IMPROVEMENTS IN. CENTRAL - FIRE BREECH LOADING CARTRIDGES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Eley, of the Firm of Eley
Brothers, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. CENTRAL - FIRE BREECH LOADING
CARTRIDGES."
"
Sealed the 17th August 1866, and dated the 24th March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Eley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th March 1866.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY, of the Firm of Eley Brothers, of Gray's Inn
Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRAL-FIRE BREECH-LOADING CARTRIDGES,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in central-fire breech-loading
cartridges, according to which an "anvil" is placed in the percussion cap of a
central-fire breech-loading cartridge in two or more parts, by which means
the flame from the percussion powder passes between the several parts of the
anvil as well as round the sides before escaping through the hole in the centre
of the chamber. This arrangement of the anvil and cap also has the effect of
expanding the copper cap tightly within the chamber, and preventing an escape
of gas at the breech end of the cartridge; it is also more certain of ignition
and cheaper to manufacture than an anvil made of one piece of metal only.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Eley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS ELEY, of the Firm of Eley Brothers, of Gray's Inn Road, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Thomas Eley, Her special licence that I, the said William
Thomas Eley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Thomas Eley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time, and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRAL - FIRE BREECH-LOADING
CARTRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Thomas Eley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Eley; do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in central-fire breech-loading
cartridges, according to which an "anvil" is placed in the percussion cap of
a central-fire breech-loading cartridge in two or more parts, by which means the
flame from the percussion powder passes between the several parts of the anvil
as well as round the sides before escaping through the hole in the centre of the
chamber. This arrangement of the anvil and cap also has the effect of expand-
ing the copper cap tightly within the chamber, and preventing an escape of gas
at the breech end of the cartridge; it is also more certain of ignition and cheaper
to manufacture than an anvil made of one piece of metal only as heretofore.

page_text: And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a plan and section on an enlarged scale of a percussion cap
having an anvil therein formed in two parts according to my Invention, suitable
for being placed in the cap chamber of a central-fire breech-loading cartridge.
Figure 2 shows a section of part of a central-fire breech-loading cartridge
having my improvements applied thereto.
The parts a, a, of the anvil, shown separately at Figure 3, are by preference
formed by punching or cutting them out of a sheet or strip of metal; and I
prefer to place the rounded or convex sides back to back within the cap as
shown, whereby spaces are formed for the passage of the flame when the
explosion takes place. The form of the parts a, a, of the anvil may be varied
if desired, and in place of forming the anvil of a central-fire breech-loading
cartridge.in two parts, as previously described, it may be formed of several
pieces of metal according to my Invention placed together so as to leave
spaces for the passage of the flame from the percussion powder when the
explosion takes place.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is carried into practice, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein described; but what I claim
is, the application and employment of an "anvil" formed of two or more
pieces of metal placed in the percussion cap of a central-fire breech-loading
cartridge as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Eley, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WILLIAM THOS. ELEY. (L.S.)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.