IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Daw, of Threadneedle Street, in the
City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
Sealed the 3rd September 1867, and dated the 8th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Daw at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th March 1867:
I, GEORGE HENRY DAW, of Threadneedle Street, in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms. Cartridges for breech-loading fire-
arms have heretofore in some cases been made with the case which is to
contain the powder formed of a tube of metal; the tube has either been a
drawn tube or it has been a tube or hollow roll formed by winding sheet
metal around a mandril; such metal tubes have also at one of their ends been
combined with a base (mainly composed of paper or pulp, and formed by the

page_text: process known as Daw's process), carrying in its centre a percussion arrange-
ment for igniting the powder.
According to my Invention I construct the case of the cartridge of a metal
tube formed from a strip of thin rolled sheet metal bent over a mandril, and
having its overlapping edges soldered or cemented together so as to form a
perfect tube; one end of the tube so formed is, as heretofore, combined with
a base carrying a percussion arrangement, and the other end is closed by the
projectile after the case has been filled with powder. By thus constructing
the case of a strip of thin sheet metal soldered or cemented at its edges, and so
formed into a tube, much less metal may be employed in forming the case
than heretofore; the empty cases are also very readily extracted from the
barrel after the cartridge has been exploded. The tubes are of conical or
cylindrical form, or conical and cylindrical combined. The tubes or cases of
other descriptions of metallic cartridges may also be constructed in a similar
way to that above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Henry Daw in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY DAW, of Threadneedle Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Henry Daw, Her special licence that I, the said George Henry
Daw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Henry Daw, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Henry
Daw, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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

page_text: 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 I, the said George Henry Daw, do hereby
déclare the nature of the 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 the construction of.
cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms, cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms
have heretofore in some cases been made with the case which is to contain
the powder formed of a tube of metal; the tube has either been a drawn
tube, or it has been a tube or hollow roll formed by winding sheet metal
around a mandril. Such metal tubes have also at one of their ends been
combined with a base (mainly composed of paper or pulp, and formed by the
process known as Daw's process) carrying in its centre a percussion arrangement
for igniting the powder.
According to my Invention I construct the case of the cartridge of a metal
tube formed from a strip of thin rolled sheet metal bent over a mandril,
and having its overlapping edges soldered or cemented together so as to form
a perfect tube, one end of the tube so formed is, as heretofore, combined with
a base carrying a percussion arrangement, and the other end is closed by the
projectile after the case has been filled with powder. By thus constructing
the case of a strip of thin sheet metal soldered or cemented at its edges, and
so formed into a tube, much less metal may be employed in forming the case
than heretofore, the empty cases are also very readily extracted from the
chamber of the barrel after the cartridge has been exploded. The tubes are
of a conical or cylindrical form, or conical and cylindrical combined; the
tubes or cases of other descriptions of metallic cartridges may also be constructed
in a similar way to that above described.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows twice the full size a longitudinal section of a cartridge with
the case which is to contain the powder formed from thin sheet metal soldered
up at its edges to form a tube a, as above described; one end of this tube a
forming the powder case is shown to be combined with a base formed by the
process known as Daw's process, and carrying a percussion arrangement for
igniting the powder; b is the base cup or capsule into which the tube a is

page_text: set; c is the "hat cap" or chamber to contain the percussion cap and anvil ;
and d is a wad of paper pulp forced in under a heavy pressure whilst the
cartridge case is enclosed in a strong case or mould, it renders the base of the.
cartridge solid, and connects the parts a, b, and c firmly together.
Tubes such as above described may however be combined with other kinds
ór arrangements of bases, as, for instance, with bases in which the fulminating
compound is contained in the exterior ring of the base in place of in the centre,
as in the arrangement shewn. For rim-fire cases I join the metal tube to a
metal cup or cover by means of solder or cement.
At Figures 2 is shown separately a side and end view of a tube formed
by soldering up into a tube a strip of thin rolled sheet metal, the strip of
metal from which such a tube is formed is shown separately at Figure 3.
If it be desired to make the tube which is to form the powder case of a taper
form, then the shape into which the sheet metal is cut is varied accordingly,
thus, Figure 4 shows a strip of metal suitable for making a taper tube.
When the sheet metal has been cut into pieces each suitable for forming a
tube the edges which are to be soldered or connected together are coated with
solder, the solder at one edge. being applied on one side of the sheet whilst at
the opposite edge it is applied on the opposite side of the sheet, so that when
the sheet is lapped around a mandril, the surfaces coated with solder may
overlap and come in contact with one another, the coated edges are then
caused to unite by passing a heated iron along the joint, and the strip of
sheet metal is thus formed up into a tube. When forming cylindrical
tubes a long strip of metal may be coated along its overlapping edges with
solder, and afterwards cut up into lengths of the dimensions required for
forming a tube.
It is not essential (although very desirable) that the tubular powder cases
should be soldered up from end to end, thus as is represented at Figure 5, the
strip of metal may be cut with a projecting flap, it is rolled up into a tube, as is
shown at Figure 6, and the flap only is secured by solder; in place of solder
in each case cement may be used, but not so conveniently. A suitable
cement is obtained by melting 4 ozs. of best Scotch glue in half a pint
of water, and then stirring in and well mixing therewith 8 ozs. of flake
white; this cement is used hot like common glue and hardens on cooling.
In making up a cartridge from a tube formed as above described one end
of the tube is combined with a base, and afterwards the tube forming the
powder case has placed into it the requisite quantity of powder, and the mouth
of the case is then closed up by the projectile, a portion of the rear end of the
projectile is by preference inserted into the tube and held there either by bending

page_text: or indenting the tube into grooves in the projectile, or by cementing the bullet
into the case with wax or other lubricating material.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the forming
a cartridge case by combining with a base cup or capsule a powder case made
from a strip of thin rolled sheet metal soldered or cemented up at its overlapping
edges and so formed into a tube.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Daw, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
GEORGE HENRY DAW. (L.S.)