US2448081A - Automatic ammunition feed for firearms - Google Patents

Description

ug. 3H, 48. W, B, CQNWAY AUTOMATIC AMMUNITION FEED FOR FIREARMS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 20, 1944 gru/0MM "Mnl-HIE IIIIIII kiwi@ WD DDV LLE E Em NWAY,

u@ 31, 19418. w. B. CONWAY '2,448,981

AUTOMATIC AMMUNITION FEED FOR FIREARMS Filed July 20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 s 'EI 594. /25 I Patented Aug. 31, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT AUTOMATIC AMMUNITION FEED FOR FIREARMS 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to rearms and has particular reference to firearms in which cartridges are fed in succession to the ring chamber fromv a magazine containing a large quantity of cartridges. Thissuccessive feeding of the .oartridges to the firing chamber may be accomplished manually or automatically. Therefore, the invention herein described `is applicable to firearms ink which so-me part is operated manually to cause a succession of ycartridges to be fed into the' ring chamber as well as to automatic or semi-automatic firearms which utilize the energy of recoil, or of the explosion gases of the cartridge, to feed a succession of cartridges to the ring chamber,

The present invention has among its objects the provision of a firearm with a magazine which runs parallel' with the barrel of the firearm and in which cartridges packed in standard sized cartons, containing two rows of cartridges, may be transferred directly from the box to the magazine, regardless whether all the cartridges in the cartons are arranged with their bullet ends all pointing in one direction or whether some of the cartridges have their bullets pointing in one direction and others have their bullets pointing in the opposite direction.

The present invention also has among its objects the provision of comparatively simple means tor rendering firearms operative upon a succession of single cartridges fed fro-m a comparatively large source of supply of the cartridges conveniently and simply carried on the firearm.

Further objects are either specifically pointed out in the description given below or are evident therefrom.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a rie embodying the invention which is particularly suited for 45 caliber ammunition ofthe type now used in pistols and carbines. In these drawings wherein the same reference character, in the several views, indicate the same or corresponding part.

Figure 1" is a side elevation of the right side of the rie with the portion of the stock at the rear of the trigger guard omitted and the front end of the barrel broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the' parts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3' is a central vertical longitudinal section of the' rifle illustrated in Figures land 2 at the' battery' position of the bolt, the lever H6 of their operations at cocked position, the lever I i6 being at initial lowered position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the means used for 'turning a cartridge, Which'i's about to be inserted into the firing' chamber, vfrom. a position in which the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cartridge is perpendicular 'to direction ofthe longitudinal axis of the bore of the barrel to the position in which the bullet/end of the cartridge points towards' the firing chamber.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of the magazine'` whichl may be used in a rifle constructed according to thepresent invention. Y

Figure '7 is a central vertical longitudinal seotion' of the magazine shown in plan in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a cross-section on the line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is av cross-section onv the line 9-9 of Figure 6 on a larger scale.

The rifle illustratedin the accompanying drawings ;comprises a stock 2, a housing or receiver 3' carried by the said stock, a barrel 4 having a' bore 5, a bolt 6 reciprocable in said housing, a magazine l, and other parts referred tohereinafter.

The bolt 6 is provided with al lug I0v near its rear end. This lug passes outwardly through the' slot i l in housing 3 anda knob l2`is attached to said lug to serve as a handle for manually oper'- ating the bolt. Bolt 6 has been shown more or less schematically in the drawings, since the essence of the present invention does not lie in details of bolt construction; and since any suitable bolt including a ring pin, extractor mechanism for fired cartridges, and otherparts of bolt mechanisms. may be used. Bolt 6 reciprocates in longitudinal opening I3 in housing 3. Y

Barrel 4, in the embodiment ofthe invention shown, is in screw thread engagement with the housing and at its rear end is provided with a chamber I4 in which the cartridge is ultimately received or placed for firing.

To the rear of firing chamber I4, and sonrie'- what spaced therefrom is a cartridge turning? oi' orienting member l5, which, cooperating with parts hereinafter described, serves to turn a car'- tridge, about to be inserted in the firing chamber, from a position in which the direction of its longi tudinal axis is perpendicular to the direction' of the longitudinal axis of the bore 5 to a position' in which the bullet end of the cartridge points to or is headed towards the firing chamber I4. The structure and operation of cartridge turning member l5 is described hereinafter.

Immediately to theY rear of cartridge turning member l5 is a space |6 (see Fig. 4) within the housing 3, this space constituting a receiving chamber for a cartridge |1 which is conducted into the said receiving chamber from the supply of cartridges i8 in the magazine 1.

An elevator (see Figs. 3 and 4) raises the :cartridges from the throat end of the magazine 1 into the receiving chamber lbehindY the turning member VI5. This elevator is carried at the forward end o-f a lever 2|, pivoted on the pintle 22 carried between the spaced sides 23 and 24 of the housing 3. The rear end of lever 2| is provided with an arcuate cam surface 25 which is engaged by the under side of bolt 6, when bolt 6 is brought into the retracted position. The rear end of the lever 2| is urged to rotate clockwise by a spiral spring 26 which extends from a socket 21 in the lever into a socket 28 in a portion'of housing 3. When the bolt 6 is retracted, its lower part engages the cam surface 25 and causes lever 2| to be rotated counter-clockwise to raise elevator 29 between sides 23 and 24 of housing 3, from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4. VStops 29 and 39, carried by the housing 3, limit the extent of the downward and upward movement of lever 2| and, as a consequence, the extent of possible upward and downward movement of elevator 20 is also determined by said stops.

Magazine 1 extends substantially parallel with and beneath barrel 4, and comprises a channel portion consisting of top 35, a bottom 35, and a back 31. 'The right hand side wall and slide front 38 of the magazine consists of a slide which is guided in grooves 39 and 49 Vprovided in top 35 and bottom 36 respectively. This front slide 38 is attached to a head 4I at the forward end of the magazine and extends rearwardly toa point 42 Where it abuts against the side wall 43 of the throat of the magazine. The front slide 38 is provided with a slot 44 which extends from near the rear end 45 thereof to near the front end 46 thereof, as shown in Figure 1. This slot receives a pin or stud 18 movable along the slot, and attached to a follower within the magazine as hereinafter explained.V

Theconstruction of the rear or throat end of the magazine is illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9. The throat 4of the magazine is formed by side walls 43, wall 31 (being a continuation of back 31) ,A top inclined portion 50, bottom inclined portion 5| (the latter two being convergent to a spaced relation equal to the diameter of a car* tridge) Vend portions 52, and bottom portions 53. Bottom portions 53 and end portions 52 Yare spaced apart in order to provide an opening 54 for the passage of elevator 2|).V Walls 31, 43 and 52 extend upwardly from the bottom portions 53 flush with the top 35 of the magazine and are so disposed as to form a vertical well 55 through which the cartridges are conducted from the magazine into receiving chamber I6 (see Figs. 3 and 4) by the upward motion of elevator 29. The inclined portions 56 and 5| of the throat of the magazine areV respectively provided with grooves 56 and 51 within which respectively slide ns 58 and 59 carried by a follower 60.

Follower 56 is a hollow member, and comprises inwardly and forwardly divergent inclined portions 64 which are join-ed by'a forwardly and upwardly inclined rearward end 65 the vertical extent of which is somewhat more than one third the height of the magazine chamber and located Ymidheight therein. A cup-like rear portion 66 receives the follower spring 61 and is SO formed and xed to the inclined portions 64 as to provide a. shoulder 68, which interiorly affords a seat for.` the spring 61, and exteriorly serves as a keeperL for a latch 1| to be described. An abutment for' the spring 61 is provided by a depending ange 69 of the top 35 of the magazine. The rear por* tion 66 of the follower slidingly engages the top,. bottom, left and front slide walls of themaga-I zine for a. distance sucient to support Vthe projected rear end 65 midway of the height of the` magazine. The inclined portions 64 and the: inclined rearward end 65 extend entirely across4 the magazine as shown in Figure 8. The fins 58? and 59 slide within the grooves 56 and 51 respectively when the follower 6|] enters the throat endl of the magazine.

The hea'd 4| of the. magazine carries a blade 10- which slides along the bottom 36 of the magazine' and lying beneath the follower 60, passing in thel space between the spring abutment 69 and the bottom 35 of the magazine. The follower 50 is' held in the retracted position shown in Figure 7 by the engagement of shoulder 68 by latch 1|v which is carried Yby leaf spring 12 secured by means of screws 13 to the top 350i the magazine.. As shown in Figure 7 the latch 1I passesthrough' an opening in the top 35 of the magazine to engage vshoulder' 68 of the follower. The forward end 14 of leaf spring 12 is curved upwardly, so that a releasing bar 15, which is secured to head 4| by screws 16 (see Figs. 6 and 7) may passl under and lift leaf spring 12 to clear the shoulder' 68 when the head 4| of the magazine slide 38 isA fully closed against the forward end of the magazine. When latch 1| releases the follower, the follower is urged towards the throat end of the magazine by means of spring 61, whereby car-- tridges within the magazine are pressed towardsand into the throat thereof, as shown, for example, in Figures 3 and 4. z

Y The studY 18 which passes through slot 44 of front 38 of the magazine may be provided with a lknurled knob or head 19 as a handgrip for retracting the follower. Assuming that the maga zine does not contain any cartridges, and that the head 4|' of the magazine is closed, the pin 18 is then near or in contact with the rear end 45 of the slot 44. Now when the head 4| is pulled outwardly to move the sliding front 38, and thereby lopen the magazine, the end 45 of the slot engages the pin 18 of the follower and pulls the follower 60, against the action of spring 61, to the forward end of the magazine where it is latohed in position by engagement of tlhe latch 1| against the shoulder 68 of the follower.

`The width, depth and length of the magazine are so selected that with the open side of the magazinedownward or vertical or nearly vertical, oneor more boxes of cartridges (after removal of the top-s of the boxes) may now be inserted (without removal of the cartridges from the boxes) .into the now open side of the magazine, with the closed bottom of the cartridge box towards the front of the magazine, the front being that side of the magazine that is closed by the sliding front 38. After the cartridges and cartridge boxes have been so placed in the magazine, the gun is tilted or laid horizontal Awith the open side of the magazine uppermost, and the boxes are lifted out of the magazine while permitting the cartridges to remain in the magazine. Sufcient clearance is provided in the magazine in order to permit the boxes to be easily lifted from the cartridges which remain behind in the magazine by lforce of gravity. As has been indicated above, it is not necessary that the bullet ends of all the cartridges point in the same direction in the magazine, since the operative parts of the gun are such that some cartridges may be disposed with their bullet ends adjacent the front 38 of the magazine while the remainder have their bullet ends adjacent the back 31 of the magazine.

After the cartridges have been inserted in the magazine, the head 4| thereof is pushed inwardly of the magazine until said head engages the abutment 69. As head 4| moves inwardly, vthe sliding front 38 of the magazine moves therewith and closes the front of the magazine while slid'- ing relatively to the pin 18 on the follower 60 owing to the sliding't between said pin and the slot 44 in the front 38 of the magazine. Shortly before the head 4| reaches its final closed posi-I tion, the bar slides under leaf spring l2, thereby raising it and disengaging keeper 'H from shoulder 68 on the follower, whereupon the compression in spring 61 urges the follower 60 against the cartridges and presses them towards the rear or throat end of the magazine. Tn Figures 3 and 4 are shown a few cartridges being pressed towards the throat of the magazine. These few cartridges may represent 'some that have remained in the magazine after previous firing, starting with a magazine fully loaded, for example loaded with two boxes (40 rounds) of .45 caliber cartridges.

The magazine 1, as indicated above, and as 'shown in Figures l to 4, is located below the rifle barrel and parallel to the bore thereof. The throat end of the magazine is withdrawably inserted in housing 3, and rests as shown in Figures 3 and 4 on horizontal shoulders 8| provided on sides 23 and 24 of said housing. Vertical interior shoulders l2l (Figs. 3 and 4) on sides 23 and 24 limit the extent to which the throat of the magazine may be inserted within the housing 3. The shoulders 8| and 82 are so positioned that well 55 of the throat end of the magazine lies immediately below and registers with an opening 83 (behind the turning member l5) which leads into W receiving chamber IB. A downwardly inclined plane surface Sia extends from each of horizontal shoulders 8| to the edge of each of sides 23 and 24 for the purpose of facilitating the assembly oi the magazine with the other parts of the rifle as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The blade l0 described above, and illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 7 and 8 extends from a shoulder 84 at the foot of inclined portion 3| tothe opposite end of the magazine whenthe head 4|,and front 38 attached thereto, are inthe closed position. The part of the distance between the top and bottom 35 that is filled in by the thickness of blade 'i0 is required in order to be able to insert the cartridges, while in their boxes, in the magazine between top 35 and bottom 33. When head 4| is moved to close the magazine, the blade 70 readily slides below the two rows of cartridges. The thickness of blade l0 is therefore about dou-- ble the maximum wall thickness of the cartridge boxes.

The magazine is secured in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 by suitable latching means. This latching means (see Figs. l, 2, 6 and 7) may comprise a forwardly extending lug 85 carried below the barrel by band B6 secured to barrel'4. This lug is engaged by the swinging latch 81 pivoted at 88 on the top of magazine 1. Latch 8l IAO is pulled towards Vthe rear by means of a spiral spring 89, which is connected at one end with" latch 81 andat the other end with top 35 of the magazine. T-he top of the magazine 35 '(s`ee Figs. 6 and 7) is provided with a stop 90 xed thereon, against which -the rear end of. the lug 85 abuts'when the magazine'is in `latching position. This prevents accidentalwithdrawal of the magazine from the lhousing 3 before release of the latch'l. The swinging latch 8'|is provided with a recess 9| within which forward end of lthe lug 85'iits when the rear end of the lug 85 is in abutting position against the forward part of stop 90.

The bottom 36 of the magazine l (see Fig. `1) may have secured to it in any suitable manner a hand grip or forestock piece 02 for use in supporting the riile when it is being aimed.

Referring now more particularly to the cartridge turning means illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive. v This 'means consists of a turning member l5 (shown in perspective in Figure 5) and means indicated generally by-the numeral |00, the latter for imparting a forward thrust intermediate the ends of a cartridge when it lis in position beforev the turning member l5 as shown -in Figure 4. f

Turning member |'5` consists of a rectangular block set inthe housing. body 3 from above and having two grooved portions |0| and |02 which are spaced apart parallel with each other, with'their grooves facing each other. Grooved parts |01' -and |52 may be joined together at their bottoms by a web |03. Holes |04 near the front end of groovedportions |01 and |02 accommodate screws |05 ('see Figs. 3 :and 4) for securing member |5'in position in the housing 3. v The said groovesdecrease in depth from rear to front as shown in Figure 5, their bottoms being kessentially arcuate surfaces, with their concavities facing each other, and having the same radius from respective parallelvertical axes adjacent to the rear bottoms of the opposite grooves. The width of the grooves measured from points v|013 Iand 0,9 is less than the diameter of the primer end of the cartridge.r4 In the case of center fire rimless cartridges having extracting grooves, the distance from points |08 and |09 should be a little less than the diameter of the base of the cartridge case. The grooves are of substantially uniform vertical width throughout their length :and depth except at and near their rearward-ends i0 Ywhere they may be flared or widened in order to facilitate the entry of bullets and turning of the cartridges. vThe space between the innermost walls of groove portions lili` and |02 is sui'licient to permit the passage of cartridges through turning member l5 after they have been turned to a position in whichtheir bullet ends point towards the firing chamber I4. The width of each of the grooves is great enough to permit the bullet end of a cartridge to enter either of the grooves while the primer end of such cartridge is held against entering the other groove, owing to the fact that the width of the groove is vless than the diameter of such primer end. The arcuate bottom portions of the'grooves serve to guide the bulletends of the cartridges as they arebeing turned. The distance'between the rearward ends' of thearcuate portions is obviously to be chosen in accordance with the over all length of the cartridge.

-. When a cartridge is elevated by elevator 20 into the position occupied by cartridge l? in Figure 4,

the cartridge i's -engaged -midway between its hends by the arcuate portion i fof lever Aor finger H6. At this timeV the arcuate portion H5 extends forwardly above the *cartridge and also downward to the rear of it as shown in Figurei.

Lever |I6 extends upward and rearward and is pivoted at |I1 to the forward end of a slide |I8 which is mounted to reciprocate in guide |I9, on the top of housing 3. Another lever |20 is pivoted to the rear end of the slide I I8 at |2|. The free ends of each of levers IIB and I20 enter the housing 3, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, through suitable slots permitting the levers to move above the housing. Lever II6 (see, Figs. vl and 2) carries xed thereon at each side cams |22 which are constructed and arranged to coact when lever |I6 moves forward, with cams |23 transversely spaced and fixed on the top of housing 3. Lever I|6 is pressed downward by leaf spring |24 secured to guide I'IiB by screw I25 or other suitable means. A `notch with a shoulder |28 (see Figs. 3 and 4) is provided on bolt 6 for engagement with the rear end |29 of lever I20 when bolt is in the fully retracted position. The housing 3 is provided with a, slanting cam surface |30 with which an inclined portion |3| of lever y|20 engages in order to disengage end |29 of lever |20 from shoulder |23 when lever |20 and connected parts are being moved forwardly by the early part of forward motion of the bolt.

A spiral spring |32 is attached. at one end to lever |20 and at the other end to housing 3 and pulls said lever |20 together with slide II8 and lever IIS towards the rear or butt end of the rifle.

Operation- The magazine is filled with cartridges as described above, some of these cartridges being indicated by the numeral |8 in Fig ures 3 and 4. When bolt 6 is retracted lever 2| rotates counterclockwise owing to depression of cam by bolt 6. This counterclockwise rotation causes elevator 20 to rise from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4, thereby removing a cartridge from the throat of the magazine and placing it transversely in receiving chamber I6 behind cartridge turning member I5. It then constitutes cartridge I1 (see Fig. 4) in the receiver or receiving chamber I6, and is ready to be turned so that its bullet end points towards the ring chamber I4.

When bolt B is in the fully retracted position the rear end bill |29 of lever |20 is held by spring |32 down and in front of shoulder |28 in a notch on the bolt. As the bolt moves forward towards the turning member I5, lever |20, slide II8 and lever IIB are carried with it. The forward motion of lever II=I pushes against the cartridge midway between its ends and causes its primer end to be blocked at the entrance to one of the grooves IDI-|02 and permits its bullet end to swing through the other one of these grooves, as before described. As the lever |I6 continues to move towards the turning member I5, cams |22, carried by lever I IiE, ride on cams |23, whereby lever |I6 rises to lift its end ||5 out of the path of the forwardly moving bolt which pushes against the primer end of the now turned cartridge until it is seated in the firing chamber I4 ready to be fired. When end I|5 of lever IIB has been raised out of the path of the advancing bolt 6, the said bolt continues to advance while end II5 of lever IIIi rides on the top of the bolt as in Fig. 3. After the lever IIB has thrust the cartridge forward in turned position in the turning member I5, and has risen out of the path of bolt 6 (as described above), inclined surface I3I on lever |20 rides on cam surface |30 on housing 3, disengaging lever |20 from the shoulder |28 .of the bolt, whereupon spring |32 pulls lever |20 together with slide ||8 and lever ||6 to the rear untilthe rear end of cams |22 (see Figs. 1 and 2).

strike the guide II-9 to arrest the rearward motion. The parts are now in the position shown in Figure 3. When the bolt 6 is again retracted in the further firing of the rifle, the shoulder |28 on the bolt again engages behind the end |29 of lever |20l and the operation is repeated. As will be seen from an inspection of Figure 3, when the bolt 6 has driven the cartridge into the firing chamber I4, the lever 2| has rotated so as to lower elevator .20 below the next cartridge in the throat of the magazine, and it is ready for a repetition of the loading operations already described.

I claim: 1

1. In a rearm, the combination of a receiver, a barrel attached thereto, coaxial receiving and firing chambers in said receiver and said barrel, respectively, a reciprocating bolt in said receiver, an elongated cartridge magazine parallel to the barrel and attached to said receiver, means to deliver cartridges singly from said magazine to a position beneath the receiving chamber transverse to said barrel, an elevator lever pivoted rearwardly of and to said receiving chamber having a cartridge-engaging part moveable vertically behind the mouth of said receiving chamber from a low position under a delivered cartridge at the magazine to engage and elevate such cartridge to position with the engaged cartridge extended crosswise of the receiving chamber, said bolt being moveable from a cocked position to the rear of such cartridge through the receiving chamber to a battery position, said lever having a cam thereon rearwardly of its pivot, spring means between said receiver and said lever urging said lever cam into the path vof and rearward of the bolt when the latter is at battery position, and means cooperative with the bolt to orien-t the elevated cartridge bullet end forwardly for loading engagement of the round in said ring chamber by said bolt on movement of the same to battery position.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the last named means comprises a slide over the receiver, a lever device thereon moveable to and from engagement with the bolt at cocked position of the bolt and over a part of initial movement of the latter, means todisen'gage the lever device from the bolt at a predetermined position of the bolt, under forward movement vof the latter, a pushing finger pivoted on the slide extended forwardly and moveable into and from said receiving chamber and having a part constructed and arranged to engage intermediately of the length of said cartridge at the receiving chamber, during a part of forward movement of the bolt, said finger being moveable above the chamber by the bolt and means to selectively retard the base of said crosswise cartridge in said chamber.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the last named means comprises a spring loaded slide over the receiver, a latch lever device thereon moveable to and from engagement with the bolt at cocked position of the bolt and over a part of initial forward movement of the latter, means to disengage the latch lever device ,at a predetermined lposition of the bolt, under forward movement of the latter, a pushing finger pivoted on the slide extended forwardly and moveable into and from said receiving chamber and having a part constructed and arranged to engage intermediately of the length of said cartridge at the receiving chamber, during a part of forward move- 9 ment of the bolt, and means to elevate the nger at the forward limit of its movement, said finger being spring loaded and yieldable to said bolt.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the last named means comprises a slide over the receiver', a lever pivoted thereon extended rearward and downward moveable into and from the path of the bolt, the bolt having a shoulder thereon, said lever having an end spring pressed toward said path to engage said shoulder, said receiver having a wiper part thereon to engage and elevate said lever after a predetermined movement from said initial position, and spring means to return said lever and slide to initial position.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein said receiving chamber includes a well part for an elevated transverse cartridge and having longitudinal walls extended forward therefrom and spaced apart less than the length of a cartridge, affording an opening in the top of the receiver, said walls having channels therein with their bottoms spaced more than the length of a cartridge, a slide longitudinally reciprocable over the receiver, a spring loaded operating lever pivoted thereon extended rearwardly moveable into and out of the path of the bolt and constructed to engage the same when at cocked position for movement therewith, means to release the lever at a predetermined forward position of the bolt, a pusher finger pivoted on the slide extended forwardly, spring urged into the receiving chamber rearward of said grooves, and having parts to engage behind and over said elevated cartridge in alinement with the space between said walls and moveable into said space under engagement of the first named lever by the moving bolt, and cam and Wiper devices on the said finger and receiver constructed to fend said nger upward between said walls under forward movement of the finger.

6. In a firearm including a ring chamber, a magazine, feeding means for conveying a cartridge from said magazine to said chamber, and a cartridge turning means interposed Ibetween said magazine and said chamber to receive a transversely arranged cartridge including members spaced vertically to the transverse cartridge less than the base diameter of a cartridge and more than a predetermined part of the cartridge nose, and spaced longitudinally of such cartridge less than its length, and means to support a cartridge at a level with the last named means; the improvement comprising at U-shaped finger part normally disposed in a position to receive a transverse cartridge from said magazine between the arms of said U-shaped part, means coupling said finger to said feeding means to move therewith and move said cartridge to said cartridge turning means, means coacting with said finger and said feeding means for lifting said nger away from said cartridge after said cartridge is moved into said cartridge turning means, means operated by said feeding means for disconnecting said finger from said feeding means, and spring means normally urging said finger to said normal position.

7. In a firearm, the combination of a barrel having a ring chamber, a receiver attached to said barrel 4and having a receiving chamber, a bolt reciprocable in said receiver from a battery position at said firing chamber to a cocked position 10 rearwardly of said receiving chamber, a magazine of elongated form parallel to said barrel and attached to said receiver, said magazine being shaped to hold a plurality of cartridges in close packed relation with their axes transverse to an axial plane common to said barrel and magazine, said magazine having a delivery mouth for -passling single cartridges, means to deliver cartridges singly from said mouth, an elevator lever pivoted to said receiver rearwardly of said receiving chamber and extending forwardly of said receiver and having an elevator at its forward extremity, said magazine having an opening formed through the mouth thereof registering with an opening in said receiver to form a well for the passage of the transversely arranged cartridges singly to said receiving chamber, said elevator being arranged to move through said openings from a normal position below the well, said lever having a cam member thereon rearwardly of its pivot in the path of said boit for engagement thereby and adapted to be depressed thereby on rearward movement of said bolt to operate the elevator, spring means urging the lever cam into the -path of said bolt, Aa slide longitudinally reciprocable on the areceiver, a lever pivoted on the rear end of said slide having an end adapted to be moved into the path of said bolt, spring means attached to said receiver and to the rear end of said lever pivoted in said slide for retracting the lever rearwardly and into the path of said bolt, said bolt having a notch for engaging the end of said lever to propel the same forwardly with said bolt, cam means on said receiver for camming said lever outwardly to clear said bolt at a predetermined distance of the same 4from battery position, a projecting nger pivoted on the forward end of said slide and moveable into and out of said receiving chamber and transversely moveable therealong, said projecting finger being constructed and arranged to receive thereagainst an elevated transverse cartridge at retracted position of the slide to propel the cartridge forwardly and ahead of said bolt under forward movement of the same, and means in said receiver rearwardly of said ring chamber adapted to engage and orient the cartridge so propelled to turn its bullet in alignment with said barrel, said movement of the slide from retracted position to the cleared position of said lever being less than the movement of the bolt from cocked position to the oriented cartridge.

WOODVILLE B. CONWAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 45,043 Hughes Nov. 15, 1864 163,151 Carey May 11, 1875 789,142 Chichester May 9, 1905 819,153 Michele May 1, 1906 959,016 Johnson May `24, 1910 1,833,862 Schneisser Nov. 24, 1931 2,130,722 Kobe Sept. 20, 1938 2,132,761 Robertson Oct. 11, 1938 2,358,792 Conway Sept. 26, 1944

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