An Improved Cartridge for Military and Sporting Fire-arms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
COME MIE OL BUIT
[Communicated from abroad by GUSTAV BERNHARD REETZ (late officer in the
Imperial German Army), of 25 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, in the Colony of New
South Wales, and WILLIAM MACGREGOR COOPER, Manufacturer, of 204 Clarence
Street, Sydney aforesaid.]
An Improved Cartridge for Military and Sporting Fire-arms.
I PHILIP ARTHUR NEWTON, of The Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings, Chancery
Lane in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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:-
The most radical defect in all the cartridges at present in use, is, that when the
powder or other explosive within the cartridge case is ignited by the explosion of the
fulminate in the cap, the explosive material that is contained in the rear end of the
cartridge case, is the first to be ignited, with the result, that before the most forwardly
situated part of the explosive within the case bas time to iguite, a very appreciable
portion of it is blown out of the muzzle of the firearm, in an unexploded condition,
and thus, its explosive force, or propelling power, is lost. Moreover, owing to the
fact that so much of the explosive leaves the firearm in an unexploded, or but partly
exploded, condition, a very foul and dirty deposit is left within the barrel, thereby
injuring the barrel, and impairing the efficiency of the firearm. Also, mainly owing
to the defective explosion of the material within the cartridge case, a very objectionable
and distressing recoil is felt whenever the arm is fired.
The object of the invention that forms the subject of the present application for
Letters Patent is, to do away with the defects above enumerated, and produce a
cartridge of such construction that all the explosive within the cartridge case shall be
burnt within the barrel of the firearm; that the barrel shall not be fouled by any
deposit; and that the recoil of the firearm from the explosion of the charge shall be
minimised.
This invention consists in placing axially within the cartridge case, a small long
tube that leads up from the centre of the base of the cartridge towards the base of the
bullet, or the charge of shot. This tube must extend a distance of upwards of half
the length of the charge of powder or other explosive, but it is preferred that the end
of this axial tube should approach very closely to the base of the bullet or the charge
of shot, so that the charge of powder or other explosive may be fired as near the bullet
or shot as possible. The end of the tube that is nearest the projectile is perforated
with a small hole, through which the flame from the exploded charge of fulminate in
the cap is free to pass and ignite the charge of powder, but this aperture or hole must
not be sufficiently large to admit of the entrance of any of the powder into the tube.
The opposite end of the tube, or that part which is secured to the base of the cartridge
case, is closed by an anvil and cap of any approved construction. Thus, the cap is
exploded by the percussion pin of the rifle; the flame from such explosion will pass
along the tube, exit therefrom through the small perforation, and ignite the powder
almost immediately behind the bullet or other projectile, and the powder will burn
backwards from the projectile towards the base of the cartridge, thereby ensuring
that all the powder or other explosive shall be burnt, and its full propelling force
utilized :-
In the accompanying drawing:
ירן
& the imazarend wurtridg

page_text: the axial tube extending rather more than half way down the centre of the powder
chamber of the cartridge ense, towards the bullet.
Fig. 2 is a similar view, but with the axial tube extending about three fourths of
the way down the powder chamber of the cartridge casc.
Fig. 8 is a similar view, but with the end of the axial tube approaching very
closely to the base of the bullet, while
Fig. is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 3, of a shot cartridge for sporting
purposes.
A is the cartridge case, of which B is the base, which is centrally perforated to
receive a meial tube C, of comparatively small diameter, the inner end of which is
tapered and perforated with a small aperture e. The open or rear end of the tube C
is closed by any approved style of anvil d and cape, to receive the blow of the
percussion pin of the rifle or other firearm. As the percussion pin of the rifle strikes
the cap e, the fulminate therein contained will be caused to explode; the flame from
such explosion will travel along the tube C, and exit therefrom through the apertura c,
and ignite the powder or other explosive that is contained within the cartridge. I
has been found, from experiment, that the most satisfactory results have been obtained
from a cartridge that has been fitted with the longest style of tube. such us is shewn
in Figs. 3 and 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A cartridge for firearms, the shell or case of which is provided with a long tubu
of metal of comparatively small diameter that runs axially along the centre of the
powder chamber from the base of the case (to which it is secured directly or indirectly)
towards the base of the bullet or oilur projectile to which its unattached end will
closely approach, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
2. A military or sporting cartridge shell or case, provided with a tube of metal of
comparatively small diameter, but considerable length, that runs axially along the
centre of the powder chamber from the base of the case (to which it is secured directly
or indirectly) towards the base of the bullet or other projectile, to which its inner end
will closely approach, the outer or rear end of the axial tube being provided with
means, such as any suitable style of perforated anvil and cap, for causing a lame,
while the inner end of such tube, or end nearest the projectile, is provided with a
perforation or aperture through which the flame before mentioned can pass, to ignite
the charge of powder or other explosive, very near to the base of the bullet or other
projectile, as herein specified.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1896.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.