Improved Loading Device for Breech-loading Repeating Guns.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 29th Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Loading Device for Breech-loading Repeating Guns.
…I, Paul Mauser, of Oberndorf, on the Neckar, in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg,
and Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The cylinder bolt of breech loading repeating guns as constructed at present, does
not pull back the cartridge when the latter has not been fully pushed home into the
barrel, and the bolt pulled back prior to its full closing the breech. In such case
a new cartridge places itself from the magazine in front of the retarded bolt and
is pushed either under or against the first cartridge sticking more or less deeply in
the barrel, whereby the correct loading and discharging of the gun is prevented.
The object of the invention is to obviate these defects and loading obstacles by very
simple mechanical means, without altering essential parts of the gun, and in such
way that the new device may be applied without inventive action to guns of other
pattern than that shown in the accompanying drawing as an example.
The drawing represents a so called Mauser gun with removable cartridge magazine
attached beneath the breech.
Figure 1 is a vertical axial section of the breech parts in the position when the bolt
has pushed a cartridge into the barrel, but without the breech being fully closed, as
the bolt is not turned down to the right.
Figure 2 is a similar section but showing the parts in the fully closed position, the
bolt being turned down to the right. After discharging the gun and opening the
breech, the empty cartridge shell will be expelled and the next cartridge will be properly
presented to the bolt.
Figure 3 is a cross section drawn on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side view of the upper back portion of the magazine.
Figure 5 is an enlarged back view of the tumbler.
The two side plates m* of the magazine m have their top edges m³ bent inwardly
and made to spring by suitable cuts, as heretofore usually done, so that the uppermost
cartridge p is retained by the edges m², but presents itself automatically to the
bolt a when fully drawn back, and will be removed from the magazine and pushed
into the barrel when the bolt a is pushed forward, the edges m² yielding outwardly.
To prevent this action from taking place when a cartridge is still in the barrel and
the bolt a is drawn back, before it has been brought into its fully closed position,
the uppermost cartridge in the magazine m is kept back in such a position that it
cannot rise high enough to present its bottom to the bolt a. For this purpose the
top edge m of the back portion of the left side plate m* of the magazine m, below
the spring m², is partly bent inwardly, so that this projecting edge m' keeps back
the back end of the uppermost cartridge and prevents it from rising within
reach of the bolt a as long as the edge m¹ is not forced outside to free the cartridge.
This position of the parts is represented in Figure 1.
The tumbler n, Figure 5, swings round a stud or pivot n in the rear wall v
of the magazine m, protruding with its rounded top end n³ into the path of the bolt a,
wherefor the latter is grooved correspondingly, so that it can be pushed freely length-
wise to and fro without touching the part n³. The tumbler n possesses two side
projections n', n², by which it fits between the two side plates of the magazine, in such
way that n' rests against the part m¹ of the left hand side, and n³ against the part m²
or m* of the right hand side.'
It will be easily understood that if the tumbler n is moved to the left, the left
edge m'is forced outside by the projection n', and that at this moment, the cartridge p;
released from the edge m', will rise into its normal position, as represented in Figure 2,

page_text: As soon as the tumbler n is allowed to return into its normal position, the edge m
springs back also and will be ready to retain the next cartridge in its depressed
position after the uppermost cartridge is removed by the advancing bolt a and
pushed into the barrel. The bolt a is now turned to the right into its closed
position. During this turning motion the top end 3 of the tumbler n
enters from the longitudinal grooves into a short cross groove s¹ of the bolt a,
until it is struck by an interruption or tooth t of this grooves, which moves
the top end n³ to the left, causing the different actions described above, and the
uppermost cartridge in the magazine to be released from the edge m¹ and to rise, as
shown in Figure 2. Before the bolt a has finished its turn, the tooth-t has passed the
top end n³, which returns into its normal position, as on the other side of the tooth t,
the cross groove §¹ appears again in the shape of an indentation or hole s² of the bolt a,
into which the top end n³ enters when the bolt a is also in its closed position.
After the discharge of the gun, and in turning the bolt a to the left for opening the
breech, the tooth t moves the tumbler n to the right, which having passed the tooth t
returns into its normal position. If the bolt a has finished its back stroke the upper-
most cartridge will rise and present itself to the renewed action of the bolt a.
Whenever the bolt a is pulled back before it has been fully closed the next cartridge
is prevented from presenting itself to the action of the bolt a. But if the bolt
was once normally closed and then drawn back, the uppermost cartridge of the
magazine will always appear in its normal position.
The application of the invention to the bolt guns now in use does not require an
essential alteration of them. The grooves s, s', s², can be milled in the bolt a
without other changes of the lock mechanism, and the mounting of the tumbler n, as
also the small alteration of the side plates of the magazine m will in no way interfere
with the present arrangements.
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
1 claim is
A device for preventing a cartridge from rising from the magazine beneath the
breech of a bolt gun within reach of the bolt before the bolt has been brought into
its fully closed position, consisting of the inwardly projecting spring edge m³ of a
portion of the left side plate m* of the magazine m, lying far enough below the top of
the magazine to hold the uppermost cartridge out of the reach of the bolt a and the
tumbler n with its side projections n' and n² and top end n³ or its equivalent working
in combination with the grooves, cross groove s¹, s2, and tooth t of the bolt a, substan-
tially as shown and described and for the purpose explained.
Dated this 4th day of October 1800.
PAUL MAUSER.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.