Improved Cartridge Package for Use with the Magazine of Breech Loading Guns.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improved Cartridge Package for Use with the Magazine of Breech
Loading Guns.
I, PAUL MAUSER of Oberndorf on the Neckar, in the Kingdom of Württemberg,
and Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention comprises a device, by which a number of cartridges are united to a
package in such way that the magazine of a breech loading gun, whether it is entirely
or partially emptied, can be refilled with cartridges in quite a simple and speedy way,
without removal of the magazine from the gun.
The object of the invention is to facilitate the charging or filling of the cartridge
magazine, to increase the rapidity of the shooting, to avoid augmenting the weight of
the equipment of the soldier (or at least only a trifle), and to increase the confidence
of the soldier, in his arm being always easily kept in readiness for rapid firing.
In the accompanying drawings the invention is represented as applied to a breech
loading gun with Mauser's magazine system, but it is applicable as well to analogous
breech-loading guns of other systems.
The new device consists of a curved frame a of sheet steel or of other suitable
material. The long sides a¹ of it are bent over inwards, forming guide grooves u².
The cartridges are pushed into this frame a one after the other by means of the bottom
edges or rims of the shells entering the grooves a², and form thereby a package. The
cartridges are secured to the frame a elastically by springs, or by the action of
the springy grooves a themselves, but they can be shifted easily along these
grooves a².
This springy or elastic property of the frame a can be attained in different ways.
In the frame shown at Figures 1 and 2 there is inserted into the frame a between its
sides a', a flat spring b, which is curved in cross section, rivetted at one end to the
frame and provided with a longitudinal gap for making it more elastic. In the
frame shown at figures 3, 4 and 5 a flat rivetted spring is employed bent as shown in
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page_text: longitudinal section at Figure 5. The frame a may be closed at one end by bending
the material at right angles as represented at a³ in figures 1 to 8, or both ends may be
left open as in figures 9 to 11. In the latter case it makes no difference if the
cartridges are inserted into, or pushed out of, the frame a at one end or the other. In
the frame shown at Figure 9 two spring tongues are stamped directly out of the
frame the free ends of which act upon the first and the last cartridge. In the frame
shown at Figure 10 a flat spring similar to that shown in figures 3 to 5 is used not
fastened by rivets to the frame a, but by two small flaps e stamped out of the spring b
and sprung into corresponding holes of the frame a. In all these cases the springs
act from behind upon the bottoms or rear ends of the cartridges, the edges of which,
they may protrude over, or be flush, as in the drawing, with the surface wall of the
cartridges, are retained in the grooves a³ with adequate friction.
In the frame shown at figure 11. the springy or elastic property of the frame a is
attained by bending the latter crosswise in such manner, that the grooves a² exert
directly an elastic pressure upon the bottom edges or rims of the shells. In this case
therefore the springy or elastic pressure does not act from behind upon the cartridge
bottoms, but the the grooves a retain the cartridges by the lateral pressure upon the
bottom edges or rims. For a better effect the frame a may be provided with a
longitudinal gap.
The size of the frame a must be adequate to a filling or charge of the cartridge
magazine. In the drawing, 5 cartridges are taken for a full charge.
If the magazine of the gun has to be filled a cartridge package made up as described
is put, with one end (in figures 1 to 8, with the open end) of the frame a, and with
the cartridges, parallel to the barrel, into the cartridge rest of the opened breech
piece, so that the frame a rests upon the back edge of the magazine, as in
figures 6, 7 and 8. By pressing with the thumb, right in front of the frame a, upon
the uppermost cartridge, all the cartridges, or as many as are still required to
fill the magazine, are pushed into the magazine, and the frame a being stripped
off from the cartridge bottoms or rims, is then removed. The cartridges are
kept back in the magazine by the spring checks p of the latter in well known or
any suitable manner, so that the cartridge on top may be acted upon by the
moveable bolt of the lock mechanism. For facilitating the putting in of the cartridge
package a notch d is provided in the front part of the bridge B of the gun.as
represented in the drawing. But this notch is not essential even in this kind of gun,
and in other guns which have no bridge B, the described cartridge package can be,
and is, used without such notch.
.
If the magazine is partially emptied it can be filled up by pushing out of the
frame a as many cartridges as are required. In case the soldier presses down the
cartridges of a full package not so much as it could be done and regularly should be
done, this negligence has no other disadvantage than that of yielding an only partially
filled magazine.
It is well known that cartridges have heretofore been made up in bundles or packages,
I do not therefore claim such process generally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1. declare that what I
.claim is :--
1. A device consisting of the frame a of sheet metal, in the grooves a³ of which, the
bottoms or rims of the cartridge shells are retained by elastic pressure for the purpose
explained and substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A cartridge package for the magazine of breech loading guns, consisting of a
number of cartridges, united by their bottoms or rims, being pushed into the frame a
and retained therein by elastic pressure substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The frame a possessing the grooves a² in combination with separate springs b
fastened in any suitable way to the frame a, and with a number of cartridges pushed
into the grooves a², upon the bottoms.of which the springs bact substantially as herein
*shown and described and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 4. The frame a possessing the grooves a² and made in such way that the grooves a³
have the tendency to spring inwards in combination with a number of cartridges
pushed into the grooves a² in which they are retained by lateral pressure upon the
bottom edges or rims of the cartridges, as shown and described and for the purpose
set forth.
قية
1
1000
PAUL MAUSER.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.