IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGE CASES FOR BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1861

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 THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGE CASES FOR BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 14th June 1861, and dated the 13th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Eley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th April 1861.
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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGE CASES FOR BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms; and one of my improvements consists
in igniting the percussion powder contained in a case (made by preference of
paper and metal) by means of a peg or pin so arranged that neither the per-
cussion powder,so ignited nor the charge of gunpowder has access to the pin
so as to cause it to blow out of the case. For this purpose I make a case
(by preference of paper and metal) similar in shape to those known as
"Lefancheux" cases, having a pin or peg passing through the solid base of the
case, and projecting outwards so as (on being struck by the hammer) to act

page_text: on the percussion powder placed in the cap.
In the interior of the case I
place a metallic cap with a flange upon it, and embed it in the paper in such
a manner that the flange and mouth of the cap is flush with the face or
bottom of the interior of the case. In constructing this cap I prefer to form
it out of solid metal, having two of its sides flattened; this cap I fill with a
detonating composition in the usual manner. The pin or peg is inserted
through the base of the cartridge until it reaches the flattened side of the
metal cap which contains the detonating composition, but I do not allow it
to perforate the cap, or come in contact with the detonating composition. By
this arrangement, when the cap is exploded by the pin being struck on the
outer end by the hammer of the gun, the charge has no access to the pin, and
consequently the pin cannot be blown out or displaced by the force of the
gunpowder, nor can any escape of gas take place round the pin. Although,
as above stated, I prefer to use a cap, yet I do not confine myself to any par-
ticular form or shape; one of very simple form may be made by bending a
piece or strip of metal with or without forming a flange on it, and embedding
it in the case so as to hold the detonating composition.
Another part of my Invention consists in placing a cap entering endways
into the solid end of the cartridge, and at the outside edge of it a hole is made
from the bottom of the recess on which the cap is placed of smaller size than
the recess through the solid part of the cartridge, and coming out at the
opposite side to that where the cap is inserted; the recess where the cap is
placed is in communication with the interior of the cartridge. I make the
pin for exploding this cap with a shoulder or collar at the end where it is in
contact with the cap, and I insert it into the cartridge, so that the shoulder
on the pin comes in contact with the bottom of the recess, and on the cap and
charge being exploded the flange effectually prevents any chance of the pin
being blown out of the cartridge case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Eley in the Great Seal Patent Office 3
on the 10th October 1861.
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 3
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth 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. ." IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGE CASES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," 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 has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms, and one of my improvements. consists
in igniting the percussion powder contained in a case (made by preference
of paper and metal) by means of a peg or pin, so arranged that neither the
percussion powder so ignited nor the charge of gunpowder has access to
the pin, so as to cause it to blow out of the case. For this purpose I make
in shape to those known
a case (by preference of paper and metal) similar
as "Lefaucheux" cases, having a pin or peg passing through the solid base
of the case and projecting outwards so as (on being struck by the hammer)
to act on the percussion powder placed in the cap in the interior of the
case. I place a metallic cap, with a flange formed upon it and embed it
in the paper in such a manner that the flange and mouth of the cap is
flush with the face or bottom of the interior of the case. In constructing
this cap I prefer to form it out of solid metal having two of its sides
flattened. This cap I fill with a detonating composition in the usual manner.
The pin or peg is inserted through the base of the cartridge until it reaches
the flattened side of the metal cap which contains the detonating composition,
but I do not allow it to perforate the cap or come in contact with the

page_text: blowing out the pin f is avoided. Figure 8 shews two similar views of
another cartridge constructed so as to prevent the pin f being blown out
when the percussion cap e is exploded; the lower end of the pin f is formed
with a shoulder or projection, which (when the pin is passed up through the
hole formed to receive it in the solid base of the cartridge) comes against
the upper surface of the recess formed to receive the percussion cap e
which is placed in the recess formed to receive it from the exterior thereof
near the base as shewn, and a passage is formed from the recess in which
the cap is placed in communication with the interior of the cartridge.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
putting the same in practice, I would have it understood, that I do not
confine myself to the exact details herein described, so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained, but what I claim is the
manufacture of cartridge cases for breech-loading fire-arms, as herein described,
by which all risk of blowing out the exploding pin is avoided, and the charge
more effectually ignited.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Eley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
0
WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY. (L.S.)
Witness,
G. H. BIRKBECK,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings.