Improvements in Miniature Cartridge Cases.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 3rd Oct.. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Miniature Cartridge Cases.
I, RICHARD MORRIS of Bennett Park, Blackheath, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction of small cartridge cases for practice
with miniature ammunition in such a manner that they can be readily fitted into
holders or dummy cartridges shaped externally like the full sized ammunition and
containing subsidiary strikers to transmit the blow of the hammer or striker of the
rifle to the cap of the miniature cartridge. For this purpose, and more especially
for use in small bore rifles where the space is very contracted, I construct the
miniature cartridge in the following manner-I first punch-draw a cartridge case
having a thick base without any projecting flange and I taper it from about its
middle to a slightly smaller diameter at the base. I cut or turn in the base
a circular groove and I cut away a portion of the rim or flange under this groove.
I form the dummy or holder of the miniature cartridge of a shape and size
externally corresponding with the service cartridge and I bore a hole through it,
the front part of this hole being tapered to receive the tapered part of the cartridge.
I fit into the hinder part of the hole a metal plug bored to receive the striker rod
and having fixed at its front end a claw, like that of an extractor, this claw being
not wider than the notch in the rim of the cartridge case. Into the rear end of the
dummy I screw a plug to retain the internal plug and the striker. The miniature
cartridge being inserted in the mouth of the dummy with the notch in its rim in
line with the internal claw, is then turned partly round and becomes held by the
claw in the manner of a bayonet catch.
As the manufacture of a cartridge with a thick base in one piece with it is
necessarily costly it may be made in several pieces in the following manner-
I first punch draw a cartridge case with a central round hole through its base.
I then form a separate cap chamber having a flange at its base and about half way
along its length a slight shoulder, I insert this cap chamber from the rear into the
hole in the base of the cartridge case and then from the front I force a wad
of papier maché, lead or other suitable material into the cartridge case, thus firmly
connecting the cap chamber to the cartridge case and preventing escape of gas at
the junction of the two parts. The cap chamber thus applied to the cartridge,
projecting below the base of the cartridge has the flange or rim at its base notched
to suit the catch of the holder, in which it is held as above described in respect of
the turned down part of the thick base of the cartridge.
Dated this 14th day of November 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Miniature Cartridge Cases.
1, RICHARD MORRIS of Bennett Park, Blackheath, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to the construction of small cartridge cases for practice
with miniature ammunition in such a manner that they can be readily fitted into
holders or dummy cartridges shaped externally like the full sized ammunition and
[Price 6d1

page_text: containing subsidiary strikers to transmit the blow of the hammer or striker of the
rifle to the cap of the miniature cartridge. For this purpose, and more especially
for use in small bore rifles where the space is very contracted, I construct the
miniature cartridge as I shall describe referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the holder or dummy cartridge which fits
into the charge chamber of the rifle, and
Figure 2 is an external elevation of the miniature cartridge.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section to an enlarged scale of the miniature cartridge
shell made with a separate cap chamber having a nipple anvil.
Figure 4 is a section of the cap chamber made to receive a separate anvil.
I first punch draw the cartridge case C, Figure 2 with a thick base without any
projecting flange and I taper it from about its middle to a somewhat smaller
diameter at the base, in which I cut or turn a circular groove G, and I cut away,
as a notch at B, a portion of the rim in rear of the groove (r. I form the dummy
or holder D, Figure 1, of shape and size externally corresponding with the service
cartridge, and I bore through it a hole the front part of which is tapered to receive
the tapered rear end of the cartridge C. Into the hinder part of the hole in D
I fit a metal plug P bored to receive the striker rod S and having fixed in its front
part a claw E like that of an extractor not wider than the notch B. The rear of
the dummy D has screwed into it a plug F which keeps the internal plug P
in place. The cartridge C being inserted in the mouth of the dummy D with the
notch B in line with claw of E, is turned partly round and becomes held by the
claw in the manner of a bayonet catch.
As the manufacture of a cartridge shell with a thick base in one piece with it is
necessarily costly, it may be made as shewn in Figure 3, that is to say, I first punch
draw the shell C with a round hole through its base.
I then form a separate cap chamber A having a flange at its base and in front of
this flange at a distance equal to the width of the groove G a slight shoulder.
I insert the cap chamber from the rear into the hole in the base of the shell C, and,
having somewhat upset its front so as to form a lip all round it, I force a wad W of
papier maché, lead or other somewhat plastic material into the base of the shell,
thus firmly connecting the cap chamber A to the base and preventing escape of gas
at their junction. The flange at the base of the cap chamber, which has in front
of it the groove G, is notched as described with reference to Figure 2 to admit the
claw of E.
As shewn in Figure 4, the cap chamber A, instead of having a nipple constituting
an anvil as in Figure 3, may have a separate anvil, which can be inserted from the
rear after the front of the chamber has been upset as indicated by the dotted
line a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A miniature cartridge with a deep base grooved, the rear lip of the groove
being notched to operate with an extractor claw in a dummy, in the manner of a
bayonet catch, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
2. A miniature cartridge having a flanged cap chamber fixed in its base the
flange of the cap chamber operating as the rear lip of the groove above referred to,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 3 and 4.
Dated 1
1001
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.