Improvements in Cartridge-packets for Magazine Fire Arms.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1895
Improvements in Cartridge-packets for Magazine Fire Arms.
I, JAMES PARIS LEE, of No. 147 Sigourney Street, Hartford, in the County
of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer,
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 relates to cartridge-packets especially adapted for use in con-
nertion with that class of breech-loading fire-arms commonly known as "bolt-guns,"
Or magazine-guns."
66
"
66
One of the principal objects of this invention is to furnish, as a unitary article
of commerce; a cartridge-packet comprising a holder or clip and a series of
cartridges adapted for use with the class of guns above specified; and to so
organize the parts of said packet, that the packet may be inserted in its entirety
into the magazine of the gun, either side up, and be used as an ammunition-piere
for said gun, without any preparation on the part of the user, and without care
being exercised as to the marner in which the same is inserted into the magazine,
to thereby facilitate the charging of the gun with which my improved cartridge-
packet is used, and to correspondingly increase the rapidity with which said gun
may be fired.
A further object of this invention is to so construct the aforesaid holder or clip
that it will hold a series of cartridges one above another and tightly clamped
together, and will engage the extreme rear ends of said cartridges, and occupy the
least possible space over and above that which is actually required for the cartridges
alene; and to so construct and organize the cartridge-clip, that the same will be
light, strong, and serviceable; that it may be quickly operated to lock the
cartridges in place in said clip; that it may be automatically operated by a device
or fixture in the gun with which the same is used, simultaneously with its insertion
in the magazine of said gun, for automatically releasing the cartridges from locked
engagement with the clip; and that it may be so cheaply manufactured as to
permit it to be thrown away after once being used, without material loss.
In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cartridge-packet or ammunition-piece embodying
this present invention; said figure showing a column or series of five cartridges
supported one above the other and held against relative movement longitudinally
and transversely by means of my improved cartridge-clip.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the cartridge-packet, as seen from the left in
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the cartridge-packet, as seen from above in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional end view of the cartridge-packet, as seen from the lett
hand in Figure 1; the section being taken in dotted line a-a, Figure 1.
Figure is a sectional side elevation of a portion of the cartridge-packet; the
clip-body being shown in longitudinal section, and the cartridge-locker being shown
in its lorked or cartridge-engaging position.
Figure 6 is a view, similar to Figure 5, of a portion of the cartridge-packet,
and shows the cartridge-locker in its unlocked or cartridge-releasing position.
Figure 7 is a rear elevation of the cartridge-clip body or holder detached from
the other elements of the cartridge-packet.

page_text: Figure 8 is a side elevation of said cartridge-clip body or holder, as seen from
the right hand in Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge-clip body or holder, taken on the
line b, Figure 8, and as seen from above in said figure.
Figure 10 is a front elevation of the cartridge-locker detached, and as it appears
in Figure 6.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of the cartridge-locker detached, and as it appears
in Figure 5.
Figure 12 is a side elevation, similar to Figure 1, of a portion of the cartridge-
packet, and shows the lever or actuator of the cartridge-locker in position to be
engaged by a locker-opening wedge, which will usually constitute a fixture of the
magazine of the gun in which the cartridge packet is inserted, and which will,.in
practice, be in position to enter between the locker-lever and the rear face of the
clip-body, as the cartridge-packet is inserted into the magazine of the gun.
Figure 13 is a plan view showing the parts illustrated in Figure 12, and in a like
position.
Figure 14 is a side elevation of the parts illustrated in Figure 12, and shows the
cartridge-clip depressed, relatively to the locker-opening wedge, so as to effect
a partial opening movement of the cartridge-locker; said figure fully illustrating
the duplex character of the wedge.
Figure 15 is a plan view of the parts illustrated in Figure 14, and shows said
parts in a like position.
Figure 16 is a side elevation of the parts illustrated in Figure 14, and shows
the cartridge-clip further depressed relatively to the locker-opening wedge, and
in the position it would occupy in the gun when ready for use, and shows the
locker in its unlocked or cartridge-releasing position, and the cartridges free to
be lifted.
Figure 17 is a plan view of the parts illustrated in Figure 16, and shows said
parts in a like position.
Figure 18 is a plan view, similar to Figure 13, showing the locker-lever or
actuator in a reverse position, as when the cartridge-packet is inserted into the
gun-magazine the other end up, and in a position to be operated by the opposite
member of the duplex-wedge.
Figure 19 is a side-elevation, similar to Figure 1, but upon a relatively-large
scale, of the cartridge-packet or ammunition-piece, and shows a slightly modified
form of cartridge-locker; the locker being shown in its cartridge-forking,
ition.
Figure 20 is a side view, similar to Figure 19, of a portion of the cartridge-
packet, showing the cartridge-locker in its imlorked position.
Figure 21 is a plan view of a portion of the cartridge-packet, as seen from above
in Figure 19.
Figure 22 is a plan view of a portion of the cartridge-packet, as seen from above
in Figure 20.
Figme 23 is a side elevation, upon an abnormally-large scale, of a portion of the
mcdified form of cartridge-locker shown in Figure 19; and,
Figure 24 is a front view of said cartridge-locker, as seen in Figure 20.
Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.
The improved cartridge-packet, as a unitary article of commerce, consists of a
cartridge-clip, which is designated in a general way by B; and a series of cartridges C,
supported, one above the other, and normally held, as against longitudinal and
transverse movement, by the combined actions of the clip and the cartridges
themselves, as will be hereinafter more fully described.
The clip B, in the preferred form thereof herein shown, consists of two principal
members; to wit, a longitudinally-channeled clip-borly or carryin-member
(designated in a general way by H) and a cartridge-locker or locking-wenale=
(despunted in a general way by L) in aovable conneth with the cliply.
The clip-baly I, which i'ully be note of als techaduratively,
hown having thage-3 and 3' Figure at the opposite side edges thereof, which flanges

page_text: project forwardly and inwardly a short distance, to form a relatively-wide cartridge-
head channel 4 suitable for receiving the beaded-head 5 of the cartridge; said
flanges being, in practice, arranged at such a distance apart, as to permit the
beaded-head 5 of the cartridge-head to freely slide within the channel 4, while that
portion 6, immediately forward of the beaded portion of said cartridge, will enter
between the adjacent ends of the opposite flanges 3 and 31. The clip-body is also
shown dished or countersunk longitudinally upon its inner face mid way of its width,
to form a relatively-narrow channel 7 see Figure 9 to receive the cartridge-locker L,
the rear wall of said locker-receiving channel 7, constituting a bearing for said
locker rearward, and out of the plane of the cartridge-head channel 4.
The clip-body H has a recess or slot 8, formed therethrough, preferably midway
between the ends of said clip-body, which recess or slot communicates with the
locker-receiving channel, and is adapted for facilitating the operation of the
cartridge-locker L, as will be hereinafter more fully described.
The cartridge-locker L, which is an important element in my present invention,
is, in the form thereof herein shown, in the nature of a rock-shaft cranked or
laterally extended at the middle portion thereof, as shown at 12, to form an operating-
arm or actuator with two so-called "lever-arms" 9 and 9' at opposite sides of said
actuator 12. These so-called lever-arms 9 and 9' are shown having laterally-disposed
and preferably oppositely-inclined locking-faces 10 and 10', respectively, at the
outer ends thereof, which locking-faces 10 and 10' will usually be formed upon, and
constitute the inner or forward faces of, relatively-short laterally-projecting arms 13
and 131, respectively.
When the parts of the cartridge-clip are assembled, the actuator or extension 12
of the locker L, extends through and is supported in the recess or slot 8 in the
clip-body H, and constitutes a lever, whereby the locker may be rocked to throw
the locking or working faces 10 and 10' at opposite ends of said locker int or out
from locked engagement with the terminal cartridges of a series of cartridges,
supported, one by the other, between the flanges 3 and 31 of the clip-body and
between said locking faces 10 and 10¹, as will be readily understood by reference to
Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings.
The locker L in the slightly modified form thereof, shown most clearly in
Figures 19 and 23, will have the arms 9 and 9' at opposite sides of the actuator 12
curved or bent laterally and at an angle to the plane of the longitudinal axis of the
actuator 12 to form laterally-disposed portions 14 and 14¹ between the opposite ends
of the lever-arms 9 and 94, respectively, which are eccentrically disposed relatively
to the axis of said arms. These portions 14 and 141 practically constitute cams,
which, when the locker L is rotated from the position shown in Figure 20 to that
shown in Figure 19, will be brought into engagement with the inner face of the
wall of the locker-receiving channel 7, and thereby bring the outer and inuer
ends 10 and 16, and 10¹ and 16' of the two lever-arms 9 and 91, respectively, into
bearing engagement with the terminal cartridges and middle cartridges of the series
of cartridges, as will be readily understood by a comparison of Figures 19 and 20
of the drawings.
It will be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular form of
cartridge-locker illustrated in the drawings, as the form of the cartridge-locker is
subject to various modifications within the scope and limits of my invention.
In practice, the recess or slot 8 in the back of the clip-body (which recess or slot
is made, as before stated, for the passage through the clip-body of the iocker-
actuating lever 12, and to facilitate the operation of the locker from the outside of
said clip-body) may be formed centrally in the width of said body, so that the
locker may be inserted in the locker-receiving channel 7 either end up and without the
exercise of precaution, to thereby facilitate the assembling of the parts of
the packet.
For the purpose of securing additional torsional elasticity, the cartridge-locker
(which is preferably made of spring steel wire in one piece) has the inner ends 16
and 16 of the two arms 9 and 9' slightly remote from each other, and connected

page_text: together by the U-shaped actuator 12; and said arms 9 and 91 are made tapering
and are reduced in thickness from points, as 17, near the inner adjacent ends thereof,
to points near the extreme onter ends of said arms, as will be understood by reference
to Figures 23 and 24 of the drawings.
By constructing the cartridge-clip in the manner herein described, it will be
seen that, when the parts are in the position illustrated most clearly in Figures 20
and 22 with the cartridges in proper position to be locked in place by a lateral
movement of the lever 12 of the cartridge-locker from the position shown in
Figure 20 to that shown in Figure 19, the locking faces 10 and 10' at the opposite
ends of the lever-arms 9 and 9', respectively, will be forced into positive engage-
ment with the heads of the terminal cartridges of the series, owing to the partial
rotation of the cartridge-locker; this movement of the lever or actuator 12, rocks
the lever-arms 9 and 91 of the cartridge-locker, and causes the middle or
eccentrically-disposed portions 14 and 141 of the arms 9 and 9', respectively, to be
brought into frictional engagement with the back wall of the clip body, and forces
the locking-faces forwardly and outwardly into engagement with the heads of the
terminal cartridges, a torsional stress being thereby exerted, which causes the
inclined locking-faces to ride upward upon correspondingly-inclined faces 18
and 181 of the head of said cartridges, which locks the cartridges in place with a
slightly-yielding pressure.
For the purpose of holding the locker in its cartridge-locking position, and for
preventing an accidental opening movement of said locker, which would otherwise
accrue from the opposing resistance of the cartridges, the cam-faces 14 and 141 of the
lever-arms 9 and 91 and the locking-faces 10 and 10¹ upon the laterally-disposed
arms 13 and 13' are set at such angle relatively to the angle of repose of the
actuator 12, that the said cam-faces 14 and 14' and the locking-faces 10 and 10' will be
carried slightly past the dead centres of their movements upon the completion of the
locking-stroke of the actuator 12; the torsional elasticity of the locker being thus
utilized to etfect a torsional stress sufficient to hold the lever 12, tightly in
engagement with the clip-body, and in its locked position, as soon as the cam-like
portions 14 and 14' and the locking-faces 10 and 10 of the locker have slightly
passed the dead-centres of their movements.
The locking or working faces 10 and 10 of the locking-arms 13 and 13 are
shown bevelled to correspond with the bevel at 18 and 18 of the heads of the two
terminal cartridges. These bevelled working-faces 10 and 10 of the locking-
member or cartridge-locker at, when the locker is actuated for locking the
cartridges in the clip, as wedges or inclines for moving the cartridges in the
guiding-channel 4 of the clip-body slightly forward and downward, o as to bring
said cartridges firmly against one another, and hold the entire series relatively
rigid in the clip; so that, in practice, the user may inulle the packet as one piece,
without any difficulty arising from the slipping about of the cartridges in
the clip.
In assembling the parts of the cartridge-packet, the rocker L is first placed in
the receiving-channel 7 with the operating-lever 12 thereof projected through the
recess or slot 8 in the clip-body, and resting in the position shown in Figure 6 of
the drawings, after which, the cartridges C are placed one after another with their
beaded ends located between the inner faces of the guide-Hanges 3 and 31.
When
the channel 4 of the clip-body is filled, as shown in Figure 6, the locker-actuating
lever 12 is thrown from its open position (shown in Figure 6), to the closed
position thereof (shown in Figure 5) which rocks the locker L, and brings the
inclined locking-faces 10 and 10' of the lever-arms 9 and 91 into bearing engage
ment with the similarly-inclined faces 18 and 181 of the heads of the two terminal
cartridges of the series of cartridges, and locks said cartridges firmly in place.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the cartridges are held in place by the
concerted and opposing action of the locker and the cartridge; that is, by the
stress exerted by the two locking-members upon the heads of the terminal
cartridges and the resistance exerted by the cartridges interme late to

page_text: terminal cartridges; said intermediate cartridges acting to hold the terminal
cartridges against relative movement during the locking actuation of the cartridge-
locker L.
By a comparison of Figures 5 and 6, and 14 and 18, it will be seen that the
locker acts as a positive locking and releasing means for cartridges, and is in nowise
similar to an ordinary detent.
The present improvement not only positively locks the cartridges against
movement relatively to the clip, but also releases said cartridges, at the required
time and therefore leaves them entirely free for sliding movement in said clip,
the locker, when in its unlocked position, being entirely out of engagement with
the cartridges, and in nowise obstructing the free movement of said cartridges
in the clip.
In using the improved cartridge-packet, said packet may be inserted into the
magazine of a gun, suitable for using the cartridges thereof, either side up.
As it will be desirable to automatically release the cartridge-locker from locked
engagement with the cartridges during the insertion of the packet into the
magazine of the gun, I have, for convenience, illustrated in Figures 12 to 18,
inclusive, of the drawings, one means for automatically operating the cartridge-
locker to effect this end. This means, in the form thereof herein shown, is in the
nature of a duplex-wedge, which is designated in a general way by w, and which
will, in practice, constitute a fixture of the magazine in which the packet is used.
This wedge w is shown having two oppositely-disposed upwardly-extending wedge-
prongs 19 and 191, adapted, one for engaging and opening the lever 12 of the
locker when said lever is in the position illustrated in Figure 13, and the other of
which is adapted for engaging and opening the lever 12 when the cartridge-packet
is turned the other side up, and the lever 12 is in the position shown in Figure 18.
One or the other of the wedge-prongs 19 and 19¹, will, when the packet is forced
relatively to the wedge, enter between the lever 12 and the clip-body, and throw
the said lever into the locker-opening position-as shown, for instance, in
Figure 17 which releases the cartridges, and leaves them free to be lifted out
of the clip.
In Figures 12 to 18, inclusive, of the drawings, the automatic operation of the
cartridge-locker to release the cartridges is fully illustrated.
The means for unlocking the cartridge-locker, shown and described herein, does not
constitute any part of the present invention, but forms a part of the subject-matter
of a separate application for Letters Patent for magazine bolt guns, filed concur-
rently with this, to which reference may be had; the means for effecting an
opening movement of the cartridge-locker being simply shown and described
herein, to enable others to understand how the cartridges may be automatically
released after the packet is inserted in the magazine of the gun, and to illustrate
the practicability of the packet when in actual use.
By the employment of a cartridge-packet-such as herein shown and described-
the filling of the magazine of the gun is facilitated, and the rapidity with which the
gun may be recharged and fired is greatly increased; and owing to the compactness
of the packet the clip occupying but little additional space over and above the
space actually required for the cartridges-a gun may be employed having a
magazine whose area is but fractionally greater than the aggregate areas of the
cartridges, thus enabling a smaller gun to be used with a proportionate decrease in
the weight thereof, than has been heretofore used with cartridge-holding cases of
ordinary construction; and owing to the material decrease in the weight of the
cartridge-packet and the gun proper, a soldier's equipment may be considerably
lightened, which is a matter of considerable importance.
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 :-

page_text: adapted for receiving the headed ends of a series of cartridges; a cartridge-locker
supported and capable of a rocking movement on the clip-body in said channel,
and having locking-faces adapted for engaging the heads of the terminal cartridges
to hold the latter securely in place, and means for enabling the cartridge-locker
to be rocked in a plane transversely of the aforesaid channel for the purpose of
locking and releasing the cartridges, substantially as described.
2. A cartridge-holder consisting of the clip-body; the resilient cartridge-locker
loosely supported on the clip-body and means for enabling the said locker to be
actuated substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
3. The herein-described cartridge-holder provided with means for normally
holding the cartridge-locker in its locked position, substantially as described, and
for the purpose set forth.
4. The herein-described cartridge holder comprising the clip-body and the
cartridge-locker capable of a rocking movement on the clip-body, and having an
actuator extended through a transverse recess or slot of the clip-body, substan-
tially as described, and for the purpose set forth.
5. The clip-body combined with a cartridge-locker having laterally-disposed
locking-faces movable with said locker transversely to the cartridge-head-receiving-
channel; and an actuator whereby said cartridge-locker may be actuated from the
outside of the clip-body, substantially as described.
6. In the herein-described cartridge-holder the clip-body having a relatively-
wide longitudinal cartridge-head-receiving channel, and a relatively-narrow longi-
tudinal locker-receiving channel in axial parallelism with, and located intermediate
of the width of, the cartridge-head-receiving channel; substantially as described,
and for the purpose specified.
7. The clip-body having a longitudinal channel, and a transverse perforation in
combination with the longitudinally-disposed cartridge-locker arranged in juxta-
position to the said channel, and having inclined laterally-disposed locking-faces at
its opposite ends adapted for engaging the terminal cartridges carried by the clip ;
and with an actuating-lever carried by the locker, and projecting through the
transverse perforation in the clip-body, substantially as described, and for the
purpose set forth.
8. In a cartridge-holder such as that herein described a torsionally-elastic
cartridge-locking member having locking faces arranged and operating substantially
as described, and for the purpo e set forth.
9. In cartridge-holder the leker consisting of two longitudinally-tapered
resilient arg
cach having a laterally-disposed inclined locking-face at the outer
end therent; and a leterally di po od petunting-lever connecting the inner adj.cont
cnds of said arm, substantially es described, and for the purjuset forth.
10. The cartridge-locker supported on the clip-body, and having laterally
disposed locking-faces at its opposite ends, and an intermediate Interally-di-pad
hearing-face, sultantially as describen, end for the purpose set forth.
11. The cartridge-locker constructed with en-like jurtions between the ends
and the actuator, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
12. In a cartridge-holder the combination with the clip-body of a cartridge-
locker com rising a cartridge-locking member located at, and operable from, one
side of the clip-body; and an actuating member located at, and operable from, the
opposite side of the clip-body, the said actuating member occupying such a position
as to be actuated by a locker-operating device inserted between said clip-body and
the actuating member.
ليم
1
i
1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Building, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.