Improvements in or connected with Explosive Powder Bodies for Filling Cartridges.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 9th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Explosive Powder Bodies for
Filling Cartridges.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this.inven-
tion (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried Krupp, of Essen,
in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), to be as follows:.
-
The heretofore usual forms in which smokeless powder has been employed
for cartridges, have had the disadvantage that it is almost impossible to fill the
cartridge cases in every instance so exactly that the charge is firmly held
therein.
In order to cause the charge to lie perfectly firm and compact in every instance,
special means are generally employed, such as packing the charge into bags,
tying up with cord, pressing down upon the bottom of the cartridge by means
of corks or special lids, etc. Thus for example, tube powder will without special
means, lie firmly of itself, only when the tubes are made of the exact length of
the cartridge case and also have a diameter exactly calculated for the calibre,
and those powder bodies which are coiled together in a spiral shape from powder-
sheets ("spiralite"), or powder bodies folded in star fashion, etc. must be cut
off to the exact length of the cartridge case if they are to lie firmly and com-
pactly in the same. But notwithstanding these precautions, tube powder, spiral-
ite etc., become loose during transport, because all smokeless powders shrink by
drying, in the course of time.
Now this invention refers to the particular formation of the powder bodies
and mode of their arrangement in the cartridge case so as to obviate not only
the above mentioned difficulties, but to cause a particularly rapid transmission
of the flame of the primer to all the surfaces of the powder bodies.
The powder bodies are made of the shape of a dish and are formed with a
hole in the centre, being thus annular with curved surfaces. The external
diameter of the bodies is preferably made so that they completely fill up the
cartridge case, although this is not absolutely necessary for their tight bearing
in the same.
The necessary number of such dish-shaped annular powder bodies are now
piled up in layers one upon another in the cartridge case in such a manner that
two successive powder bodies are arranged with their concave or their convex
surfaces facing each other. By this means there is produced a column of powder
bodies which is elastic in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cartridge
and which has the appearance of a dish-spring or Belleville spring
This column is now slightly pressed together and is fixed in this condition
within the cartridge case by means of a lid, and the charge can no longer
become loose even in consequence of the most violent jolting. A further advan-
tage of the new shape and arrangement of the powder bodies consists in the

page_text: fact that the superposed apertures in, and the cavities between, the several
powder bodies, allow the jet of flame coming from the primer screw to have
a perfectly free space for its development, and to distribute itself rapidly on
to all the surfaces of the powder bodies.
Dated this 22nd
1000
Improvements in or connected with Explosive Powder Bodies for
Filling Cartridges.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Mineral and Metal Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention, (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried Krupp,
of Essen, in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The forms heretofore usual in which smokeless powder has been employed
for cartridges have the disadvantage that it is almost impossible to fill the cart-
ridge cases in every instance so exactly that the charge is held firmly therein.
In order to cause the charge to lie perfectly firm and compact in every
instance, special means are generally employed, such as packing the charge
into bags, tying up with cord, or pressing down upon the bottom of the cartridge
by means of corks or special lids, etc. Thus for example, tube powder will with-
out special means, lie firmly of itself only when the tubes are made of the exact
length of the cartridge case and also have a diameter exactly calculated for the
calibre, and those powder bodies which are coiled together in a spiral shape
from the powder-sheets ("spiralite"), or powder bodies folded in star fashion,
etc., must be cut off to the exact length of the cartridge case if they are to lie
firmly and compactly in the same. But notwithstanding these precautions, tube
powder, spiralite, etc., become loose during transport, because all smokeless
powders shrink by drying, in the course of time.
Now this invention refers to the particular formation of the powder bodies
and the mode of their arrangement in the cartridge case so as to obviate not only
the above mentioned difficulties but to cause a particularly rapid transmission of
the flame of the primer to all the surfaces of the powder bodies.
In order that the invention may be readily understood reference is had to
the accompanying drawings whereon Fig. 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a
horizontal section shewing by way of example a cartridge case containing powder
bodies constructed and arranged according to this invention.
The powder bodies 6 61 are made of the shape of a dish and are formed with
a hole in the centre, being thus annular with curved surfaces. The external
diameter of the bodies is preferably made so that they completely fill up the
cartridge case A, although this is not absolutely necessary for their tight bearing
in the same.
The necessary number of such dish-shaped annular powder bodies 6 b¹ are now
piled up in layers one upon another in the cartridge case A in such a manner
that two successive powder bodies are arranged with their concave or their
Convex surfaces facing each other. By this means there is produced a column
of powder bodies which is elastic in the direction of the longitudinal axis of
the cartridge and which has the appearance of a dish-spring or Belleville spring.

page_text: This column is now slightly pressed together and is fixed in this condition
within the cartridge case by means of a lid c and the charge can no longer
become loose even in consequence of the most violent jolting. A further advan-
tage of the new shape and arrangement of the powder bodies, consists in the
fact that the superposed apertures in and the cavities between the several powder
bodies, allow the jet of flame coming from the primer screw to have a perfectly
free space for development and to distribute itself rapidly on to all the surfaces
of the powder bodies.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The powder bodies in the shape of dishes provided with an aperture in the
middle, substantially as described.
2. A cartridge in which a firm bearing or arrangement of the powder bodies
and an improved distribution of the flame coming from the primer screw are
effected by means of the powder bodies being made in the shape of dishes and
are provided with an aperture in the middle, such bodies being piled one upon
another in a manner similar to dish springs, substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of Februar 1900
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.