AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING GUNS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Lancaster, of New Bond Street, in
the City of Westminster, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN
Sealed the 22nd August 1865, and dated the 24th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William Lancaster
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th February 1865.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM LANCASTER, of New Bond Street, in the City of
Westminster, Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING GUNS," to
be as follows:-
My improvement consists in constructing central fire cartridges for breech-
loading guns with a pin or stud projecting from the side thereof; this pin is
simply for the purpose of indicating that there is a cartridge in the
performs no part in firing the charge, but protrudes through a hole made for
the purpose in the rear of the barrel or breech.
gun; it

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles William Lancaster in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WILLIAM LANCASTER, of New Bond Street, in the City of Westminster, Gun
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles William Lancaster, Her special licence that I, the said.
Charles William Lancaster, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Charles William Lancaster, my executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-
LOADING GUNS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
William Lancaster, 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 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 Charles William Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
My improvement consists in constructing central fire cartridges for breech-
loading guns with a pin or stud projecting from the side thereof; this pin is
simply for the purpose of indicating that there is a cartridge in the gun; it
performs no part in firing the charge, but protrudes through a hole made for
the purpose in the rear of the barrel or breech.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal section, and
Figure 2 a view of the rear end, of a cartridge constructed according to my
Invention. a is the cartridge case, and is a pin projecting from the side

page_text: thereof for the purpose of indicating that there is a cartridge in the gun.
This pin protrudes through a hole made for the purpose in the rear of the
barrel or breech, as seen in Figure 3, which is a longitudinal section of a
portion of a gun with one of my cartridges in place. c is the percussion cap
by means of which the charge is fired.
I am aware that a moveable pin for exploding the charge in cartridges has
heretofore been used, the construction of cartridges with a movable pin for
that purpose, therefore, forms no part of my present Invention.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim constructing
central fire cartridges for breech-loading guns with a pin or stud projecting
from the side thereof in manner and for the purpose herein-before described
and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Lancaster, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.
CHARLES W. LANCASTER. (L.S.)