IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING MECHANISM AND CARTRIDGE MAGAZINES, FOR BREECH LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1882

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." A communication from abroad by Josef Werndl, Managing
Director of the Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft, of Steyr, in the
Empire of Austria
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Vaughan
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February 1882.
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 from abroad
by Josef Werndl, Managing Director of the Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks
Gesellschaft, of Steyr, in the Empire of Austria
The present Invention relates to improvements in the detachable repeating
mechanisin for breech loading fire arms, of the nature of the mechanism and
magazine attachments patented in England by Alexander Melville Clark such
Patent bearing date the Second day of October, 1878 No 3878.
The said improvements consist:-First in peculiarly constructed cartridge
magazines (combined with a pressing spring and plate) adapted to receive a given
number of cartridges. Secondly; in an arrangement called the cartridge distributor
by which a regular feeding of the cartridges from the magazine to the breech is
obtained, a result which was less perfectly attained by the mechanism patented
in 1878 and hereinbefore referred to. And thirdly, in a new arrangement whereby
the repeating mechanism, with or without magazine attachments, is no longer
arranged, as hitherto, immovably upon the breech, but is so arranged that it may
be made to slide along the said breech, in a line parallel with the longitudinal axis
of the gun, so that the whole mechanisın makes, with the sliding bolt, the same
forward and backward movements.
The shape of the cartridge magazines, which are made of steel, admits, either

page_text: the heaping only of the cartridges in the magazine in the regular way when they
are placed therein the one above the other; or, else the magazines are, besides
being shaped in the way best adapted to the outline of the cartridges, so constructed,
that the cartridges therein take the least possible room, so that, for an equal number
of cartridges, by enlarging the width of the magazine just a little, the latter
can be kept about lower than when the cartridges simply lay the one above the
other.
The side walls of the magazine, form segments the length of which depends on
the number of cartridges. The cap ends of the cartridges lay against the convex
side of the segment, the bullet ends against the concave.
The front sides of the magnzine are cut either straight, or circular; in the first
case, the front sides of the magazine form a rectangle, in the latter, a segment.
The front walls of the magazine have a guide slot in which the guiding pins
which are provided with heads, of the pushers can slide. An oblong spiral spring
works upon the pusher, and the latter upon the cartridges in the magazine.
The steel plates of the cartridge magazines are tempered to steel spring hardness.
These inagazines are rivetted either on the case of the cartridge distributor, or
so arranged that they may fit in the said case. For this latter purpose, the slot
on the broader side is open to the bottom and the orifice of the magazine has two
edges folded which can be made to fit in grooves formed in the case of the
distributor. The left hand groove of the latter has a shoulder which serves to
hold the magazine fast in the groove, inasmuch as the elastic mouth of the said
inagazine becomes larger, as soon as it has reached behind the shoulder. To take
the magazine off, it suffices to press it together.
These detachable magazine attachments can be carried, full of cartridges. A short
sliding plate is then pushed over the folded edges, and such plate gets loosened and
falls to the ground when the magazine is placed in position upon the sides of the
case of the distributor.
The second construction of the magazine differs from that above described
inasmuch that the back part is so much broader, so that the cases of the cartridges
can lio over one another in an oblique position, and the cartridges require only
about of the height they require in the magazines. The side and front surfaces
of the enlarged magazine are nearly rectangular. The neck of these magazines
get narrower towards the mouth, so that only one cartridge can come out at a
time.
The repeating mechanism consists of the distributor-case, and the distributor.
As already stated the case of the distributor can be made separable or inseparable
from the cartridge magazine.
The smaller front surface of the distributor-case has an aperture for the axis of
the distributor and the larger surface has the other socket for the said axis.
A pressure spring acting upon the distributor, is screwed fast upon this latter
surface.
The distributor is a hollow conical segment with an excentric longitudinal axis.
One end of the axis carries a revolving piece upon which is cut a helical groove.
Further, the revolving piece has a cavity which forms the rest for the pressure
spring.
The larger surface of the carrier is provided with a projecting nose.
To fasten the distributor-case, that is the repeating mechanism, to the breech of
the gun, the left side of the breech is cut open, and is provided with a projecting
handle as well as with a hollow nib having a groove therein.
The cartridge distributor case, has, to correspond to the above, two cheeks and
the cavity into which the toe of the projecting handle catches, when the latter is
turned to the right, after the mechanism has been placed upon it. The breech
sliding bolt has for the purpose of the motion of the distributor, a lug and a
pressure screw.
The working of the repeating mechanism is as follows:
When the mechanism together with the magazine attachment, filled with

page_text: cartridges, is placed in position upon the gun, and the breech is closed, (or, that is
to say, when the breech bolt has been pushed forward), the cavity of the distributor
is turned towards the cartridge magazine, and a cartridge having already lodged in
this cavity, as soon as the breech bolt is drawn back the lug strikes against the
3 helical groove of the turning piece on the distributor and the latter revolves,
supported by the spring, quickly outwardly, in a downward direction thereby
throwing the cartridge that is within into the loading chamber of the gun: when
on the contrary, the sliding breech bolt is shifted forward, the pressure screw which
is upon the said bolt, glides under the nose of the distributor, lifting it; whereupon
the distributor following the pressure of its own spring revolves onwards, that is
to say, upwardly, in order to receive a fresh cartridge from the magazine.
In order that the breech should not need to be cut open on account of the
attachment of the repeating mechanisin and falling in of the cartridges, a new
arrangement is provided consisting in a repeating mechanism, placed on the right
side of the breech of the gun, and movable backward and forward in the direction
of the longitudinal axis of the gun, upon which can be affixed the magazine
attachments.
The cartridge-case is placed upon a slide rail fastened to the stock of the gun
and is made movable horizontally along it by means of rabbets.
The motion of the breech sliding bolt is transmitted to the distributor case, by
means of a coupling rod, the latter hanging through a slot upon the coupling tenon
disposed upon the side rail of the bolt.
As the breech bolt is moved backward and forward the repeating mechanism
must follow the motion.
The distributor which is able to turn in the cartridge distributor case is, as in
the first inodification, of a hollow conical segment shape, closed at the top and
bottom by partitions, and only able to rotate on a longitudinal axis. On the side
of its broader end, the distributor is held fast in its case by means of a disc
fastened to the said case with two screws. On the elongated axis of the distributor,
is a projection and the greater side of the distributor has also a nose; which two
projections set, through their contact with two lugs fastened to the sliding breech
bolt and to the breech, the distributor to perform the corresponding rotations,
whereby is occasioned the successive and regular feeding of the cartridges out of
the magazine to the breech.
When the breech bolt is slid forward, the repeating mechanism goes forward with
it, and by the turning to the right of the sliding bolt lever, the lug fastened to the
breech side rail, catches under the nose of the distributor turning the latter slightly
upwards, with its cavity against the cartridge magazine. In this position, a
cartridge lodges in the distributor from the magazine. When the breech sliding
bolt is completely drawn backward the repeating mechanism follows also the
movement, and then stands just opposite the loading chamber of the gun; the
projection of the distributor then comes under a lug fastened to the right side of
the breech, and thereby the distributor is rotated outwardly, the cartridge contained
in its cavity being thus thrust into the breech.
These movements of the distributor are helped by means of a presser and a
spring, let in the disc, to which purpose the axis is provided, at the pressure spot,
with a wedge shaped ridge.
In order to detach the repeating mechanism from the gun, the coupling rod on
the disc can turn upwards, and is held fast in its lower position by means of the
friction spring which presses upon the flatten pivot of the coupling rod. The slide
fastened to the stock has at its end a spring nib which prevents the distributor
from leaving the slide inopportunely.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lettors Patent filed by
the said George Edward Vaughan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th August 1882.
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 from abroad
by Josef Werndl, Managing Director of the Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks-
Gesellschaft, of Steyr, in the Empire of Austria,
The present Invention relates to improvements in the detachable repeating
mechanism for breech-loading fire-arms, of the nature of the mechanism and
magazine attachments for which a Patent was granted to Alexander Melville Clark
such Patent bearing date the Second day of October 1878. No 3878.
The said improvements consist :-
First, In peculiarly constructed cartridge magazines (combined with a pressing
spring and plate) adapted to receive a given number of cartridges. Secondly. In
an arrangement called the cartridge distributor by which a regular feeding of the
cartridges from the magazine to the breech is obtained, a result which was less
perfectly attained by the mechanism patented by Alexander Melville Clark in
1878, and hereinbefore referred to. And Thirdly, In a new arrangement whereby
the repenting mechanism with or without magazine attachments is no longer
arranged, as hitherto, immovably upon the breech, but is so arranged that it may
be made to slide along the said breech, in a line parallel with the longitudinal axis
of the gun, so that the whole mechanism makes, with the sliding bolt, the same
forward and backward movements.
The shape of the cartridge magazines, which are made of steel, admits, either the
heaping only of the cartridges in the magazine in the regular way when they are
placed therein the one above the other; or else the magazines are, besides being
shaped in the way best adapted to the outline of the cartridges, so constructed
that the cartridges therein take the least possible room, so that, for an equal
number of cartridges, by slightly enlarging the width of the magazine, the latter
can be kept about one third lower than when the cartridges simply lay the one
above the other.
The first of the above mentioned forms of magazines is represented in Figure 1.
Sheet 1.
The side walls a of the magazine form segments the length of which depends on
the number of cartridges. The cap ends, of the cartridges lay against the convex
side of the segment, the bullet-end against the concave.
The front sides of the magazine Figures 2. 3. 4. and 21. are cut either straight,
or cirular; in the first case, the front sides of the magazine form a rectangle, as
represented in Figures 2. 3. and 4., in the second case a segment as shown in
Figure 21.
The front walls of the magazine have a guide slot c, in which the guiding pins d,
which are provided with heads, of the pushers e. can slide. An oblong spiral
spring f, works upon the pusher, and the latter upon the cartridges in the
magazine.
The steel plates of the cartridge magazines are tempered to steel spring
hardness.
These magazines are rivetted either on the case g. of the cartridge distributor,

page_text: Figures 4. and 5, or are arranged that they may fit in the said case. For this latter
purpose the slot c. on the broader side is open to the bottom h., and the orifice of
the magazine has two edges folded i. i. Figures 1. 2. 3. and 4., which can be made
to fit in grooves K. K'. formed in the case of the distributor. The left-hand
groove of the latter has a shoulder which serves to hold the magazine fast in the
groove, inasmuch as the elastic mouth of the said magazine opens slightly, as
soon as it has passed behind the shoulder. To take the magazine off, it suffices to
press it together at h.
These detachable magazine attachments can be carried full of cartridges. A short
sliding plate m. Figures 8, and 21. is then pushed over the folded edges and such
plate gets loosened and falls to the ground when the magazine is placed in position
upon the sides of the case of the distributor.
The second construction of the magazine is represented in Figures 6. 7. and 8.
and differs from that above described inasmuch that the back part n. is so much
broader, so that the cases of the cartridges can lie over one another in an oblique
position, and the cartridges require only about two thirds of the height they
require in the magazines.
The side and front surfaces of the enlarged magazine are nearly rectangular
The line o. represents the position of the middle points of the cartridge cases.
The
neck p, Figure 6. of these magazines gets narrower towards the mouth, so that
only one cartridge can come out at a time.
The repeating mechanism Figures 1. 2. 3. and 4. consists of the distributor case g.
and the distributor B. three different sections of which are represented in
Figure 9., As already stated the case of the distributor can be made separable or
inseparable from the cartridge magazine.
The smaller front surface q. of the distributor case has an aperture for the axis
of the distributor and the larger surface has the socket 8. for the said axis. A
pressure spring B, acting upon the distributor is screwed fast upon this last
mentioned surface.
The distributor B. Figures 1. 2. and 9. is a hollow-conical-segment with an
eccentric longitudinal axis t. t.
One end t. of the axis carries a revolving piece v. upon which is cut a helical
groove. Further, the revolving piece has a cavity W. which forms the rest for the
pressure spring B.
The larger surface x, of the distributor is provided with a projecting nose y.
To fasten the distributor case, that is the repeating mechanism, to the breech of
the gun Figure 10, the left side E. of the breech is cut open and is provided with
a projecting handle T., as well as with a hollow nib v having a groover, therein.
The cartridge-distributor-caso Figure 6, has, to correspond to the above, two
checks 2.2 and the cavity W. into which the toe of the projecting handle catches
when the latter is turned to the right, after the mechanism has been placed upon
it. The breech sliding bolt has for the purpose of the motion of the distributor a
lug Z. and a pressure screw j.
The working of the repeating mechanism is as follows.―
When the mechanism, together with the magazine attachment filled with
cartridges, is placed in position upon the gun as shown in Figure 1. and the breech
is closed (that is to say, when the breech bolt has been pushed forward), the cavity
of the distributor is turned towards the cartridge magazine, and a cartridge having
already lodged in this cavity; as soon as the breech bolt is drawn back, the lug Z.
strikes against the helical groove on the revolving piece v. on the distributor B
and the latter revolves, supported by the spring ẞ quickly outwardly in a downward
direction thereby throwing the cartridge, which is within, into the loading chamber
of the gun; when on the contrary, the sliding breech bolt is shifted forward, the
pressure screw j, which is upon the said bolt glides under the nose y. of the
distributor lifting it; whereupon the distributor following the pressure of its own

page_text: spring revolves inwards, that is to say, upwardly, in order to receive a fresh
cartridge from the magazine.
In order that the breech need not be cut open on account of the attachment of
the repeating inechanism and falling in of the cartridges, a new arrangement of
repeating mechanism is provided, placed on the right side of the breech of the gun,
and moveable backward and forward in the direction of the longitudinal axis of
the gun, upon which can be affixed the magazine attachments.
Figure 12, is a plan and also a side view of the breech of a gun provided with
the moveable repeating mechanisın. Figure 13 shows a section through the
line D-E, Figure 14 a section through the line FG, Figure 18. a section through
the line H-H'.
The cartridge distributor case Y. Figures 12. 13. 14. and 15. is placed upon a
slide rail J. fastened to the stock of the gun, and is made moveable horizontally
along it by means of rabbets K. The motion of the breech sliding bolt is
transmitted to the distributor-case by means of a coupling rod L. Figures 12. 13.
and 15. the slot Q. in the latter passing over the coupling tenon M. disposed upon
the side rail of the bolt Figure 12.
As the breech bolt N, Figure 15. is moved backward and forward the repeating
mechanism must follow the notion.
The distributor O. which is able to turn on the cartridge distributor case
Figure 17. is, as in the first modification, of a hollow-couical-segment shape, closed
at the top and bottom by partitions and only able to rotate on a longitudinal
axis P. on the side of its broader end, the distributor is held fast in its case by
means of a disc Q. Figure 19. fastened to the said case with two screws. On the
elongated axis P. of the distributor, is a projection v; and the larger end of the
distributor has also a nose R; which two projections set, through their contact
with two lugs fastened to the sliding breech bolt and to the breech, the distributor
to perform the corresponding rotations, whereby is occasioned the successive and
regular feeding of the cartridges out of the magazine to the breech.
When the breech bolt is slid forward, the repeating mechanism goes forward
with it, and by turning to the right of the lever of the sliding bolt, the lug T,
fastened to the breech side rail catches under the nose R, of the distributor turning
the latter slightly upwards, with its cavity against the cartridge-magazine. In
this position a cartridge lodges in the distributor from the magazine. When
the breech sliding bolt is completely drawn back the repeating mechanism follows
the movement, and is then situated immediately opposite the loading chamber
of the gun; the projection v of the distributor then comes under a lug S, fastened
to the right side of the breech and thereby the distributor is rotated outwardly,
the cartridge contained in its cavity being thus thrust into the breech.
These movements of the distributor are helped by means of a presser v. and a
spring f. Figure 19. let in the disc Q, to effect which the axis is provided, at the
pressure spot, with a wedge shaped ridge M.
In order to detach the repeating mechanism from the gun the coupling rod L. on
the disc Q. can turn upwards, and is held fast in its lower position by means of
the friction spring . which presses upon the flattened pivot W of the coupling
rod. The slide J. fastened to the stock has at its end a spring nib Z, which
prevents the distributor from leaving the slide inopportunely.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention and
the manner in which it is to be performed I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider novel and original and therefore claim as constituting the said
Invention, are.
First. The improvements in cartridge magazine attachments, or detachable
magazines and repeating mechanism for so called "occasional repeaters," and
suitable for use with breech loading rifles having breech sliding bolts, substantially
as hereinbefore described and set forth and shown in Figures 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9..10. 11. and 21 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: And secondly. The improved arrangement of the repeating mechanism with the
cartridge magazine, whereby the said repeating mechanism follows the backward
and forward action of the breech bolt, substantially as bereinbefore described and
set forth and shown in Figures 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19 and 20 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said George Edward Vaughan have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Fourteenth day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.