Improvements in Practice Cartridges or Cylinders and Bullets for use with Ordinary Rifles, Machine Guns, and Ordnance for Practice at Short Ranges.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left. 9th July, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Practice Cartridges or Cylinders and Bullets for
use with Ordinary Rifles, Machine Guns, and Ordnance for
Practice at Short Ranges.
I, SAMUEL WICKENS' of 117 Marine Parade Brighton in the County of
Sussex Lieutenant-Colonel do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in practice cartridges or cylinders and
bullets for practice at short ranges such as are described in the Specification of
Letters Patent No. 16230 dated 10th December 1884 and has for its object to so
construct the cylinder that jamming in the gun of the front end of cylinder
consequent upon repeated explosions is prevented and so also that if desired the
cartridge or holder containing the small or practice charge of explosive may be of
the less expensive kind known as rim fire although central fire cartridges may be
used if desired.
According to my invention I make the body of the cylinder which fills the
breech chamber of the gun of metal of considerable thickness throughout so that
the end where the bullet is inserted is of sufficient thickness to prevent the
jamming which occurs with cylinders as hitherto made.
In the case of guns of large calibre instead of the cylinder being solid as
described the thickness need be only sufficient to prevent its being so expanded by
the explosions as to cause jamming and it may be fitted with an outer case or rings
to fit the breech chamber. I fit the bullet in the cylinder end by forming the said
bullet with a short neck reduced to an extent corresponding to the thickness of the.
cylinder body at the end where the bullet is inserted. The bullet is made solid or
hollow more or less from its base to suit the charge and other considerations. The
whole of the bore of the cylinder may be made directly through the axis of same
to receive a small cartridge of the central fire kind, or it may be made with the
bore at the base or back of the cylinder eccentric to the axis of the cylinder body
to receive a small rim fire cartridge and owing to the excentricity of the hole in
the cylinder body the said cartridge when put in place is in position for being
struck by the pin hammer or striker of the gun with which it is used.
Dated this 9th day of Septemb-1901
A
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Practice Cartridges or Cylinders and Bullets for
use with Ordinary Rifles, Machine Guns, and Ordnance for
Practice at Short Ranges.
I SAMUEL WICKENS of 117 Marine Parade Brighton in the County of Sussex
Lieutenant Colonel 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:—
My invention relates to improvements in practice cartridges or cylinders and
bullets for practice at short ranges such as are described in the Specification of
Letters Patent No. 16230 dated 10th December 1884 and has for its object to so
construct the cylinder that jamming in the gun of the front end of the cylinder,

page_text: consequent upon repeated explosions, is prevented and so also that if desired the
cartridge or holder containing the small or practice charge of explosive, may be of
the less expensive kind known as "rim-fire" although "central fire" cartridges can
be used if desired.
According to my invention I make the body of the cylinder which fills the
breech chamber of the gun of metal of considerable thickness throughout so that
the end where the bullet is inserted is of sufficient thickness to prevent the
jamming which occurs with cylinders -as hitherto -made. In the case of guns of
large calibre instead of the cylinder being solid as described the thickness need be
only sufficient to prevent its being so expanded by the explosions as to cause
jamming and it may be fitted with an outer case or rings to fit the breech chamber.
I fit the bullet in the cylinder-end by forming the said bullet with a short neck
reduced to an extent corresponding to the thickness of the cylinder body-at the
cnd where the bullet is inserted. The bullet is made solid or hollow more or less
from its base to suit 'the charge and other considerations.
The whole of the bore of the cylinder may be made directly through the axis of
same to receive a small cartridge of the central-fire kind or it may be made with
the bore at the base or back of the cylinder excentric to the axis of the cylinder
body to receive a small rim-fire cartridge and owing to the excentricity of the hole
in the cylinder body the said cartridge when put in place is in position for being
struck by the pin hammer or-striker of the gun with which it is used.
And in order that my invention may be well understood, I have illustrated in
longitudinal section on the accompanying drawing practice cartridges or cylinders.
constructed according to my invention that illustrated by Figure 1 being intended
for use with central fire guns and that illustrated by Figure 2 being a rim-fire
cartridge. The body or cylinder A is made to fit the breech chamber of the gun
with which it is to be used, and is preferably made slightly conical to facilitate its
insertion and removal therefrom. The forward end A of this cylinder is-reduced
in diameter to correspond to the 'bore of the barrel of the gun.
The passage or bore B of the cylinder, (in the case of the central fire cartridge
or cylinder Figure 1) extends longitudinally and centrally through the said
cylinder. In the front end of the bore B is fitted the bullet C the rear end of
which bullet is reduced in diameter-so as to form a neck b to fit the said :bore.
This neck may be the same diameter throughout or it may be conical. The
projecting front portion of the bullet is of a diameter corresponding to the
external diameter of the reduced portion A' of the cylinder against the end of
which reduced end the shoulder a formed by the neck b abuts. The base of the
bullet is shewn by dotted lines c as being hollow or concave but it may be-solid-if
desired. In the rear end of the bore or passage B in the cylinder, is insorted n
case or chamber D containing a charge of explosive powder and in the rear end of
this case or chamber is fitted the percussion cap which is struck by the pin or
striker of the gun to effect the explosion of the charge of powder. The explosion
of the charge of powder drives the bullet C with force out of the cylinder whilst
owing to the thickness of the said cylinder it can be frequently re-used without
the liability of the cylinder-expanding-and-jamming-in, the gun as is the case
with practice cartridges hitherto in use having thin metal cases or cylinders. By
omitting the bullets C the cartridges or cylinders may be used as blank cartridge.
For rim firing guns instead of making the passage or bore B'to extend directly
through the axis of the cylinder A from front to rear as shown in Figure 1-the
said passage is made concentric or through the axis of the cylinder ifor only a i
short distance from the forward end towards the rear the said bore or passage a
the rear end being eccentric to the axis. The bullet C is fitted in the forward and
of the bore or passage as described with reference to Figure 1 and the chamber or
case D containing the explosive charge is placed in the rear end of the said
passage as shewn but the bullet may be omitted if desired. The weight of the i
gun is not increased by the use of these cartridges any more than by the
crdinary: cartridges and the balance of the gun is not effected.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what.
I claim is :-
1st. A practice cartridge for use with ordinary rifles having a cylinder or body
portion of a size to fit the breech chamber of the gun and a bore or passage there
through (for the reception of a case containing an explosive charge) of such a
diameter as to leave sufficient thickness of metal between the bore and the
exterior surface of the cylinder to prevent the expansion and jamming of the
cylinder in the gun substantially as hereinbefore described.
2nd. In a practice cartridge for use with ordinary rifles, a cylinder of a size to.
fit the breech chamber of the gun a bore or passage therein to contain at the rear
end a case containing an explosive charge, and at the forward end a bullet of a
diameter corresponding to the diameter of the rifling or bore of the gun and having
a neck formed thereon to enter the bore or passage through the cylinder substan-
tially as hereinbefore described.
3rd. A central-fire practice cartridge or cylinder for use with ordinary rifles or
guns constructed as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 1 of the
drawings.
4th. A rim-fire practice cartridge or cylinder for use with ordinary rifles or
guns constructed as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.