Improvements in Cartridge Holders for Magazine Firearms.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Cartridge Holders for Magazine Firearms.
I, SAMUEL NEAL MCCLEAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing
at the Town of Washington, in the County of Washington, in the State of Iowa,
Physician, 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:-
The invention relates to cartridge holders for maintaining a fixed relation of
the cartridges, and may be properly termed a magazine filler. The object is to
produce a strong, light, cheap, simple, durable and easily constructed magazine
filler which shall maintain a fixed relation of the cartridges and shall both lock
and release them; the locking action being so formed and placed that it is pro-
tected against accidentally releasing the cartridges in rough usage A farther
object is to provide a magazine filler which shall maintain a fixed relation and
lock engagement with its complement of cartridges, the lock being so formed as
to be actuated to release the cartridges by the grip of the hand on the holder, or
by engagement with the magazine. The magazine filler or holder may also be
formed to enter into a fixed relation and cam engagement with the magazine to
which it is applied.
In the accompanying drawings which are hereby made a part of this specifi-
cation, similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the specifica-
tion, and for convenience of description the different parts of the same piece, and
of intimately co-related pieces, have been designated by the same reference letter;
the exponent above the letter being changed to indicate the particular part to
which the letter is intended to be applied; and a letter having a specific exponent
refers always to some particular feature of the part to which the letter is applied.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical, central sectional view of the
cartridge holder, showing the cartridges A, the cartridge holder B, and the cart-
ridge lock C.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the cartridge holder showing its flanged guide way or
channel to engage with the cartridges, also the lock C, the shoulders B' and cam
lugs C
Fig. 3 is a view of the magazine and filler illustrating the manner of engage-
ment between the filler and magazine, also the magazine E the cam guide ribs E

page_text: the guide way and illustrates the disengaging action of the cam guide
ribs E on the cam lugs C¹ of the lock C.
Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the lock or latch C showing its cam lugs ("
also the handle part of the magazine lock C and its locking end C³.
The magazine filler may have any required shape to adapt it to the particular
kind of cartridge with which it is intended to be used, but it is preferably formed
on an arc of the circle corresponding to the taper of the cartridges and has a flanged
guide-way or channel to receive and hold the cartridges by the flange or groove at
their rear ends. The preferred form of the magazine filler is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings and is denoted by the reference letter B. It is integrally
formed from a single piece of material, its body part is denoted by the reference
letter B, and is flanged at its respective opposite sides to form a guide-way in
which the cartridges are retained. This guide-way is preferably open at either
end and at its lower end is provided with a spring stop or latch which is integ-
rally formed from a tongue cut out of the back part of the filler and formed to
project into the path of the cartridges, this spring stop is denoted by the reference
letter B³ Figs. 1 and 3, and is depressible out of the path of the cartridges to
permit them to be easily inserted into or removed from the cartridge holder. The
handle part of the cartridge holder is denoted by the reference letter B¹ is integ-
rally formed from the body part of the filler and has a curved shape being bent
round and rivetted to the back part of the holder in such manner as to provide a
convenient grip for the hand in handling the holder and to afford additional
strength and stiffness to the parts. This handle part is also formed to protect
the cartridge lock from being accidentally operated and is provided with
'shoulders B Fig. 1, to engage with companion guide-ribs in the magazine to
which the filler is intended to be applied.
The cartridge lock conforms to the shape of the cartridge clip or holder to which
it is intended to be applied. It has a locking end which projects into the path of
the cartridges and a handle part formed to be gripped against the holder to swing
its locking end out of the path of the cartridges. The preferred form of the holder
is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and denoted by the reference letter C,
its locking end by the letter C and its handle part by C. It is also provided
with cam lugs C to engage with companion cam guide ribs E of the magazine.
The cartridge lock is preferably attached. to the rear side of the cartridge holder
by a shouldered rivet which permits a sufficient movement to operate the lock.
The spring B2 is integrally formed from the back part of the magazine filler and
is adjusted to exert a yielding tension against the under side of the lock C. The
handle part of the cartridge lock is formed to lie closely beneath the handle part
of the magazine filler to protect the lock from being accidentally operated to release
the cartridges and to permit a sufficient movement of the lock to allow it to be
operated by the grip of the hand, or by the relation of the holder to the magazine.
The magazine conforms to the shape of the magazine filler with which it is
intended to be used. It is denoted by the reference letter E and has a guide-
way E at its rear side to receive and guide the magazine filler. The magazine is
also provided with guide-ribs E' to engage with the cartridge lock C and to pre-
vent the cartridges A from slipping back in the magazine after the magazine filler
has been removed. The magazine is also chambered to permit the handle part of
the magazine filler to be partially inserted into the magazine.
The operation is as follows: The cartridges are inserted into the holder by
depressing the spring stop B3 at the lower end of the flanged guide way and then
consecutively pushing the cartridges into the filler until the first cartridge comes
into contact with the locking end of the lock C3 and the last cartridge inserted is
engaged by the spring stop B3 thus maintaining a fixed relation and locked en-
gagement with the cartridges. It is also apparent that by depressing the handle Ca
of the cartridge lock C its locking extremity will be moved out of the path of
the cartridges and permit them to be passed into the holder, if desired, from its
upper end.

page_text: The cartridges may be released from the filler in two ways either by gripping
the handle part C of the lock C against the filler compressing the spring B² and
carrying the locking end C³ out of the path of the cartridges, thus permitting the
cartridges to be pushed out of the holder into the magazine or into the hand as
may be desired.
It is also apparent that when the filler is inserted into the
magazine, the guide-way 2 gives it a fixed path of movement and in connection
with the guide-ribs E brings the cam lugs into engagement with these guide-
ribs E and the farther movement of the filler forces the locking end C to swing
out of the path of the cartridges and permit them to pass freely into the magazine
at which time the filler may be withdrawn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the sanie is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: :-
Claim 1. A magazine filler which has a flanged guide-way to retain and release
the cartridges, the filler having a handle part which is an integral extension of
the body part of the same and is pivoted to the rear side of the filler to afford
additional strength and stiffness to the handle and filler and to provide a grip for
the hand in handling the same.
Claim 2. A magazine filler formed on an arc of a circle having a handle part and
a flanged guideway or channel to engage with the rear ends of the cartridges, the
handle bent round and rivetted to the rear side of the filler to afford additional
strength and stiffness to the handle and filler and to provide a convenient grip for
the hand in handling the same and a cartridge lock movable into and out of the
path of the cartridges.
Claim 3. A magazine filler having a handle part and a flanged guideway or
channel to engage with the flange or groove of the cartridges, a spring actuated
cartridge lock pivoted to the magazine filler and having a locking end movable
into and out of the path of the cartridges and an upper end forming a handle or
grip compressible against the handle part of the filler to release the cartridges by
the grip of the hand.
Claim 4. A magazine filler having a body part formed with a flanged guideway
to engage with a flange or groove of the cartridge and a handle part which is an
integral extension of the body part of the same and formed to make a convenient
grip for the hand in handling the same; a spring actuated cartridge lock attached
to the said filler and having a locking end movable into and out of the path of
the cartridges and a cam face on the lock, a magazine having companion cam guide
ribs to engage the said cam faces on the cartridge lock of the magazine filler and
actuate its locking end to swing out of the path of the cartridges and permit them
to pass into the magazine.
Claim 5. A magazine filler having a handle part and a flanged guideway to en-
gage with the flange or groove of the cartridges, a spring actuated cartridge lock
pivoted to the said filler and having a locking end movable into and out of the
path of the cartridges, the lower end of the lock forming a grip compressible
against the filler to release the cartridges by the grip of the hand, a spring stop
located at the lower end of the filler and movable into and out of the path of the
cartridges to permit refilling of the magazine filler.
Claim G. A magazine filler which has a flanged guideway to engage with the
flange or groove at the rear end of the cartridges, the said filler having a handle
part which is an integral extension of the body part of the same and whose rear
end is bent round and pivoted to the rear side of the filler to afford additional
strength and stiffness to the handle and filler and to provide a grip for the hand
in handling the same, a cartridge stop movable into and out of the path of the
cartridges.
Claim 7. In a fire-arm the combination of a cartridge magazine and a magazine
filler, the filler having a handle part integrally formed therewith and a flanged
guideway to engage with the flange or groove of the cartridges, a spring actuated

page_text: cartridge lock pivoted to the said magazine filler and having a locking end mov-
able into and out of the path of the cartridges, its other end forming a grip com-
pressible against the filler to release the cartridges by the grip of the hand.
Claim 8. A cartridge holder which has a flanged guideway to receive and hold
the cartridge and a cartridge stop which is formed with an engaging end pro-
jecting into the path of the cartridges and has a handle part forming a convenient
grip for the hand, the said stop attached to the rear side of the cartridge holder
and movable by the force of the hand to carry the engaging end of the cartridge
stop out of the path of the cartridges.
SAMUEL NEAL McCLEAN.
W. P. Thompson & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.