Improvements in or relating to Cartridges.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cartridges.
A communication from ANDREW E. VEON, Jeweller, of Brainerd, Crow Wing
County, Minnesota, United States of America, and ALLEN F. FERRIS,
Banker, of the same place.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :—
The main objects of this invention are to prevent wear and enlargement of the
muzzles of choke-bore guns, to reduce the recoil and consequent kicking in
shooting such guns, to produce better targets with less ammunition than can be
accomplished by ordinary loading, to secure greater concentration and penetration
and more uniform distribution of the shot.
It consists essentially of a hollow shot wad or ring of considerable thickness,
made of some soft or compressible material such as felt, adapted to enclose a
portion of the shot next to the powder and retain them in a compact form
subjected equally and uniformly to the force of the powder in their passage
through the barrel.
In the accompanying drawing like letters designate the same parts in the several
figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a loaded cartridge provided with this improved
shot wad, a portion of the cartridge shell being broken away to show the relative
arrangement of the wads, powder and shot;
Figure 2 is a similar view of an unloaded cartridge shell, a portion of which is
broken away, showing the wads as they are designed to be arranged therein;
Figure 3 is a detached perspective view of the shot wad constituting the main
essential feature of the invention, and Figure 4 is a similar view of a modified
form of the wad.
It
The improved wad may be used either with or without cartridge shells, and is
adapted for use either in choke-bore guns or in straight cylinder-bore guns.
has special advantages in shooting with choke-bore guns or guns having contracted
muzzles, and as most of the modern shot guns are more or less choke bored or
contracted at the muzzle, its advantages will be secured in a wide range of
application.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawing, A represents a hollow
cylindrical wad or ring, open at both ends and made of some suitable soft or
compressible material such as felt, preferably about three thirty-seconds of an inch
in thickness and about half an inch in depth. My correspondents have found by
repeated and careful tests made under varying conditions, that the dimensions of
the wad above given produce the most satisfactory results, although these dimen-
sions may be varied to a certain extent for different sizes of shot and different
kinds of shooting. The deeper the shot cavity or the greater the depth of the
wad, the greater will be the concentration and penetration of the shot, so that for
long range shooting and close pattern targets the wads or rings of the greater
depth are best suited.
In loading either a cartridge shell or a gun directly, an ordinary disc shaped
powder wad B, is placed over the powder. The improved shot wad or ring, which
is made to fit the bore of the gun or cartridge shell, is then placed directly thereon,
the powder wad constituting a back or bottom therefor. The shot are then placed
in the cartridge or gun over the wads thus arranged, and are covered and held in
place by a thin shot wad C, in the usual manner.

page_text: The shot wad or ring is shown with a portion broken away to disclose more
clearly the shot cavity which receives in loading and confines a portion of the shot
next to the powder wad B. That portion of the charge of shot'so confined in
the hollow wad or ring A, is that which directly receives the force of the powder
in shooting, and is most compressed, and has by reason of such compression the
greatest tendency outward against the barrel, and to scatter when it leaves the
barrel. In choke-bore guns with ordinary loading, this compression of the shot
next to the powder and its outward tendency, rapidly wears the contracted portion
of the barrel, expands or enlarges the muzzle, and subjecting the barrel to great
strain, is liable to burst it at or near the muzzle. With this improved hollow wad
or ring, that portion of the charge subject to the greatest compression and therefore
having the greatest tendency to wear and expand the barrel and to scatter after it
leaves the barrel, is confined and held in a compact form centrally in the line of
fire, subjected uniformly and evenly to the force of the powder. The wad or ring
acts as a cushion between the shot and barrel, and being made of sufficient thick-
ness and of compressible material, the contracted portion of the barrel is relieved
of the strain and wear to which it is subjected by the shot in the ordinary method
of loading. The friction between the shot and barrel being thus avoided or at
least greatly reduced, and the shot being confined in a compact form in the best
position to receive the full effect of the powder, greater concentration and penetra-
tion, and a more uniform distribution of the charge is effected. Inasmuch as with
the use of this improved wad greater concentration and more uniform distribution
of the shot are secured, and the friction of the shot against the barrel is prevented
or greatly reduced a smaller charge may be used with equal or better results than
are attainable by the old method of loading with ordinary wads.
With a smaller. charge of shot as above stated, it is also feasible to use a smaller
charge of powder. In this way a marked saving is effected in the cost of
shooting, there is less jar and wear on the gun, the quantity and weight of
ammunition necessary for a given amount of shooting is diminished, besides the
advantages hereinbefore mentioned in the greater efficiency of shooting. The
wad being compressed by the shot snugly against the barrel, serves incidentally
as a cleaner, keeping the gun clear and free from incrustation and dirt.
The shooting of straight cylinder bore guns is also improved by the use of
this improved shot wad, which produces in such guns practically the effect of a
choke bore or contracted muzzle.
Referring to Figure 4, A¹ represents a modified form of the improved shot wad,
provided with a bottom a, a portion of one side being broken away to show more
clearly the shot cavity. With this form of the wad the ordinary powder wad B is
unnecessary. My correspondents prefer however, the form first described having
both ends open, in connection with the ordinary powder wad, as it can be more
economically produced in this form, and is practically as convenient and effective
in use, requiring no special loading device or apparatus.
With the new powerful, quick-acting nitro-powders which are much harder on
guns, particularly of the choke-bore type, than the ordinary black powder, the
improved wads are of particular advantage, relieving guns in which they are used
of the excessive wear, jar and strain to which they would otherwise be subjected
by the ordinary method of loading with such powder.
The liability and danger of bursting resulting from heavy loading and foul guns,
as well as from the use of nitro-powder, are prevented by this device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A hollow shot wad or ring of considerable thickness made of soft or com-
pressible material such as felt with the walls of the shot cavity approximately
parallel with the outer wall of the wad whereby a soft compressible cushion is
formed between the shot and the wall of the barrel which permits contraction in

page_text: passing through the barrel and at the same time confines the shot in compact form
within the compressible walls of the wad and centrally in the line of fire substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The combination of a hollow shot wad open at both ends, made of compressible
material, such as felt, of considerable thickness affording a compressible cushion
between the shot and the wall of the barrel permitting contraction in passing
through the barrel and at the same time confining the shot in compact form within
the compressible wall of the wad and centrally in the line of fire, and a disc shaped
wad adapted to close one end of said shot wad and separate the shot from the
powder substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The combination in a cartridge with a disc shaped wad placed between the
powder and shot, of a hollow cylindrical shot wad placed upon said disc shaped
wad which serves as a bottom therefor and confining a portion of the shot next to
the powder said hollow wad having yielding sides forming a compressible cushion
between the shot and the wall of the barrel permitting contraction in passing
through the barrel and at the same time confining the shot in compact form within
the compressible walls of the wad and centrally in the line of fire substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 26th day of October 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.