Improvements in Cartridges and Projectiles for Small Arms and Machine Guns.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
Improvements in Cartridges and Projectiles for Small Arms and
Machine Guns.
I EDUARD RUBIN, Director of the Confederate Ammunition Factory Thun, Switzerland
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:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of metal case cartridges and of
sheathed bullets and to the mode of, and means for compressing the charge used
in such cartridges.
The Invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
forming part of this Specification, wherein figures 1 and 2 shew half-sectional
elevations of two slightly different modifications of the improved cartridge;
Figure 3 shows the bullet-holding packing ring; Figure 4 shews a longitudinal
section of the compressed charge; Figures 5 to 9 illustrate the successive stages
of manufacture of the sheathed bullet and figures 10 and 11 shew longitudinal and
cross sections of the appliance for compressing the explosive charge.
The case a is of brass, tombac, or bronze. Its flange b is of the same diameter as
the case and is formed by turning a groove c in the base of the case a for the extractor
to engage in. The case is of straight, but slightly tapered, form, that is to say
it has not the usual bottle shaped shoulder, and the bullet d is fixed in position in
the end of the case by means of a metal packing ring e, shewn separately in
figure 3, which fits tightly around the base of the bullet and within the case of the
cartridge. This ring may either be an entire ring or split, and it is held in place
by burring over the end of the case, as shewn in figure 1. The bore of the arm
will, of course, be chambered to correspond to the difference in diameter of the
cartridge case and of the projectile and so form an abutment for the front end of
the cartridge case by which the blow of the striker is resisted in firing and by which
the packing ring is retained in the cartridge case when the projectile is discharged.
The employment of the metal packing ring permits of reloading the cartridge case
with the compressed charge.
Instead of using the packing ring e as above described and illustrated in figure 1
for the purpose of holding the bullet in the case, the latter may be folded or
doubled inwards on itself, as shewn at f in figure 2, but in this example the
cartridge case is not adapted for being reloaded with the compressed charge, but it
may be reloaded with granular powder.
The bullet is of cylindro-conical form as shewn in figures 7 and 9. The core or
bullet proper g is of lead or lead alloy or wolfram and is enclosed in a sheath h
of ductile, but not readily oxidisable, metal such as copper, nickel, or copper-nickel
alloy. The sheath his formed from a disc by successive drawings, as shewn in
figure 5, in the same way as metal cartridges are made. The closed end of the
sheath which will cover the point of the bullet is not reduced in thickness by
drawing as are the sides. In order to increase the penetrating power of the bullet,
the point of the bullet may be clad with a steel cap i which is itself enclosed along
with the bullet in the sheath h. This steel cap i is drawn from a disc, in the same
way as the sheath. Figure 6 represents the first stage of manufacture of a sheathed
bullet when unprovided with a steel cap. In this stage, the bullet 9 is of a form
to fit the sheath as drawn in the last previous operation figure 5, and having been
inserted in the sheath the open end of the latter is bent inwards, as shewn at k
figure 6. The bullet and its sheath are then brought, by means of dies, to the
cylindro-conical form shewn in figure 7 a cavity being at same time made in the
base of the bullet. The operation is similar in making the bullet with a steel pointed

page_text: cap, the latter being first applied to the core and the whole then enclosed in the
sheath as shewn in figure 8, after which it is compressed to its final form as shewn in
figure 9.
The charge of fine grained powder is compressed, as shewn in figure 4 by means
of the radially-acting mould illustrated in figures 10 and 11 whereby uniform
density and combustion of the compressed charge are ensured. The mould consists
of a cylindrical casing m in which pressing jaws n are fitted to slide radially, the
inner ends of the jaws when brought together alone constituting the cylindrical
walls of the mould cavity. The mould may if necessary, be provided with a
longitudinal, central core pin o to form the ignition orifice p in, or through, the
compressed charge. The jaws n having been moved outwards, the mould is filled
with powder and the jaws are then moved inwards simultaneously by means of a
wedge, lever, or eccentric motion, until their inner ends come together and form
a complete cylinder whereby the charge is compressed. After withdrawing the
jaws, the compressed charge may be readily removed from the mould.
Instead of powder, gun cotton picrate &c may be used.
1-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The herein described means of securing the bullet in the cartridge case,
substantially as described and illustrated in figure 1.
.
2. The herein described means of securing the bullet in the cartridge case by
folding inwards the mouth of the case, as described and shewn in figure 2.
3. The herein described cartridge, having no projecting flange at the base and
having the bullet so secured in the case (in either of the ways described with
reference to figures 1 and 2) that the front end of the case forms an abutment
shoulder for the cartridge as specified.
4. The manufacture of a sheathed bullet with or without the internal steel cap,
according to the processes herein described and illustrated in the drawings.
5. The herein described mode of, and apparatus for compressing the explosive
charge (whether perforated or not) from the circumference towards the centre,
substantially as described with reference to figures 10 and 11.
Dated this 20th day of June 1809.
То
Къп тоя ата полит
лице 1000.
E. RUBIN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.