IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES FOR MACHINE GUNS
Year: 1885

page_text: I THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARRIAGES FOR MACHINE GUNS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages for machine guns.
The improved carriage is designed with a view to carry an ample store of
ammunition with the gun itself, and thereby to render the gun to a great extent
independent of its limber when in action. The carriage is also designed with a
view to be taken in pieces and when necessary loaded upon mules for conveyance
over country which is otherwise impracticable.
The carriage consists of a pair of wheels and an axle a body piece and a trail.
The body of the gun carriage consists of three steel boxes in which ammunition
is stored there are two side boxes, and between them a central box which is shorter
than the side boxes and does not extend so far to the rear. These three boxes form
one rigid frame. Near the hinder ends of the side boxes and underneath them there
are lugs which drop over the axle and then receive cottars; in this way when the
carriage is set up for use the main frame is secured to the axle. Upon the top of
the central box there is fixed a cone which forms the foundation for the machine
gun with its training gear and its elevating gear all of which is arranged as is now
usual in the mounting of machine guns.
Each of the side boxes is divided by partitions into compartments to receive
ammunition hoppers charged ready for use.
A lid closes the box at the top.
The centre box or compartment of the frame may be deeper than the side boxes
and is open at the front where a lid is provided; in it loose ammunition can be
stored. This compartment may extend beneath the foundation cone on which the
gun is mounted so no space is lost.
The trail of the gun is rectangular and it is divided transversely into a series of
boxes or compartments which are closed at the top by lids. The boxes or compart-
ments at the fore part of the trail each receive two hoppers side by side, the width
of the trail being such that the hoppers can be received lengthwise between its two
sides. The next box in the trail in rear of those which receive the hoppers
accommodates the distributors side by side, this is a larger and deeper compart-
ment, the dimensions of the distributor rendering this necessary. Finally at the
[D071

page_text: rear end of the trail there is a box in which the tools are carried. There are two
handles on either side of the trail at its rear end and wooden levers can be inserted
through these handles for wheeling the gun about from place to place. When out
of use these levers are strapped against the trail along either side. The trail at its
fore end is provided with lugs which drop over the axle and these are secured by
cottars. The trail is also locked to the side boxes of the body-for this purpose
the side boxes are provided with two projecting lugs which lie close in against the
trail on either side. The lugs are notched from the upper side downwards to
receive eyes projecting from the trail one on either side. The eyes enter the
notches in the lugs and then the parts are secured by introducing wedges or keys.
These wedges or keys are driven horizontally along grooves in the sides of the lugs
and through the eyes projecting from the trail.

page_text: I THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster
Civil 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:-
This invention has for its object improvements in carriages for machine guns.
The improved carriage is designed with a view to carry an ample store of
ammunition with the gun itself, and thereby to render the gun to a great extent
independent of its limber when in action. The carriage is also designed with a
view to be taken in pieces and when necessary loaded upon mules for conveyance
over country which is otherwise impracticablo.
In the annexed drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation Figure 2 is a plan and
Figure 3 is one half front elevation, the other half rear elevation of the carriage.
Figure 4 is a sectional plan and Figure 5 is a vertical section of the body piece
of the carriage.
Figure 6 is a plan and Figure 7 a side elevation of the trail both partly in
section.
The carriage consists of a pair of wheels and an axle a body piece and a trail.
The body of the gun carriage is a cellular structure and consists of three steel
boxes or compartments in which ammunition is stored; there are two side boxes
A A and between them a central box B which is shorter than the side boxes and
does not extend so far to the rear-these three boxes or compartiments form one
rigid cellular frame. Near the hinder ends of the side boxes and underneath them
there are lugs C which drop over the axle and then receive cottars cc in this way
when the carriage is set up for use the main or body frame is secured to the axle.
Upon the top of the central box there is fixed a cone D which forms the founda-
tion for the machine gun E with its training gear F and its clevating gear G all of
which is arranged as is now usual in the mounting of machine guns.
Each of the side boxes is divided by partitions into compartments a a a a to
receive ammunition hoppers charged ready for use.
A lid hinged on the outer side closes the box at the top.
The centre box or compartiment B of the frame may be deeper than the side
boxes and is open at the front where a lid b is provided, in it loose ammunition can
be stored this compartment may extend beneath the foundation cone D on which
the gun is mounted so no space is lost.
The trail of the gun also is a cellular structure, it is rectangular and it is divided
transversely into a series of boxes or compartments which are closed at the top by
lids. The boxes or compartments H H at the fore part of the trail receive hoppers
side by side, the width of the trail being such that the hoppers can be received
lengthwise between its two sides. The next boxes II in the trail in rear of those
which receive the hoppers accommodate the distributors side by side, this is a larger
and deeper compartment, the dimensions of the distributor rendering this necessary.
Finally at the rear end of the trail there is a box K in which the tools are carried.
There are two handles L L¹ on either side of the trail at its rear end and wooden

page_text: levers M M can be inserted through these handles L for wheeling the gun about
from place to place. When out of use these levers are strapped against the trail
along either side. The trail at its fore end is provided with lugs N N which drop
over the axle and these are secured by cottars O. The trail is also locked to the
side boxes A A of the body; for this purpose the side boxes are provided with two
projecting lugs P P which lie close in against the trail on either side. The lugs
are notched from the upper side downwards to receive eyes QQ projecting from
the trail one on either side. The eyes enter the notches in the lugs and then the
parts are secured by introducing wedges or keys R R. These wedges or keys are
driven horizontally along grooves or beneath projections on the sides of the lugs
and through the eyes projecting from the trail.
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. A gun carriage consisting of a trail, a body piece with the cone or gun base
upon it, and an axle and wheels; these parts being easily separable that they may
be loaded on to pack animals and the body piece and the trail both being cellular
and serving for the transport of ammunition substantially as described.
2. A gun carriage substantially as described and represented by the annexed
drawings.