IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND TURNING CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Barons Northcote, junior, of Feniton
Rectory, Honiton, in the County of Devon, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND TURNING
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 26th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Barons Northcote
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th July 1867.
I, GEORGE BARONS NORTHCOTE, junior, of Feniton Rectory, Honiton, in
the County of Devon, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND TURNING
CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for charging
and turning cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms. The apparatus consists
of four reservoirs, bags, or holders containing respectively the powder for the
charges, the shot, the wads to be placed in the cartridge cases between the
powder and the shot, and the wads to be placed in the cartridge cases over the
shot. Beneath these reservoirs, bags, or holders there is a slide having in it
measuring and receiving cavities. The slide is moved to and fro under the
reservoirs, bags, or holders, and each cavity when it comes underneath the

page_text: corresponding reservoir, bag, or holder receives from it a charge of powder or
shot, or a wad, as the case may be. The powder and shot cavities are adjust-
able in size so as to take larger or smaller charges, as may be desired. The
slide rests upon a bed plate forming part of the frame of the apparatus, and
in this plate are two passages, one passing vertically or direct through it, and
having the cartridge case to be charged immediately beneath, the other passing
in an oblique direction so as also to lead into the cartridge case. Over the
first hole a rammer is mounted, it can be depressed by the hand of the operator
to force down the wads into the cartridge cases, and it is brought up again
by a spring. The stem of the rammer passes through a frame, which is able
to move with it for a part of its stroke; this frame carries spring blades, which
enter the cartridge case and open it out should it require it to ensure the wads
entering truly. The cartridge case is held in a tube which is mounted on
axes or trunnions, so that after receiving its charge it can be turned partly
round so as to bring the mouth of the cartridge case opposite a closing or
turning apparatus. This apparatus may consist of a hollow cone rotated by
means of a suitable handle, and at the same time forced up against the mouth
of the cartridge case by a screw. The operation then is as follows:-A car-
tridge case having been adapted in its tubular holder with its mouth underneath
the delivery passages in the bed plate, the operator traverses the slide so as
to move the powder cavity from under its feeding reservoir, bag, or holder, and
brings it to coincide with the oblique passage through the bed plate, by which
the measured charge of powder then runs into the cartridge case.
The same
motion of the slide has also brought a wad suitable for separating the powder
and shot over the vertical or direct passage through the bed plate, and placed
it between the spring blades already mentioned and the head of the rammer.
The operator then pushes down the rammer, and the frame with the spring
blades upon it descends a distance with it sufficient to carry the spring blades
into the mouth of the cartridge case; the frame is then stopped, and the rammer
pushes the wad down between the spring blades, thus opening them out and
expanding the mouth of the cartridge case should it happen to be partially
collapsed. The head of the rammer descends through the spring blades and
forces the wad home into the cartridge case. As the rammer rises it takes
up the moving frame and spring blades with it a distance until it is stopped,
and then the head of the rammer draws up again between the spring blades.
The operator then moves the slide in the opposite direction, and in so doing
takes the shot cavity from under its reservoir, bag, or holder, and brings it to
the oblique delivery passage in the bed plate, and discharges the measured
charge of shot into the cartridge case; the slide at the same motion brings

page_text: up a wad suitable for covering the shot, and this by another action of the
rammer is rammed down as before. The holder containing the cartridge case
is then turned round on its axes or trunnions until the mouth of the cartridge
case is brought opposite the closing or turning cone or instrument, and the
cartridge case is then turned as already explained, and as is well understood.
More than one slide may be employed in place of a single slide, carrying all
the cavities as above described. If desired, the parts may be connected or
geared together in such manner that by the movement of a single handle both
the slide and the rammer may receive their motions. The apparatus may be
modified by making the measurers stationary, one at the bottom of each
reservoir, and employing between the reservoir and the measurer moveable
thin plates to act for cutting off the charge when required, and other thin
plates between the measurers and the bed plate. In the bed plate there is
a hole under each measurer, with arrangements for carrying the charge into
the cartridge. This will make one extra hole in the bed plate, the arrange-
ments underneath for conveying the charge will be the same as before, only
larger. The thin moveable plates or cutters are so connected together that
when one is drawn out the one opposite and reverse to it is drawn out also,
but the one under the same reservoir is closed, and so is the one opposite.
The cutters need not be four separate pieces but may be two thin plates, one
to go on the top of the bed plate and under the measurers, and the other on
the top of the measurers and under the reservoirs; these two plates would be
connected together, and there would be two holes in each plate so arranged
that when one hole at one end of the plate was over the measurer the other
end of the plate would be a blank over the other measurer, and the other
plate would be just the reverse. The way of altering the charges is by increasing
or diminishing the distance between the thin plates, this would be done by &
similar arrangement to that of a common powder flask, all the rest of the appa-
ratus would be the same as before. The wad suppliers would also work as
before, only they would be connected with the cutters instead of the measurers.
In these arrangements it will be seen that there is only one cartridge being
charged at any one time, which is carried through all its stages before another
is commenced. By adopting this system the apparatus may be made much
more compact and portable than where the apparatus is arranged (as has
heretofore been practised) so that several cartridges are under process at the
same time in different stages of progress. Similar apparatus may be employed
in charging cartridges with ball.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Barons Northcote in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BARONS NORTHCOTE, junior, of Feniton Rectory, Honiton, in the County of
Devon, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Barons Northcote, Her special licence that I, the said George
Barons Northcote my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Barons Northcote, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND TURNING CARTRIDGES FOR
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Barons Northcote, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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
declare the nature of the
I, the said George Barons Northcote, do hereby
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 apparatus for charging
and turning cartridges for breach-loading fire-arms. The apparatus consists
of four reservoirs, bags, or holders containing respectively the powder for the
charges, the shot, the wads to be placed in the cartridge cases between the
powder and the shot, and the wads to be placed in the cartridge cases over the
Beneath these reservoirs, bags, or holders there is a slide or instrument
acting to measure the powder and the shot as required and to cause the escape
of the wads one at a time from the wad reservoirs. Underneath this slide or
instrument is a bed plate forming part of the frame of the apparatus, and in
shot.

page_text: this plate are two or it may be three passages, one passing vertically or direct
through it and having the cartridge case to be charged immediately beneath,
the other or others passing in an oblique direction so as also to lead into the
cartridge case. Over the first hole a rammer is mounted; it can be depressed
by the hand of the operator to force down the wads into the cartridge cases,
and it is brought up again by a spring. The stem of the rammer may pass
through a frame which is able to move with it for a part of its stroke; this
frame carries spring blades which enter the cartridge case and open it out
should it require it to ensure the wads entering truly. The cartridge case
may be held in a tube which is mounted on axes or trunnions, so that after
receiving its charge it can be turned partly round so as to bring the mouth
of the cartridge case opposite a closing or turning apparatus. The operation
then is as follows:-A cartridge case having been adapted in its tubular
holder, with its mouth underneath the delivery passages in the bed plate, the
operator by means of the slide or instrument causes a measured charge of
powder to run down the oblique passage through the bed plate into the
cartridge case. The same motion of the slide or instrument brings a wad
suitable for separating the powder and shot over the vertical or direct passage
through the bed plate, and places it between the spring blades already men-
tioned and the head of the rammer. The operator then pushes down the
rammer, and the frame with the spring blades upon it descends a distance with
it sufficient to carry the spring blades into the mouth of the cartridge case;
the frame is then stopped and the rammer pushes the wad down between the
spring blades, thus opening them out and expanding the mouth of the
cartridge case should it happen to be partially collapsed. The head of the
rammer descends through the spring blades and forces the wad home into the
cartridge case. As the rammer rises it takes up the moving frame and spring
blades with it a distance until it is stopped, and then the head of the rammer
draws up again between the spring blades. The operator then by another
movement of the slide or instrument causes a charge of shot to run down the
oblique delivery passage in the bed plate into the cartridge case; the slide or
instrument at the same motion brings up a wad suitable for covering the shot,
and this by another action of the rammer is ramn ed down as before. The
bolder containing the cartridge case is then turned round on its axes or
trunnions until the mouth of the cartridge case is brought opposite the closing
or turning cone or instrument, and the cartridge case is then turned.
And 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.

page_text: Sheet 1 of the Drawings shows a machine for charging and turning
cartridges arranged according to my Invention. a, a, is a frame or casting
capable of being clamped to a table or board by the binding screw b; the top
of this frame or casting is flat and forms the bed plate of the apparatus. In
it are formed three holes or passages marked a', a', and a³, respectively. To
the passages a¹ and a³ are fitted the powder and shot reservoirs, and from
these holes an inclined passage a* leads, and it terminates at its lower end
immediately beneath the hole a³.
c is a plate capable of sliding in suitable
guides, as is shown on the face of the bed plate; it is moved to and fro as
required by means of the handle c¹. c³, c³, are two horns on the plate c which
operate the measuring apparatus of the powder and shot reservoirs; this
measuring apparatus is in each case very similar to that usually applied to a
shot pouch; it consists of a lever d turning on a fulcrum near its centre and
having connected with it two plates d', d, working in and out through slots
in a measure tube d³, which in order that the weight of the charge may be
adjusted is made telescopic, and the upper plate d is moveable on the lever d
to admit of this adjustment; a spring not shown in the Drawing is provided
which presses this plate constantly inwards. The upper parts d of the
reservoirs may be made of canvas or flexible material stretched on frames
jointed at the upper end to other parts of the apparatus, so that they may fold
as the Drawing indicates. As the slide c is moved to and fro on the bed
plate its horns strike alternately the two levers d and force the lower end of
the lever so struck inwards, thus closing the lower end of the corresponding
measure tube d³ by its plate d², whilst at the same time the upper end of the
measure tube is opened by the withdrawal of the plate d; powder or shot, as
the case may be, then descends from the upper part d' of the reservoir and
fills the measure tube; then on the return of the plate c the lever d is forced
back by its spring, and so the measure tube is closed at its upper end and
opened at the bottom; the measured charge of powder or shot then escapes
from the measure tube through the hole in the bed plate down the inclined
passage a* and into the cartridge case which is placed to receive it. ⚫ is a
tubular holder in which the cartridge case to be filled is contained; the case
is introduced at the bottom of the holder and is supported on the lever e¹
which is turned in underneath it. e, e, is a ring in which the tube is held ;
it has trunnions or axes upon it which turn in the frame or casting a.
Whilst the filling operation is going on the holder is held stationary in an
upright position by a spring catch on one of the axes or trunnions; its end

page_text: drops into a recess in the frame or casting a. f is a tube supported from the
bed plate in an upright position, and immediately over the hole as in it the
rammer stem f¹ is able to move up and down upon it; about midway of its
length is a disc against which a spiral spring f' presses, its lower end being
supported by the bottom of the tube f, thus the spring tends constantly to
raise the rammer to its highest position, in which it is represented in the
Drawings. For convenience of packing the lower part of the rammer stem
is made tubular so that the upper part may descend into it; the two parts
screw together for use. 9, 9, are the, wad reservoirs; they are held in spring
clips g fixed to the tube f, and these clips admit of the tubes g being removed
to charge them. The wad tubes are open at their lower ends, and the wads
are put into the tube with a weight on the top of them which keeps the
lowest wad in contact with the plate c which is immediately below the wad
tubes. In this plate are two holes c³, c³, and as the plate is moved to and fro
as already described each hole is brought underneath one of the wad tubes,
and the weight on the wads presses the lowest wad down into the hole. At
the next movement of the plate c this wad is carried by it over the central
hole as in the base plate and the rammer being then depressed it is forced
down through the hole into the cartridge case which is directly below.
h, h, are three spring blades fixed on a frame h¹ which is able to slide up and
down vertically for a short distance in guides on the frame or casting a; the
top plate of the frame h¹ is horizontal, and the rammer stem f¹ passes through
it by a passage which is too small for the rammer head, so that when the
rammer is up the frame h¹ is held suspended by it. When the rammer is
depressed it carries the wad which has been brought over the hole a³ down
into the funnel formed by the spring blades h, and these resisting the passage
of the wad cause the rammer to carry down the frame h¹ to its lowest position.
When the spring blades h enter well into the mouth of the cartridge case tho
continued pressure of the rammer then forces down the wad, opening the
spring blades out the one from the other, thus expanding the mouth of the
cartridge should it require it; the wad is carried down until it rests on the
charge. is a closing cone of ordinary construction fitted into a passage in
the frame or casting a; it is connected with a lever i with its fulcrum at i*, by
which it can be pressed forward a short distance along its guide passage
towards the front of the machine.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-After the cartridge case has
been fitted into the tubular holder e the first movement of the sliding plate c
causes a measured charge of powder to be discharged down the inclined
passage a into it, and a suitable wad being now over the hole a³ the rammer is

page_text: depressed, forcing it down on the powder; then the next motion of the sliding
plate c is made and a charge of shot runs into the cartridge case; then the
rammer is again depressed and it carries down on to the shot the closing wad
which the sliding plate had at its last motion brought over the hole a³. The
cartridge holder e is now tipped on its axes until the end of the spring catch e³
drops into the hole e*; the closing cone is then pressed forward by the lever
handle ¹, and at the same time the tube e is rotated by means of the handle
on the lever e¹; thus the case is closed, and the cartridge being discharged
from the holder the operation is complete. k is a catch lever turning on a
centre at its upper end, and at its lower end it is moved by the lever handle i¹,
so that whilst the operation of closing is going on it retains the spring catch e³
in the hole e, from which otherwise it would be liable to escape. The
weight in each wad tube has a stud upon it projecting out through a slot in
the side of the tube; it serves as an indicator of the number of wads remaining
in the tube, and when the tube is empty it serves to raise the weight, which
then drops down into the wad holes in the sliding plate c and stops the working
of the apparatus.
The Figures on Sheet 2 of the Drawings show an apparatus in which the
details of the arrangement are somewhat modified. a is the main fiame or
casting capable of being clamped to a table or board by a screw b as before,
but the form of the screw is varied. The bed plate at the top of the frame
has three holes a, a, a, in it as in the former case. Over the holes a¹ and a²
are the powder and shot reservoirs, underneath them is the inclined passage a*,
over the hole a³ is the rammer f, all much as in the previous arrangement;
but a slight alteration is made in the way of measuring the charges. The
levers d carry but one plate d' at the upper part of the measuring tubes,
which at their lower ends rest on the plate c, this plate now passing under-
neath them; it has a hole c' in it, which as the plate is moved to and fro, as
in the former case, comes alternately underneath one and the other of the two
measuring tubes d³, and so at each motion allows a charge of powder or shot,
as the case may be, to pass from one of the measuring tubes through the hole
a² or a² and down the inclined passage a* into the cartridge case. The plates
d¹, d³, are drawn out to allow the measure tubes to fill by the borns c² striking
against the levers d, as in the first arrangement, and springs tend constantly
to press the plates d¹ inwards; the spring blades h, h, with their frame h¹ are
in this arrangement dispensed with, so that care should be taken that the
mouth of the cartridge case is not collapsed or out of shape. h*, h*, are three
hinged flaps which take the place of the blades h in conducting the charges
and wads into the cartridge case, and they also serve for the closing of the

page_text: ;
case, as will presently be explained; they fit together so as to form a sort of
funnel, and are pressed inwards towards each other by springs, as is shown;
at their lower ends they are surrounded by a ring plate h** which when they
are moved outwards by the ramming down of a wad through them prevents
their opening more than is just sufficient for the passage of the wad with
slight compression sufficient to cause it to enter the cartridge case freely; the
wads are supplied from wad tubes or reservoirs g, and are brought up into
position to be rammed in the manner already described in respect to the
apparatus shown on Sheet 1. The holder e for the cartridge case in this
arrangement has a screw cut on its exterior, and it works through a hole with
a corresponding thread within it formed in the bottom of the frame or casting a.
e¹ is a lever for retaining the cartridge case in the holder and for turning it in
the operation of closing; after the cartridge has received its charge of powder
and of shot and the wads have been rammed down the holder e is turned by
its handle e¹ which causes it to rise until the end of the cartridge case is
forced into the turning groove formed in the lower ends of the hinged flaps h*,
and so the turning of the case is accomplished and the finished cartridge is
discharged from the holder. The lever e¹ in this and in the former arrange-
ment has a tooth ex upon it which whilst the holder e is turned round presses
against the side of the cartridge case and carries it round with the holder, so
that the closing cone may act on it effectually; this tooth is only required for
central-fire cartridges. With pin cartridges the pin enters a slot in the side of
the holder and the cartridge is held by it.
The Figures on Sheet 3 of the Drawing again show another modification of
the apparatus.
a, a, is the frame or casting of which the upper surface forms
a bed plate; b is a clamping screw; and c, a plate in contact with the bed
plate; it has a hollow cylindrical projection c* upon it and it fits into a socket
screwed to the bed plate, so that the projection c¹* being retained in the
socket serves as an axis about which the plate c can be turned to and fro
through a portion of a circle by means of its handle c'. A, A, are passages
formed in the sides of the socket, and to them respectively the powder and
shot reservoirs are connected, as is shown. In the sides of the cylindrical
projection c¹* are two openings X, X, and the cylinder is divided into two parts
by an upright partition. When the plate c is at one end of its course one of
the openings in the cylinder c¹* corresponds with the passage A leading from
the powder reservoir, and one half of the cylinder c¹ fills with powder. When
the plate c is at the other end of its course the other opening × corresponds
with the passage A leading from the shot reservoir, and the other half of the
cylinder c* fills with shot. The base plate in this arrangement has only two

page_text: holes in it; one of them a³ is for the wads and for the rammer which is placed
immediately over it, the other c¹² serves the purpose of the two holes c¹ and c
of the former arrangements; through it the powder and shot pass into the
inclined passage a* and so into the cartridge case. The charges pass to the
hole out of the cylinder c✶ through the holes c, c, at the bottom of this
cylinder, and one in each compartment of it. When the plate e is at one end
of its course, and when one compartment of the cylinder is, say, receiving shot
into it as already explained, the hole c of the other compartment has been
brought to correspond with the hole c¹s of the bed plate and is discharging
powder through it, similarly at the next motion of the plate c powder is received
by the cylinder c* and shot is discharged from it. The two compartments of
the cylinder care so formed internally at the top and bottom that the powder
and shot may fill them completely and run clear out of them, leaving none
lodging in the compartments. The top of each compartment is so arranged
that it can be raised or lowered by an adjusting screw c*, so that by this
means the capacity of the chambers may be adjusted. The rammer f in this
arrangement is somewhat modified; it is fitted to slide up and down in a
slotted tube, on the outside of which is the spiral spring for raising the
rammer, it presses upon a collar surrounding the exterior tube, and connected
with the rammer by arms passing through the slots. The rammer is worked by
a lever handle, to which a treadle may be applied, as the Drawing indicates.
The wads are brought into position for ramming by two holes in the plate c,
substantially as in the former arrangements; but these holes as the machine is
represented in the Drawings require to be elongated. In place of employing
a single tube g as the reservoir for each description of wads, four or it might
be other number of such tubes are grouped together, and the parts are so
arranged that when one tube becomes exhausted another is brought up to
supply its place until all are empty. Each system of wad tubes is mounted
on an axis g*, which at its upper and lower ends turns in holes in spring arms;
the upper arm can be raised to free the axis when the tubes require filling,
the lower one presses it inwards and holds the tubes in recesses in the side of
the socket in which the cylinder c¹x turns, and thus they are held steady and
at rest with one of the tubes in position to supply wads to the plate c, and
when this tube is empty the system of tubes is caused to make a quarter of a
revolution, so as to bring another tube into the working position. The lower
spring bearing of the axis g* yields to allow this partial rotation of the system
of tubes. When either of the wad tubes becomes empty a bent pin G
attached to the weight within it comes into such a position that the plate c
catches against it, shoulders being formed for the purpose immediately

page_text: beyond the wad holes c³, the thickness of the edge of the plate being reduced
to form these shoulders. When one of the pins G is thus caught by the
plate c, as the last wad in the tube enters the wad hole, the next motion of the
plate gives the required quarter rotation to the system of wad tubes. The
cartridge case is held in this machine in a holder e rocking on trunnions as in
the machine first described; the bottom of the cartridge case however is
here supported on a lever E, by means of which in the closing operation it
can be forced through the holder up to a closing cone i, and the closing is
effected by this pressure assisted by the rotation of the closing cone by the
handle. In the centre of the closing cone is a small spring rammer 2 for
expelling the finished cartridge from the holder tube e. In order to permit
the tube e to turn on its trunnions the piece in which the inclined passage a* is
formed is arranged to rise and fall vertically in a guide a** on the frame a; it
rises to let the tube e turn, but when free it descends by its own weight.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described, for these may be much varied; thus the
measuring of the charges may be effected by means of a horizontal cylinder
with measuring cavities in it rotating partially within a casing with apertures
in its side, through which the powder and shot enter from the reservoirs, and
escape when measured to the cartridge case; or again in an arrangement similar
to that shewn on Sheet 2 the plates d¹ and their levers d and springs may be
dispensed with and an upper plate fixed to the plate c and parallel with it
may be substituted therefor, such plate closing the upper ends of the
measuring tubes d, except when perforations in it are brought to coincide
with them. In other ways also the measuring apparatus may be varied;
also when the cartridge holder is arranged to tip on trunnions it is not
essential that it should be moved through a greater circle to bring it opposite
to the closing cone, as the closing cone may be so placed that an eighth or other
part of an inch will be the amount of motion required, or where the cartridge
holder does not turn upon trunnions, after the cartridge has been filled a
closing cone mounted on an axis and arm may be turned in sideways, so as to
come over the end of the cartridge case in a position for use; but what I do
claim is the combining into a machine for charging cartridges for breech-
loading fire-arms reservoirs for containing the powder, shot, and wads respec-
tively, apparatus for measuring out the charges and bringing up the wads, a
rammer, and a holder or receptacle to contain the cartridge case whilst it is
being filled.
I also claim, in arranging apparatus for charging and turning cartridges for

page_text: breech-loading fire-arms, the combining with the powder and shot reservoirs
the measuring apparatus and the rammer apparatus for closing the cartridge,
as herein described.
I also claim the arranging apparatus for charging and turning cartridges for
breech-loading fire-arms with two passages terminating immediately over the
holder, in which the cartridge case is contained whilst it is being charged, the
one passage being direct and having a rammer working through it, the other
being inclined and having the powder and shot discharged down it from
measuring apparatus.
I also claim, in arranging apparatus for ramming cartridges for breech-
loading fire-arms, the combining with the rammer and a holder for containing
the cartridge case whilst it is being filled spring blades which are taken down
into the mouth of the cartridge case and opened out in the act of ramming,
and carried up again out of the way by the rammer when it ascends.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Barons Northcote, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
G. B. NORTHCOTE. (L.S.)