AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF CAR- TRIDGE FOR FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Hawker, of Fishbourne, in the Parish of
Binstead, in the Isle of Wight, in the County of Southampton, Salt
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF CAR-
TRIDGE FOR FIRE-ARMS."-Partly a communication from Thomas Parry
Hawker.
Sealed the 13th July 1858, and dated the 17th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hawker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th April 1858.
I, CHARLES HAWKER, of Fishbourne, in the Parish of Binstead, in the
Isle of Wight, in the County of Southampton, Salt Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTure
OF CARTRIDGE FOR FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to form cartridges which will be impervious
to wet and damp, and yet will permit of the powder and the bullet being
readily separated from the case when required to be used.
For this purpose I make a case of sheet gutta percha of the quality known in
the trade as satin sheet, the tenacity of which is superior to that of common rolled
gutta percha sheet, by reason of the natural grain being partially or wholly
destroyed during the process of manufacture. The sheet I cut into strips of
suitable length for making a case, and these I lap round a former, and secure

page_text: the edges by moistening them with a solvent or cement, or I form lengths of
gutta percha tubing, and cut them up into pieces suitable for making cartridge
cases. These pieces of tube I close at one end, moulding them so as to form
a seat for the spherical ball or other shaped projectile. I then insert the
powder at the other end, and close it by pressing together the edges which
have been previously moistened. The case is now ready to receive the ball.
This I attach to the case by lapping over the ball canvas, or tape or fibres
which I cement by paste or otherwise to the case, and if desired the whole
may be enveloped in a covering of thin paper. The gutta percha sheet I use
of such consistency that it will tear readily with a smart jerk when the powder
is required to be discharged therefrom, but will be sufficiently strong to resist
any wear and tear to which cartridges are exposed in general use. The ball
is also to be broken away from the case before being inserted in the barrel of
the fire-arm.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 1
by the said Charles Hawker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
HAWKER, of Fishbourne, in the Parish of Binstead, in the Isle of Wight, in
the County of Southampton, Salt Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Hawker, Her special license that I, the said
Charles Hawker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Charles Hawker, 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 "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGE FOR FIRE-ARMS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I; the said Charles Hawker, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Hawker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being bad to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of cartridges, which. besides being
impervious to wet and damp, will permit of the powder being readily dis-
charged, therefrom into the barrel of the fire-arm required to be loaded, and
also allow of the ball being easily separated from the case.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a cylindrical former of wood or
other suitable material, as shewn at Figures 1 of the accompanying Drawing,
which former has a recess at one end of a conical or spherical form to cor-
respond to the shape of the ball to be applied to the cartridge. Around this
former I apply a strip of sheet gutta percha to form a water-tight tube. For
this purpose I select gutta percha of the quality known in the trade as satin
sheet or thin sheet, the tenacity of which is superior to that of common rolled
gutta percha sheet, by reason of the natural grain being partially or wholly
destroyed during the process of manufacture. The sheet I cut into strips of
suitable length for making a case, and these I lap round the former, and
secure the overlapping edge by moistening the same with a solvent or
cement. Or I form lengths of gutta percha tubing on a core or former, and
then cut the tubing into pieces suitable for making cartridges or cartridge
cases. These pieces of tube I close at one end by the application of cement,
moulding that end at the same time so as to form a seat for the spherical
ball or other shaped projectile as shewn at Fig. 2. I then insert the powder
at the other or open end, and close it by pressing together the edges which
have been previously moistened with naphtha or other solvent. The case now
takes the form shown at Fig. 3, and is ready to receive the ball. This I
attach to the moulded end of the case by lapping over the ball canvass, or tape
or fibres, which I cement by paste or otherwise, to the case as shewn at Fig. 4,
and if desired the whole may be enveloped in a covering of thin paper, thus
forming a cartridge similar to that shewn in edge view at Fig. 5, and in side
view at Fig. 6, and in longitudinal section at Fig. 7. The gutta percha sheet
I use of such consistency that the end of the tube or case will tear readily
with a smart jerk when the powder is required to be discharged therefrom,
but will be sufficiently strong to resist any wear and tear to which cartridges
are exposed in general use. The ball although secured sufficiently well to the

page_text: case to prevent its falling away when subjected to moderately rough usage,
may nevertheless be readily broken away from the case when it is required to
be used in charging the fire-arm.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved
Manufacture of Cartridge for Fire-arms," and explained the manner of carry-
ing the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
generally the use of gutta percha for protecting from moisture or damp com-
bustible materials employed in loading fire-arms, but what I claim under the
above in part recited Letters Patent is, the manufacture of waterproof car-
tridges in the manner and for the purpose above particularly described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hawker, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
CHARLES HAWKER. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Charles Hawker, in the
. presence of
THOMAS JOHNSON,
Clerk to Jon". Worsley, Sol',
Ryde, Isle of Wight.