Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 27th Apr., 1889
I, ROBERT THOMAS APPS, of Gillingham, Knole Road, Bournemouth East, in the
County of Hants, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My Invention relates to cartridges used in sporting guns; and it has for its object
to provide means of avoiding or remedying the undermentioned defects common to
cartridges as now made, and thereby to ensure more regular shooting and greater
penetrating power or efficiency at greater distances.
Upon the discharge of a cartridge (whether paper or metal case) as now made the
thin front wad is liable to be canted in passing through the barrel and so to let the shot
pass it in the barrel, the shot being projected in a loose and irregular instead of a
compact condition. Moreover in using certain kinds of cartridges in double barrel
guns, the cartridge in the left barrel is apt to be disturbed by the shock of the more
frequent discharge of the right barrel and to allow some or all of the shot to escape
which may render the cartridge altogether non efficient or constitute a source of
danger if some of the shot remain in a forward position in the barrel.
In metal case cartridges in which the front wad is retained in place by the crimping
of the cartridge case, the wad becomes so jagged in forcing its way past the crimped
metal as to injure the quality of the shooting. Moreover, the crimping does not
always retain the wad tightly enough in place to keep the shot sufficiently compact in
To avoid these defects, some metal cases are lined with paper, the end of
the paper lining being turned over in the usual way to retain the wad, but this lining
involves additional expense and the extra thickness of the paper lining necessitates the
use of wads which are too small in diameter to perform their proper functions in the
barrel.
the case.
My improvement enables the usual paper lining to be dispensed with and avoids
Moreover, it obviates
entirely or almost so, the crimping of the metal of such cases.
the liability of the wad turning in the barrel and allowing the irregular escape of
the shot which is a defect common both to paper and metallic cartridges the shot by
means of my improvement being kept in a compact mass whilst passing through the
barrel.

page_text: My improvement consists in the introduction between the end wad and the "turn
over "of paper cartridge cases or of paper lined metal cases, of a separate thimble
or liner ring which fits in the cartridge case and passes out along with the wad when
the gun is discharged.
This liner or thimble may be formed out of paper tube cut to a length sufficient
to keep it from canting in passing out through the barrel along with the front wad
which it serves to keep in its proper transverse position in the barrel all the time it
is passing through the same. The liner or thimble, owing to its annular form, meets
with little resistance from the air whilst the wad which is exposed to the air through
the liner quickly separates therefrom after leaving the barrel.
If necessary to make room for this liner or thimble in cartridge cases of the
ordinary length, I replace the thick felt lubricating wad between the shot and the
powder charge, by a thinner one.
In the case of metallic cartridge cases, the paper liner fits accurately enough to be
retained by a very slight indentation of the metallic case, the usual crimping being
dispensed with.
R. T. APPS.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: I, ROBERT THOMAS APPS, of Gillingham, Knole Road, Bournemouth East, in the
County of Hants, Gentleman, 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 cartridges used in sporting guns; and it has for its object
to provide means of avoiding or remedying the undermentioned defects common to
cartridges as now made and thereby to ensure safer and more regular shooting and
greater penetrating power or efficiency at greater distances and an equal distribution
of the shot at say forty yards.
Upon the discharge of an ordinary sporting cartridge as now made (whether
the case be of paper, metal, or other material) the thin front wad is liable to be
canted in passing through the barrel and so to let the small shot pass it in the
barrel, the shot being projected in a loose and irregular, instead of in a compact,
condition. Moreover in using certain kinds of cartridges in double-barrel guns, the
cartridge in the second or left barrel is apt to be disturbed by the shock of the more
frequent discharge of the first or right barrel and to allow some or all of the shot to
escape from the case which may render the cartridge altogether non-efficient or
constitute a source of danger if some of the shot remain in a forward position in
the barrel. If the cartridge have a metallic case and the front wad be retained in
place by the crimping of the cartridge case, as sometimes practised, the wad becomes
so jagged in forcing its way past the crimped metal as to injure the quality of the
shooting. Moreover the crimping does not always retain the wad tightly enough in
place to keep the shot sufficiently compact in the case. To avoid these defects
some metal cases are lined with paper, the end of the paper lining being turned
over in the usual way to retain the wad, but this lining involves additional
expense and the extra thickness of the paper lining necessitates the use of
wads which are too small in diameter to perform their proper functions in the
barrel.
My improvement obviates the liability of the wad turning in the barrel and
allowing the irregular escape of the shot which is a defect common to cartridges
whether the case be of metal, paper, or other material, the shot by means of my
improvement being kept in a compact cylindrical mass whilst passing through the
barrel. Moreover as applied to a cartridge having a metallic case, the improvement
enables the usual paper lining to be dispensed with and almost, if not entirely, avoids
the necessity of crimping the metal of such cases.
"
My improvement consists in the introduction, between the end wad and the "turn
over of paper cartridge cases or of the lining of paper-lined metal cases, of a
separate thimble or liner ring which fits in the cartridge case and passes out along
with the wad when the gun is dischaaged.

page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifi-
cation, wherein figure 1 shows a longitudinal view, partly in section, of a cartridge
having a paper case. Figure shews the thimble or liner ring separately. Figure 3
shews a part section and end view of a cartridge having a metal case.
The same
letters refer to similar parts.
"
"
Referring to figures 1 and 2, a is the ordinary paper case, b is the front or top wad,
c the charge of shot, and d the middle lubricating wad placed between a grease-proof
wad on the side next the powder and card wad on the side next the shot; e is the
thimble or liner ring of my invention. It fits accurately within the cartridge case a
and is inserted therein in front of the wad band the two are secured by the ordinary
" turn over end a¹ of the paper case, the liner forming, as shewn, an inward continu-
ation of the "turn over portion. This liner or thimble may be formed out of a
tube of paper or pasteboard or other suitable material. It is cut to a length sufficient
to keep it from canting in passing out through the barrel. The length I have found
sufficient is about one-third to one-half its diameter. The front wad b passes out
along with the liner or thimble e which serves to keep the said wad in its proper
transverse position in the barrel and so cause it to retain the charge of shot in a
compact mass all the time it is passing through the barrel. Upon emerging from the
barrel the liner or thimble e, owing to its annular form, meets with little resistance
from the air whilst the wad which is exposed to the air through the liner quickly
separates therefrom and so leaves the charge of shot free to fly onwards without being
unduly scattered. If necessary to make room for this liner or thimble in cartridge
cases of the ordinary length, I replace the thick, hard, felt lubricating wad between
the shot and the powder charge by a thinner one, as at d, which is preferably of
elastic felt.
If the cartridge case be of metal and have a paper lining, the thimble may be
applied thereto in the same way as to a paper case, but no paper lining is necessary
the thimble or liner ring e fitting the metal case and being retained by inwardly
turned portions formed by slitting the end of the metallic case, as shewn in figure 3,
the crimping (usual when no paper lining having a "turn-over" end is used) being
dispensed with. These inwardly turned portions fare easily forced open by the
discharge and they do not jag the liner or wad as crimping would do. Such a case
may be frequently reloaded as the portions of remain serviceable and only require to
be bent inwards again after recharging.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;
1. The combination with a sporting cartridge having a case of paper or analogous
material and with the top or front wad thereof, of a short tubular liner of pasteboard
or other suitable material fitting within the case and introduced between the front or
top wad and the "turn-over" end of the case, substantially as, and for the purpose,
specified.
2. The combination with a metallic case sporting cartridge and with the front wad
thereof, of a short tubular liner of pasteboard or other suitable material fitting
within the case in front of the front wad and held in place by the inwardly bent
portions of the end of the metal case, as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 15th day of March 1889