Improvements in Carriers for Small-arms Fixed-ammunition.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1899-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carriers for Small-arms Fixed-ammunition.
A communication from THOMAS CORWIN ORNDORFF, of Worcester, County of
Worcester, State of Massachusetts, U.S.A., Gentleman.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-.
tained in and by the following statement:-
The device in which this invention is comprised is designed for the purpose of
easy packing and handling and distribution of fixed-ammunition for small-arms,
and is what I term an ammunition wristlet a band of pliable material having
pockets to receive and hold the necessary number of cartridges, say twenty, and
adapted to slip easily over the hand upon the wrist of the user and to there
remain in position to enable him to use his rifle without restraint and at the
same time to so place the ammunition that the cartridges can be, with the
utmost facility, drawn from the wristlet and loaded into the rifle.
It is the practice now in the service to put up cartridges loose in boxes in
batches of twenty to a box. The soldier receiving one of these boxes must open
it, withdraw from it the individual cartridges and place them individually in his
belt or stow them away in his pockets. This operation takes much valuable time,
particularly when the soldier is in action, and moreover, the cartridges being
loose are apt to drop or spill from the box, and to be scattered over the ground,
thus requiring the soldier to pick them up and to clean from them the dirt
which they may have gathered, before he can use them. Under this invention
these batches of twenty cartridges are carried each batch by its own wristlet, and
all that the soldier has to do is to take this charged wristlet from its box or
envelope and slip it over his hand and upon his wrist, and he is then ready to
resume firing the result being that with this improved appliance the soldier can
be supplied with twenty rounds of ammunition and can in fact fire those twenty
rounds during the time that sometimes is required in order to replenish his
supply by the old method-a feature of very considerable importance, par-
ticularly when the soldier is on the firing line.
So too he may take at one time two or more of these charged wristlets, slipping
one upon his wrist and putting the others in his pockets, where they are avail-
able to replace the one on his wrist, when the supply of cartridges carried by the
latter is exhausted.
The nature of this invention will be readily understood by reference to the
accompanying drawing in which:
Fig. 1 is a view of a charged ammunition-wristlet embodying this invention in
its preferred form.
Fig. 2 shows it in position on the wrist of the soldier.
Fig. 3 is a view of the same with the ammunition removed from it.
The wristlet A is of thin pliable material, provided with pockets, a, for recep-
tion of the individual cartridges C. It is of a size to slip over the hand and to fit

page_text: easily upon the wrist as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the cartridges are
available for instant use, while the device itself is out of the way and does not
interfere with or impede the movements of the soldier necessary to a proper
use of his weapon. The charged wristlet can also be readily folded up in a
bundle so that the soldier can readily carry two or three additional wristlets in his
pockets.
The wristlet is made of a multi-ply woven fabric provided with cartridge
pockets integral therewith formed by the plies and closed along one edge of the fabric.
The fabric is woven of a length suitable for a wristlet and its two ends are then
brought together and sewed or otherwise permanently united as seen at
the seam being upon the inside of the wristlet. The device thus becomes an endless
band of pliable material of a size to conveniently fit over the hand and upon the
wrist and provided with pockets for the reception of cartridges. I prefer to so
form the pockets at the mouth end that the portion m of the edge of the pocket
on the outside of the fabric shall not extend as high as the edge n on the inside
--this being to facilitate the operation of inserting the cartridges in the pockets.
In the fabric shown in the drawing this result is easily effected by making the
outer ply with one dent less than the inner ply. I desire it to be understood,
however, that I do not limit myself to any particular weave, nor indeed to any
particular material for my ammunition-wristlet. It can be made, for example,
of a band of textile material, folded lengthwise over upon itself, having its ends
fastened together, and in addition sewed crosswise at suitable intervals apart.
through the two thicknesses of the fold, so as to form the requisite number of
pockets. All that is required is that said wristlet shall be pliable, adapted to
slip over the hand and fit casily upon the wrist; and provided with pockets for
reception of the cartridges.
Nor do I desire to be understood as restricting myself to any specific means for
uniting or connecting the ends of the band of which the wristlet is composed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
As a new article of manufacture, an ammunition-wristlet consisting of an
endless band of pliable material, of a size to conveniently slip over the hand
and wear upon the wrist, and provided with pockets for the reception of cart-
ridges, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 21st day of September 1899.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.