IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Webster Cochran, of the City, County, and
State of New York, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Webster Cochran
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th April 1867.
I, JOHN WEBSTER COCHRAN, of the City, County, and State of New York,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS,"
to be as follows:-
The said improvements relate to the construction of cartridges with metallic
cases or shells, and consist chiefly in surrounding the fulminate or detonating
compound with a mass of compressed papier maché, wood, or other suitable
material, which fills up the rear end of the case or shell, preventing the access
of gas to the rim and the contact of the fulminate with the said case or shell.
Various metals may be employed in the manufacture of the said cases or shells,

page_text: but brass is preferable because of its superior elasticity, which allows the shell
to expand and fit closely in the charge chamber at the time of explosion and
afterwards to contract so as to be easily withdrawn from the said chamber.
These cases or shells are ordinarily made of copper, but this metal being less
elastic than brass the shells formed thereof do not contract so readily after the
explosion. Brass also being an alloy of copper and zinc is less expensive than
pure copper. But though for these and other reasons brass is superior to
copper for the manufacture of cartridge cases or shells the presence of the zinc
has been found to produce effects which have rendered its employment for this
purpose extremely dangerous. The fulminate or detonating compound used
in the said cartridges contains ingredients which combine chemically with the
zinc, and this combination either causes the cartridges to explode or deteriorates
the quality of the fulminating compound to such an extent as to render it in a
little time altogether useless.
The object of these improvements is to construct a cartridge in such a manner
that the fulminate or detonating compound is perfectly insulated from contact
with the metal case or shell. This insulation is advantageously effected by
enclosing the said fulminate in a small hollow disc of copper which is placed
in the centre of a wad of compressed wood, paper pulp, or other material.
The latter is then forced with great pressure into the case or shell and fills up
the rear end of the said case and the hollow space in the rim, entirely
This wad forms a substitute for the
preventing the access of gas to the same.
ordinary anvil, and supports the fulminate against the blow of the striker, and
obviates the necessity of forming indentations or corrugations around the shell
of the cartridge for keeping the said fulminate in place. The copper disc is
by preference placed in close proximity to the rear end of the case or shell in
the proper position to receive the blow of the needle or other striking device
of a fire-arm. The said disc may if desired be perforated through its front side
to allow the fulminate to communicate more readily with the charge in the
body of the cartridge. The small disc for containing the fulminate may be
constructed of any metal or material which is free from zinc; or the
said fulminate may be placed in a recess formed in the wad, or may be
inserted in any convenient manner which prevents its contact with the case or
shell.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Webster Cochran in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WEBSTER COCHRAN, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Webster Cochran, Her special licence that I, the said Johu
Webster Cochran, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Webster Cochran, 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 CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Webster Cochran, my
executors or administrators, 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 John Webster Cochran, 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 accompanying Sheet of Drawings forming
a part of this Specification :-
The said improvements relate to the construction of cartridges with metallic
cases or shells, and consist chiefly in surrounding the fulminate or detonating
compound with a mass of compressed paper, papier maché, wood, or other
suitable material which fills up the rear end of the case or shell, preventing
the access of gas to the rim and the contact of the fulminate with the said
case or shell. Various metals may be employed in the manufacture of such
cases or shells, but brass is preferable because of its superior clasticity, which

page_text: allows the shell to expand and fit closely in the charge chamber at the time
of explosion, and afterwards to contract so as to be easily withdrawn from
the said chamber; these cases or shells are ordinarily made of copper, but
this metal being less elastic than brass the shells formed thereof do not contract
so readily after the explosion; brass also being an alloy of copper and zinc is
less expensive than pure copper. For these and other reasons brass is
superior to copper for the manufacture of cartridge cases or shells, but the
presence of the zine has been found to produce effects which have rendered
its employment for this purpose extremely dangerous. The fulminate or
detonating compound used in the said cartridges contains ingredients which
combine chemically with the zinc, and this combination either causes the
cartridges to explode or deteriorates the quality of the fulminating compound
to such an extent as to render it in a little time altogether useless.
The object of these improvements is to construct a cartridge in such a manner
that the fulminate or detonating compound is perfectly insulated from contact
with the metal case or shell; this insulation is advantageously effected by
enclosing the said fulminate in a small hollow dise of copper which is placed
in the centre of a wad of compressed wood, paper pulp, or other material;
this wad is pressed tightly into the case or shell of the cartridge and fills up
the rear end of the said case and the hollow space in the rim entirely
preventing the access of gas to the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved cartridge; Figure 2 is
a transverse section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1: Figure 3 is a
longitudinal section of a cartridge illustrating a modification of niy improve-
ments; like letters indicate the same parts in each Figure. The shell or
case a which may be made of any desired length and diameter is manufactured
In the cartridge
in the usual manner with a projecting rim or flange b.
represented in Figures 1 and 2, the wad c of wood or other material forms
a substitute for the ordinary anvil and supports the disc d which contains the
fulminate against the blow of the striker, obviating the necessity of forming
indentations or corrugations around the shell a of the cartridges for keeping
the said disc and fulminate in place. The copper disc d is by preference
placed in close proximity to the rear end of the case or shell a in the proper
position to receive the blow of the needle or other striking device of a fire-
arm. The disc d may if desired be perforated through its front side to allow
the fulminate to communicate more readily through the central perforation
in the wad c, with the charge in the body of the cartridges. The small

page_text: discs & may be constructed of any metal or material which is free from zinc,
or the fulminate may be placed in a recess formed in the wad, or may be held
in any other convenient manner which prevents its contact with the case or
shell.
In the modification of parts represented in Figure 8 e is the anvil which
is placed in the centre of the wad c. The fulminate is placed in the chamber
or recess f, and a copper disc g is placed over the said fulminate.
Having thus fully described my said improvements, and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I
claim,―
First, a wad c of compressed paper, wood, or other suitable material
fixed inside the base of a metallic cartridge substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Second, insulating the fulminate or detonating compound within the case
or shell of a metallic cartridge for the purpose and substantially in the manner
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Webster Cochran, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
W. COCHRAN.
(L.S.)