Improvements in the Manufacture of Cases for Cartridges, Detonators,., Percussion Caps, and the like..
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1892-Accepted; 8th Oct., 1892
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cases for Cartridges, Detonators,.,
Percussion Caps, and the like..
I, JACOB PAULUS of Potsdamer Strasse, Berlin in the German Empire, Civil
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 :-
J
Cases for percussion caps for different purposes as well as for revolver and other,
cartridges, blasting cartridges or detonators and the like are at present made from
sheets of copper or brass. For this purpose the metal sheets must be rolled very
thin and then cut into strips. These strips are again rolled to gauge according to
requirements up to 0.01 mm.; difference, and then cut with parallel sides. The
cases are then stamped from these strips by a stamping press, and are then drawn
out from three to six times the length or even more according to the sizes required,
and the tops of the cases are cut. It need scarcely be mentioned that the material
must be heated and etched if required before undergoing any of the said operations
and finally the finished cases are delivered into the polishing drum.
"
The metal strips or plates which are employed in this manufacture must be
rolled. very thin and very even in order to obtain good and serviceable cases,
Accordingly the finished cases will have thin walls, except the bottom, which has
the thickness of the original sheet. It is necessary in order to obtain a good effect
to "arm or reinforce the case up to the height to which the exploding mixture is
intended to be placed, that is to say, to surround the case by a jacket, in order to
strengthen the sides. Nevertheless, the fact that the bottom of the case has the
thickness of the original metal sheet, is of great disadvantage for certain purposes.
It either injures very considerably the efficiency of the blasting mixture used or
exercises for percussion purposes a most injurious effect on the striking power of the
charge.
From the above, it is evident, that the manufacture of cartridge cases by
stamping and drawing from metal sheets is a very clumsy and comparatively
expensive process. Moreover in order to produce this very small article a good
many operations are necessary up to the drawing operation while the latter has
to be repeated several times. It is evident, that it would be a great progress to
manufacture the said cases by casting, especially if it is possible to succeed in
satisfying not only all the tests which are demanded, from cases made of sheet metal,
but also if at the same time all the drawbacks are avoided which are inseparable from
cases made by the pressing and drawing process. These drawbacks are as
follows:-
1. Expensive manufacture.
2. The necessity of reinforcing or arming the side walls.
3. Thick bottom of the cases, and
4. Their liability to oxidization.
The last named may become a very dangerous factor if the detonating powder
be acid and the cases be made of copper. Under certain circumstances a
compound may be formed (probably copper fulminate) the constitution of which
is not known, but which at once explodes by a small blow or fall even from a
moderate height whereby serious accidents may occur.
According to this invention metals which only melt at high temperatures are not
deemed suitable but to obviate most of the disadvantages inherent to the manu-
facture and use of cases made by rolling and stamping it is proposed to cast said
cases from metals and metallic alloys which melt at a comparatively low temperature
and flow easily and harden quickly.

page_text: The metal or alloys used may contain or consist of antimony, lead, bismuth, tin
and similar metals but preference is given to an alloy consisting of lead and antimony,
the percentage of these constituents being chosen according to the object in view.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The improvements in the manufacture of cases for cartridges, detonators,
percussion caps and the like consisting in forming said cases by casting in metals or
metallic alloys capable of being melted at a low temperature substantially as
described.
2. Cases for cartridges, detonators, percussion caps and the like made from metals
or metallic alloys by casting, such metals or alloys being capable of melting at
a low temperature substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of September 1892.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Associate Agent.