Improvements in Miniature Ammunition and in Means for Adapting Small Arms for Use therewith.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct, 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Miniature Ammunition and in Means for Adapting
Small Arms for Use therewith.
I JAMES O'KELLY of 65 Bessborough Street S. W. Journalist and Member of
Parliament do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
It relates to a special form of Chamber in a rifle or other gun, and to a particular
form of "Cone" or tube to be inserted within it and removable at will, for the purpose
of elongating the barrel of the rifle in the direction of the breech so that a reduced
cartridge of special shape and miniature bullet of the same diameter as the service one
may be used when required for drilling soldiers or others in target practice, or for
any purpose; sporting or otherwise.
The empty shell of this cartridge can be ejected from the cone by using the ordinary
extractor of the rifle without displacing the cone.
The chamber of the rifle is made so that at the place where the barrel is inserted a
rather large shoulder is formed the barrel at this portion is coned or tapered abruptly
and presses against and confines a disc of thin steel, or other metal, hollowed and
shaped so that it will act both as a gas check and as a spring for facilitating the
extraction of the cone a disc of copper may be used as a gas check held as a washer
between the end of the barrel and the chamber; or dispensing with any form of
gas check or spring, the shaped end of the elongating tube may simply abut against
the end of the barrel coned out to fit it. At the portion of the chamber or breech
end of the rifle where the extractor is placed I form the recess for the flange of the
service cartridge a little deeper than usual and make in it a sufficient number of small
recesses into which certain projections on the extractor flange of the flange of the
cone or lengthening tube can be freely inserted, when on giving the cone a partial
turn those projections engage with and lock into corresponding recesses cut in the
breech end of the rifle. I sometimes dispense with this arrangement for holding the
cone and depend on friction only.
The extension tube is made of steel or other suitable metal and fits tightly within
the chamber of the rifle and is bored so that it will be of the same diameter as the

page_text: bore of the rifle and will have the same axis. It may meet the rifle barrel in the
various manners described or butt against it fairly or it need not necessarily abut
against the rifle barrel at all. It has a flange which acts as an extractor, a stop to
prevent its being driven in too far, and as a means of locking it with the rifle in the
manner described, recesses to admit the flange of the miniature ammunition are
formed in it and it is cut away and shaped so that the extractor of the rifle will not
affect it. Where the thickness of the metal in the cone admits of one I use a
"cross-head" extractor actuated by the extractor of the rifle.
The miniature ammunition described in my application of November 2nd 1887,
No. 14916 may be used with this " cone but with an extra extension of the
wings."
The shell or case of the miniature ammunition required has a specially formed
extracting rim in which the wing or wings project sufficiently to engage with the
ordinary extractor of the rifle and be ejected in the ordinary manner.
The chamber of the rifle need not necessarily be straight sided or conical (frustum
of a cone) in shape but may be of any shape from which a corresponding cone or
elongating tube may be readily withdrawn.
AT
428
1007
JAMES
O'KELLY,
65, Bessborough Street, S.W.

page_text: Improvements in Miniature Ammunition and in Means for Adapting
Small Arms for Use therewith.
I, JAMES O'KELLY of 65 Bessborough Street, S.W., Journalist and Member of
Parliament, 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 :-
For the purposes of instruction and practice it is often required that a rifle or other
small arm should be adapted to receive miniature ammunition or ammunition of much
smaller size than the service ammunition supplied for the arm.
To adapt the arm to receive the miniature ammunition I insert into the breech of
the barrel a bush or lining which fills the chamber into which the service ammunition
is received, so reducing it in diameter that it becomes a continuation of the bore of
the barrel. 1 provide this bush or lining with a rear flange of the same dimensions
as the flange of the service cartridge but I cut away or omit the flange from the part
where the extractor would otherwise act upon it so that in opening the breech, after
firing the bush or lining is not ejected from the barrel.
I make the miniature ammunition with a very much lighter bullet and powder
charge than is provided in the service ammunitions. The capsules or cases of this
service ammunition are provided with flanges but these extend only at the parts
corresponding to where the flanges of the bush or lining are removed. The bush
and lining and the miniature cartridge together occupy a space in the barrel corre-
sponding to that occupied by the service cartridge except only that a void is
left within the bush or lining in front of the projectile of the cartridge. The arm is
worked in the same way as with the service arm, the bush or lining remaining in
its place so long as its use is required, but the capsule of the cartridge is thrown out
by the extractor after each discharge.
space
The loading is performed with the miniature cartridge in the same way as with
the service cartridge.
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the breech end of the barrel of a rifle or other
fire-arm; the bush or lining is shown in its place in the barrel; the miniature
cartridge is also shown in its place within the bush or lining.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the bush or lining.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the miniature cartridge.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the miniature cartridge.
A is the barrel, B is the bush or lining preferably of brass; B₁ is the spaced flange
at its rear end. This flange is so formed as to escape the extractor.

page_text: The cartridge consists of a metal capsule C of the ordinary description provided
with a priming chamber in which a percussion cap and anvil of ordinary construc-
tion are lodged. The capsule contains the powder charge D in front of which there
is a wad E and a light projectile F. The edges of the capsule fit to the projectile
closely and serve to keep it in place. G G is the spaced flange on the base of the
cartridge and this, as will be seen, corresponds to the intervals in the spaced flange
on the bush or lining B.
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:-
:-
1. The bush or lining B adapted to the barrel of a rifle or other fire-arm; such
bush or lining having a base flange so spaced as to escape the extractor and being
suited to receive a miniature cartridge with a correspondingly spaced base flange
substantially as described.
2. The miniature ammunition with spaced base flange adapted to the spaced flange
of the bush or lining and inserted into the barrel of the rifle or fire arm and such as
to be operated upon by the extractor and ejected from the barrel whilst the bush of
lining remains in place substantially as herein described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1888.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.