ImprovemRENTS IN THE ALAMOTA MMAZZO CAD NUFACTURE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William May, Manufacturer, of 13,
Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Invention
of "ImprovemRENTS IN THE ALAMOTA
MMAZZO CAD
NUFACTURE
Sealed the 23rd June 1868, and dated the 1st January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William May
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st January 1868.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM MAY, Manufacturer, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris,
in the Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC CARTRIDGES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to the manufacture of metallic cartridges
for central-fire in breech-loading fire-arms.
I make a thin disc of metal with the circumference tapered or thinned
down, and preferably slotted in three or more places. In the centre
I provide a cavity for lodging the fulminate or priming. I afterwards
reduce the diameter of this disc so that it will enter the cartridge by

page_text: rendering it concave on the under side, and introduce it in the metallic
shell; then by pressure or by percussion flatten it down till it reassume
its primitive configuration.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles William May in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I CHARLES
WILLIAM MAY, Manufacturer, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the Empire
of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles William May, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles William May, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles William May, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC CARTRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles William May, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles William May, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say)-

page_text: This Invention has reference to the manufacture of metallic cartridges
for use in central-fire breech-loading fire-arms.
I make a thin disc of metal with the circumference tapered or thinned
down, and preferably slotted in three or more places. A cavity is made
in the centre for lodging the fulminate or priming. The diameter of
this disc is then reduced so that it will enter the cartridge by rendering
it concave on the under side, and it is introduced in the metallic shell,
and by pressure or by percussion it is flattened down till it reassumes its
primitive configuration.
In order that my Invention be more fully understood I will
proceed to describe it conjointly with the eight Figures of the accom-
panying Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view, Fig. 2 a front
view, and Fig. 3 a back view of the metallic disc charged with fulminate,
and shewing its exact shape and diameter before being made hollow or
dished; Figures 4, 5, and 6, are similar views of the disc after being
dished; Fig. 7 is an elevation of a cartridge partially in section, shewing
the dished disc merely inserted in its place; and Fig. 8 is a similar
view shewing the disc flattened down by pressure or percussion and
thus solidly attached in the cartridge.
The disc A is composed of a washer in iron or other material bevilled
off at its edge and provided with a recess or cavity b, Fig. 3, at its
under face to receive the fulminate or priming, in which cavity is pierced
a hole c, which passes through to the other side of the disc and serves to
conduct the flame of the priming to the powder of the cartridge. The
edge of this disc is slotted at four or more places d, d, d, d. The
Figures 1, 2, and 3, represent the disc at its first stage of manufacture.
In order to pass it into the cartridge I dish it or render it concave
as it is shewn in the three subsequent Figures 4, 5, and 6. I then
insert the fulminate (shewn in red) in its cavity b and drop the disc
down to the bottom of the cartridge, as shewn in Fig. 7, where it is
caused to reassume its original flat shape by compression or percussion,
making use for this purpose of a punch or other appropriate tool which
is passed into the cartridge. This spreading of the disc within the
cartridge causes its circumference to enter into the flanch of the
cartridge, as seen in Fig. 8, where it is thus firmly held. In order
that this operation may be more securely or safely performed I recom-
mend the use of a tubular punch in order to avoid any pressure on the
part containing the priming. The disc A is also provided with an

page_text: annular recess e in which the head of the cartridge can be compressed
in order to prevent the passage of the gases between the disc and the
head of the cartridge. When the discs are made of iron they should
be galvanized as a protection against oxidation.
Having thus described my improvements, and the best means that
I am acquainted with to carry them into practice, I claim as my
Invention under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, the
construction of metallic cartridges with a metallic disc manufactured
and adapted as set forth in this Specification and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof I, the said Charles William May, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
CHARLES W. MAY. (L.S.)
Witness,
A. H. BRANDON.