IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGE POUCHES FOR MILITARY OR SPORTING PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Harding, of Penge, in the. County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGE POUCHES FOR
MILITARY OR SPORTING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 19th December 1871, and dated the 24th June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Harding at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th June 1871.
I, WILLIAM HARDING, of Penge, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGE
POUCHES FOR MILITARY OR SPORTING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in cartridge pouches either
for military or sporting purposes whereby each cartridge is delivered
therefrom separately as required, the opening at which the cartridges
are delivered being so arranged that only one cartridge can be delivered
-at-a-time, -each-successive-cartridge-being-presented ready for-delivery-as-

page_text: the previous one is withdrawn. For this purpose cartridge pouches
constructed in accordance with my Invention are arranged with
chambers in which the cartridges are placed side by side (by preference
reversed end for end alternately), such chambers being closed by a hinged
flap or other suitable cover. The delivering end of each chamber is closed 5
by a hinged door or flap (which may be rendered self-closing by a spring
when released if desired). In combination with the door or flap a stop
is arranged, which in the act of opening the door or flap is interposed
between the cartridge which is presented ready for delivery and the one
next to it, which latter is thus prevented from coming out of the pouch 1
until after the door or flap has closed again, so as to withdraw or remove
the stop, and thus allow the next cartridge to fall or come into position
ready for delivery when the door or flap is again opened..
The method of opening and closing the aperture for delivering each
cartridge in succession, and the method of preventing the delivery of 1
more than one cartridge at a time may be varied without departing
from the nature of my improvements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Harding in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HARDING, of Penge, in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Harding, Her special licence
that I, the said William Harding, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Harding, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARTRIDGE POUCHES FOR MILITARY OR SPORTING PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Harding, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
5 of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Harding, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in cartridge pouches either
for military or sporting purposes whereby each cartridge is delivered
therefrom separately as' required, the opening at which the cartridges
are. delivered being so arranged that only one cartridge can be delivered
at a time, each successive cartridge being presented ready for delivery
as the previous one is withdrawn. For this purpose cartridge pouches
constructed in accordance with my Invention are arranged with
chambers in which the cartridges are placed side by side (by preference
reversed end for end alternately), such chambers being closed by a
hinged flap or other suitable cover. The delivering end of each
chamber is closed by a hinged door or flap, which may be rendered
self-closing by a spring when released if desired. In combination with
the door or flap a stop is arranged, which in the act of opening the door
or flap is interposed between the cartridge which is presented ready for
delivery and the one next to it, which latter is thus prevented from
coming out of the pouch until after the door or flap has closed again
so as to withdraw or remove the stop, and thus allow the next cartridge
to fall or come into position ready for delivery when the door or flap is
again opened.
"The method of opening and closing the aperture for delivering each
cartridge in succession, and the method of preventing the delivery of
more than one cartridge at a time may be varied without departing from
the nature of my improvements.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
: :
Figure 1 shows a front view with the front plate removed of a 5
cartridge pouch suitable for military purposes constructed and arranged
in accordance with my Invention so as to deliver each successive
cartridge separately as required by the user; Figure 2 is a vertical
section.
The pouch is divided by a central partition a', thus forming it into 1
two compartments, in which the cartridges are placed, being reversed
alternately end for end as shown; a³ is a hinged cover which is opened
for the purpose of introducing the cartridges into the pouch. The lower
end of each chamber is closed by a hinged door or flap b, to which a
plate or stop 6' is attached, so that when the door or flap 6 is open the
plate or stop 6¹ enters between the two cartridges at the bottom of the
chamber, allowing one to pass out into the hand of the user, but at
the same time preventing the next in succession from coming out.
When the door or flap 6 is being closed the plate or stop 6¹ presses back
the cartridges and allows the next in succession to pass over it into a
position ready for delivery when the door 6 is again opened. The door b
is secured when closed by acting as a spring snap upon the outer plate
or it may be otherwise secured; c is a wire loop by which the pouch is
secured to the belt of the wearer. Figure 3 shows a vertical section of
a similar pouch, the two chambers which are placed back to back, and
Figure 4 shows three of such pouches hinged or jointed together so as
to adapt themselves to the curvature of the body when attached to the
belt of the user. In like manner any other suitable number of such
pouches may be connected together, when a large number of cartridges
are required to be carried. The chambers may also be varied in size so
as to hold a larger number of cartridges if required.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing or carrying the same into practice, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein described,
but what I claim is, the arrangement and construction of cartridge

page_text: pouches whereby each cartridge is delivered therefrom separately as
required, substantially in the manner herein described and shown in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Harding, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WILLIAM HARDING. (L.s.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.