Year: 1888

page_text: I PIERRE AMBJÖRN Comte de Sparre of 1 Boulevard St. Denis, Paris, France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It is known that in order to obtain a great speed of projectiles it is not sufficient
to employ as powders materials of great explosive force; on the contrary the stronger
the materials the less good is the result. The correct principle is to communicate a
gradual pressure to the projectile but a pressure which is sufficiently strong at the
end of the travel in the gun to give the desired initial speed.
Hitherto powders have been tried which are homogeneous in their composition and
have this progressive property during their combustion as for example the powder
used for the Lebel rifle.
Now my invention consists in charging cartridges with different fulminating
materials which will produce a gradual force proportionate to the speed of their
ignition. For example I charge a cartridge as follows:-At the bottom of the case
next the point of ignition I place a powder which is relatively slow formed of paper
cut into very small pieces and impregnated first with a solution concentrated to
saturation of nitrate of potassa in water, then dried, and then immersed in a saturated
solution of picrate of ammonia in alcohol, and then again dried; above this relatively
slow powder 1 place an intermediate powder stronger than the foregoing but not so
strong as the third, say picrate of ammonia; and finally next the projectile I place
third powder stronger and quicker still, formed of picrate of potassa or similar
explosive material.
a
The effect is that when the charge is fired the first powder begins to give an impulse
to the projectile before the ignition of the second powder and the same with the third
which in acting against the projectile produces the pressure desired.
The proportions of the three powders may be varied but suitable proportions are
3 parts of the first powder to 2 of the second and 1 of the third. Instead of three
graduated powders two may be used or more than three.

page_text: Further, I can either make up complete cartridges with my graduated powders that
is to say with their priming and projectile ready for use; or I can prepare packets or
charges containing the three or other number of graduated powders ready to be inserted
in empty cases or into the gun itself.
Date : 10 JCA 10OU
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.
I, PIERRE AMBJÖRN, Comte de Sparre, of 1 Boulevard St. Denis, Paris, France,
Engineer, 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 :—
It is known that in order to obtain a great speed of projectiles it is not sufficient
to employ as powders materials of great explosive force; on the contrary the stronger
the materials the less good is the result. The correct principle is to communicate
a gradual pressure to the projectile, but a pressure which is sufficiently strong at the
end of the travel in the gun to give the desired initial speed.
Hitherto powders have been tried which are homogeneous in their composition and
have this progressive property during their combustion, as for example the powder
used for the Lebel rifle."
Now my invention consists in charging cartridges with different fulminating
materials which will produce a gradual force proportionate to the speed of their
ignition. For example I charge a cartridge as follows: At the bottom of the case
next the point of ignition I place a powder which is relatively slow formed of
paper cut into very small pieces and impregnated first with a solution concentrated
to saturation of nitrate of potassa in water, then dried, and then immersed in a
saturated solution of picrate of ammonia in alcohol, and then again dried; above
this relatively slow powder I place an intermediate powder stronger than the foregoing,
but not so strong as the third, say picrate of ammonia; and finally next the projectile
I place a third powder stronger and quicker still, formed of picrate of potassa or
similar explosive material. The effect is that when the charge is fired the first
powder begins to give an impulse to the projectile before the ignition of the second
powder and the same with the third which in acting against the projectile produces the
pressure desired.

page_text: The annexed drawing is a longitudinal section of a cartridge and illustrates my
invention. a is the cartridge case, b the base, c the cap or point of ignition,
d the part of the charge formed of relatively slow powder, the part formed
of stronger but intermediate powder, and 9 the part formed of still stronger and
quicker powder.
The proportions of the three powders may be varied but suitable proportions
are three parts of the first powder to two of the second and one of the third.
Instead of three graduated powders two may be used, or more than three.
Further I can either make up complete cartridges with my graduated powders, that
is to say with their priming and projectile ready for use; or I can prepare packets or
charges containing the three or other number of graduated powders ready to be
inserted in empty cases or into the gun itself.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In cartridges or charges for cartridges, two or more powders of progressive or
graduated strengths as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
1
A
+1 1000
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.