Improvements in Military and Sporting Ammunition.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Military and Sporting Ammunition.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention which
invention has been communicated to me from abroad by Jacques Antoine Creuzé
de Latouche of No. 260 Boulevard Saint Germain Paris in the Republic of France
Manufacturer and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
**
"
This invention has for its object, the fabrication and use of new systems of
cartridges and charges and the meaning of the words "cartridge" and charge
as herein used is defined by my foreign correspondent to be as follows.
Cartridge Ammunition in which the projectile is attached to the powder charge
or its receptacle, the whole forming a single body.
Charge The powder charge of a cartridge together with the accessories that
may be attached to it (such as the obturator, the gas check, the primer etcetera) but
separated from the projectile.
In so far as this invention is concerned as described by my foreign correspondent
the cartridge or charge (which may be of any suitable dimensions, for use in fire-
arms of any kind or calibre) consists essentially of a cartridge body or rigid
charge formed of any suitable explosive substance; this body being completely
burned in firing, and constituting either the whole, or a part of the propulsive
charge.
For guns not furnished with fixed obturators, the cartridge or charge is provided
with an obturating base attached to the body of the cartridge or charge in any of
the manners hereinafter described. This base is provided with a percussion cap
or an electric primer or with an obturating vent in case that the charge is to be
fired by a detached primer. The front part of the cartridge or charge is pro-
vided with a gas-check to cut off the windage before the projectile moves from
its seat.
Furthermore; the body of the cartridge or charge is protected by a coating of
paraffin or several layers of asbestos cloth or other incombustible material applied
to the exterior surface in finishing, in order to prevent accidental contact with a
spark or flame when this surface is too highly inflammable or when the explosive
itself is liable to leave incandescent residue in the gun-chamber.
The body of the cartridge or charge is composed of one or more concentric
layers of solid explosive substances, having progressive rates of combustion and
suitable for use as gunpowders. It is made up either by rolling and compressing
sheets cut to the profiles necessary for giving the required sections of the body, or
by moulding the material when in a plastic state and afterwards evaporating the
solvent. The first method would be used with substances similar to Wetteren
smokeless powder for guns of small calibre, which is produced in the shape of
sheets.
The second method would be used with substances similar to Nobel powder of
nitro glycerine base. Certain substances permit the use of either method and
of being treated directly in the plastic condition or after having been made into
sheets.
In forming the charge by the method of rolling, the sheets of different rates of
combustion may be attached to each other successively in such a manner as to
properly regulate the development of the pressures in the bore by the velocity of
combustion proper to each of the successive layers constituting the thickness of
the body of the cartridge or charge. The successive layers may be stuck together
by collodion or otherwise either partially or throughout.

page_text: The body may be made up of a number of concentric parts each of which may
be made up by one of the methods above described and having either similar or
different rates of combustion, and these parts may be inserted the one within the
other and they may or may not be gummed to each other.
The body of the cartridge or charge being made up as above described is
attached either by gumming; rivetting; screwing compressing or otherwise, to an
obturating base which is; provided with a percussion or electric priming attachment
or with an obturating vent.
This assemblage may be made in a similar manner to that of the common paper
sporting cartridge cases, substituting for the cylinder of compressed paper forming
the body and reinforce of the base of such cases, an explosive either identical
with or different from that of the charge body and having a suitable consistency.
This base is not applied for guns provided with fixed obturators.
The interior of this body, which is generally hollow, may receive a charge of
powder either of the same or a different nature to that which constitutes the wall
of the body.
The front end of the body may receive either the base of the projectile or the
gas check for suppressing windage.
.
Either method of construction (wrapping or moulding) enables any desired form
to be given to the neck or front part of the cartridge or charge such as will ensure
centering projectiles of any shape of base.
If the projectile be separate from the charge the gas check will have a special
disposition hereinafter described.
It is important that the exterior layer of the body should be made of a material
not readily inflammable at the atmospheric pressure or by prolonged contact with
a spark or flame.
The cartridge or charge all assembled is varnished over the body and over the
joints of the base, primer, projectile and of the obturator with a varnish preser-
vative against humidity.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings.
Figure 1 represents a cartridge in which the body B is formed by rolling up
upon a mandril perpendicular to the cross section of the neck a sheet of progres-
sively explosive substance preliminary cut to the profile K₁fie f¹³g¹ h¹ I¹
necessary to produce in rolling the body l, K, f₁ e f g h i
This sheet may be all in one piece or may be made up of strips of different
rates of combustion gummed successively to each other. The body thus formed
is fastened to the obturating base A. A, by a gum or 'by the projections A₁A
The base, represented in Figure 1. is similar to that of a solid headed metallic
cartridge case and carries a percussion cap.
The hollow or chamber of the body may receive a charge D of substance
similar to that of B or differing from it. The projectile C is attached to the body
by an application of collodion to the interior of the neck before inserting.
The body may have the same shape as the gun chamber and be an exact fit
or it may be of a different shape and only fit at the base and the neck.
or
Figure 2 represents a cartridge body in two parts. made either by rolling-
moulding and of the same or of different rates of combustion, but it may be made
up of any number of concentric parts inserted the one within another. "The
interior of the neck is shaped to receive a double ogival projectile Cand it may be
shaped to receive a projectile having any shape of base whatever. The obturating
base shown in this figure is of the Hotchkiss system being formed by several
metallic cups A, A, inserted the one within the other and fastened together and to
the extractor plate A by rivets a₁, ar
The primer is seated in a movable case a. The outer surface of the body and
the joints are coated with collodion as also the seat of the projectile before its
insertion.

page_text: Figure 3 represents a cartridge whose body is made up as heretofore described
but whose profile does not follow the contour of the gun chamber. It only fits it
near the rear part in order to better assure its centering. This is not an indis-
pensable disposition since the cartridge is naturally centered by the obturating base
and the gas check but it facilitates loading.
The obturator represented is formed, 1st of an extractor plate A similar to that
of the Hotchkiss rapid firing gun but slightly concave on its front surface. It is
supported by the breech-block and gives a grip for the extractor, 2nd of a second
plate A2 or a cup concave in front and made of thin brass or sheet iron. 3rd of a
number of sheets A, A' of heavy paper superposed but not stuck together and
saturated with pure wax and contained between the plates A and A².
The whole
is compressed and assembled by rivets a' a'. The parts A² A' and the front part
of A fit the bottom of the gun chamber. A central vent a provided with a conical
obturator a² held at a short distance from its seat by bridles, or an anvil pierced
with vents, leaves a passage for the flame of the primer. At the moment of
ignition of the charge, the interior pressure pushes back the cup A² on the paper
and moulds the plastic part of the obturator against the wall of the powder
Obturation is thus
chamber, and at the same time a² is pushed down into its seat.
complete.
A gas check
of a construction similar to that of the obturator but convex
to the front and seating on the base of the projectile cuts off the windage before
the projectile starts from its seat and thus prevents erosion of the bore at the
same time lubricating the bore at each shot.
It is attached to the body of the charge by an attachment of sheet iron,
hollow wood or card board secured to the rear plate of the gas-check and
seating in the hollow or chamber of the body to which it is gummed with
collodion. The body of the charge which may receive an interior charge should
be sufficiently rigid to serve as a rammer and be of sufficient length to perform
a rammer's function.
Figure 4 represents an obturator similar to that of Figure 3 but in which the
support and extractor plate A is independent of the plates B and C which hold the
waxed paper E. This disposition which gives a certain elasticity to the system B. C.
E permits of lodging the obturator in a seat formed at the bottom of the bore and
of giving it an initial compression in closing the breech. The obturator in Figure 4
is provided with a vent a covered by a check plate with excentric vents similar to
that of the Hotchkiss's mountain' gun of 42 millimetres.
Figure 5' represents the details of the gas check, A the rear plate provided
with a cylindrical attachment a, B is the front plate, C' the waxed paper, a₁ a the
assembling rivets.
Figure 6 represents a charge intended for a gun having a fixed obturator, and is
provided with a gas check c, similar to those heretofore described but arranged to
receive the base of a double ogival projectile. The latter is separate from the
charge but the charge may be used as a rammer and also to center the projectile.
This gas check is partially cut through in lines parallel to its axis so that in leaving
the gun it breaks up and is freed from the projectile.
This system is applicable to any profile of base of projectile.
Figure 7 represents the detail of a gas check which is connected to a charge by
the serrated points b, b, and by gumming.
Gas checks similar to those, represented in Figures 5 and 7 may be applied to
cartridges in which the projectile is attached to the charge as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
It will suffice in the case of the gas check shown in Figure 7 to gum the interior
before inserting the projectile.
The gas check of Figure 5 might be connected to the projectile by a parchment
joint or envelope similar to that used in assembling the elements of the shot-sporting
cartridge (Figure 8).
Figure 8 represents a shot-sporting cartridge. A is the obturator carrying the

page_text: percussion cap. B is the body made up as heretofore specified and extending to
the junction of the powder chamber and bore of the gun." H is a thin brass cup,
convex to the front and provided with a cylindrical attachment connected to the
body. E is a lubricating wad, F a thin pasteboard disc, G is a cylindrical envelope
of stout paper or parchment holding the shot, prolonged to the front part of the
body to which it is gummed as well as at H, E and F. C is the shot, I is a thin
cardboard disc.
I have hitherto stated that the different parts composing the cartridge or charge
might be connected together by screwing.
can for example effect the assemblage of the base and the body of the cartridge
or charge by the method which I shall describe.
The base A. (Figures 9 and 10) of any system holds a thin hollow cylinder
of metal B in general shape of a hat without a crown, the brim b, of which is
secured to the base by brazing, by rivets or by teats c, c, c, raised on the base and
then rivetted on b.
The cylindrical part B is stamped to the profile of a round threaded screw B',
in which engage a corresponding thread D' (Figure 11) obtained by moulding on
the lower extremity of the body of the cartridge or charge.
In order to make a more solid connection, the above described hat shaped
cylinder may be replaced by a drawn cylinder B (Figures 12 and 13) of crown
shape with a U section whose profiles are provided with rounded screw threads B' B²
of the same pitch. The bottom D of the body (Figures 14 and 15) is provided
with corresponding threads D' D2 and screws into B. B, serving as the screw
for D and D2 for B². The assemblage of A to B is made by one of the methods
herein before described.
The body represented in Figures 14 and 15 forms with the exception of the
bottom or foot a regular right hexagonal prism pierced with a cylindrical bore. It
may as has been before mentioned receive any profile whatever.
The connection of the gas check with the charge may be made by means of a
drawn cylinder having a screw thread worked on it as the attachment of the gas
check and screwing it into a corresponding thread E (Figure 15) worked in the
front end of the body of the cartridge or charge.
For the heavy calibres, I can divide the body of the charge, whatever be its form
into several elements A' A2 A3 (Figure 17) which are assembled together at the
moment of loading, either by means of rounded screw threads (as between A³ and
A²) or by a simple mortice and tenon (as between A2 and A¹). These elements
may be made of explosive materials that are either the same or different and they
also may contain an interior charge (as A²) of a similar kind or of a special type
held in place by suitable covers a² a².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The rigid body of the cartridge or charge, composed of one or several
explosive compositions, of progressive combustion and forming the whole or a part
of the propulsive charge; this cartridge body being so that either it may be
attached to the projectile and form with it a single body, or it may serve as a
rammer to the projectile and also center it in its firing position, and this, whatever
be the shape of the rear of the projectile, substantially as described.
Second. The combination of the body of the cartridge or charge composed
as herein described, with an obturating base of any system whatever for use in
guns which do not have a fixed obturator substantially as described.
Third. The combination of the body of the cartridge or charge composed as
herein described with any system of gas check whatever for cutting off windage,
substantially as described.
Fourth. The assemblage of the obturating base and the body of the cartridge
by means of one or more turns of screw thread substantially as described.

page_text: Fifth. The assemblage of the gas check and the body of the cartridge by
means of a threaded drawn cylinder attached to the gas check and screwing into a
corresponding thread worked in the front end of the body of the cartridge or charge
substantially as described.
Sixth. For guns of large calibre, the separation of the body of the charge,
whatever be its form, into several elements which are connected to each other
either by screwing or by a mortice and tenon attachment substantially as herein
described.
Seventh. The protection of the body of the cartridge or charge against the
accidental contact of a spark or flame. The protection being obtained by means
of a coat of paraffin or by several layers of asbestos cloth or other incombustible
material applied to the exterior surface at the time of finishing the body
substantially as described.
Dated the 25th of A1 1001
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.