Improvements in Ammunition for Military and Sporting Small Arms and Field and Machine and other Guns.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Ammunition for Military and Sporting Small
Arms and Field and Machine and other Guns.
I Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM HOPE V.C. of the Army and Navy Club Pall
Mall in the City of Westminster do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AMMUNITION FOR MILITARY AND SPORTING SMALL ARMS AND
FIELD AND MACHINE AND OTHER GUNS," to be as follows:-
These are alternative means of utilising my discovery of the reason why cannon.
burst if the length of the charge of powder is increased beyond a certain point,
although the mathematical formula for calculating the bursting strain set up in a
hollow cylinder by a uniform fluid pressure does not take into account the length
of the charge and the formula rightly ignores the length of the charge, because it
assumes a uniform fluid pressure.
But even the new edition of the official "Notes on Gunpowder," the text book
out of which Officers of the Army and Navy are taught, contains the following
passage: "When a charge of powder is exploded in the chamber of a gun the
pressure of the gas is of course equal in all directions"-But it is impossible to
squeeze into one short sentence, two statements that are more absolutely untrue.
Firstly, gunpowder does not explode, and secondly, when burned in the chamber of
a gun, by ignition at one point of one end, a differentiated condition of things is at
once set up; the gas at the rear compresses the powder at the front, and when the
powder so increased in density catches fire it gives out an increased pressure
thereby producing a circumferential wave of pressure at the front end.
To prevent this wave of pressure, and also to relieve the gun by overcoming the
inertia and initial friction of the projectile. I introduced my cartridge for big
guns (Patent No 2923 of the 15th July 1880) containing a little gun in the centre
with a charge of powder, sufficient to relieve the gun by slightly moving the shot
or bringing it to a condition of equilibrium and immediately afterwards igniting
the charge of the main cartridge however long throughout its entire length by
means of holes, letting out the flame.
But it is obvious that the arrangement would not do for a very small gun, or for
a small arm. The little gun in the main cartridge would take up too much room,
and would be too heavy and too costly.
I therefore propose in such cases, to replace it by a thin paper case, like a
cigarette which may be strengthened towards the rear, filled like the body of a
friction tube, and having of course a similar hole from end to end, but the hole
had better be rather larger than in a friction tube. This will effect the same
object as the little gun in the big cartridge and will admit of the charge of powder
being almost indefinitely increased without a wave of pressure being set up. The

page_text: tube or "primer" should be kept truly in the axis of the cartridge by discs of
cardboard at either end or small wheels of copper wire or any similar and effective
arrangement.
As an alternative means of effecting the same object I propose either loading the
cartridge itself as if it were a friction tube and considerably increasing the size of
the hole or what would probably be better having the powder specially manu-
factured at the Mills in long cylinders accurately fitting the cartridge cases which
cylinders may be either the whole length of the cartridge or several may be built
up with in each case a large hole through the major axis and if desired to secure
more rapid ignition and combustion radial holes leading from this axial hole to
the circumference. To produce more gradual combustion the cylinders whether
perforated with radial holes or not may be highly compressed.
In all cases a strong primer or detonator must be placed at the rear end of the
axial hole and if this arrangement were used in a big gun it would be desirable to
strengthen the axial hole through the cylinders by a paper lining and to fire
through it a small cartridge of fine powder. In the case of small guns and small
arms the use of highly compressed cylinders would greatly reduce the recoil while
owing to the greatly increased pressure towards the muzzle which can be obtained
by increasing the volume of the charge by either of the above means the velocity
is increased and the trajectory much flatter so that in the case of sporting guns it
would be as easy to kill a Partridge at 100 yards as it is now at 40 yards—Such
cartridges I name "Hope" Cartridges.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
25
Improvements in Ammunition for Military and Sporting Small
"
Arms and Field and Machine and other Guns.
I, Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM HOPE V.C. of the Army and Navy Club Pall
Mall in the City of Westminster do hereby declare the nature of my invention for 3
IMPROVEMENTS IN AMMUNITION FOR MILITARY AND SPORTING SMALL ARMS AND
FIELD AND MACHINE AND OTHER GUNS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
These are alternative means of utilising my discovery of the reason why cannon 3
burst if the length of the charge of powder is increased beyond a certain point,
although the mathematical formula for calculating the bursting strain set up in a
hollow cylinder by a uniform fluid pressure does not take into account the length
of the charge and the formula rightly ignores the length of the charge, because it
assumes a uniform fluid pressure,

page_text: But even the new edition of the official "Notes on Gunpowder," the text book
out of which Officers of the Army and Navy are taught, contains the following
passage: "When a charge of powder is exploded in the chamber of a gun the
pressure of the gas is of course equal in all directions." But it is impossible to
squeeze into one short sentence, two statements that are more absolutely untrue.
Firstly, gunpowder does not explode, and secondly, when burned in the chamber of
a gun, by ignition at one point of one end, a differentiated condition of things is at
once set up; the gas at the rear compresses the powder at the front, and when the
powder so increased in density catches firo it gives out an increased pressure
thereby producing a circumferential wave of pressure at the front end.
To prevent this wave of pressure, and also to relieve the gun by overcoming the
inertia and initial friction of the projectile. I introduced my cartridge for big
guns (Patent No 2923 of the 15th July 1880) containing a little gun in the centre
with a charge of powder, sufficient to relieve the gun by slightly moving the shot
or bringing it to a condition of equilibrium and immediately afterwards igniting
the charge of the main cartridge however long throughout its entire length by
means of holes, letting out the flame.
But it is obvious that the arrangement would not do for a very small gun, or for
a small arm. The little gun in the main cartridge would take up too much room,
and would be too heavy and too costly.
I therefore propose in such cases, to replace it by a thin paper case, like a
cigarette which may be strengthened towards the rear, filled like the body of a
friction tube, and having of course a similar hole from end to end, but the hole
had better be rather larger than in a friction tube. This will effect the same
object as the little gun in the big cartridge and will admit of the charge of powder
being almost indefinitely increased without a wave of pressure being set up. The
tube or "primer" should be kept truly in the axis of the cartridge by discs of
cardboard at either end or small wheels of copper wire or any similar and effective
arrangement.
As an alternative means of effecting the same object I propose either loading the
cartridge itself as if it were a friction tube and considerably increasing the size of
the hole or what would probably be better having the powder specially manu-
factured at the Mills in long cylinders accurately fitting the cartridge cases which
cylinders may be either the whole longth of the cartridge or several may be built
up with, in each case a large hole through the major axis and if desired to secure
more rapid ignition and combustion radial holes leading from this axial hole to
the circumference. To produce more gradual combustion the cylinders whether
perforated with radial holes or not may be highly compressed.
In all cases a strong primer or detonator must be placed at the rear end of the
axial hole and if this arrangement were used in a big gun it would be desirable to
strengthen the axial hole through the cylinders by a paper lining and to fire
through it a small cartridge of fine powder. In the case of small guns and small
arms the use of highly compressed cylinders would greatly reduce the recoil while
owing to the greatly increased pressure towards the muzzle which can be obtained
by increasing the volume of the charge by either of the above means the velocity
is increased and the trajectory much flatter so that in the case of sporting guns it
would be as easy to kill a Partridge at 100 yards as it is now at 40 yards. Such
cartridges I name "Hope" Cartridges.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: -In Figure 1 à is the outer case of the cartridge, it may be of any ordinary and
suitable construction; it carries in its base the primer or detonator b. In the
centre of the cartridge there is the cigarette like core or tube c of paper or like
material, it is filled with meal powder rammed solid and a longitudinal hole c¹ is
bored through it. The primer or detonator b as will be seen communicates with
the hole or passage c¹ at one end. dd are discs of cardboard-the core or tube o
passes through these discs and they serve to keep it in position axially within the
cartridge case. e e represents the powder in grain surrounding the core or tube c.
The ball or projectile is marked fit is of peculiar form but this is no part of the
invention which I claim under my present patent-g is a wad perforated to
receive the base of the projectile.
In Figure 2-a is the outer case as before b the primer or detonator. ƒis the
projectile and g a wad.
hh are masses of powder consolidated by pressure; they are approximately
cylindrical and perforated axially at h¹ h¹. As before the primer or detonator
communicates with the longitudinal perforation h¹ at one end.
The powder h might be moulded in one piece but it would be more difficult to
obtain an uniform density throughout.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1)-A cartridge having an axially arranged cigarette like core or tube charged
with powder consolidated by pressure and perforated longitudinally and a primer
or detonator communicating with the said longitudinal perforation substantially as
described.
(2). A cartridge charged with a block or blocks of powder consolidated by
pressure and perforated axially from end to end and a primer or detonator
communicating with the said axial perforation substantially as described.
(3). Cartridges substantially as described and represented in the annexed
drawings.