Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Miniature Cartridges and to Apparatus for Facilitating the use of such Cartridges in Fire-arms.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1891-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Miniature Cartridges
and to Apparatus for Facilitating the use of such Cartridges in
Fire-arms.
We, HARRY ANDREWS, of 25 New Road, Woolwich, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, and JAMES O'KELLY, M.P. of 17 Osnaburgh Street, Regent's Park,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus of the kind or class described in the
Specifications of the following former Letters Patent, namely No. 14,916 of 1887,
No. 7927 of 1889 and No. 5457 of 1890.
Our said invention comprises an improved construction of the miniature cartridge
and the tube or shell for holding the same, whereby the insertion of the said
cartridge into the forward end of the said tube or shell and its retention therein
are rendered more easy and efficacious.
Our said invention, moreover, comprises an improved method of manufacturing
miniature cartridges to adapt them for insertion in the outer tube or shell in the
manner hereinafter mentioned.
In carrying our said invention into practice we make the case of the miniature
cartridge as follows, that is to say:-We first form the same, in any convenient
manner with a rim-base, flange or head, and we then remove the said base, flange
or head with the exception of one or more small portions thereof, which are
designed to serve as pins or studs for retaining the cartridge in the outer tube or
shell and ensuring its extraction therewith from the fire-arm.
The removal of the said base or head may be effected in any convenient manner.
We find it advantageous to perform this operation by forcing the cartridge-case
with the base or head thereon, through a die the internal diameter of which is
equal or about equal to the external diameter of the body of the cartridge-case,
and which has formed in it one or more longitudinal slots or grooves corresponding
in width with the pins or studs to be left on the cartridge-case. The base or
head of the cartridge is thus sheared off with the exception of the portion or
portions thereof in line with the said slot or slots.
We make the tube or shell for holding the miniature cartridge with one or
more longitudinal slits or grooves to permit the insertion, in the forward end
thereof, of the miniature cartridge provided with one or more pins or studs as
above mentioned; these slits or grooves extend from the forward end of the said
shell or tube to the internal shoulder thereof, so that, when the cartridge is
inserted in the said tube or shell and turned in one or the other direction, the
pin or stud will engage with the said internal shoulder in the tube or shell, thus
effectually ensuring the extraction of the miniature cartridge with the said tube
or shell from the fire-arm.
The miniature cartridge may, if desired, extend into the tube or shell beyond
the outer shoulder thereof. The aforesaid slit or slits need not, however, extend
further back than the outer shoulder, a suitable groove or channel being formed
in the tube or shell from the said outer shoulder to the internal shoulder thereof,
to permit the sliding of the pin or stud into position behind the said internal
shoulder.
The said miniature cartridge may have one or more pins or studs formed thereon
or fixed therein in any other convenient manner for the purpose above specified;
and the said pins or studs may be either at the rear end of the cartridge or at a
short distance therefrom.

page_text: A ring or collar is, if desired secured upon the miniature cartridge by pressing
or otherwise as described in the said former Specification No. 5457, so that it
will bear against the forward end of the outer tube or shell, when the cartridge is
inserted therein.
Dated this 26th day of September 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Miniature Cartridges
and to Apparatus for Facilitating the use of such Cartridges in
Fire-arms.
We HARRY ANDREWS of 25 New Road Woolwich in the County of Kent
Engineer and JAMES O'KELLY M.P. of 17 Osnaburgh Street Regent's Park in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Our invention relates to apparatus of the kind or class described in the
Specifications of the following former Letters Patent viz. No. 14916 dated
2nd November A.D. 1887 No. 7927 A.D. 1889 and No. 5457 dated 10th April
A.D. 1890, that is to say to miniature or practice cartridges and apparatus for
adapting fire arms for use therewith.
Our present invention comprises an improved method of manufacturing the
miniature or practice cartridges and an improved construction of the tube or shell
for holding the same whereby the insertion of the said cartridge into the forward
end of the said tube or shell and its retention therein are rendered more easy and
efficacious.
In carrying our said invention into practice we make the case of the miniature
cartridge as follows, that is to say: We first form the same,
in any
convenient
manner with a rim-base, flange or head with the exception of one or more small
portions thereof which are designed to serve as lugs or projections for retaining
the cartridge in the outer tube or shell as hereinafter explained and ensuring its
extraction therewith from the fire arm. Or we formn the said case with one or
more lugs or projections in any other convenient manner for the purpose specified.
The removal of the said base or bead may be effected in any convenient manner.
We find it advantageous to perform this operation by forcing the cartridge case
with the base or head thereon through a die the internal diameter of which is
equal, or about equal to the external diameter of the body of the cartridge-case,
and which has formed in it one or more longitudinal slots or grooves corresponding
in width with the pins or studs to be left on the cartridge-case. The base or
head of the cartridge is thus sheared off with the exception of the portion or
portions thereof in line with the said slot or slots.
We make the tube or shell for holding the miniature cartridge with one or more
longitudinal slits in the forward end thereof to permit the insertion therein of the
miniature cartridge provided with the pin or pins above mentioned these slits
extend longitudinally to a suitable distance from the forward end of the said shell
or tube and then circumferentially for a short distance so that they are L shaped,
and when the cartridge is inserted in the said tube or shell and turned in one or
the other direction, the pin or pins will engage with the circumferential portion of
the slit or slits, thus effectually ensuring the retention of the miniature cartridge
in the said tube or shell, and its extraction therewith from the fire-arm.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of one form of our apparatus, the
miniature cartridge being shown in the side elevation, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the said apparatus.

page_text: Figure 3 is a rear end elevation, and
Figure 4 a longitudinal central section, both drawn to an enlarged scale, showing
more clearly the pin or stud formed on the shell of the miniature cartridge.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the outer shell or tube; b is the miniature cartridge, which is provided
with a pin or stud 1 in the manner above set forth; c is the communicating pin
or striker, which is fitted to slide to and fro in a block or plug d secured in the
shell or tube a by screw-threads or in any other convenient manner.
The said
tube or shell a is made with fine or narrow slits a' at its forward end to permit
the insertion and ensure the fitting of the miniature cartridge therein. One of
these slits is enlarged for a portion of its length as at a² to admit the pin or
stud and joins a short circumferential slit a³ also adapted to receive the said
pin or stud.
The external shape or configuration of the tube or shell a shown in the drawing,
is similar to that of an ordinary or service cartridge-shell with the forward end or
neck thereof removed.
In some instances we use a tube or shell having a reduced portion or neck
like an ordinary or service cartridge shell, and form in the said neck one or more
longitudinal slits which extend to the internal shoulder of the said tube or shell
and which are of such width that the pin or pins can pass freely through them.
In this case when the miniature cartridge is inserted in the outer tube or shell
and then partially rotated in either direction its pin or pins will engage with the
said shoulder and thus retain the miniature cartridge in the outer tube or shell.
When the outer tube or shell is formed with a neck like an ordinary cartridge-
shell. The miniature cartridge may, if desired, extend into the said tube or shell
beyond the outer shoulder thereof. The aforesaid slit or slits need not, however,
extend further back than the outer shoulder, a suitable groove or grooves being
formed in the tube or shell from the said outer shoulder to the internal shoulder
thereof to permit the sliding of the pin or pins into position behind the said
internal shoulder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it understood that
we claim :-
First. The herein described method of making the shell of a miniature cartridge,
consisting in first forming the said shell with a rim-base or flange and then
removing the said rim-base or flange with the exception of one or more portions
thereof designed to serve as pins or studs for the purpose above specified.
Second. A miniature cartridge having one or more lugs or projections formed
integrally with the shell thereof, substantially as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
Third. The improved apparatus comprising the miniature cartridge having one
or more lugs or projections formed on the shell thereof as above described, and
the outer tube containing the communicating pin or striker and having one or
more straight slits and one or more bent or shaped slits, substantially as, and for
the purposes, set forth.
Dated this 25th day of July 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.