Improvements in Magazines for Rifles and other Small-arms.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Dec., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Magazines for Rifles and other Small-arms.
I, RICHARD MORRIS, of Bennett Park, Blackheath, in the County of Kent, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to magazines for rifles and other fire arms, of the kind such
that the magazine, whether removeable or not, occupies a central vertical slot of the
action frame behind the breech, and that the cartridges in it are pressed upwards by a
spring within reach of the sliding bolt by which the uppermost of the cartridges is
pushed forwards into the breech. My invention has for its object the construction of
these magazines and of clips for holding cartridges for them in such a manner that the
magazine, which is made of double width, can be charged with a double column
of cartridges, and that those of the one column are held stationary out of reach
of the bolt until those of the other column are all discharged from the magazine.
For this purpose, when the magazine is intended to accommodate cartridges
charged into it separately, I provide in the magazine a partition, capable
of a little side movement, to separate the two columns of cartridges, and I form
the upper edge of one side of the magazine in such a manner as to hold down
the cartridges on that side as long as they are prossed towards that side by the
partition, which is itself pressed towards them by the cartridges of the other column.
But when those cartridges last mentioned are all discharged from their side of the
magazine, the partition being thus left free to move a little aside, the cartridges of
the second column are pushed up within reach of the front of the bolt, by which they
in their turn are charged into the breech of the arm.
When the magazine is intended to receive two sets of cartridges, one set or each set
of which is held in a clip, the partition may be dispensed with. When the magazine
is intended to receive two columns of cartridges not separate, nor in separate clips,
but held together in a single clip, I make the clip of double width with the partition,
as before somewhat moveable, separating the two columns in it. In this case also the
partition is pressed towards the one side by the cartridges on its other side, and it is
not until these are all discharged that the partition can yield a little so as to allow the
cartridges of the second column to escape from under a curved lip of the clip and
come within reach of the sliding bolt.
In all cases, instead of one spring for pushing up the cartridges, I employ two, side
by side, one for each of the two columns, and I prefer to make each of those springs
as a bent blade of steel turned at one end into volute fort and fixed to an arbor which
can be turned more or less and fixed in position so as to adjust the force of the
spring.
When a clip is employed, it along with the cartridges which it holds, is inserted
from above into the magazine in opposition to the upward strain of the springs, and it is
held down by a spring catch at the back. When all the cartridges are discharged from
the clip, it is no longer held up by either spring, and the empty clip drops through
the open bottom of the magazine.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Magazines for Rifles and other Small-arms.
I, RICHARD MORRIS of Bennett Park, Blackheath in the County of Kent, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the samo is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to magazines for rifles and other fire arms, of the kind such
that the magazine, whether removeable or not, occupies a central vertical slot of the
action frame behind the breech, and that the cartridges in it are pressed upwards by a
spring within reach of the sliding bolt by which the uppermost of the cartridges is
pushed forwards into the breech. My invention has for its object the construction of
these magazines and of clips for holding cartridges for them in such a manner that
the magazine, which is made of double width, can be charged with a double column
of cartridges, and that those of the one column are held stationary out of reach of the
bolt until those of the other column are all discharged from the magazine. For this
purpose, when the magazine is intended to accommodate cartridges charged into it
separately, I provide in the magazine a partition, capable of a little side movement,
to separate the two columns of cartridges, and I form the upper edge of one side of
the magazine in such a manner as to hold down the cartridges on that side as long as
they are pressed towards that side by the partition; which is itself pressed towards
them by the cartridges of the other column. But when those cartridges last mentioned
are all discharged from their side of the magazine, the partition being thus left free to
move a little aside, the cartridges of the second column are pushed up within reach of
the front of the bolt, by which they in their turn are charged into the breech of the arm.
When the magazine is intended to receive two sets of cartridges, one set or each
set of which is held in a clip, the partition may be dispensed with. When the
magazine is intended to receive two columns of cartridges not separate, nor in separate
clips, but held together in a single clip. I make the clip of double width with the
partition, as before somewhat moveable, separating the two columns in it. In this
case also the partition is pressed towards the one side by the cartridge on its other
side, and it is not until these are all discharged that the partition can yield a little so
as to allow the cartridges of the second column to escape from under a curved lip of
the clip and come within reach of the sliding bolt.
In all cases, instead of one spring for pushing up the cartridges. I employ two
side by side, one for each of the two columns, and I prefer to make each of those
springs as a bent blade of steel turned at one end into volute form and fixed to an
arbor which can be turned more or less and fixed in position so as to adjust the
force of the spring.
When a clip is employed, it along with the cartridges which it holds, is inserted
from above into the magazine in opposition to the upward strain of the springs, and
it is held down by a spring catch at the back. When all the cartridges are discharged
from the clip, it is no longer held up by either spring, and the empty clip drops
through the open bottom of the magazine.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view partly in section of part
of a bolt rifle showing in position a magazine charged with a single row of cartridges
held in a clip.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section and
Fig. 4 is a plan showing the magazine modified according to my invention to hold
a double row of cartridges in such a manner that none of the row on the one side
of the middle can pass up to be charged into the rifle, until all those on the other
side have been disposed of.
Fig. 5 is a back view and Fig. 6 is a plan of a clip to hold two rows of cartridges
side by side.
The magazine A Fig. 1, to which as being suited to hold a single row of cartridges
1

page_text: the position occupied by the double magazine which I am about to describe, and
the mode of fixing it in position by the spring catel B engaging on a projection a
from the back of the magazine so that the magazine can at once be removed on
pulling back a small trigger allowing the magazine to drop. When the cartridges
are held in a clip, the clip is prevented from being pushed up by the spring hook a'.
Fig 1 shews also the spring ( for pushing up the cartridges which are shown as
being held in a clip D. Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the magazine A is made
of double width and is divided into two compartments by a partition F which is
hinged at the bottom on a pin. The cartridges which occupy the compartiment
on the one side of the partition are shewn as being held in a clip D, but they might
be charged into the inagazine separately without a clip. Both rows of cartridges are
pressed up by the springs C the blades of which are sufficiently narrow to pass up
between the lower edges of the clip D when such a clip is employed; thus the spring
always presses on the lowest cartridge forcing up all above it, and when the last
cartridge is extruded from the magazine, the clip D being no longer held up by a
cartridge under its upper lips, falls out through the open bottom of the magazine.
The springs employed consist of a curved blade attached to a steel spring which
is coiled as a volute round a boss fitted on a polygonal axis c by turning which by a
key applied at c' after partly withdrawing it so as to release the end c² from its
polygonal seat, the force of the spring can be adjusted, the axis e being pushed back
so as to be held in the position to which it is turned.
The second compartment of the magazine has at its upper edge a lip a turned
inwards so as to prevent the uppermost cartridge from passing up so long as the
partition F is held in position by any cartridge on its other side. When however
all the cartridges have been discharged from the first compartment the partition F
is free to move aside allowing the cartridges to be pushed up and out from under
the lip a³.
By making the magazine a little wider clips may be used to hold the cartridges
on both sides of the partition F, the operation being the same as above described.
Otherwise a double clip D such as is shewn by Figs. 5 and 6 may be employed, the
magazine in that case having no middle partition F. The double clip has a
partition G which is capable of rocking a little to the one side or the other, it being
loosely jointed to the magazine by tongues of its metal passed through slots in the
back of the magazine and bent over behind. So long as the partition G is held by
cartridges on its right side, the cartridges on its left side cannot pass from under
the inwardly turned lip a³; but when all the right side cartridges are discharged,
leaving the partition free to move a little to the right, then the left side cartridges
can escape from under the lip aº. In Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 5 are indicated
guides for the flanges of the cartridges these guides being formed by indenting
the metal of the magazine, and it is to be understood that the double magazine
Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and the single clips used therewith may be indented in a
similar way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A double magazine for a rifle or other small arın, having a middle partition
hinged at its lower edge, and having an inwardly turned lip at one of its upper edges,
substantially as described with reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 4.
2. For holding cartridges in a magazine of double width, a double clip with
moveable middle partition and an inwardly turned lip at one of its upper edges,
substantially as described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.
Dated this 22nd dow of December 1890
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.