IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND CLOSING THE ENDS OF CARTRIDGES
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Friedrich Wilhelm Julius Zorn
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th September 1860.-A communication from abroad by Mr. Henry
Genhardt, of Liège, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
I, FRIEDRICH WILHELM JULIUS ZORN, of London Wall, in the City of
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND CLOSING THE ENDS OF CARTRIDGES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention of improved apparatus for charging and closing the ends of
cartridges consists of a simple mechanical contrivance whereby when the
powder has been put into the cartridge case in the ordinary manner, the
powder and shot (with the wadding discs thereon) may be properly rammed
down. The same apparatus, with the addition of small compressing tools or
dies, is also employed to close in the end of the cartridges on the wadding,
and thereby secure the powder and shot.
In carrying out the Invention the apparatus may be made in two forms,
one of which is made portable, and is intended to be used by the sportsman
himself. The other form of apparatus is to be used by cartridge manufac-
turers, being intended to be fixed on a table. Both apparatus, although some-
what different in form and external appearance, are constructed on the same
principle. The cartridge case is first filled with powder and shot, and the

page_text: wadding discs are placed on the top thereof. The filled carriage is placed in
the apparatus in a cylindrical socket prepared for the purpose, and in which
the cartridge fits. A plunger or piston is fitted to slide or move up and down,
and when brought down on to the wadding dises will force them and the
powder and shot down in the cartridge case. In the large machine a spring
is adapted to the plunger for the purpose of bringing it up again after it has
been pushed down by hand. The charge of the cartridge having been properly
rammed down, it is then removed, and another full case is inserted in its
place. When all the cartridges have been properly charged, they may be
closed by turning down the edges of the case so as to press on and hold in
the top disc of wadding; this operation is effected in the same apparatus
but a die is fitted to the bottom or lower end of the plunger. This die has a
concave face, which when brought down on to the vertical edges of the
cartridge case will turn or roll them in, and by still further forcing or screwing
down the plunger, the rolled-in edge of the case will press upon the wadding,
and thereby securely close in the cartridge. This operation having been
effected, the cartridge may be removed from the apparatus either by opening
a door at the side of the cylindrical socket, or by moving on one side a disc
at the bottom, and then pushing out the cartridge. In order to cause one
apparatus to serve for operating upon various sizes of cartridges, the cylindrical
socket may be made of much larger diameter than the cartridges, which may
be made to fit removeable wooden or metal
to the cylindrical socket as filling pieces.
be used for different sizes of cartridges.
cut the cartridges somewhat shorter than they were originally made, for which
purpose the sliding door or shutter which closes the lower or exit end of the
cylindrical socket, is provided with a cutting edge, which may be forced
against the side of the projecting cartridge, and by turning the latter round
in its socket a piece of the case will be cut off, and the cartridge thereby
reduced to the required length.
cylinders, that may be adapted
Different sizes of dies must also
Sometimes it may be necessary to