AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PATCHED BALLS FOR FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Milo Peck at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th August
1864.
I, MILO PECк, of the City and County of New Haven, State of Con-
necticut, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PATCHED
BALLS FOR FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The principal object of my Invention is to produce a patched ball for use in
the construction of cartridges for fire-arms.
The advantages which a ball properly patched has over a ball not patched
in giving direction to the ball, and to hold the lubricating substance, are too
well known to require more to be said to properly set them forth.
The difficulties which have attended the manufacture of cartridges with
patched balls have chiefly arisen in gathering and holding the patch around
the ball; by my Invention this difficulty is entirely overcome, and the patch
so perfectly attached and secured to the ball as to make it so far as the
manufacture of cartridges is concerned a part of the ball itself.
My Invention consists in first forming one end of the ball so as leave a
rim or flange of the metal, while the metal which is to form the balance or

page_text: other end of the ball is of a smaller diameter than the end first formed, and
stands in the centre and axially of the ball like a spindle, then place the first-
formed end. upon a round patch of the requisite diameter, then gather the
outer edge up and over the said rim or flange, then by proper dies or other
contrivances
compress the balance of the metal down upon the edge
of the patch so as to securely hold the patch and form the other end of
the ball.
To enable others skilled in the art to produce my improved patched balls I
will proceed to more fully describe the construction as illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings, in which Figure 1 represents my patched ball complete;
Figure 2, a vertical central section of the same; Figures 3, 4, and 5, the
process of manufacture; Figures 6 and 7 shewing that the patch may be
put on from the other or front end; and Figure 8, a ball as adapted to
metallic cartridges.
I first, in dies or moulds prepared for the purpose, form the rear end a of
the ball with a rim or flange, as seen in Figure 3; the metal d, which is to
form the balance or point of the ball standing like a spindle in the centre;
then set the rear end a upon a patch of the proper diameter and material,
as seen in Figure 4; then place the patch and ball into a die which will gather
the patch up around the ball; then with a follower properly constructed turn
the edge of the patch down on to the rim, as seen in blue, Figure 5; then by
another follower of the proper form press the spindle d down on to the patch,
and so as to form the point of the ball, as seen in Figures 1 and 2; this
completes the ball, and the patch cannot be torn from the ball. The patch
being so smoothly gathered around and so firmly held to the ball, there are
no more difficulties attending its use in the manufacture of cartridges than in
the use of the bare ball. By dipping the rear end of the patched ball into the
lubricating material, the patch will absorb a sufficient quantity for its own use,
and will be much cleaner to handle than balls when the lubrication adheres to
the metal as in ordinary cartridges.
For metallic cartridges I prefer to form a shoulder on the rear of the ball,
as seen in Fig. 8.
I have represented my patch as put on at the rear of the ball, but it may be
put on from the front or point, as seen in Figures 6 and 7, where the point is
represented as first formed, the patch placed on the point and gathered in like
manner as for the rear before described, then the balance of the metal com-
pressed in like manner as before described; I prefer, however, the first
described, as it leaves the ball bare at the point, uses less material for the

page_text: patch, is secured entirely around the ball so that it cannot be torn therefrom,
while in the other case the point may be forced through the patch in its
passage through the barrel of the arm and the object of the patch thereby
defeated.