IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gardner of Curtain Road in the County.of
Middlesex Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES FOR
BREECH LOADING FIRE-ARMS
وو
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gardner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1883.
WILLIAM GARDNER, of Curtain Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
"
My invention relates to cartridges for breech-loading fire arms, and is designed
to provide means whereby the firing of such cartridges by any instrument other
than the one especially provided therefor will be impossible. The said invention
is more especially designed for the protection of cartridges used in magazine guns,
so that neither of the cartridges in the magazine can be accidentally fired by the
impact of the cartridge lying behind it. I thus obviate an element of danger in
the use of these arms, and provide the means for preventing in future, fatal or even
serious accidents from the above named cause.
The said invention consists essentially in providing a guard, shield, or protector,
which is placed outside, or above, the cap or priming, and which has sufficient
strength to resist a blow or pressure from a blunt object, such as the end of a
projectile or bullet, but is perforated or reduced in thickness at the centre, so that
the pin or needle provided in the gun, for the purpose of firing the cartridges will
easily penetrate the said shield to strike the cap or priming.
My invention may be applied to any kind or class of metallic cartridges or to
cartridges with a metallic base. For example, in a cartridge constructed with what
is known as the "Berdan anvil" that is to say, an anvil formed by raising or
striking up the metal at the bottom of a recess or cavity in the base of the
cartridge, or in a cartridge where an anvil is provided by fixing a piece of metal in
the said cavity, I place a cap or primer formed of very thin metal in the cavity
surrounding the said anvil; and I place over this cap the aforesaid shield or guard
which is substantially of the same shape as the cap, and extends to the bottom of

page_text: the said cavity, its outer surface lying flush, or nearly so, with that of the base of
the cartridge. The said shield has at its centre or that part which corresponds in
position with the priming or fulminate in the cap, a hole sufficiently large to admit
the firing pin or needle; or instead of a hole, I, in some cases, form a central recess
or cavity therein, leaving a slight thickness of metal which will not practically
offer any resistance to the entrance of the firing pin or needle.
I modify this device by using in some cases a protector or shield, in the form of
a flat plate or disc, placed over the cap or primer in the cavity, the said disc having
a central hole or recess formed in it as and for the purpose, above described.
In some instances I dispense with the separate external shield or protector, and
construct the cap to serve as it own protector; for this purpose I make the top or
end portion of the cap of thick metal, so that it will not be practicable to compress
or force in the same by a blow from another projectile, or other object to which the
cartridge is likely to be subjected, but I form in the centre of the cap a cavity or
recess, leaving a slight thickness of metal to hold and cover the priming, but not
sufficient to prevent or obstruct the entrance of the firing pin.
-
My invention is applicable, not only to the manufacture of new cartridges, but to
old or existing metallic cartridges of any kind, whether the same are to be used for
¨iñagazine arms, or for rifles, pistols, mitrailleuses, or other guns,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Gardner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th August 1883.
WILLIAM GARDNER, of Curtain Road, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
"
My invention relates to cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms, and is designed
to provide means whereby the accidental firing of such cartridges by the impact of
a bullet or other blunt object will be rendered impossible. The said invention is
more especially designed for the protection of cartridges used in magazine guns, so
that neither of the cartridges in the magazine can be fired by the impact of the
cartridge lying behind it. I thus remove an element of danger which has heretofore
been a great objection to the use of these arms.
The said invention consists essentially in providing a guard, shield, or protector,
which is placed outside or above the cap or priming in the cavity or recess
containing the same or which is formed integrally with the cap. This shield or
guard has sufficient strength to resist a blow or pressure from a blunt object such
as the end of a projectile or bullet, but is perforated or reduced in thickness at the
centre so that the pin or needle provided in the gun for the purpose of firing the
cartridges will, when driven forward by the hammer or other device used for firing
the gun, easily penetrate the said shield and strike the cap or priming.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown various examples of my invention
drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of one kind of cartridge, and
Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, and
Figure 4 an end view of the cap of a cartridge constructed according to a
modification of my invention hereinafter described.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of the cartridge shown in
Figure 1.
Like letters indicate the same parts in all these Figures.
My invention may be applied to any kind or class of metallic cartridges or to
cartridges with a metallic base. For example, in a cartridge constructed with what
is known as the "Berdan anvil," that is to say, an anvil formed by raising or
striking up the metal, as shown at a Figure 1, at the bottom of a recess or cavity
in the base of the cartridge; or in a cartridge where an anvil is provided by fixing
a piece of metal in the said cavity, I place a cap or primer c, formed of very thin
metal, in the cavity b surrounding the said anvil and I place over this cap the
shield or guard d. It will be seen that this shield d is substantially of the same
shape as the cap c, and extends to the bottom of the said cavity, its outer surface
lying flush, or nearly so, with that of the base of the cartridge. The said shield
has, at its centre or that part which corresponds in position with the priming or
fulminate in the cap, a hole e sufficiently large to admit the firing pin or needle; or
instead of a hole, I in some cases attenuate the centre of the guard or shield d, that is
to say, I form a central recess or cavity in the said guard or shield leaving a slight
thickness of metal which will not practically offer any resistance to the entrance of
the firing pin or needle, so that the latter can be driven through the same to strike
the cap or priming.
I modify this device by using, in some cases, a protector or shield in the form of
a simple flat plate or disc d*, as shown in Figure 5, placed over the cap or primer c
in the cavity b, the said disc having a central hole formed in it or having its centre
attenuated, or reduced in thickness as, and for the purpose, above described.

page_text: In some instances I form the shield or protector integrally with the cap. For
this purpose I make the top or end portion of the cap of thick metal, as shown
at Figures 3 and 4, so that it will not be practicable to compress or force in the
same by a blow from another projectile or other object with which the cartridge is
likely to come in contact, but I attenuate the centre of the cap or form therein a
cavity or recess cleaving only a slight thickness of metal at this part to hold and
cover the priming, but not sufficient to prevent or obstruct the entrance of the
firing pin when driven forward in the act of firing the gun.
My invention is applicable not only to the manufacture of new cartridges, but to
old or existing metallic cartridges of any kind, whether the same are to be used for
magazine arms, or for ordinary rifles, pistols, mitrailleuses or other guns.
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing the
same I wish it understood that I Claim :-
First. A cartridge provided with a guard or shield, substantially as described,
which protects the cap or priming and prevents the accidental firing of the
cartridge by the impact of a bullet or other blunt object, and which affords this
-protection without obstructing or interfering with the action of the pin or needle
provided in the gun for firing the same.-
Second. The modification of my said invention, wherein the shield-or protector is
formed integrally with the cap, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said William Gardner have hereunto set my hand and
seal this sixteenth day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
_ and eighty three.