Improvements in or relating to Cartridges.
Year: 1893

page_text: .
Date of Application, 26th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th May, 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cartridges.
I, HERBERT MANNING CHAPMAN, Manager for the War and Sporting
Smokeless Powder Syndicate, of Trimley, in the County of Suffolk, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the reduction at will of the capacity of military
or sporting cartridges and of the powder chambers of heavy guns or ordnance by
the insertion into them of a wad, block, tube, or equivalent suitably perforated if
necessary, herein denominated the wad. Certain explosives, bulk for bulk being
relatively very much stronger than gunpowder, to produce an equivalent effect with
the stronger explosive, a reduction in the capacity of that part of the cartridge
containing the explosive or of the powder-chamber in the case of heavy guns
becomes necessary.
The wads may be composed of any suitable material say paper, papier-mache,
cardboard, light wood, ebonite, cork, cloth, felt, indiarubber, metal or the like.
A composite wad may also be used with a thickness of rubber on the base, and
cardboard on the top, or felt at the bottom and cardboard on the top in which case
the recoil upon the shoulder when sporting guns and rifles are used would be
reduced.
The above materials may be either waterproofed or not.
For sporting cartridges the wad would be of greater or less thickness according
to the space in the cartridge to be filled up, and if necessary perforated centrally,
so that when it is pushed down to the base of the powder chamber the cap-flash can
communicate through it with the explosive in the cartridge. The base of the wad
may be turned or moulded accurately so as to slide over the cap chamber which
sometimes protrudes as in revolver ammunition high up the cartridge, and seat
itself upon the base of the cartridge case. In the case of heavy guns tubes of
various thicknesses and accurately fitting the powder chamber and capable of being
easily inserted and withdrawn when ordinary powder is fired may be used, suitable
arrangements being made by apertures coinciding with the vent in the gun for
priming. It is obvious that by increasing the length or thickness of the wad or by
inserting tubes of various thicknesses and lengths into the cartridge cases the
chamber capacity can be accurately controlled.
The shape of the wads may be varied and they may be perforated and may have
portions removed.
Dated this 24th day of July 1802
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cartridges.
I, HERBERT MANNING CHAPMAN, Manager for the War and Sporting
Smokeless Powder Syndicate Limited, of Trimley, in the County of Suffolk,
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 :-
This invention has for its object the reduction at will of the capacity of military
or sporting cartridges and of the powder chambers of heavy guns or ordnance by

page_text: the insertion into them of a wad, block, tube or equivalent suitably perforated if
necessary. Certain explosives, bulk for bulk, being relatively very much stronger
than gunpowder, to produce an equivalent effect with the stronger explosive, a
reduction in the capacity of that part of the cartridge containing the explosive or
of the powder-chamber in the case of heavy guns becomes necessary.
The wads may be composed of any suitable material say paper, papier-mache,
cardboard, light wood, ebonite, cork, cloth, felt, indiarubber, metal or the like.
The above materials may be either waterproofed or not.
For sporting cartridges the wad would be of greater or less thickness according
to the space in the cartridge to be filled up, and if necessary perforated centrally,
so that when it is pushed down to the base of the powder chamber the cap-flash
can communicate through it with the explosive in the cartridge. The base of the
wad may be turned or moulded accurately so as to slide over the cap chamber
which sometimes protrudes as in revolver ammunition high up the cartridge, and
seat itself upon the base of the cartridge case. In the case of heavy guns tubes of
various thicknesses and accurately fitting the powder chamber and capable of being
easily inserted and withdrawn when ordinary powder is fired may be used, suitable
arrangements being made by apertures coinciding with the vent in the for
gun
priming. It is obvious that by increasing the length or thickness of the wad or by
inserting tubes of various thicknesses and lengths into the chamber the capacity
can be accurately controlled. More than one wad or tube may be used and the
latter can be arranged tandem fashion or concentrically one outside the other.
The shape of the wads may be varied and they may be perforated and may have
portions removed. To avoid perforating the wad inflammable wads-say for
instance collodion cotton-could be employed but this might be dangerous and
I prefer a perforated wad of some description.
By this invention it is no longer necessary to make the cartridge cases of different
sizes for gunpowder and higher explosives, as the case intended for gunpowder can
be used for the higher explosive by simply inserting the wad and vice versa, and
the same would apply to the powder chambers of heavy guns.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a section, and
Figure 2 is a perspective view of one form of the wad,
Figures 3 and 4 being similar views of a modified form.
Figures 5 and 6 are sections through cartridge cases showing these wads in
position.
Figure 7 is a section, and Figure 8 an end view of modified forms of wads, and
Figure 9 is a section through a portion of a gun showing the tube in position.
Figure 10 being a perspective view on an enlarged scale and partly in section of
a similar arrangement.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 represent a simple form of wad A with a central perforation A'
to allow of the passage of the cap-flash, Figure 5 showing the same in position in
the cartridge case from which latter figure it will be easily seen that the capacity
of the case is reduced by the thickness of the wad. Figures 3, 4 and 6 represent
very similar applications, but the hole A is enlarged at the cap end forming a
recess A2 adapted to fit over the cap-chamber B as shown in Fig. 6.
Figures 7 and 8 show the invention carried out in the form of a tube C for the
smaller types of heavy guns, and adapted to be placed in the powder-chamber of
the gun D, so as to reduce its capacity; in Figure 7 this tube is shown with a
closed end C and holes C' through the end and side to allow of the passage of the
flash, and to prevent the tube from striking the breech-block when the charge is
fired, the holes allowing the gas-pressure to be equalized around the tube.
Figure 8 the tube C is shown fluted or provided with longitudinal ridges C3 and
furrows C to facilitate its introduction and withdrawal. Any convenient means
may be used for extracting this or any of the other tubes.
In
In Figure 10 the same idea is embodied but as this is intended for large ordnance

page_text: where considerable power would be required to insert and withdraw the tube, the
latter is shown in three pieces, E and F touching each other at one edge E¹ but
leaving a space opposite which is occupied by the small and preferably though not
necessarily wedge-shaped segment G. The segment G has a screw-threaded hole
extending axially down it into which screws the rod H whose end H' is enlarged
and screw-threaded as shown; the rod H may be turned by the hand-wheel or
other handle H2 which passes through the loose bridge I, the ends or feet I' of
which take a bearing upon the breech of the gun. The segments E and F are
placed in the powder chamber and then the segment G, whether wedge-shaped or
not is inserted, completing the tube. Owing to various causes, amongst which may
be enumerated the expansion due to the heat and pressure and the natural adhesion
due to the tube remaining a long time in the gun, the tube is liable to stick, and to
cause trouble in removing it, the mechanism described being intended to avoid
this. For this purpose the bridge and rod H are applied, the rod screwing into
the segment G which is relatively small and like the other parts of the tube may
occasionally be withdrawn for lubricating and cleaning purposes, and is easily
drawn out by turning the screw, which not being fixed can be removed together
with the segment and the bridge as soon as the former is free. After the
segment G has been removed the other segments E and F can easily be removed
also, small recesses K being if necessary provided to allow the insertion of bars or
wedges in case the segments stick. If preferred the tube can be formed of a
number of rings one behind the other, the requisite number being inserted to fill
the powder chamber. Or the tube may be screwed in but I prefer not to do so as
I desire not to alter the gun.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. Enabling a cartridge case or the powder chamber of a gun of a size suited for
a charge of a low explosive such as gunpowder to be used for a high explosive by
altering its capacity by the insertion of one or more wads tubes blocks or
equivalent.
2. In a cartridge case the employment of one or more "wads" such as A for the
purpose of reducing the capacity of the powder chamber whereby a higher explosive
may be used in a cartridge case of a capacity suitable for a charge of gunpowder
or similar low explosive.
3. A tube for reducing the capacity of the powder chamber of a gun to enable
it to be fired with a high explosive formed in more than one piece to facilitate its
extraction.
4. In a tube for reducing the capacity of the powder chamber of a gun to enable
it to be fired with a high explosive the combination of three segments such as E F
and G the latter adapted to be withdrawn independently of the others for the
purpose of facilitating their removal substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In a tube for reducing the capacity of the powder chamber of a gun to enable
it to be fired with a high explosive the combination with the tube of a screwed rod
such as H H H and bridge such as II substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of May 1904
HERBERT MANNING CHAPMAN.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.