing the belt
and overlapping pockets formed of a continuous strip of material.
In the drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts throughout, A repre-
sents the body part of the belt, A¹ a layer of bullet proof material, united thereto,
and B the pockets for receiving the cartridge package; B¹ a flap or web for
connecting the pocket to the belt, B2 the cartridge retainer for retaining the
cartridge package in the pocket. C denotes a cartridge package, and D), D' the
respective members of a ball and socket fastening.
The cartridge belt, A may be formed of any suitable material which is possessed
of the necessary stiffness and wearing qualities, but is preferably made of leather,
cloth or elastic webbing. Attached to this belt as a backing or otherwise incor-
porated therewith, is a layer of bullet proof material, by reason of which the belt
may be utilized as a shield for vital parts. For example when the belt is worn
over the shoulder and across the breast, as shown in Fig. 6, it has the incidental
function of a heart shield.
Attached to the belt are a series of cartridge pockets B to receive, retain and
release the cartridge packages. The pockets B may be variously arranged upon
the belt, and may be formed and attached thereto in a number of ways. In
Figs. 1, 2 and 10 the belt is shown with a single row of pockets, but I may use a
double belt or a single belt having a plurality of rows of pockets to increase the
carrying capacity of the belt.
The belt may be worn in any desirable way, but preferably it is worn sus-

page_text: pended from the shoulder, diagonally across the chest of the wearer, and is attached
to the uniform or garment by means of a ball and socket fastening. This manner
of attaching the belt is clearly shown in Fig. 6, in which D' is the socket shown
as attached to the belt, and I is the ball member of the snap. Preferably there
are several such snaps or fastenings, the one on the shoulder being under the
collar for purposes of concealment when the belt is not worn, and the one lower
down may be formed integrally with one of the buttons on the uniform. The ends
of the belt may be fastened together in any desired manner and by any form of
fastener, preferably by a ball and socket fastening. This manner of wearing the
belt firmly attaches it to the bearer, and has advantages in the rough military
use of the belt, but the chief advantage lies in its relation to the simplicity of the
movements involved in taking the ammunition from the pockets of the belt and
passing it to the magazine of the weapon, the pockets of the belt being specially
constructed to be adapted to these movements, as will be hereinafter more fully
set forth.
The pockets B may be formed of any suitable material, and when a single
consecutive arrangement of pockets on the belt is used it is obvious that the
pockets may be stitched to the belt in such a manner as to allow the belt to
form the rear side of the pocket, as shown in Fig. 3. For the purpose of econo-
mizing space on the belt and thus allowing a large number of cartridges to be
carried in the most convenient position for rapid manipulation, the pockets may
be arranged on the helt so as to overlap each other, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8,
and 10. For convenience of description I shall refer to that part of the pocket at
the bullet end of the cartridge as the front, the opposite end as the rear, the open
edge as the top, and its opposite as the bottom.
As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 10 the pockets overlap in longitudinal series, while in
the construction shown in Fig. 8 the pockets overlap in transverse scries, as
many such series as may be desired being used. Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 4,
the pockets B are secured to the body of the belt at their forward ends by any
convenient means, here shown as a line of stitches, while along the bottom of the
pocket, and integral therewith if desired, extends a flap or web B likewise secured
to the belt. It will be readily understood that this web by folding up bellows-like
permits the pockets to lie close to the body of the belt when empty, and at the
same time allows the rear end of the pockets to be thrown out from the belt, as
shown in Figs. and 4, thus permitting the forward part of another pocket to
be interposed between the belt and the forward pocket. This web B¹ is preferably
made of elastic material, which causes the outside or overlapping pocket to closely
hug the under pocket, thus causing the pockets to automatically fold down against
the belt when empty, and permits the belt to be closely and conveniently packed.
It also permits a sufficient movement and adjustment in the relation of the pockets
to the belt, whether filled or empty, to allow any necessary movement of the belt
in adapting it to the body of the bearer, or any necessary movements of the belt
in handling it, which, in a military belt, has a relation to the movements involved
in the manual of arms. .
The pockets are formed with a special reference to the movements involved in
inserting and removing the cartridge package, and are provided with means for
retaining the packages by a yielding tension exerted upon the packages or on the
topmost cartridge therein. The forward end of the pocket has a height which
corresponds to the height of the cartridge when situated in the pocket, while
the opposite or rear end of the pocket is about one half as high as the package.
The length of the bottom of the pocket corresponds to the length of the cartridge
package. The forward end of the pocket is formed on an angle, and its top
side is somewhat longer than the cartridge in order to afford a sufficient space
between the bullet of the upper cartridge and the forward end of the pocket to
permit the cartridge package to be withdrawn by an upward and forward swinging
or turning movement.

page_text: The pocket is provided with a suitable opening for the receipt, and release of
the cartridges, which opening may be formed on a diagonal line extending along
the entire upper side, of the pocket, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or but partially
along the upper side as shown in Fig. 8. In other respects the pockets conform
to the shape of the cartridge package to be contained therein.
The
The cartridge belt retains the cartridge packages by a yielding tension and
for convenience of description I have designated the tension device as a cartridge
retainer. This retainer may be a yielding body located at the mouth of the
pocket and arranged to exert a yielding tension upon the package of cartridges
when in the pocket and in the act of inserting and withdrawing the same.
construction is such that the yielding tension exerted by the retainer upon the
package is both direct and torsional, and that in the process of inserting or
removing the package from the belt the retainer exerts both a direct and turning
pressure on the package, thereby causing the package to assume always a certain
fixed position in the pocket and to facilitate the insertion and removal of the
same. This retainer constitutes an important part of my invention, as by its
use I am enabled to rapidly and conveniently manipulate the ammunition, the
receiving, retaining and releasing action of the belt being specially adapted to
the magazine system and to the loading part of the manual of arms of the weapon.
with which the belt is intended to be used.
The retainer may assume various forms without departing from the spirit of
the invention. It may constitute a separate, yielding body attached to the pocket,
or it may be formed integrally with the pocket, in either case extending across
the open side of the pocket to afford a yielding tension on the cartridge package.
Referring now to Fig. 3, B2 is the retainer, here shown as an elastic band
attached to the bottom of the pocket, and extending in a forwardly slanting direc-
tion up the front side of the pocket, across the top of the same and down on its
rear side. The retainer engages with the sides of the pocket to secure it in fixed
relation therewith, for which purpose slots ba are formed in the walls of the
pocket and the retainer passed through these slots, thus giving a fixed relation
and position of the cartridge retainer in its relation to the pocket and to the
cartridge package contained therein.
In withdrawing the cartridge package C, Fig. 3, from the pocket B the package
is grasped by the hand and given an upward and forward swinging or turning
movement, the space between the bullet of the upper cartridge and the forward
end of the pocket permitting this movement. In thus swinging the cartridge
package upward and forward the retainer B2 is not only moved up, but is also
turned or bent forwardly. The same is true of the retainer when a cartridge
package is inserted into the package. It will thus be seen that the fixed relation
between the cartridge retainer and the cartridge pocket and the upward and
forward turning movement of the cartridge package in inserting or removing
the same from the pocket causes both a direct and torsional or turning tension
of the retainer on the cartridge package. The tension exerted upon the cartridge
package when at rest is largely direct, the torsional tension being at a minimum,
but in the act of withdrawing or inserting the package the torsional tension is
augmented, reaching its maximum just as the package enters or escapes from
the pocket.
This action of the retainer draws the cartridges back and down into the lower
corner of the pocket when inserting the same and firmly holds them there by a
direct and torsional, but yielding tension.
As before remarked the retainer may be formed integrally with the body of the
pocket. Pockets having the retainer thus formed are shown in Fig. 8. In the
upper row of pockets indicated by the numeral 1 the retainer is formed of threads
of elastic material which pass around the opening in the pocket and diagonally
across it in such manner as to exert the direct and torsional tension herein before
described. The second row of pockets indicated by the numeral 2, is formed of
an elastic web, and the third row, 3, is shown as formed of any suitable yielding

page_text: and elastic material, as sheet rubber. The overlapping manner in which the
pockets are stitched together compels the elastic quality of the belt to maintain
a convenient and uniform relation of the pockets without the necessity of the
elastic web B of Figs. 2 and 4. If now, the package of cartridges C, shown in
the left hand pocket of row 1, were grasped and given an upward and forward
swinging and turning movement the action of the retainer would be identical with
that shown in Fig. 3, and the tendency of the tension thereby exerted upon the
cartridge package would be to force the same backward and downward. It will
be apparent that the action will be not only to force the package directly down-
ward into the pocket, but to give a turning movement which will act to accurately
locate the package in its proper position in the pocket.
In Fig. 4, I have shown a construction in which the elastic body constituting
the retainer consists of a wire B3 which is attached to the pocket by being stitched
between the folds of the same on its underside, and has a worm coil 63 near the
upper forward corner of the pocket. The engaging end of the retainer is curved
to permit it to pass over the topmost cartridge of the package in a manner
similar to the elastic band and by a yielding tension to hold the package down
in the lower corner of the pocket, but permit the package to be withdrawn from
the pocket by an upward. and forward rotating movement. This retainer B³ is
so formed that when at rest its engaging end turns down against the rear side
of the pocket, thus affording both a direct and torsional tension to retain the
cartridges in the pocket. This form of retainer may be applied to any open
mouthed pocket, but I have shown it as applied to a pocket having its anterior side
and bottom partially removed to adapt it to a cartridge package whose clip or
holder is not provided with a handle. It is also apparent that this modification
of the pocket and retainer may be integrally formed of a single continuous elastic
wire.
The pockets which form a part of my invention may be made in a variety of
ways. When they are arranged consecutively and do not overlap each other, the
form may be essentially that illustrated in Fig. 3, but when the overlapping style
of pocket is preferred, the pocket may be conveniently and integrally formed from
a single piece of material substantially similar to that illustrated in Fig. 5, which,
when folded and stitched with the flap or web B¹ uniting it to the belt, as shown
in Fig. 4, permits the overlapping relation of the pockets as hereinbefore described..
In Fig. 7, I have shown a single piece of elastic webbing from which pockets,
such as are seen in Fig. 8, may be formed with the retainer integral therewith.
The web is so confined with the elastic material as to give the latter a tension
across the pocket, whereby I secure the direct and torsional tension hereinbefore
described. This result may be accomplished by weaving the threads of elastic
material into the web so that they will lie parallel with the sides of the opening,
as will be readily understood from an inspection of Figs. 7 and 8.
If desired, the pockets and belt may all be integrally formed of a single strip
of material, and when such a series of pockets is desired a strip of fabric having
the necessary openings therein is provided. In this strip threads of elastic material
may be combined with the fabric so as to assume the proper position with relation
to the openings in the pocket when formed. This strip of fabric is then folded
and stitched in the manner necessary to complete the formation of the pocket.
Such a strip of material is shown in Fig. 9.
A cartridge belt comprising one or more rows of pockets may be formed from
a single band of material by successively folding and stitching the band of
material to form the pockets, and when an overlapping series of pockets is desired
the band of material is folded and stitched to form the first pocket, then carried
forward about one half the length of the pocket, and folded and stitched to form
the second pocket and so on. The pockets thus formed may be suitably stitched
together and the flap or web B' herein before mentioned may be dispensed with.
One form of this construction is illustrated in Fig. 10.

page_text: When it is desired to form a plurality of rows of pockets from a single band
of material containing the necessary rows of openings to form the mouths of
the pockets, the material is folded longitudinally to produce overlapping transverse
rows of pockets; and is folded both longitudinally and transversely when it is
desired to have the pockets overlap in both directions.
The operation is as follows: The cartridge belt as hereinbefore described is
designed to be adapted to a certain manual of loading movement in handling the
ammunition and in passing it from the belt to the weapon. The operation is such
that a single upward and rotating movement of the cartridge package suffices t
withdraw the same from the cartridge pocket and pass it into the magazine of
the weapon. The relation of the cartridge package to the pocket is as follows:-
When it is desired to fill the several pockets of the belt with cartridge packages
containing in fixed relation a certain number of cartridges the point of the top-
most cartridge in the package is slipped under the engaging end of the cartridge
retainer, then by lifting the clip up a little and slightly turning it until the lower
end of the package passes into the lower end of the pocket, the direct and tor-
sional tension of the cartridge retainer pulls the package down into the lower
corner of the pocket and firmly holds it there.
The removal of the clip from the pocket is effected in the following manner:-
The cartridge package is grasped by the hand and lifted up and at the same time
turned slightly forward thus carrying the lower end of the cartridge package up
out of the pocket and permitting it to be withdrawn by a single upward and
turning movement of the hand.
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:-
Claim 1. A cartridge belt having a lining or backing of bullet-proof material,
substantially as described.
Claim 2. A cartridge belt detachably attached to the garment of the wearer
by a ball and socket fastening, substantially as described.
Claim 3. A cartridge belt, a garment, and a-connecting medium between the
belt and garment consisting of a ball and socket fastening, one member of the
fastening being on the belt and the other on the garment, substantially as
described.
Claim 4. A cartridge belt having a series of overlapping pockets, one end of
each pocket being attached to the belt and the other end to the preceding pocket,
substantially as described.
Claim 5. An integral blank strip formed into a cartridge belt having a plurality
of overlapping rows of cartridge pockets, substantially as described.
Claim 6. A cartridge belt having a series of overlapping pockets, the belt and
pockets being formed of an integral folded strip blank, substantially as described.
Claim 7. A cartridge pocket having a web attaching it to a cartridge belt,
whereby a series of overlapping pockets may be attached to the belt, substantially
as described.
Claim 8. A cartridge pocket which has a flap or web which forms the bottom
of the pocket and connects it with the belt, substantially as described.
Claim 9. A cartridge belt having a series of overlapping pockets, each pocket
being directly attached to the belt at one end of the pocket and also by a web
extending along the bottom of the pocket, substantially as described.
Claim 10. A cartridge belt having a series of overlapping pockets, each pocket
being provided with an opening in its top slanting upward and forward, as set
forth.
Claim 11. A cartridge belt having a series of pockets provided with diagonally
slanting openings in their tops, the belt and pockets being formed of a single
integral piece of material, substantially as described.
Claim 12. In a cartridge belt, a pocket for a package of cartridges in combina-

page_text: tion with retaining means exerting a torsional tension upon the packages when
receiving the same into or releasing it from the pocket, as set forth.
Claim 13. The combination in a cartridge belt of pockets for packages of cart-
ridges with retaining means exerting a torsional tension on the package when
receiving or releasing the same, and a direct tension when in the pocket, sub-
stantially as described.
Claim 14. A cartridge pocket to receive, retain and release a cartridge package
holding a series of cartridges in fixed relation, said pocket engaging the package
by a yielding torsional tension, substantially as described.
Claim 15. In a pocket for a package of cartridges, means exerting a torsional
tension on the package when receiving or releasing the same, substantially as
described.
Claim 16. In a pocket for a package of cartridges held in fixed relation, a
cartridge retainer located at the mouth of the pocket and exerting a yielding
torsional tension upon the package when receiving, retaining or releasing the
same, substantially as described.
Claim 17. A pocket for a package of cartridges, said pocket having an elastic
torsional cartridge retainer, substantially as described.
Claim 18. A pocket for a package of cartridges, said pocket having a cartridge
retainer, and the pocket and retainer being formed of an integral piece of elastic
materiai, substantially as described.
.
Claim 19. A cartridge receiving pocket in combination with a cartridge retainer
consisting of an elastic wire held in contact with the cartridge by a worm-coil,
substantially as described.
Claim 20. A cartridge receiving pocket in combination with a cartridge retainer
engaging the cartridge with direct and torsional tension, substantially as described.
Claim 21. In a cartridge belt, the combination of the belt, a pocket attached
thereto and elastic means for holding the pocket down against the belt, sub-
stantially as described.
T: 21 xe of May 1898
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.