IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR RESIZING, RECAPPING, AND RECLOSING SPENT CARTRIDGE CASES.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Mac Naughton, of the City of Edinburgh,
Gun and Rifle Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
RESIZING, RECAPPING, AND RECLOSING SPENT CARTRIDGE CASES.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Mac Naughton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th July 1874..
I, JAMES MAC NAUGHTON; of the City of Edinburgh, Gun and Rifle
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES, ALSO APPLICABLE
FOR RESIZING, RECAPPING, AND RECLOSING SPENT CARTRIDGE CASES," to be as
follows:-

page_text: Secondly. To produce a perfectly straight and firm cartridge from
the coiled brass cases now used in cartridges for the Martini and other.
similar rifles.
And, thirdly. In addition to closing or creasing the case when new to
resize fired cases to their original gauge and to recap them.
The machine is fixed to the loading table by means of two screws
passing through the latter. One of these screws is hooked, and by
putting the swivel head of the other or front screw straight with the slot
in the sole the operator is enabled to tilt the machine upwards as on a
hinge so as to permit of the various parts or tools being fixed.
The main parts of the machine are a cylindrical, upright, or cartridge
chamber, into which the various tools for effecting the different opera-
tions necessary are screwed, and a lever provided with a head or socket
which closes over the chamber. The chamber is provided with an
extractor actuated by a spring, which when the lever is pushed down
past the perpendicular expels the cartridge case. Embracing the lower
part of the chamber are two claws with handles, which when pressed by
the hand like a pair of pincers squeeze or press the cartridge case in the
chamber into shape.
In operating the machine the empty cartridge case is put into the
chamber as far as possible by the hand, the lever is then brought down
so as to press it home, and when it is sufficiently pressed the extractor
expels it, as above explained.
In order to recap a fired cartridge case a special tool is used, having a
sort of needle or needles at the top. This tool or needle rod is screwed
into the chamber of the machine, and the case is placed over it with the
hand, so that its needle or needles enter into aperture in which the
spent cap is held, the lever is then brought gently down and the old cap
is expelled. To put in the new cap the needle rod is removed and
another tool or brass pad is put into the lever socket so as to bring a
small half round steel pin with which the pad is provided into a semi-
circle cut for it in the lever socket, a new cap is then placed in the base
of the cartridge case and is pressed gently home by lowering the lever.
The charging of the cartridge case is effected in the usual way by
hand, and the bullet is pushed into it to nearly its proper position, a
tool or cartridge former is then screwed into the machine chamber and

page_text: the loaded cartridge is then put therein and the lever depressed, when no
matter how carelessly the bullet may have been placed it is shortened to
its propar length and straightened. When in this position the operator
compresses with his left hand the two clips previously mentioned which
embrace the cartridge case, and this creases or squeezes the metal of
which it is formed into the shape or canelure of the bullet, and thus
effectually fixes the latter.
With solid metal cases the first operation is to slightly round out
the inside edge of the case to prevent it from cutting the paper round
the bullet. This is done with a special tool or plunger, provided with a
shoulder to prevent it from cutting the case too short. This tool is also
used to open out spent cases which may have become squeezed, and also
as a rammer.
The creasing or squeezing of the metal case around the bullet, above
described, is dispensed with in solid metal cases, since they have sufficient
rigidity when pressed into the cartridge former to retain the bullet
firmly.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Mac Naughton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MAC NAUGHTON, of the City of Edinburgh, Gun and Rifle Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Sixth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Mac Naughton,
Her special license that I, the said James Mac Naughton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Mac Naughton, 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

page_text: .
allows the machine to be tilted up on hooked screw B¹ as on a hinge so as
to permit of the various parts or tools being fixed.
The main parts of the machine are an upright cylinder or cartridge
chamber with a wing or knuckle at the upper end whereby to fix the
lever D, while into the under side of cylinder the various parts or tools
for recapping or closing are screwed; the lever D is provided with a
socket of brass E, hinged on a pin through the former to press the
cartridge case without injury into the chamber..
:
To expel the cartridge from the machine it is provided with a powerful
extractor F, which is hinged, if desired, on the same pin as the lever;
à flat or spiral spring G is inserted between tail of extractor and upright
cylinder to force the former back to its place and to keep the lever
handle upright and ready for use.
.
The recapper
H may either be made to screw into bottom of machine
as shown, Fig. 7, or may be used with a flat head, as shown in Fig. 8,
and actuated by a smart blow with the open hand, the cartridge mean-
while being held in the other hand. The needles are provided with
either one or two prongs as the case may require.
.
The countersink I is used for taking the square inside edge off
the mouths of the cases to prevent them cutting the paper wrapped
round the bullet, and is constructed so that the sharp edge once taken
off it can cut no more off the case and so shorten it, as the mouth of the
case then comes against the square shoulder. This operation has only
to be performed once to each case no matter how often it is reloaded,
unless when the case gets squeezed, then the point of countersink may
be used as an opener.
The brass pad J, Figs. 10 and 11, is used to press in the new cap or
primer, and for this purpose is fitted into brass socket E.
The moveable socket K is screwed into bottom of cylinder or cartridge
chamber, and is used to press home the bullet.
The pincers L, L, are only used in machines for coiled brass cases,
and when a bullet with a canelure is used, they are actuated by a
pressure of the left hand when the loaded cartridge has been fully
pressed down in the chamber by the right hand.
.
Before preceding to load a case the sharp inside edge of the case
should be taken off with the countersink I.

page_text: To resize a spent cartridge case any jouling that may be in should be
washed out with a brush, the outside should be greased, and the said
cartridge case pushed as far into the chamber as possible and forced
down with the lever to the rim, after which the reverse motion of the
lever will extract it.
To extract old cap the cap extractor H is screwed into bottom of
machine and the spent case is placed in chamber as before and turned
round wih finger and thumb till the needle is felt to enter the com-
munication hole, the lever is then brought gently down when the old
cap or primer will be forced out; or a recapper with flat head may be 1
used, as before described.
To push in the new cap the cap extractor H is unscrewed and the
brass pad J put into socket E with handle to left. The case to be
recapped is then placed in chamber and the new cap introduced, after
which the lever is brought down causing the cap to be forced down 1
below level of cartridge base. The brass pad must now be removed.
The last operation has now to be performed, namely, the ramming
and closing the cartridge case on the bullet, which are effected by one
downward push of the lever, the cartridge case is supposed to be charged
with powder, wadding and bullet, and into bottom of machine is screwed a
the socket K, after which operation the extractor places in the hand a
perfectly straight and true cartridge.
The foregoing operations may also be performed by screw instead of
lever pressure, therefore I claim the use of either indifferently.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of carrying it into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details above enumerated, which may obviously be
modified without departing from the principle on which my Invention is
based; but what I claim and desire to secure by the said Royal Letters
Patent is,―
1st. The combination of the machine with the swivel head B, B',
and the table A, substantially as above and for the purpose specified.
2ly. The brass pad F in combination with the socket E, lever D,
spring G, chamber C, substantially as above and for the purpose
specified.

page_text: 3ly. The recapper H and the double pronged needle, in combination
or not with the lever D, chamber C, spring G, substantially operating
as described.
4ly. The countersink or case opener I, as described and set forth.
5ly. The extractor F in combination with the lever D, chamber C,
spring G, substantially operating as above described and set forth.
6ly. The socket K in combination with the chamber C, lever D,
spring G, substantially as above and for the purpose described.
7ly. The pincers L, L, in combination with the lever D, chamber C,
spring G, substantially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Mac Naughton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
JAMES MAC NAUGHTON. (L.S.)