IMPROVED APPARATUS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Purdey, of 314, Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Gunmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
Sealed the 23rd July 1861, and dated the 5th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Purdey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
February 1861.
I, JAMES PURDEY, of 814, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR RAMMING AND TURNING OVER BREECH-LOADING CARTRIDGES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus for compressing
the charge and closing the open end of cartridges composed of pasteboard or
other like stiff material after the charge has been inserted therein. The
closing of this kind of cartridge is effected by turning in the edge of the open
end by a kind of burnishing action, but instead of doing this by a tool which is
revolved by hand, or by the action of a screw as-heretofore, which is an un-
satisfactory operation, I provide a short vertical hollow spindle, in the solid head
of which an annular groove is turned to receive the open end of the cartridge.

page_text: In this groove I form a projection which extends across the groove, and
stands a little above the bottom thereof. The spindle is carried by a vertical
pin projecting from the bottom plate of the apparatus, and cast on or attached
to the spindle is a bevil pinion, into which gears a pinion on a horizontal axle
fitted with a winch handle. Immediately above the spindle I mount a tubular
plunger fitted with a solid cylindrical core placed concentric with the tube,
and of such diameter as to leave an annular space between the outer tube and
core. This plunger is carried by a slide, which enters a vertical slot in a
standard cast with the bottom plate before mentioned, and works up and down
in that slot. The up-and-down motion may be advantageously obtained
by means of a hand lever hinged to the standard, the hand lever passing
through a slot in the slide for the purpose of bearing upon it in an upward or
downward direction. The cartridge when charged with powder is put under
the pressure of the plunger in order to force the covering wad into its place, and
when the shot is applied the like operation is repeated. The cartridge being
now charged, its position is inverted, the open end being placed downwards in
the groove of the spindle head. The pressure of the plunger is now again
applied, and sustained by the hand lever, while the spindle is caused to rotate,
the effect of which will be to bring the stud before mentioned (which acts
as a burnisher) to bear upon the edge of the cartridge, and turn it inwards so
as to secure the wad that covers the charge. The gearing I cover in by a
cap piece, and for convenience of attaching the apparatus to a beuch, I may
provide it with a clamping bracket and screw.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Purdey, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
PURDEY, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Purdey, Her special license that I, the said James Purdey, iny
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James

page_text: Purdey, my executors, administrators, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR RAMMING AND TURNING OVER BREECH-LOADING CARTRIDGES," upon the con-
dition, amongst others, that I, the said James Purdey, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Purdey, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus for expeditiously
compressing the charge and closing the open end of cartridges composed of
pasteboard or other like stiff material after the insertion of the charge in the
case. Hitherto the closing of this kind of breech-loading cartridgo has been
effected by turning the edge of the open end by a kind of burnishing action
produced by means of a tool which is revolved by hand, or through the agency
of a screw.
I now however propose to use the apparatus shewn in several views in the
accompanying Drawing, which apparatus is provided with a clamp for facili-
tating its temporary attachment to a bench or table, as may be found con-
venient.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved apparatus, shewing a cartridge under
operation; and Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, with the cartridge
removed. For carrying the various operating parts, and for securing the
apparatus in position, I provide a bed plate A, standard A', and clamping
piece A', which are cast in metal in one piece. Over the bed plate A is
mounted a short hollow vertical spindle B, formed with a solid or closed head,
in the top of which an annular groove a is turned to receive the open end of
the cartridge. This groove is fitted with a projection b, which extends across
the groove (as shewn best in the partial plan view, Fig. 3, and stands a little
above the bottom of the groove. The spindle B is carried by a vertical pin C

page_text: projecting up through the bed plate A, as shewn in the sectional elevation,
Fig. 7. Cast upon or attached to the lower end of this spindle is a bevil
pinion D, into which gears a bevil pinion E, keyed to a horizontal axle, which
has its bearing in a bracket on the bed plate A, and is fitted with a winch
handle F for imparting rotary motion thereto. Immediately above the hollow
spindle B is a hollow cylindrical plunger G, open at bottom and closed at the
top. This plunger is fitted internally with a solid cylindrical core H, which
is placed concentric with the cylinder and secured to its upper end. It is
made of such diameter as to leave an annular space between the enclosing
cylinder and the core to allow of the plunger passing down over the open
cartridge, in order that the core may enter the case when charged and com-
press the contents. The plunger is carried by a sliding bracket G¹, which
enters a vertical slot in the standard. A slot is made through this sliding
bracket to receive a hand lever I, which is hinged to the standard. By means
of this hand lever, the sliding bracket, together with its plunger, is worked up
and down for the purpose of operating upon the cartridge. The cartridge case
may be made in any usual or approved manner, and capped with a metal case,
as shewn at Figures 4 and 5, to which the percussion primer is attached. A
notch is made in the edge of the cylinder G to allow of its passing down over
the pin of the percussion primer, which pin projects laterally from the car-
tridge. When charged with powder, it is put under the pressure of the
plunger (the open end being upwards, as shewn at Fig. 6), in order to force
the covering wad into its place, and the shot being subsequently applied, the
like operation is repeated. The cartridge being now charged, its position is
inverted, as shewn at Fig. 7, the open end being placed downwards in the
groove of the spindle head. Pressure is now again applied to the plunger,
and maintained by means of the hand lever I. At the same time the spindle
is rotated by the winch handle F, the effect of which is to bring the projec-
tion 6 before mentioned (which acts as a burnisher) to bear upon the edge
of the cartridge, and turn it inwards so as to secure the wad that covers the
charge. By this means the closing of the cartridge is quickly and efficiently
effected. The plunger is now to be raised, the finished cartridge removed
from the apparatus, and replaced by an open one, when the operation may be
repeated. The gearing I prefer to cover by a cap-piece K; and although the
apparatus may be advantageously used as a permanent fixture, yet I prefer to
form it with a clamping bracket A' and screw L, as shewn in the Drawing.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved Apparatus
for Ramming and Turning over Breech-loading Cartridges," I wish it to be

page_text: understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim the
arrangement of apparatus, as above described, for ramming and closing the
ends of breech-loading cartridges.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Purdey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JOSEPH R. ROGERS,
66, Chancery Lane.
JAMES PURDEY. (L.B.)