Improvements in Magazines for Breech-loading Weapons.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
TRUYRDIONAL DROITIVATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LUCIEN FREDERICK BRUCE, of 25, Grant
Street, Springfield, Massachusetts, United States of America, Mechanical
Engineer.]
Improvements in Magazines for Breech-loading Weapons.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to magazines for fire-arms, and particularly to that class
thereof termed "pocket magazines" the object being to improve the construction of
the magazine in respect to the case, the cntch-devices for holding the magazine in
operative position under the arm the cartridge-lifting devices and means for
operating the same, and other detail parts, all as hereinafter described.
The magazine herein described is pivoted by its rear edge under the receiver
of the arm, and bas a swinging motion up and down, towards and from, and
slightly into a slot in the under side of said receiver whereby the upper cartridge
in the magazine is brought high enough to have the bolt of the arm strike it and
carry it into the barrel in the usual way, and when the front end of the magazine
hangs downward to bring it into convenient position to receive a charge of cartridges.
The magazine is made in the usual box form of suitable sheet metal, in which
the cartridges are received lying one above the other. The projecting catch
devices for bolding the free end of the magazine upward against the receiver, are
arranged on the outer opposite sides thereof at the lower part of said free end, and
have a sliding movement into and out of slots formed therefor, in the receiver.
Said catch devices are attached to a two-leaf spring which lies in the bottom of the
magazine, one leaf of which rises upward, and said spring slides with said catch
devices when they engage with or are disengaged from the receiver.
A lever is pivoted by its lower end near the rear lower corner of the magazine,
having a part projecting rearwardly beyond its pivot, and said lever extends
forwardly and upwardly and reaches a little above the upper edge of the magazine,
and has a narrow plate pivoted by one end to it, which plate extends rearwardly,
and has a sliding motion, when said lever is swung up and down, in a slot in the
under side of the cartridge table, on which the cartridges in the magazine lie.
The upper rear end of said table is pivoted to a second lever which crosses the edge
of said first named lever and extends downwardly and has its lower end pivoted in
the lower front corner of the magazine.
The upper leaf of said spring bears against the underside of said first named
spring on either side of the pivot of said lever, according to its position, as
determined by the position of said catch devices. That is to say, when said devices
are engaged with the receiver to hold the magazine up against it, said spring acts
to lift the upper end of the lever it bears on, and the cartridge table and cartridges
upwardly, but when the catch devices are disengaged from the receiver to swing the
magazine downward for loading, said spring, is moved to bear on the opposite side
of said lever-pivot, and throw down the upper end of said lever, thereby causing
the cartridge elevating devices to be collapsed or dropped into the bottom of the
magazine and offer no resistance to loading the latter. When, however, the
magazine is again shut against the receiver the catch devices and said spring are
automatically moved to cause the latter to act to lift the cartridges upward as they
are wanted for firing.

page_text: A frame is fixed on the inner opposite walls of the magazine against the edges
of which the rims of the cartridges engage, thereby serving to draw them out
of a box when fed therefrom. The said form of spring is such that no danger from
breakage exists.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Magazines for Breech-loading Weapons.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 magazines for fire-arms, and particularly to that class
thereof termed "pocket magazines," the object being to improve the construction
of the magazine in respect to the case, the catch-devices for holding the magazine
in operative position under the arm, the cartridge-lifting devices and means for
operating the same, and other detail parts, all as hereinafter fully described, and
pointed out in the claims.
In the drawing forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1, is a side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of the underside of the
receiver of a magazine fire-arm, of the guard and of the trigger thereof, having
applied thereto a magazine embodying my improvements, this figure showing the
magazine-case in vertical section and the devices in the interior thereof in side
elevation two cartridges being shown in the magazine, one of which is lifted nearly
out thereof.
Figure 2, is a perspective view of the cartridge-lifting devices of the magazine,
and other detail parts hereinafter fully described.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of another detail part of the magazine hereinafter
described.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the receiver of the arm and
of one end of the magazine, illustrating the engagement of the devices on the
magazine which retain the swinging end of the latter in engagement with said
receiver.
Figure 5 is an edge view of the magazine, or that edge by which it is pivoted to
the arm.
Figure 6 is a plan view of the under edge of the forward end of the magazine,
partly in section.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the upper, rear end of the magazine-case.
Figure 8 is a vertical section of the magazine showing the cartridge-elevating
devices thereof in side view, and the cartridge-table thereof in its extreme upper
position.
Figure 9 is a similar view of the magazine to Figure 8, but showing one end of
the magazine swung downward and the cartridge-elevating devices thereof folded
together in the bottom thereof, and consequently the cartridge-table in its lowest
position.
In the drawing, A indicates the guard-frame of a fire-arm which, in practice, is
secured on the under side of the arm under the receiver thereof and has a slot
through it as shown, in which, as well as in a slot through the receiver in the rear
of the barrel, the magazine, 4, has an operative position as shown in Figure 1.
The guard e, at the rear end of said frame, A, has its forward edge slotted, as
shown, to permit the magazine to swing downward and rearwardly oue corner
thereof entering said slot, the magazine being pivoted to the guard frame at 5,
whereby it is permitted to swing from the position it occupies when the gun

page_text: is using cartridges therefrom, or the positions shown in Figures 1 and 8, about to
the position shown in Figure 9, which is the one the magazine takes when swung
downward to be loaded.
The said magazine, 4, is constructed of substantially the form shown in the
drawing, preferably of sheet steel, that is to say, of sufficient width between its
inner walls to receive cartridges in the positions shown in Figure 1, of proper
length to accommodate said cartridges and sufficient height when in operative
position in the arm to bring the upper cartridge of the group therein, (the
cartridges being indicated by 3) substantially on a line with the bore of the barrel.
The relative positions of the heads of the cartridges in the magazine are indicated
in dotted lines in Figure 5, the head of the upper cartridge being brought into
engagement, by the action of the magazine spring below described, with the
inturned lips, 6, on the upper edge of the magazine, whereby the cartridges are
prevented from any upward movement excepting as the cartridges are removed one
by one by the action of the mechanism of the gun which, as is well known, engages
with the uppermost portion of the head of the upper cartridge driving it end wise
towards the barrel of the arm, such movement of the upper cartridge, in the
magazine construction herein shown, carries the head of the cartridge to the wider
portion, 7, of the upper edge of the magazine through which the head is allowed to
pass upwardly with comparative ease since the edges of the rim of the cartridge-
head have but a slight contact with said part, 7, of the magazine, and should the
head be slightly larger than said opening, 7, the provision in the magazine-case of
the vertical slot, 8, in the rear edge thereof, permits the case to open slightly,
thereby removing any obstacle to the passage of such a cartridge out of the upper
edge of the magazine.
As is well known by persons familiar with the general operation of magazines of
the class herein described, upon the removal, as aforesaid, of the upper one of a
group of cartridges therein, those there below are lifted up by the magazine
spring, and are removed, one by one, by firing the gun, until the contents of the
magazine are exhausted.
An internal metallic frame, B, made preferably of sheet steel and consisting of
horizontal base portions, 9, united at one end by a transverse part, 10, has
extending upwardly from said parts, 9, two cartridge-guides, 12, (see Figure 3).
Said frame, B, is fixed in the interior of the magazine-case, in the position shown
in Figure 1, and is therein secured by suitable rivets with the said cartridge-
guides, 12, lying closely against the inner opposite walls of the magazine, as
indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5. The opening between said cartridge-
guides, 12, is such as to permit the cartridges when the magazine is filled
to lie there between, the heads of the cartridges, however, projecting beyond
the rear edges of said guides, as shown in Figure 1, and being caused
to engage with the rear edges of said guides when placed in the magazine,
thereby causing them to take and retain proper positions one above the other in
the magazine, and to be held against any endwise movement therein except as they
shall be lifted up and removed one by one as aforesaid.
Said metallic frame, B, is secured within the magazine, as aforesaid, by rivets
passing through the upper ends thereof at or about r, Figure 3, and through the
adjoining sides of the magazine-case, also said frame is additionally secured within
the magazine by pins, y and z, (Figures 1, 8 and 9) to which operative parts of
the magazine are pivoted, as below described, which preferably pass through the
side walls of the magazine thereby contributing to the more secure connection of
the frame, B, therewith.
The cartridge-elevating devices of the magazine are constructed and arranged as
follows, to the end that they may consist of such an organization of operative
members as shall, as far as possible, obviate the tendency to breakage so common
in devices for this purpose heretofore employed in magazines of this class, and
furthermore to so construct said elevating devices that they are collapsed, or
rendered inactive when the magazine is to be charged, and are made active or

page_text: caused to exert the requisite lifting force against the cartridges after they are placed
in the magazine and are required to be brought into position one by one, to be fired,
Said cartridge-elevating devices consist of a lever, 13, pivoted at y, between the
rear ends of said frame B, and of a lever, 14, pivoted at the opposite end of the
base of said frame at, said levers being substantially alike, and made preferably
of steel, are made about one half as wide for a certain distance between their ends
as they are at the latter, in order that they may be crossed as shown, and not
possess, when so arranged, a combined width exceeding that of the space between
the uprights, 12, of said frame, B, since said levers have a vertical movement in
said space. To the upper end of said lever, 14, is pivoted, by one end thereof,
the cartridge-table, 15. This cartridge-table has a longitudinal chamber, 16,
within it, extending from end to end thereof in the under wall of which is a longi-
tudinal slot, a, and in said chamber, is placed a freely sliding plate, 17, having a
stud thereon projecting through said slot, a, to which the upper end of said
lever, 13, is pivotally connected. The portion, 6, of the lever, 13, partially cut
therefrom to reduce its width, as aforesaid, is left to extend towards the under side
of the lever, 14, to constitute a brace to serve to lift and support that lever when
lever, 13, swings upward, and to cause both levers to coact more uniformly, in
support of the cartridge-table and the cartridges thereon, the lower extremity of
lever 13, extending beyond its pivot, y, for a purpose below set forth.
The said levers and cartridge-table are caused to be brought to the opened or
distended positions shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8, by the action of the two-leafed
spring, 18, the lower leaf of which bears upon the base of the magazine-case, as
shown, and its upper leaf engages with the under side of said lever, 13, between
said pivot, y, and the center of the magazine. Said spring, 18, may, if desired, be
fixed in the position shown in Figure 1, whereby it shall act constantly against
that part of said lever, 13, with which it is there shown to be engaged, thereby
constantly acting to lift up the levers 13 and 14, and the cartridge-table, but it is
preferable that said spring, 18, be movable longitudinally in the bottom of the
magazine, as below described, in order that its point of engagement with said
lever, 13, may be alternately to one and then to the other side of the pivot-
point, y, of said lever, so that the cartridge-lifting devices may, by sliding said spring
under said lever, cause its bearing point to be shifted from that shown in Figure 1,
to that shown in Figure 9, whereby said spring is caused to act on that part of the
lever, 13, to the rearward of said pivot, y, and cause the levers, 13 and 14, to be
folded, and with the cartridge-table, 1, dropped downward to the position shown
in Figure 9, thereby retiring all of the cartridge-elevating devices into the base
of the magazine and leaving the latter perfectly free for the introduction of a
charge of cartridges thereinto, thus obviating, as has heretofore heen the case, all
spring resistance to such introduction.
The above described plate, 17, which is connected to the upper end of lever, 13,
provides a sliding connection for the latter with the cartridge-table, 15, which
permits of the proper upward and downward movements of the cartridge-elevating
devices above described, said plate when said elevating devices are folded together
in the base of the magazine, taking the position shown in Figure 9, and when said
devices are fully distended in an empty magazine, said plate takes the position
shown in dotted lines in Figure 8.
As above set forth, the magazine is pivoted by its rear edge to the guard-
frame A, of the arm, for the purpose stated, and consequently catch-devices are
applied to the forward, or swinging end of the magazine for the purpose of holding
up said last named end to the position shown in Figure 1, and said catch-devices
are automatic in their operation. That is to say, said devices have normally, a
sufficiently firm engagement with the forward end of the guard-frame to cause the
magazine, when charged, to be held up, under all conditions of service, but the
devices which act to held it up will yield or retract in response to a pull
downward on the swinging end of the magazine, with a force somewhat in excess
of the weight of said swinging end and the magazine charge, and permit the

page_text: .
magazine to swing downward to be loaded, after which it is again swing upward,
and when brought to its uppermost position the catch-devices become fully
re-engaged with the guard-frame and hold the magazine as before.
The said spring, 18, which acts on the lever, 13, to distend said cartridge-
elevating devices, is connected with said catch-devices and acts also to hold them in
proper engagement with the guard-frame, as below described, thus serving a double
purpose, and the result of the movement of said spring in detaching and attaching
the magazine as aforesaid, is, to cause it to act on said lever, 13, each side of its
pivot-point, as above set forth, whereby when the magazine is in position to be
charged, the said elevating devices are in a collapsed state in the bottom of the
magazine, and when the magazine is in a position to deliver cartridges to be fired,
said devices act against the cartridges to lift them, and said distending and
collapsing movements of said devices are effected by the said movements of the
magazine catch-devices. Said spring, 18, is preferably, rigidly connected by its
forward end to the rear end of a sliding catch-block, 19, by a rivet, or other
suitable means, said block being located between the bottom, d, of the magazine,
and the adjoining transverse part, 10, of the frame, B, and having a sliding
motion therebetween. Said block, 19, is provided with two inclined arms, 20,
each having a longitudinal extension, 21, said arms and extensions being rigidly
attached to, or forming parts of the catch-block, and said arms and extensions
project laterally through openings in the opposite sides of the magazine-case, as
shown in Figure 4, and slots, o, are formed between said extensions and the edge of
the block to permit of the free rearward movement of said block without
encountering the sides of the magazine, when its inclined arms, 20, become
disengaged from their receiving slots, r, in the sides of the forward end of the
guard-frame, A.
The said catch-block is held in proper position relative to the outer sides of the
magazine, so that its sliding movements may be in the requisite right line by a
steady block 22, (see Figures 1 and 2) located in a slot in the base of the catch-
block, said steady-block being held in position by a screw, 23, which passes through
the base of the magazine, and said block 22, and enters a screw-hole at w, Figure 3,
in the part, 10, of the frame, 13. Said block, 22, also regulates the degree of the
sliding movement of the catch-block, 19.
The outer surface of said inclined arms, 20, and extensions, 21, are checkered,
or roughed, as shown, for convenience in grasping without slipping, to operate
the catch devices, and said outer surfaces are in practice arranged to project very
little, if any, beyond the surface of the forward end of the guard-frame, A, in
order that they may not present any protuberance which would be likely, in
handling the arm, to be brought into contact with anything which may inadvertently
press against the catch-block and cause the forward end of the magazine to be
swung downwardly and expose the cartridges to be dropped therefrom.
Figures 1, 8 and 9, illustrate the said magazine catch devices in their operative
positions in the magazine, and Figure 4 illustrates the operative relation of the
inclined arms, 20, of the catch-block, 19, with their engaging slots, e, in the sides
of the forward end of the guard-frame of the arm. Figures and 8, illustrate
the position of the spring, 18, relative to the lever, 13, when the catch-block, 19,
is in engagement with the said slots of the guard-frame, as shown in Figure 4,
whereby it is seen that when the catch-block is so engaged, said spring, 18, is
actively operating against lever, 13, to lift it and its connected cartridge-elevating
devices. Figure 9, illustrates the rearward position of the catch-block, or that
which it occupies when its arms, 20, are detached from said slots in the guard-
frame, and when the catch-block is in this position the end of spring, 18, which
engages with said lever, 13, is moved rearwardly beyond the pivot, y, thus causing
said spring to act reversely on said lever, 13, thereby forcing said lever and its
connected parts downwardly to the position shown in said last named figure.
The relative arrangement of the catch-block on the magazine, and the slots, v,
in the forward part of the guard-frame, A, is such that when the forward end of

page_text: the magazine is swung downward the inclined arms, 20, so engage with the lower
edges of said slots, e, that the catch-block is forced to retire rearwardly to the
position shown in Figure 9, or far enough to bring the extremities of said arms
clear of the guard-frame at the lower ends of said slots, and this retiring movement
of said block is imparted to the spring, 18, and causes its end which bears on
lever, 13, to be carried back of the pivot, y. The arrow in Figure 1, indicates the
line of movement of the forward end of the magazine when it is swung downward,
and serves to explain the above referred to action of the catch-block consequent
upon said movement, for it will be noted that the line of incline of said slots," ", is
at an incline to the circular line described by said arrow, and consequently when
the end of the magazine is swung downward the inclined arms on the catch-block
are forced to retire from the slots, , thereby sliding back the catch-block and
spring, 18, as aforesaid.
When the magazine is closed up, as shown in Figures 1 and 8, the catch-block
and the spring, 18, are drawn forward to the position there shown by the re-
engagement of the arms, 20, with said slots in the guard-frame, and when in this
position the tendency of the rearwardly, séparated leaves of the spring, 18, to
spring apart, constitutes a constant force acting to hold the catch-block in engage-
ment with said slot, e, in the guard-arm, whereby, as aforesaid, the magazine is
prevented from dropping down under its own weight and that of the cartridge-
charge combined, as aforesaid.
The operation of the within described improvements is as follows:
Assuming that the magazine is empty and is locked in its upward position, and
that the internal mechanism and catch-devices thereof occupy the positions shown
in Figure 8, the operator grasps the arms 20 and 21, one or both, between the
thumb and fingers, and pulls, downward. This action swings down the forward end
of the magazine and forces the catch-block, 19, to slide inwardly, and the arms, 20,
of said block to slide out of the slots,, in the guard-frame, thereby removing
all obstruction to the movement of the magazine to the position thereof shown in
Figure 9. The above referred to inwardly sliding movement of the catch-block
causes a like movement of the spring, 18, whereby its rear end is carried past the
pivot, y, of the lever 13, to and under the lower extremity thereof beyond said
pivot, thereby causing said spring to so act on lever 13, as to throw its upper end
downward and thus to compel the cartridge-clevating and supporting parts con-
nected therewith to be thrown in a folded position in the base of the magazine
above said folded devices free from any obstruction whatever to the introduction
of the entire charge of cartridges therefor from a suitable box, at one movement,
or to their introduction one by one, by hand, after which the magazine is simply
swung back to the position shown in Figures 1 and 8, thereby causing the catch-
block 19, to have its arms engage with the guard-frame, as aforesaid, whereby it is
made to slide forward carrying with it the spring 18, and bringing the latter to act
on lever 13, on the side of the pivot shown in said last named figures, thereby
bringing the cartridge-lifting devices into full action to carry the cartridges upward,
as and for the purpose set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a magazine for fire-arms of the class described, a cartridge table and a
supporting lever therefor, and a spring bearing on the lever, said lever and spring
inclosed in the magazine, and one of the parts movable relatively to the other, so
that the spring may bear on one side of the fulcrum to raise the lever, or on the
other side to depress it.
2. In a magazine for fire-arms, a cartridge supporting lever, and a spring bearing
against said lever, one of the parts being movable relatively to the other, so that
the spring may bear on one or the other side of the fulcrum of the lever, and serve
to raise or depress the same, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In a magazine for fire-arms of the class described, cartridge-elevating devices
Consisting of the following members; a pair of levers pivoted by one end in the
magazine near the base thereof and crossing each other, a spring under said
levers engaging with one thereof, a cartridge-table pivotally connected to the upper
end of one of said levers and extending over, and further supported by said spring-
engaged lever, combined and operated substantially as set forth.
4. Cartridge-clevating devices for magazines for fire-arms consisting of the
following members; a pair of levers pivoted by one end in the magazine near the
base thereof aud crossing each other, a spring under said levers engaging with one
thereof, a cartridge-table pivotally connected to the upper end of one of said
levers having a chamber therein, and a plate sliding freely and longitudinally in
said chamber having a pivotal connection with said spring-engaged lever, combined
and operating substantially as set forth.
5. In a magazine for fire-arms of the class described, cartridge-elevating devices
consisting of the following members; a pair of levers pivoted by one end in the
magazine near the base thereof and crossing each other, one of said levers having
a brace extending therefrom and engaging the under side of the opposite lever, a
spring under said levers engaging with one thereof, a cartridge-table pivotally
connected to the upper end of one of said levers and extending over, and further
supported by said spring-engaged lever, combined and operated substantially as
set forth.
6. In a combination with the guard-frame of a fire-arm having slots in the sides
thereof, substantially as described, to receive the arms of a catch-block, a magazine
pivoted on said frame having one end swinging between the slotted sides thereof,
a catch-block having a sliding motion in the base of the magazine and having arms
thereon entering said slots in the guard-frame, a spring connected to said block,
and a cartridge-elevating lever within the magazine with which the free end of
said spring engages, substantially as set forth.
7. In combination, the magazine-case, the frame B, fixed therein and having the
transverse base-part, 10, the catch-block, 19, having a sliding movement between
the bottom of said case and part, 10, and having a slot in the body thereof, and a
steady-block, 22, secured rigidly in said slot, substantially as set forth.
8. In combination, the magazine-case, the frame, B, secured therein, having the
upright cartridge-guides, 12, thereon and the uniting base-part, 10, substantially
as set forth.
9. The magazine-case having the oppositely arranged inturned lips, 6, on its
upper, open edge, the wider opening, 7, adjoining said lips, and the slot, 8, in its
rear edge, substantially as set forth.
The c 1 C 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.