GB123773A - Improvements in Cartridge Feed Mechanism and Magazines for Machine Guns. - Google Patents

Abstract

123,773. Lucas, O. D. Sept. 21, 1915. Machine guns; cartridge magazines.-Relates to feed-mechanism for cartridge magazines which have the cartridges arranged radially therein, and from which the cartridges are withdrawn and inserted into the gun chamber The invention consists in providing a ratchet wheel carrying the magazine, the pawl engaging the ratchet wheel being actuated by a spring during the forward movement of the action bolt. Fig. 1 shows the invention applied to the hand-operated machine gun described in Specification 13446/15, in which the breech-frame 3 recoils against the action of a spring in a fixed frame 1 and carries an operating crank 6 which, through a two-to-one gear, rotates a crank-shaft 9, the crank 10 of which is connected by a slotted link 12 to a lever 11 actuating the sliding breech-bolt 14. The cartridge magazine 49, a portion of which is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, is of annular disk formation, the cartridges being held radially by spring clips 51 when pushed through holes in projection rings 50. The recesses on the inner circumference of the disk 49 enable the magazine to be readily attached to a carrier 52, as shown in Fig. 4, by pushing it over spring pins 53, the carrier fitting over pins 54 carried by a ratchet wheel 55 free to rotate on a pin 56 fixed to the gun casing. The ratchet wheel is rotated by a pawl 59 carried by a ring 58 freely mounted on the spindle 56, this ring, when the breech-bolt moves rearwards, being given an idle anti-clockwise movement against the action of a spring 60 by a rod 62 having a slotted link connexion with a pin 63 on the breech-bolt-actuating lever 11. When the breech-bolt moves forwards, the reaction of the spring 60 causes the pawl 59 to rotate the magazine clockwise to bring each cartridge into the extracting position determined by a stop 64, even if a cartridge should be missing from one of the spaces in the magazine.