IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Colt, of Pall Mall, in the City of West-
minster, Gentleman, and William Thomas Eley, of Broad Street, Golden
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Percussion Cap Manufacturer, for
MED OR CARRIDGES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Colt and William
Thomas Eley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 9th June 1855.
We, SAMUEL COLT, of Pall Mall, in the City of Westminster, Gentleman,
and WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY, of Broad Street, Golden Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Percussion Cap Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARTRIDGES " to
be as follows:
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of cart-
ridges, whereby they may be protected from the injurious effects of damp, and
may be used with great facility.
We prefer to use the conical form of bullet, which we cast with a rebate,
and an annular groove at its rear end. The chamber or case to contain the
powder we form of sheet foil, the laps of which we make secure by a water-
proof cement, and we attach the same (when charged with powder) to-the-
rebated portion of the bullet by cement and pressure. A layer of grease
hardened to the proper consistence is run round the cartridge, at the part

page_text: where the case and bullet are connected to serve as a lubricator. When the
cartridge is not intended to be enclosed in a paper envelope we make the case
of stout foil, and to ensure the action of the fire from the primer on the
charge we attach a tape or string to the rear end of the case, so that it may
be readily torn off immediately before using the cartridge.
The powder will then be exposed and free to receive the fire from the
primer. When, however, we employ a paper envelope a thinner, kind of
sheet foil may be used, and no difficulty will then be experienced in effecting
the ignition of the powder, as the percussion fire will readily penetrate the
thinner metal.
The paper case which encloses the cartridge we provide with a tape or
string, which passes from the bottom of the case (to which it is attached) to
the top, and projects an inch or more beyond the case. The use of this tape
or string is to tear down the side of the paper envelope, and release the
cartridge therefrom when the same is required to be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Colt and William Thomas Eley in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th December 1855.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, SAMUEL
COLT, of Pall Mall, in the City of Westminster, Gentleman, and WILLIAM
THOMAS ELEY, of Broad Street, Golden Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Percussion Cap Manufacturer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said.
Samuel Colt and William Thomas Eley, Her special license that we, the
said Samuel Colt and William Thomas Eley, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel Colt and William Thomas
Eley, our 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 MANU-
FACTURE OF CARTRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Samuel Colt and William Thomas Eley, by an instrument in writing under our

page_text: hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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.
T
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Eley, on behalf of
myself and of the said Samuel Colt, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is.to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the 'Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
Our Invention relates to certain improvements-in the construction of cart-
ridges to be used for charging fire-arms generally; the object being to protect
the cartridge from the injurious effects of damp, and to facilitate in a measure
the operation of charging the weapon, by rendering it unnecessary to bite
off the end of the cartridge.
We prefer to use the conical form of bullet, as shewn in the accompanying
Drawing at Fig. 1. This bullet, it will be seen, is cast with a rebate, and an
annular groove at its rear end, which facilitates the attachment of the powder
case or chamber. This case or chamber we form by preference of sheet foil,
as shewn in section at Fig. 2, but better in Figures 3 and 4, which represent
a packet of cartridges in a paper case. Figs. 5 are outside views of this case.
The sheet foil (tin being the metal which we commonly employ) is lapped
round a suitably shaped core or former, and the edges of the lap are secured
by the application of varnish or other suitable waterproof cement. These
metal cases (when charged with powder) we attach to the rebated portion of
the bullet by cement and pressure. A layer of grease, so prepared that when
it has set it will be sufficiently hard to admit of being handled without injury
or displacement, is run round the cartridge at the part a, a, (Fig. 2,) where the
case and bullet are connected, and it will thus serve as a lubricator to the
bullet.. When the cartridge is not intended to be enclosed in a paper envelope,
as in the arrangement presently to be explained, we use stout foil in the
manufacture of the case; and to ensure the action of the fire from the primer
on the charge, we attach a tape or string to the rear end of the case, as
shewn at Fig. 6, so that by pulling the tape or string immediately before the
cartridge is applied to the fire-arm, a portion of the case will be torn away,
leaving the powder exposed, and free to receive the fire from the primer.
When, however, we apply a paper envelope or outer covering to the cart-
ridge, a thinner kind of sheet foil may be used, or even thin paper, and no

page_text: difficulty will then be experienced in effecting the ignition of the powder, as
the percussion fire will in these instances readily penetrate thereto..
Fig. 7 shews, in side view, and Fig. 8, in section, a paper envelope or case b;
enclosing a cartridge, the powder case or chamber of which is made of paper,
according to the plan for which a Patent was granted to the within-named
William Thomas Ely, dated the Twenty-fourth November 1854, but may, if
required, be made of thin foil, as above explained. This paper envelope b
we provide with a tape or string c, which passes from the bottom of the case
or envelope (where it is attached by glue or other cement) to the top, and pro-
jects an inch or more beyond the case. The upper end of the case when the
cartridge is inserted is folded in and closed by pressure, and the stiffness of
the paper will suffice to keep the cartridge from shaking out. The 'use
of the tape or string c is to tear down the side of the paper envelope, and
release the cartridge therefrom when the same is required to be used..
When using thin paper for the manufacture of the powder chamber, we
find it desirable to employ the means shewn at. Figs. 9 for effecting the
attachment of the same to the bullet. In this example the bullet is shewn as
cast with an elongation d, in the form of a pin at its rear. This pin is pushed
through the paper, and then upon it is slipped a disc of tin e, which when
pressed up will secure the attachment of the paper to the bullet..
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in
the Manufacture of Cartridges," and explained the manner of carrying the.
same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim,
First, the improved manufacture of waterproof cartridge as described with
reference to Fig. 2.
And, secondly, the application of a detachable outer case or envelope for.
protecting the cartridge from injury, and the use of a tape or string, or its
equivalent, for stripping off the case and for laying bare the powder (when
that is required) to the action of the percussion fire, as above described...
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Eley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
+
WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY. (L.S.)