IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING CARTRIDGES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ogden Doremus and Bern Lum Budd, of
New York, in the United States of America, Chemists, for the Invention
* of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING CARTRIDGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ogden Doremus
and Bern Lum Budd, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 20th January 1862.
We, ROBERT OGDEN DOREMUS and BERN LUM BUDD, of New York, United
States of America, Chemists, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for." IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING CARTRIDGES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object, firstly, the formation of the ordinary
granulated gunpowder of commerce into solid shapes, suitable for use as car-
tridges; secondly, giving to the charge or cartridge so formed the principle of
acceleration; and thirdly, the forming of fixed ammunition by attaching the
charge directly to the ball or to the sabot. Many attempts have been made
to form a cartridge of granulated powder, which without being enclosed or
protected by paper, woollen, or other permanent casing, should yet retain its
shape under the usual incidents of transportation and handling. In all these,
the prominent character has been, that some adhesive matter must be intro-
duced, or the powder has been damped with some substance which was not
perhaps a solvent of it, but these plans have failed for the reason either that

page_text: matter not necessary to the devolopment of the full power of the powder is
added, whereby, on burning, an undesirable residuum is left, or the combustion
is otherwise injuriously affected. We have discovered that the "granulated
powder may be made to take and retain the required forms by simple
pressure in moulds of the desired shape; in order to prepare cartridges upon
the principles above, described, various degrees of pressure will be employed
according to the nature of the fire-arm in which they are to be used, or of
the grain of the powder employed as well as of the projectile to be thrown.
To prepare a cartridge, for example, for a six-pounder cannon; in which one-and-
a-quarter pounds of powder would constitute a charge, a cylindrical mould is to
be formed of some suitable metal as brass, the bore of which is such that the
cartridge to be formed therein will easily enter the gun, one-and-a-quarter
pounds of powder are then to be introduced, and the piston fitted in, pressure is
applied by means of any suitable machine, as a bydraulic press, until the powder
has been condensed by a force equivalent to 15 tons weight. The piston is
then taken out of the mould and the powder discharged, when it will be found
to have become completely compacted into a solid mass, which may be handled
without risk of breaking, and in which shape the granular formation of the
powder still exists. In making charges which shall have different rates of
combustibility in the same cartridge, the powder must be introduced into the
mould in successive portions: Thus for obtaining-three rates of combustibility,
if the powder employed be all of one quality, it must be divided into three
parts or portions, one portion is then submitted in the mould to pressure; say
of 25 tons, then the piston removed and the next portion poured upon the
first and pressure again applied up to 20 tons, and, finally, the last portion be
in like manner submitted to a pressure of 15 tons. The whole of the powder
will then have been compacted into one mass, having three distinct strata, in
each of which the rate of combustion will be different, that portion having
received' the greatest pressure consuming more slowly than the other portions,
It will only be necessary therefore to calculate the area of the bore of any
other sized cannon; and the quantity of powder for a charge, to be able to apply
the proper pressure to produce cartridges having the same rate of combustion
as in the case of those herein described. Inasmuch, however, as the uses to
which cartridges of compacted powder can be put, and the results to be ac
complished are so various, so must the shapes of the moulds and the pressures
vary. The powder for accelerating charges may also be of different degrees
of fineness or of strength; and then be subjected to an uniform pressure through-
out the cartridge.
The third part of our Invention consists in combining with a charge. made

page_text: as above described, a ball or other projectile without the aid of paper or
other covering. If for small arms, and the Minié bullet, be employed, a
bullet is dropped into the mould, pointed end downwards, the appropriate
powder for a charge is poured in, and then the due pressure is to be given.
The powder will be at once properly compacted, and entering the hollow
in the bullet will adhere to it with sufficient tenacity. The bullet may be
cast with a projecting pin if desired, and. the powder compressed around
that. In like manner the powder may be affixed to a sabot or a large shot.
Whenever necessary the cartridges thus compacted may readily be reduced
to the condition of granular powder without detriment to its condition..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Ogden Doremus, and Bern Lum Budd, in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
OGDEN DOREMUS, and BERN LUM BUDD, of New York, in the United States of
America, Chemists, send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of. January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Robert Ogden Doremus and Bern Lum Budd, Her
special license that we, the said Robert Ogden Doremus and Bern Lum
Budd, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Robert Ogden Doremus and Bern Lum Budd, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 MAKING CARTRIDGES," upon the
condition (amongst others), that we, the said Robert Ogden Doremus and
Bern Lum Budd, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the, same, was to be performed, 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.
.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robert Ogden Doremus and Bern
Lum Budd, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention or discovery has for its object, firstly, the formation of the
ordinary granulated gunpowder of commerce into solid shapes suitable for
use as cartridges and for other purposes; secondly, giving to the charge or
cartridge so formed the principle of acceleration; and thirdly, the forming of
fixed ammunition by attaching the charge directly to the ball or to the sabot.
Many attempts have been made to form a cartridge of granulated powder
which without being enclosed or protected by paper, woollen, or other per-
manent casing, should yet retain its shape under the usual incidents of
transportation and handling. In all these the prominent character has been
that some adhesive matter must be introduced, or the powder has been damped
with some moist substance, which was not perhaps a solvent of it, but these
plans have failed for the reason either that matter not necessary to the
development of the full power of the powder is added, whereby, on burning, an
undesirable residuum is left, or the combustion is otherwise injuriously affected.
We have discovered that the granulated powder may be made to take and
retain the required forms by simple pressure in moulds of the desired shape.
In order to prepare cartridges upon the principles above described, various
degrees of pressure will be employed according to the nature of the fire-arm
in which they are to be used, or of the grain of the powder employed, as well
as of the projectile to be thrown. To prepare a cartridge, as, for example, for
a six-pounder cannon, in which one-and-a-quarter pounds of powder would
constitute a charge, a cylindrical mould is to be formed of some suitable metal
I as brass, the bore of which is such that the cartridge to be formed therein
will easily enter the gun. One-and-a-quarter pounds of powder are then to
be introduced, and the piston fitted in; pressure is applied by means of any
suitable machine, as a hydraulic press, until the powder has been condensed
by a force equivalent to fifteen tons weight. The piston is then to be taken
out of the mould, and the powder discharged, when it will be found to have
become completely compacted into a solid mass, which may be handled without
risk of breaking, and in which shape the granular formation of the powder
still exists.
In making charges which shall have different rates of combustibility in the
same cartridge, the powder must be introduced into the mould in successive
portions; thus for obtaining three rates of combustibility, if the powder
employed be all of one quality, it must be divided into three parts or portions,

page_text: one portion is then submitted in the mould to pressure, say of twenty-five tons,
then the piston removed and the next portion poured upon the first, and
pressure again applied up to twenty tons, and, finally, the last portion is to be in
like manner submitted to a pressure of fifteen tons. The whole of the powder
will then have been compacted into one mass, having three distinct strata, in
each of which the rate of combustion will be different, that portion having
received the greatest pressure consuming more slowly than the other portions.
It will only be necessary therefore to calculate the area of the bore of any
other sized cannon, and the quantity of powder for a charge to be able to apply
the proper pressure to produce cartridges having the same rate of combustion
as in the case of those herein described. Inasmuch, however, as 'the uses to
which cartridges of compacted powder can be put, and the results to be ac-
complished are so various, so must the shapes of the moulds and the pressures
vary. The powder for accelerating charges may also be of different degrees
of fineness or of strength, and may then be subjected to an uniform pressure
throughout the cartridge.
The third feature of our Invention lies in combining with a charge made as
above a ball or other projectile, without the aid of paper or other covering. If
for small arms, and the Minié bullet be employed, one of those is dropped into
the mould, pointed end downward, the appropriate powder for a charge is
poured in, and then the due pressure is to be given. The powder will be at
once properly compacted, and entering the hollow in the bullet will adhere to
it with sufficient tenacity. The bullet may be cast with a projecting pin, if
desired, and the powder compressed around that. In like manner the powder
may be affixed to a sabot or a large shot. Whenever necessary the cartridges
thus compacted may readily be reduced to the condition of granular powder
without detriment to its condition. The charge of powder thus formed may
be rendered waterproof by applying a varnish of some substance which is
insoluble in water, but which is not a solvent of powder, as shellac, collodion,
stearine, wax, or other similar material. A coating of collodion is especially
applicable for this purpose as it will be consumed without leaving any
residuum.
We claim, firstly, forming the ordinary granulated gunpowder of commerce
into shapes suitable for use as cartridges, and otherwise by compacting the
same within moulds by pressure so applied as to condense said powder into
those shapes, substantially as described.
Secondly, we claim giving to the cartridge the principle of acceleration by
forming it in strata of different rates of combustibility, substantially as described

page_text: Thirdly, we claim combining the ball or other projectile directly with the
powder to form a fixed charge, substantially in the manner set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Ogden Doremus and Bern
Lum Budd, have hereunto set our respective hands and seals, this
Fifteenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
ROBERT OGDEN DOREMUS. (L.S.)
BERN LUM BUDD.
(L.S.)