Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 20th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 10th Feb., 1888
I OCTAVIUS ROWE Captain Royal Artillery of 2 Bay Terrace Berwick-on-Tweed, in
the County of Berwick-on-Tweed do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The object of the invention is to improve the manufacture of cartridges by means
of improved apparatus for use in the filling and closing of the cases.
For this purpose I employ a bed piece or block having holes formed in it of size
and form adapted to receive a number of cartridge cases-say for instance a hundred,
mouths upwards provision being made by suitable recesses for the safe housing of the
caps or exploders below. Over this block and the held cartridges is brought a plate
or block having a number of holes formed in it corresponding to the cartridges below.
These holes pass through this upper block but the bottoms of them are closed by a
plate or slider so that each hole in the series may be for a time a receptacle for a
charge of a certain amount of powder or component of the filling and each hole for
the time forms the guage of quantity thereof, the surplus material placed over the
holes being stricken off by a ruler or like means. The bottom plate which is formed
with a series of holes corresponding to the holes in both the upper and lower blocks,
is then drawn aside to allow the openings to become coincident and the charges fall
into the cases.
Plates having corresponding holes in corresponding series are now placed over the
tops of the cases in the lower beds-a plate of thickness adjusted to the amount of
charge and consequently to the height of wall or cylinder of the cartridge to be
compressed.
Various proportionate thicknesses of plates being provided. Upon this adjusting
plate is placed another plate having corresponding series of holes to those below and
of corresponding diameter for a slight distance upwards of the edges meeting the
cartridges but thence inclining inwards and being so formed as to gather inwards the
upper edges of the cartridge cylinder the holes being continued upwards and through
the plates of a diameter adapted to permit a series of plungers to descend one to each
hole, each plunger having a recessed head and being adapted to turn in the previous
Price 11

page_text: turned or gathered in edges of the cartridges and complete the closing of the edges
thereof onto the wads which have been inserted in the usual manner into the mouths
of the cartridge cases.
Suitable clamping or retaining means are brought into operation by means of
screws or otherwise to hold the different parts in correct relation during successive
stages of the operations as required.
The plungers may be simultaneously pressed down onto the cartridges by means
of a screw, fly, or other suitable form of press and a plate or head thereto may.
directly operate or by pressing another plate provided to hold the series of plungers
in correct relation may engage the whole of each series of plungers at one and the
same operation.
Clips may carry up the plungers when they have performed their pressing action.
Dated the 21st day of March 1887.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Cartridges.
I, OCTAVIUS ROWE, Captain Royal Artillery of 2 Bay Terrace Berwick-on-Tweed
in the County of Berwick-on-Tweed do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES and in what manner the saine
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
--
This Invention is designed for the purpose of facilitating the method of loading
Cartridges, it consists principally of a plate of peculiar construction, perforated with
one or more holes according to the number of Cartridges manipulated, so as to act
upon the ends of the cartridge cases by pressure, whereby they are contracted to
such an extent as to enable a plunger or plungers, as the case may be, brought down,
through the above mentioned plate, to catch the edges of the cases & turn them over
firmly on to the wads.
The nature of my Invention & the manner in which the same is to be, or may
carried into practical effect, will be readily understood on reference to the annexed
Drawings & the following explanation thereof.
喆
Fig. 1. Plate I. is a metal plate, preferably gun-metal, hereinafter known as the
guide-plate," accurately bored to receive one or more cartridge cases, according to
the number it is desired to load at once, after the cases are inserted, another plate,
also preferably gun-metal, (Fig. 3. Pl. I) hereinafter known as the cap-plate" is
placed underneath, having a series of holes (a Fig. 3 Pl. I) drilled concentric with
those in the "guide-plate" & of a sufficient diameter to clear the caps in the case of
central-fire cartridges, so as to prevent any pressure thereon during the process; I
likewise cut small slots (b Fig. 1 Pl. I) in the "guide-Plate" to clear the pins in the
manipulation of Pin-fire cartridges.
After charging the cases, which process may be carried out by means of any
multiform loader, whereby the different charges may be inserted simultaneously, but
to the method of which I do not restrict myself, I insert the necessary wads & then
bring down another plate, also preferably gun-metal (Fig. 1. Plate II. & of which
Fig. 2. Plate II is a sectional view), hereinafter known as the "Crusher Plate,"
having holes (c Fig. 1 Pl. II) accurately bored to fit the cartridge cases, of the same
diameter & corresponding to those in the "guide-Plate." These holes are parallel a
certain distance upwards, thence inclining inwards & are so shaped as to gather
inwards the edge of the cartridge cases as shewn in Fig. 5. Pl. I. when pressure is
brought on the "Crusher-Plate" by means of a screw, lever, bydraulic or any known
mechanical power. I regulate the extent of this contraction to suit the amount of the
various charges inserted in the cartridge cases, by a plate or plates of varying
thicknesses (Fig. 5. Plate I & Fig. 5. Pl. II) which thereby allow the "Crusher-
plate" to travel the requisite distance to effect the necessary contraction on the

page_text: & on
cartridge case ends; I thereupon insert a plunger or plungers, according to the
number of cases manipulated, as shewn in Fig. 4. Pl. I, each plunger, preferably of
gun-metal, being fixed by any known method to a plate (Fig. 3 & 4. Pl. II)-
hereinafter known as the "Plunger-Plate," in such a manner that each plunger passes
through the contracted holes (r Fig. 2. Pl. II) in the "Crusher-Plate"
applying pressure to the "Plunger-Plate" similar to that used in actuating the
"Crusher-Plate," as mentioned above, the Plungers descending, catch the contracted
edges of the cartridge cases & double them over on to the wads, as shewn in
Fig. 4. Pl. I. I make the plungers, preferably with a slightly recessed head, of such
a diameter as to fit tightly the inside of the cartridge cases, when the edges are
doubled as shewn in Fig. 4. Pl. 1. The holes ( Fig. 2. Pl. II) in the "Crusher-
Plateare contracted to such a diameter as to fit the Plunger accurately, so as to
enable the latter to enter the edges of the cartridge cases with precision. Although
the "Crusher-Plate" as shewn by Figs. 4 & 5. Pl. I. & Figs. 1 & 2 Pl. 2. is made in
one piece, I do not restrict myself to this particular method of construction, as for
quickness in manipulation, the requisite thickness may be made up of different plates,
provided the top plate is so contracted as to effect the turning inwards of the edges of
the cases as described above & shewn in Fig. 5. Pl. I.
Having now described the nature & object of my invention for Improvements
in the Manufacture of Cartridges, together with the manner in which the same is to
be effected, I declare that what I claim is
1st. The use & application of a plate or system of plates so constructed as described
&illustrated in the accompanying drawings, for the purpose of gathering inwards the
edge of one or more cartridge cases at the same time.
2nd. The use of a plunger or series of plungers according to the number of
cartridge cases manipulated, so constructed as described & illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings, for the purpose of closing or doubling down the edges of the
contracted cartridge cases, when used in combination with the Crusher-Plate or
Plates as heretofore described & illustrated.
Dated this 10th day of December 1887
OCTAVIUS ROWE,
Capt. R.A.