Improvements in Cartridge Magazines for Breech-loading Small Arms.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cartridge Magazines for Breech-loading Small
Arms.
I, CARL SCHNIPPERING, of Cassel, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon :-
A repeating mechanism for small arms with moveable breech constitutes the
subject matter of the present invention, such mechanism being characterised by
extreme simplicity, exemption from wear and tear, and great efficiency in use.
The accompanying drawings represent the new mechanism in two forms adapted
to the German infantry gun.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the lock of the gun showing one form
of the invention.
Figures 2 are a front and a side view of the cartridge lifter or carrier.
Figure 3 is a side view of a second form of the invention.
Figure 4 is a section drawn on the line A-B of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a
section drawn on the line C-D of Figure 3.
Figure 1 shows, beneath the feeding chamber, which is suitably cut out at the
bottom, a lifter or carrier a, which carries a guide plate or bar b sloping upwards in
a diagonal direction towards the butt. This carrier a slides against the walls of the
magazine e perpendicularly. On plate slides a pulley d carried at the end of a
lever e, which latter turns around a pin e¹ and is acted upon by a coiled spring f
which, encircling the pin, tends to press said pin downwards on to the short arm
of the lever e, thereby causing the pulley d to move in an upward direction, and as
the pulley slides along the plate or bar b, the frame a is at the same time moved
upwards. A tappet 9 standing in the path of the movable breech or bolt, has a
stem g which rests on the lever e. If this stem g' be depressed, the frame a will be
lowered by means of the gearing arrangement just described, thereby overcoming
the pressure exerted by the coiled spring f. The action of this mechanism may be
described as follows.
Let us suppose the magazine e to be full of cartridges, one of which, lying on the
lifter or carrier a, rests in front of the head of the breech cylinder or bolt when the
feeding chamber is open; if the breech cylinder or bolt be now pushed forward, it
will, as usual, carry the loose cartridge towards the cartridge chamber of the
barrel, thereby depressing the tappet g. This movement has the effect, as already
described, of causing the lifter or carrier a to move downwards, when a fresh
cartridge will drop on to it. When the breech of the gun is again opened, in con-
sequence of the retraction of the breech cylinder or bolt, the lifter or carrier a is
moved upwards and will then again place a cartridge in front of the breech cylinder
or bolt.
In the form represented at Figure 3, the diagonal plate band the tappet g
are dispensed with, another method of depressing the lifter or carrier being
employed.
The lever h, with a pulley i, lies with one of its ends beneath the pink, which is
acted upon by a coiled spring. The upper extremity of the pin k lies near the
bearing bar of the handle of the breech cylinder or bolt. The two pulleys d and i
slide within a slot hole m in the lifter or carrier a (Figures 2), which frame is
pressed upwards by the spring f acting upon it through the lever e and roller d.
If now the gun is locked by moving the handle / in a downward direction, the pin k
and the lifter or carrier a will thereby be likewise depressed.

page_text: 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 :-
1. In breech loading small arms fitted with cylinder breech or bolt, a repeating
mechanism characterised by a cartridge lifter or carrier a placed inside a magazine
compartment c, which lifter or carrier has a constant upward tendency produced by
a spring and acts to place the cartridges in front of the head of the breech cylinder
or bolt when the breech is opened, and which when the breech cylinder or bolt
closes, is depressed, thereby serving as a lifter or carrier for a fresh cartridge
coming from the magazine, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In breech loading small arms fitted with cylinder breech or bolt, the
peculiar combinations and arrangements of repeating mechanism herein shown and
described.
CARL SCHNIPPERING,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.