Miniature Cartridge and Apparatus connected therewith.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application. 16th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 20th Aug.,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Miniature Cartridge and Apparatus connected therewith.
HARRY ANDREWS of 25 New Road Woolwich in the County of Kent, Engineer
and JAMES O'KELLY M.P. of International Club, Trafalgar Square, London do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new form of miniature cartridge and to suitable modifi-
cations in one or both of Patents described in specifications No. 14916 of 1887 and
No. 7927 of 1889 whereby one or other of said inventions may be well adapted for
using this said new form of miniature cartridge.
The object of this invention is to facilitate the charging of the apparatus from the
front end, thereby obviating the necessity of pushing out the plug or cylinder to
extract the spent miniature shell after firing, as described in specification No. 7927 of
1889.
Our invention consists in the adoption of a miniature cartridge having no head or
flango at its base but having provided on the body thereof, and at a suitable distance
from the base, a rim or other suitable projection for the purpose of taking a bearing
or abutting against the shoulder formed in the chamber of the fire arm which provides
for the thickness of the neck of service cartridge case.
In carrying our invention into practice we shorten the length. of neck or end of
service cartridge shell, block, or tube fitting the chamber of the fire arm, to an amount
equal to the width of the rim or other projection we form on the miniature cartridge
to be inserted therein. We thereby form an abutment or bearing which enables the
miniature cartridge to resist the impact of the blow communicated through the firing
pin for its discharge.
The miniature cartridge may be held into position by the friction of the lower part
of body fitting into the mouth of the service cartridge, block, or other tube fitting the
chamber of the fire arm. But to ensure the spent miniature cartridge shell being
extracted with the firing apparatus aiter each discharge, we may employ any
suitable device for more firmly-securing the niiniature cartridge, for instance; such
as is provisionally described in specification in No. 14916 of 1887.
When we adopt this method of loading from the front we prefer to suitably fix the
plug or cylinder, with its pin or communicating striker into the cartridge case or other
suitable tube fitting the chamber of the fire arm as described in specification No. 7927
of 1889.
ليم
5
11800
HARRY ANDREWS.
JAMES O'KELLY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Miniature Cartridges and Apparatus connected therewith.
We, HARRY ANDREWS, of 25 New Road, Woolwich, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, and JAMES O'KELLY, of 17 Osnaburgh Street, Regent's Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Member of Parliament, do hereby declare the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to miniature cartridges and to apparatus for use in connection
therewith, and our said invention comprises improvements in apparatus of the kind

page_text: or class described in the specifications of the following former Letters Patent, viz.
No. 14,916 dated 2nd November 1887, and No. 7927 dated 13th May 1889, for adapting
fire-arms for use with miniature ammunition.
Our said invention is chiefly designed to facilitate the charging of the apparatus
from the front end thereof. thus obviating the necessity for pushing out or withdrawing
the plug or cylinder from the outer shell or tube to permit the extraction therefrom
of the shell of the spent miniature cartridge.
Our said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawing, we have shown how our present invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of one form of our improved apparatus,
the miniature cartridge and other parts being shown in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of our improved miniature cartridge.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section, some of the parts being shown in side
elevation, illustrating another form or modification of our improved apparatus, the
miniature cartridge being removed.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal central section, the miniature cartridge and the com-
municating pin being shown in side elevation, showing a further modification of our
invention, and
Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal central section, showing a still
further modification of our said invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the outer shell or tube which is so shaped that it will fit into the chamber of the
gun. bis the miniature cartridge. c is the plug or block in which is fitted to slide
longitudinally to and fro the communicating pin or striker d.
The miniature cartridges, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, are constructed without a
rim or flange at the base, but with a circumferential projection or collar 6' on the body
thereof at a suitable distance from the base for the purpose bereinafter specified. The
collar is made of the same external diameter as the neck a¹ of the shell or tube
which is made shorter than heretofore so that the length thereof together with that of
the said collar is equal to that of the neck of an ordinary or service cartridge-shell.
The said miniature cartridge is inserted in the neck of the shell or tube a from the
front end thereof, and the said collar b¹ abuts at its rear end against the neck of the
said shell or tube
and at its forward end against the shoulder at the forward end of
the chamber of the gun, when the apparatus is inserted therein. We thus greatly
facilitate the insertion of the miniature cartridge in its proper position in the shell
or tube a, and the extraction of its empty shell therefrom, whilst affording a suitable
bearing or support for the miniature cartridge to enable the same to resist the force of
the blow or impact communicated thereto from the hammer or firing-pin of the gun
through the pin d.
a,
The apparatus may be so constructed that the miniature cartridge will fit into the
neck thereof with sufficient tightness to ensure its being held or retained in the
same without further provision being made for this purpose. We find it advan-
tageons, however, to form one or more slits a², Figure 3, in the neck a¹ and to
slightly contract the said neck, so that, when the miniature cartridge is inserted
therein, the said neck will be expanded and will grip the said miniature cartridge and
securely retain the same in its proper position. We thus more effectually ensure the
extraction of the empty shell of tre miniature cartridge from the gun together with
the shell or tube a. We can, if desired, provide other suitable devices for ensuring
this result.
In the apparatus shown in Figure 1, the block or plug c is provided at its base with
a rim or flange c', with which the extractor of the fire-arm will engage for the
purpose of effecting the extraction of the apparatus from the chamber of the gun,
and the said block or plug is positively connected with or secured in the outer shell or
tube so that the latter will be drawn out of the gun with the said block or plug. For

page_text: this purpose, we prefer to screw the said block or plug into the said outer shell or tube.
The said block or plug, moreover, extends forward to the rear end of the neck of the
shell or tube a and has a bearing at each end for the pin or rod d. To facilitate the
operations of screwing the block or plug c into, and unscrewing it from the shell or
tube a, we sometimes provide the said block or plug c with an interrupted screw-
thread as shown in this figure, and form a corresponding interrupted screw-thread in
the shell or tube a.
In the apparatus shown in Figure 3, the plug or block c is similarly constructed and
fixed, with the exception that it is made without a rim or flange, the shell or tube a
being, in this instance, provided with a rim or flange a³ to permit its extraction from
the chamber of the gun. The base of the block or plug c must, in this instance, he
provided with a slit or groove or with suitable holes to receive a screw-driver or key
for screwing it into and out of the shell or tube a.
In the modification of our apparatus shown in Figure 4, the block or plug c is simply
a disc provided with a rim or flange cand screwed into the rear end of the shell or
tube a, and the pin or rod d has a bearing at its rear end in the said block or plug c
and a bearing at its forward end in a disc or diaphragm a* formed for the purpose in
the shell or tube a.
The pin or rod d is preferably provided with a removable head d' as shown in
Figure 4.
It is obvious that the joint between the block or plug c and the shell or tube a,
instead of being at the rear end of the said shell or tube, may be at any suitable
distance from the rear end thereof, as shown for example in Figure 5. This arrange-
ment may be desirable to further facilitate the screwing of the said block or plug into
and the unscrewing of the same from the said shell or tube.
It is obvious, moreover, that our improved apparatus constructed as shown in
Figures 1, 3 and 5 can be used with miniature cartridges having a rim or flange at the
base and designed to be inserted into the shell or tube a from the rear end thereof as
described in the said former specification No. 7927. The miniature cartridge may, in
this case, be formed with the ordinary rim or flange or with a rim or flange suitably
bevelled to fit against the shoulder in the shell or tube a.
We sometimes make the shell of the miniature cartridge b by drawing or stamping
the same from sheet metal, and secure the ring or collar & thereon by pressing or
otherwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
First. A miniature cartridge constructed without a rim or flange at its base so that
it can be inserted into the outer shell or tube from the front end thereof and provided
with a circumferential projection or collar at a suitable distance from its base, for the
purposes above specified.
Second. The combination, with our improved miniature cartridge, of the outer
shell or tube having its neck so formed as to retain the said cartridge therein
and ensure its extraction from a gun therewith, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Third. An apparatus for the purpose above specified, consisting of a tubular portion
adapted to receive and hold a miniature cartridge, and a block or plug containing a
communicating pin or striker and firmly secured or fastened in the rear end of the said
tubular portion, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth. An apparatus for the purpose above specified, wherein the rim or flange
for facilitating the extraction is formed on the block or plug, which is firmly secured
or fastened in the tube or shell, and which has a bearing at one or both ends for the
communicating pin, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fifth. The modification of our apparatus wherein the communicating pin or striker
is supported at one end in the block or plug and at its other end in a bearing formed
in the outer shell or tube, as above specified.

page_text: Sixth. The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to either of the forms or modifications shown
in the accompanying drawings, for the purposes above specified.
1 A
1
1000
HARRY ANDREWS.
JAMES O'KELLY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.