US643495A - Cartridge-belt. - Google Patents

Description

uh. 643,495. Patented Feb. l3, I900. E. T. mason.

CARTRIDGE BELT.

(Apphcatmn filed June 22 1899) 2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

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No. 643,495. Patented Feb. I3, 1900. E. T. GIBSON.

CARTRIDGE BELT.

(Application filed June 22, 1899. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT wmcs.

EDWARD T. GIBSON, OF FORT YATES, NORTH DAKOTA ARTRIDGE BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,495, dated. February 13, 1906.

Application filed June 22, 1899.

T0 on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. GIBSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Yates, State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cartridge- Belts, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide the belt with means for .retaining the cartridge in its cartridge-holder tube,and thereby do away with the annoyance and loss to which the wearer of an unimproved belt is subjected; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section showing a bar for holding the belt-band in comparatively short, straight, and rigid sections. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate one form of my covering device. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views illustrating a different form. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a holder for application to belts already in use. Fig. 7is a sectional side view, and Fig.8 a perspective View, of the holder shown in Fig. 6 as in use. Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively front and rear perspective views of such holder in use with the cover-flap raised. Fig. 11 is a sectional view showing the improved form of cartridge in place. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on about line y y of Fig. 10, and Fig. 13 is a detail view showing a somewhat-different means for holding the cover flat.

The cartridge-belt now in use in the United States Army and the one to which this improvement has particular reference consists of a woven belt-band A, provided on its outer surface with tubes B, into which cartridges may be inserted. These tubes are formed on the outer surface of the belt-band A, so as to extend from within a short distance of the upper margin A of the beltdoand and at a right angle with this upper margin across the outer surface of the belt-band to within a short distance of the lower margin A The cartridges are inserted into these tubes from above downward and are extracted by lifting them upward out of the tubes. The rim on the cap end of the cartridge prevents its passing into a tube beyond'this point. (See Fig. 11.) These tubes B are arranged on the outer sur- Serial No. 721,510. (No model.)

face of the belt-band as near together as possible and are sufficientin number to admit of carrying fifty cartridges if but a single row of tubes is provided, as is the case with some of the cartridge belts of this description which are used by soldiers; but the carrying capacity of this style of belt has been doubled by the addition of a second row of tubes formed by attaching to the outermost long diameter of the outer surface of each of the tubes B the innermost long diameter of the outer surface of an additional tube B. When cartridge-belts of this description are new, it takes considerable pressure with the fingers to insert cartridges into these said tubes, (which are of webbing,) and consequently the tubes retain the cartridges fairlywell; but in a comparatively-short time the tubes become dilated by the frequent insertion and removal of cartridges and no longer hold them securely, and the approach of this said time when the tubes no longer hold cartridges securely has been greatly hastened by the adoption of the new style of cartridge, which presents only half the length of surface (see Fig. 11) to the clutch of the inner surface of its supporting-tube that was presented by the previous style of cartridge; and as cartridge-belts of the kind I have described are already in the hands of soldiers, in devising my improvement I have striven to make its construction such as would admit of its being manufactured separate from the cartridge-belt, and thereby avoid the necessity of having to have all the cartridge-belts which are now in the handslof soldiers thrown away or else turned in to designated centers, where the improvement could be attached to them by skilled hands or by machinery. I succeed in accomplishing this very important thing by forming my improvement comprising a wire frame, Fig. 6, which can be shipped and issued direct to the soldier and he himself attach it to his cartridge-belt in a simple, yet eifectual, way, which avoids the necessity for any instruments, ingenuity, or special efiort, all of which will be hereinafter fully described and explained.

In designing means for retaining cartridges in the tubes B and B of the cartridge-belt herein described it should be remembered that the belt must sometimes lie flat, as when be bent at all.

packed for transportation, must sometimes be curved into an almost round ring, as when buckled around the body, and sometimes, as when suspended diagonally across the body from one shoulder, must form an ellipse. If the beltband A be bent sharply, it will cause the end cartridge-tubes of a group, if unconfined, to depart from beneath a cover fitted to overlie such group, and it will be seen that if cartridges are to be prevented from working out of the tubes B and B by placing above the upper extremities of these tubes the flat surface of a piece of leather, cloth, or metal, and this said flat piece is solid and is not composed of segments which are pivoted to each other, so as to admit of the piece being curved on its edge, means must be provided which render it impossible for any bending to take place in that portion of the belt-band to which is attached a group of tubes whose upper extremities are covered by the same flat covering-piece. \Vhen there are no cartridges in the tubes, the belt-band A can of course be flexible at any point in its length; but when there are cartridges in the tubes all portions of the length of the belt-band that are holding cartridges must be rendered comparatively straight and rigid. If the belt-band were rigid from one end to the other, it could not If its two halves were rendered separately rigid, it could only be bent to a V shape; but, as has been heretofore stated, the cartridge-belt must sometimes lie flat, must sometimes be buckled around the waist of its wearer, and sometimes must hang diagonally across his body from his shoulders. Therefore it follows that the divisions of the length of the belt-band A, which when holding cartridges are rendered comparatively straight and rigid, must not be of such lengths as would prevent the loaded cartridge-belt from adapting itself fairly well to whatever portion of the wearers body it is worn upon.

In my opinion the mostsuitable length for each of the comparatively straight and rigid subdivisions into which the improved cartridge-belt should be divided is three inches. This length of belt-band supports five cartridge-holding tubes if they are in a single row and ten if they are in double rows.

A portion of a cartridge-belt divided into sections D, which become comparatively straight and rigid when the tubes B and B are occupied bycartridges, but which sections are flexible on one another, is shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The object in rendering these sections D comparatively inflexible is, as was hereinbefore set forth, to prevent the tubes B and B from escaping from underneath any covering-piece placed over their upper extremities. Now this object can be obtained by stitching the adjoining edges of the upper extremities of the tubes together, as is indicated by E in Fig.1, or, as is indicated in the same figure,byattaching (detachably or indetachabl y) one extremity F of a band F, of leather, cloth, or metal, (according to which is esteemed the most suitable,) to the outer surface of the belt-band A at one side of the group of tubes B and B which it is desired to fasten, so that they cannot escape from underneath the piece which may be provided to cover them, and carrying it around the group of tubes attach the other extremity F (detachably or indetachably) to the outer surface of the beltband at the other side of the said group of tubes, thereby confining the said group of tubes between the inner surface of the band F and the outer surface of the belt-band A, that lies between the extremities F and F of the band F, or, as indicated by the dotted line a: in Fig. 1, the tubes can be held bunched together by passing a cord (as I am inclined to think I shall do in suitable cases) or a'wire rod through the webbing between each tubein the inner row B and its mate in the outer row B; but (unless the said wire rod is used) while the group of tubes will be held by the band F comparatively straight and rigid as long as the said tubes are occupied by cartridges, the removal of a single cartridge from the inner row would put an end to this rigidity. To provide for this removal of cartridges and insure the rigidity of the belt-band section, it is necessary that a straight and rigid metal bar U be attached to the back of this beltband section. (See Fig. l.) Havingthus provided for retaining the tubes in groups, which groups or sections of the cartridge-belt Will be kept covered regardless of the many flexions to which the belt may be subjected, it now becomes necessary to take up the matter of a cover for each of these groups or sections D. This cover can be formed as shown in Fig. 2, in which the above-described strip or its equivalent is provided at each extremity with an upright extension 0 and C of leather or cloth, the width of each of these extensions being a little more than that of one tube 13 if but a single row of tubes is to he covered or of two tubes B and B if two rows are to be covered and of a length sufficient to admit of the extension C being lapped over upon extension O, as is shown in Fig. 3, and the two fastened together by means of a fastener G, or, if preferred, the said cover can be formed, as shown in Fig. 4, by attaching one side of a piece C of leather or cloth to the upper bor der A of the belt-band A between the attached extremities F and F of the strip F and forming it of sufiicient width to admit of its being secured by means of the fasteners G to the strip F, when, as is shown in Fig. 5, it is brought down over the top of the group of tubes as a cover.

Having thus explained the features of my invention, I will now proceed to particularly describe the means I have invented to admit of my improvement being applied to cartridge-belts by their individual possessors without necessitating the use of instruments, ingenuity, or special effort, and thereby rendering it unnecessary that cartridge-belts be shipped to arsenals or other designated points or persons in order to be provided with my improvement. This special device is shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, in which (see Fig. 6) from a strip of wire is made a vertical rod H, which at its upper extremity is turned directly backward and then a short distance downward to form on the upper end of the said rod a hook I. The object of this hook I is to admit of the upper extremity of the rod 11 being detachably attached to the belt-bands A of the cartridge-belt by passing this said hook over the upper margin A of the belt-band, as is shown in Figs. 7, S, 9, l0, and 11. At a distance from the top of the said vertical rod which when the said rod is suspended by its hook I from the upper margin A of the belt-band A of the cartridgebelt will bring (see Fig. 11) the lower extremity of the said rod H slightly below the horizontal plane on which would be the upper margin of the contracted portion of a gun cartridge J, if it were inserted from above downward into one of the cartridge-holder tubes B as far as possible, the lower extremity of the said vertical rod H terminates, and thebeen described, will bring (see K, Figs. 7 and 12) the anterior extremity of the said bar K to within the recess or angle L, Fig. 13, which in a cartridge belt of the kind herein described exists between a cartridge-holder tube of the inner rowB and its mate B of the outer row. The wire from which the hori-' zontal bar K is formed is nowturned directly upward at a right angle to the bar K and parallel with the vertical rod H to form a vertical rod M of a height which will not bring its upper extremity above the level of the upper extremities of the cartridge-holder tubes B and B when the wire device is attached to the cartridge-belt. The wire from which the rod M is formed is now bent directly forward and downward to form a Vertical rod N, which stands. directly in front of and parallel with the vertical rod M. The facing surfaces of the two said rods N and M are separated sufficient-ly far apart to admit of the right-hand extremity of a band of leather or cloth f beingsecured to the said rod N'by being wrapped around it and attached to itself by rivets or sewing-threads. This encircling of a rod of wire by a band of leather creates a roll which While small in itself is yet of too great a diameter to admit of the belt-band of a loaded cartridge-belt being sufficiently straightened out if two such rolls stand side by side (as they will stand when my improvement is applied to a cartridge-belt of the kind herein described by providing the said belt with a number of these separate devices) between the abutting surfaces of two cartridge-holder face of the belt-band A. When I hereinafter set forth the object of the said band f, the student of this invention would not fail to wonder whyI do not attach the said extremity of the band f directly to the vertical rod H instead of to a vertical rod N, carried by the horizontal bar K to the angle or recess L, if I did not make this explanation, and at this point in the specification it is well for me to explain that it is because of the abutment of the adjoining surfaces of the inner row of cartridge-holder tubes when loaded that I take advantage of the space which is occasioned below the lower third of a cartridge-holder tube by the fact (as was hereinbefore set forth and as is shown by Fig. 11) that the diameter of the lower third of agnncartridge is much less than that of its upper two-thirds for the location of the described horizontal bar K, by which the said vertical rod N is attached to the vertical rod H. The said student may form the opinion that as this space admits of the passage of the bar K the said bar might be dispensed with and the said strap f be attached below this point directly to a downward continuation of the vertical rod H. So it might; but as the band 7 would then only be applied to the lower extremities of the gun-cartridges it would cause a spreading apart of the upper extremities of the cartridges.

To cartridge-belts which have not been issued or which can be dispensed with sufficiently long to admit of their being sent to a shop having the requisite facilities I shall apply my improvement indetachably to the belt through the agency of means.which will be described after the completion of my description of this detachable wire device.

Having carefullyset forth the reasons which operate to make it necessary that in the detachable device the right-hand extremity of the bandfbe attached to a vertical rod N, I will now go on to say that the wire from which this said rod N is formed is at a point slightly below that of the j unction of the vertical rod M with the horizontal bar K bent directly backward to form a horizontal bar P at a right angle to the vertical rod N and so as to extend parallel with and directly underneath the horizontal bar K. The distal extremity of the horizontal bar P terminates at a point which is directly underneath the point of junction of the horizontal bar K with the vertical rod H, and the wire from which it is formed is turned directly downward to form a vertical rod Q at a right angle with the horizontal bar P and in line with the vertical rod H in order that it may abut against the outer surface of the belt-band A (see Fig. 7) when the vertical rod H abuts against the same surface. At the lower extremity of the vertical rod Q the wire from which it is made is turned directly backward and then a short distance upward to form on the lower end of the said rod a hook S, which is passed over the lower margin A of the belt-band of the cartridge-belt when the wire device is attached in position on the belt. The back of the hook S terminates in a ring-shaped extremity T. Instead of the described beak of the hook I at the upper extremity of the described vertical rod H terminating in a ring-shaped extremity, the wire from which it is made is bent directly to the left hand, so as to form a rod U, which, while lying at a right angle to the hook I, also lies at a right angle with the horizontal bars K and P. At the left-hand extremity of this rod U the wire from which it is made is bent directly upward to form the beak of a hook I, and from this point is bent to form the rod H, horizontal bar K, vertical rod M, vertical rod N, horizontal rod P,vertical rod Q, and hook S, with terminal T, all of which parts form the lefthand side of the device and are exactly the same as the similar parts which form the righthand side of the device and which have been carefully described, the only difierence being that while to vertical rod N in the righthand side of the device is attached the righthand extremity of a leather or cloth bandf the left-hand extremity of this said band f is attached to the vertical rod N in the left-hand side of the device.

The device is placed in position on the beltband of a cartridge-belt by passing from above downward the hook I along the outer surface of the belt-band and at the right side of the group of cartridge-holder tubes that are to be inclosed within the device until the hook S can be carried under the lower margin A of the belt-band and then upward into its position and by similarly passing the hook I downward along the outer surface of the beltband and at the left side of the group of cartridge-holder tubes that are to be inclosed within the device until the hook S can be carried under the lower margin A of the beltband and then upward into its position. The lower margin A of the belt-band A being now in the grasp of the hooks S and S, the upper margin A of the belt is slipped under the hooks I and I. \Vhen the device is in position on the cartridge-belt, (see Fig. 9,) the cartridge-holder tubes B and B are inclosed be tween the belt-band and the inner surface of the bandf, and from the foregoing description of my detachable device it will be observed that it is through the agency of this bandfand the horizontal bars K Pand K P that I render the section of the belt-band lying between the vertical rods I and I comparatively straight and rigid when all of its cartridge-holder tubes are occupied by cartridges and which is absolutely necessary when the group of tubes is to be kept under the same covering-piece; but, as was also explained, the band f and horizontal bars K P and K P are not of themselves suflicient to maintain the required rigidity of the band section when one or more of the cartridge-holder tubes in the inner row is not 00- cupied by a cartridge. To maintain this required rigidity, the belt-band section has to be held rigid by an attached straight bar of metal, as was explained and is indicated by U in Fig. 1, and in my detachable device this required rigid bar is provided in the described bar U, which unites the beaks of the two described hooks I and I. (See Figs. 6 and 10.) To this bar U is attached one extremity of a piece of leather or cloth V, which is properly shaped to completely cover the upper extremities of the cartridge holder tubes when brought down over them,as shown in Fig. 8, and is provided with a suitable looking device G to engage with a companion G on the band f.

Having completed the description of my wire device by means of which my improvement can be detachably attached to cartridgebelts of the kind herein described, I will now proceed to explain how I intend to apply my improvement to cartridge-belts which have not been issued to the soldiers or which can be dispensed with sufficiently long to admit of their being sent to a shop having the requisite facilities for forming my improvement indetachably on the belts. Figs. 4, 5, and 13 show this very clearly. In the said figures, A is the belt-band of the cartridge-belt. The cartridge-holder tubes B and B are separated into groups by the stout cloth bandsF, which are attached by their right-hand extremities F directly to the outer surface of the beltband at the right-hand side of each group of cartridge-holder tubes and by their left-hand extremities F directly to the outer surface of the belt-band at the left-hand side of the said groups for the purpose which has been hereinbefore fully explained. These said bands F are not formed in separate pieces, but are formed from a continuous ribbon which at the proper intervals in its length for forming the said bands F is securely attached to the outer surface of the belt-band by means of a wire staple W or its equivalent, which is passed vertically through the substance of the said ribbon and belt-band, and its extremities \V (see Fig. 13) are turned over and clenched on the back of the belt-baud. As I am enabled to use a continuous ribbon when I am not subjected to the necessity of applying my improvement to cartridge-belts through the agency of separate bands F, formed on separate frameworks which admit of being detachably attached side by side to a belt, the angle or recess 0 (see Fig. 12) is of sufficient size to admit of my attaching the extremities of the said bands F directly to the belt through the agency of the staple WV or its equivalent, and though this arrangement occasions the interposition of the thickness of two bands F between the abutting surfaces of two cartridges in the inner row,

yet as I use cloth for this said ribbon instead of leather this interposition does not seriously interfere with the straightening out of the loaded cartridge-belt. This band F, as has been stated, is applied to the outer surface of the group of cartridge-holder tubes to prevent their being deflected beyond the limits of the margins of the covering-piece placed over them, and to prevent this deflection when the group of tubes is only partially loaded with cartridges I apply to the upper border of the back of the belt-band (see Fig. 13) a rigid metal bar U or its equivalent, which extends parallel with the upper margin of the belt and from near one staple WV to near the other. This said bar U is made in the form of a staple, and it is fastened to the beltband by passing its extremities U (see Fig. 4E) longitudinally through the substance of the belt band and clenching them on the front surface of the belt-band. Advantage is taken of the fastening of this said bar U to the upper margin of the belt-band to at the same time fasten by means of it one extremity of a cloth or leather covering-piece O to the upper margin of the belt. This covering-piece O can be brought forward and downward over the group of cartridge-holder tubes, as shown in Fig. 5, and secured to the band F by suitable fastening devices G.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A belt provided on its outer side with cartridge-tubes and with bands extending in the direction of length of the belt and held at their ends in such relation to the belt as to divide the cartridge-tubes into groups, and a cover or flap for each group substantially as set forth.

2. A cartridge-retaining device for cartridge-belts consisting of a frame provided at its upper and lower edges with hooks for engaging the corresponding edges of the beltband, having means for holding a series of the cartridge-tubes in a group, and a cover for the tubes of such group substantially as set forth.

3. A cartridge-holder for cartridge-belts havingaframe composed of side portions each having hooks for engagement with the beltband and seats for the connection of the band for holding a short series of cartridge-tubes in a group, the band connecting the side portions of the frame, the rod connecting said side portions at or near their upper ends and the flap-cover carried by said rod substantially as set forth.

4. In a cartridge-holder for cartridge-belts a holder-frame composed of a length of wire bent forming the side portions and the connecting-rod, and each side portion to form the hooks for engaging the upper and lower edges of the belt-band and between said hooks to furnish the rods for supporting the ends of the 1tribe-securing bands substantially as set fort Y 5. A cartridge-holder for cartridge-belts having side frames provided each with upright portions and with short forwardly-projecting branches supporting a short upright rod and the connecting-baud having its ends rolled on said short upright rods substantially as set forth. I

6. A woven cartridge-belt having upon its outer side the directly-attached cartridgetubes, combined with means by which c0m paratively small numbers of such tubes are segregated into groups and the tubes of such groups are held together and prevented from departing at the ends of the groups by the flexing of the belt, in use, and covers for the groups of tubes, substantially as set forth.

7. A cartridge-belt having upon its outer side cartridge-tubes connected directly with the belt, means embracing comparatively small numbers of said tubes, for segregating such tubes into groups and for holding the tubes of each group together and preventing them from departing at the ends of the groups by the flexing of the belt substantially as set forth.

8. A woven belt having upon its outer side integral woven cartridge-tubes combined with means by which to segregate the said tubes into groups and for holding the tubes of the groups together substantially as set forth.

9. An improvement in cartridge-belts having the cartridge-tubes on its outer side, comprising holders fitted detachably to said belt and provided each with means for securing a series of the cartridge-tubes in a group and with flaps or covers to extend over the said group of tubes substantially as set forth.

10. A cartridge belt provided with cartridge-tubes connected directly with the belt and with a series of comparatively short flaps or covers adapted to each cover a short series of tubes and with means for positively retaining the tubes of each series in position to be covered by the flap or cover corresponding to such series substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with a cartridge-belt of devices whereby sections of the same may be held comparatively straight and rigid, devices whereby the groups of cartridge-tubes on the outer side of such sections of the belt may be prevented from departing at their ends beyond their normal positions when the belt is flexed as when it is applied in use, and a cover for the cartridge-tubes upon the sections formed by said straight and rigid portions of the belt substantially as set forth.

12. A cartridge-retaining device for cartridge-belts consisting of a frame adapted for detachable connection with the belt, having means for holding a series of the cartridgetubes in a group, and a cover for the tubes of such group substantially as set forth.

EDWARD T. GIBSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM DOBSON, CHAS. M. ROBINSON.

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