IMPROVE- MENTS IN CARTRIDGES to be as follows:-
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of 57P Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARTRIDGES to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to cartridges and comprises the improvements hereinafter
described.
In cartridges as heretofore manufactured, the powder-chamber is practically of
the same diameter as, or very slightly larger than, the projectile, and extends
rearwardly from the base thereof. Therefore, in order that this chamber shall
contain a sufficient quantity of powder, the cartridge must be very long in
proportion to its diameter. When such cartridges are used in a gun wherein a
breech block or bolt requires to be withdrawn to permit the insertion of a cartridge
within the barrel, it is obvious that the stroke of the said breech block or bolt
must be very long. Moreover, when one of these cartridges is exploded in the
barrel of a gun, the powder in the rear part of the chamber, being first ignited,
tends to push forward the powder in the front part thereof, and, in some cases,
unburnt powder is ejected from the muzzle of the gun in this manner.
My invention is designed to obviate these defects and to ensure the progressive
ignition and combustion of the powder contained in the cartridge, so that its
explosive and expansive force will be utilized in the most efficient manner.
I make the powder-chamber of my cartridge considerably larger in diameter
than the projectile, and I so arrange the projectile in combination with the said
chamber that it extends more or less into the same and is surrounded by the
powder contained therein.
One form or modification of my cartridge is made as follows, that is to say ;-
the powder-chamber is made about twice the diameter of the projectile and of
about the same length. The projectile is so arranged that the rear half thereof is
within the powder-chamber and is surrounded by the powder. The cartridge shell
or case is made with an extension in front of the said chamber, of such diameter
and length that it encircles the projectile, leaving only the apex thereof uncovered.
To prevent the passage of gas between the projectile and the shell or case,
I insert some paraffine wax or other suitable substance around the projectile at the
forward end of the powder-chamber. In some cases, I also cover the rear half of
the projectile with this substance, so that the forward movement of the projectile
[Price 871

page_text: from the shell or case (when the cartridge is exploded) will not be impeded by the
pressure of the powder on the surface of the projectile. The projectile is, if
necessary, provided with an ordinary gas-check.
The cartridge shell or case is made with a removable base, as it is preferable to
fill the powder chamber from this end, after the projectile has been secured in the
said shell or case. When the powder-chamber has been filled, the said base is
screwed or otherwise firmly secured in the shell or case.
When a cartridge made as above described is inserted into the barrel of a gun,
the projectile, which extends some distance in front of the powder-chamber, will
be guided by the barrel sufficiently to prevent its turning out of line therewith
when the cartridge is exploded.
In some instances, however, the whole of the projectile, with the exception of its
apex, is enclosed in the powder-chamber. The said projectile then requires some
efficient support to keep it in line with the barrel. For this purpose I prefer to
employ rings or annular pieces of very hard compressed gunpowder, which exactly
fit between the interior of the powder-chamber and the projectile.
The gunpowder used in my cartridge may, if desired, be all of one grade or
quality, but I prefer to use powder of various grades or qualities, so arranged as
to ensure the progressive ignition and combustion thereof, as described in the
specification filed with my application for Letters Patent, dated 14th January
A.D. 1885 N° 552. The ignition and combustion of ordinary gunpowder or gun-
powder of one grade or quality, in my improved cartridges, will be, to some extent,
progressive, by reason of the peculiar arrangement of the powder between the
cartridge shell or case and the projectile, that is to say, the ignition and combustion
of the powder thus arranged will not take place until the projectile has moved a
short distance forward. But by arranging various grades or qualities of powder
in the manner described in the said former specification, I make the explosion
progressive to a still greater extent.
I sometimes make my cartridge as follows, that is to say, after the projectile has
been secured in the shell or case in the manner above described, I place a ring of
compressed quick-burning gunpowder between the said projectile and the shell;
I then place on the said ring a piece of paper which has been soaked in a solution
of alum or of tungstate of soda, and insert another ring of gunpowder which will
burn less rapidly than the first ring, and another piece of the said paper. I then
either fill up the rear portion of the powder-chamber with loose slow-burning
powder, or I make a block of such powder with a central conical hole or cavity
therein, and fit the said block into the powder-chamber in such a position that the
apex of the cone is next the cap or priming of the cartridge. In the latter case,
when the cartridge is fired, the said block will be ignited at the centre of its rear
end and burn outwards and forwards, and, after the projectile has commenced to
move forward, the said rings will be successively ignited, the paper soaked in alum
or tungstate of soda preventing or delaying the ignition thereof until the projectile
has moved forward sufficiently to expose the said rings to the action of the flame
produced by the first part of the explosion. I sometimes use metallic plates or
rings for this purpose.
It is obvious that in a gun designed for use with my improved cartridges, the
barrel can be made shorter than in guns used with ordinary cartridges. Moreover
in bolt-guns, the stroke of the breech-bolt can be much less than heretofore.

page_text: I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of 57P Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARTRIDGES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention relates to cartridges, and comprises various improvements therein
as hereinafter described.
In cartridges as usually heretofore manufactured, the powder-chamber is prac-
tically of the same diameter as, or very slightly larger than, the projectile, and
extends rearwardly from the base thereof. Therefore, in order that this chamber
shall contain a sufficient quantity of powder, the cartridge must be very long in
proportion to its diameter. This form of cartridge is objectionable for several
reasons, amongst which are the following, viz:-When such cartridges are used in
a gun wherein a breech-block or bolt is arranged to be moved to and from the
barrel to open and close the breech, the axial movement of the said block or bolt
must be very long to permit the insertion of a cartridge into the barrel. Moreover,
when such a cartridge is exploded in the barrel of a gun, the powder in the rear
part of the powder-chamber, being first ignited, tends to drive forward the powder
in the front part thereof, and, in some cases, unburnt powder is thus ejected from
the muzzle of the gun.
By my present invention, I overcome these objections and ensure the ignition
and combustion of all the powder contained in the cartridge, and I provide for the
arrangement of the powder in the cartridge in such a manner that its explosive and
expansive force will be utilized in the most efficient manner, that is to say, so that
the explosion will be progressive.
In my improved cartridge, the powder-chamber is considerably larger in diameter
than the projectile, and the projectile is so arranged that a considerable portion
thereof is within the said chamber and is surrounded by the powder. The cartridge
can, therefore, be made very short in proportion to its diameter, as compared with
the cartridges heretofore generally used.
The gunpowder employed in my cartridge may, if desired, be all of one grade or
quality, but I prefer to use a charge composed of powder of various grades
or qualities so arranged as to ensure the progressive combustion or explosion of the
charge, as described in the specification of former Letters Patent dated 14th January,
A.D. 1885, N° 552. When gunpowder of the ordinary kind, or gunpowder which
is all of one grade or quality, is used in my cartridge, the combustion or explosion
of the charge will be to some extent progressive, by reason of the peculiar arrange-
ment of the powder, because the ignition and combustion of the powder contained
in the annular space between the cylindrical part of the shell or case and the
projectile cannot take place until the projectile has moved a short distance forward.
But, by using a charge composed of various grades or qualities of powder arranged
as described in the said former specification, I provide more effectually for making
the explosion progressive.

page_text: It is obvious that, in a gun in which my improved cartridges are to be used, the
powder-chamber must be larger in diameter than the other part of the bore, but
the barrel can be made somewhat shorter than those used for firing ordinary
cartridges. Moreover, in a bolt-gun, the space for the longitudinal or axial move-
ment of the breech-bolt can be much less than in guns of this class as heretofore
constructed.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are central longitudinal sections of different forms or modifi-
cations of my improved cartridge.
a is the cartridge shell or case, and 6 is the projectile. c is the powder-chamber,
which is about the same in length and about twice as large in diameter as the
projectile. The said projectile is so arranged that, with the exception of the conical
part thereof, it is within the powder-chamber c and is surrounded by the powder.
The shell or case a is made with an extension a', in front of the chamber which
fits and encircles the projectile at the base of the conical part thereof.
To prevent tho passage of gas between the projectile 6 and the shell or case a,
I place paraffine wax or other suitable substance around the projectile at the
forward end of the chamber c, as at d. In some cases, I also cover or coat the
surface of the projectile with this substance, as at d¹, I thus diminish the friction
between the powder and the surface of the projectile. Moreover, if the powder
were directly in contact with the projectile, it would be liable to adhere firmly
thereto and thus hinder, in some measure, the forward movement of the projectile,
but, by coating the latter with some substance, such as paraffine wax, which will
flow under pressure, I greatly facilitate the movement of the projectile in leaving
the shell or case when the cartridge is exploded. The said projectile is, if necessary,
provided with a gas-check of any suitable description.
I prefer to make the base a² of the case a separate from the body or tubular
portion thereof, so that, after the projectile has been secured in the front end of the
case, the powder-chamber can be filled from the rear end thereof, and the base then
firmly secured therein by brazing, screwing, or otherwise. Moreover, in order to
more effectually prevent or delay the ignition and combustion of the powder in the
annular space between the cylindrical or tubular part of the case a and the
projectile, I prefer to place, at the rear of the projectile, a disc, diaphragm, or sheet e
of paper previously soaked in a solution of alumn or of tungstate of soda, or a disc
or sheet of metal or other suitable material. The central portion of this disc or
sheet of paper or other material must be driven forward a short distance with the
projectile before the powder in the said annular space can be ignited. In some
cases I use, instead of the said disc or sheet e, a ring or annular piece of paper or
other material, the hole in which is of the same diameter as the projectile.
In the cartridge shown in Figure 1, the annular space between the projectile
and the shell or case a is filled with ordinary gunpowder, and the space at the rear
of the projectile is filled with prismatic blocks of ordinary gunpowder.
When one of my cartridges is inserted into a gun-barrel having the powder-
chamber larger than the other part of the bore as above described, the projectile
will extend a sufficient distance into the smaller part of the bore to be guided
thereby in its forward movement, so that it will not get out of line with the barrel
when the gun is fired. But the said projectile is preferably provided with some
additional support to keep it in line with the barrel. For this purpose I sometimes
employ one or more rings or annular blocks or pieces of very hard compressed gun-
powder, which fit accurately the spaco between the cylindrical part of the shell or
case a and the projectile b.
The cartridge shown in Figure 2 is constructed as follows, viz:-After the
projectile has been secured in the shell or case a, I place an annular block of
compressed quick-burning gunpowder between the said projectile and the shell or
case a. I then place, at the rear of the projectile, a disc or sheet e of paper or other
material for the purpose ahovo specified, and fill up the powder-chamber with
prismatic blocks or pieces g' composed of different grades or qualities of gunpowder

page_text: as described in the said former specification. Or, if desired, these blocks or pieces
may be composed of gunpowder all of one grade or quality, the explosion of which
will be slower than that of the annular block f. In some instances, I use two or
more rings or annular blocks of gunpowder in place of the block f
⚫ In the cartridge shown in Figure 3, instead of using prismatic blocks or pieces of
gunpowder as shown in Figures 1 and 2, I use a block h of gunpowder, which block
fits the rear part of the chamber c and is formed with a central conical hole or
cavity h. This block is so placed that the small end of the hole or cavity h¹ is
next the cap or priming of the cartridge, therefore, when the gun is fired, the said
block will be ignited at the centre of its rear end and will burn outward and
forward.
It is obvious, however, that the arrangement of the gunpowder in my improved
cartridge can be varied or modified without impairing its efficiency for the purpose
of my invention.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3, I have shown the cartridges with explosive projectiles
therein, but it is evident that any other suitable projectiles can be used in the said
cartridges.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the naturo of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. A cartridge wherein provision is made for preventing or delaying the
explosion of a portion of the powder until the projectile has started or commenced.
its forward movement, for the purpose specified.
Second. A cartridge which has a powder-chamber larger in diameter than the
projectile, and so arranged that the main portion of the projectile is enclosed in the
said chamber and surrounded by the powder therein, substantially as, and for
the purposes, set forth.
Third. In the said cartridge, the employment of a disc, diaphragm, or sheet of
paper or other material at the rear of the projectile, as, and for the purpose,
specified.
Fourth. In the said cartridge, the employment, within the powder-chamber, of
one or more rings or annular blocks or pieces of compressed gunpowder fitted upon
the projectile, as, and for the purpose, specified.
Fifth. The employment of paraffine wax or similar material between the powder
and the projectile, for the purpose specified.
Sixth. The improved cartridge substantially as described with reference to either
of the forms or modifications shown in the accompanying drawings.