Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 24th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Dec., 1888
RESER
C
CO
1, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means for effecting the firing of cartridges for
ordnance in which the ignition is effected by a striking pin acting against a percussion
cap that is enclosed in a capsule which can be screwed into and out of the cap
chamber.
One improvement consists in providing the capsule which contains the cap with a
tubular extension, the end of which, presented to the charge of the cartridge, is open
and passes into a hole or bore of the cap chamber bottom. This tubular extension fits
with its outer surface closely against the surface of such hole or bore, and in being
subject internally to the gaseous pressure of the explosion on firing, it is made to fit
still closer against the hole, so as to serve as means for preventing the backward escape
of the explosion gases, which gases otherwise might pass into the cap chamber and
escape between the screw threads of the capsule and cap chamber, thereby fouling the
cap chamber and the lock mechanism. This tubular extension can be filled with a
charge of powder or other explosive substance in order to cause the flame of the
percussion cap in the first instance to ignite such charge and thus produce a larger
and more energetic flame which will effectually penetrate into and ignite the charge
of coarse grained powder in the cartridge.
The said tubular extension may either be formed in one with the capsule, or it
may be secure to its base by screwing or otherwise, the inner end being formed.
into the perforated anvil against which the charge of the percussion cap strikes ;
or it may extend into the chamber of the capsule so as to form a lining to it and be
fixed thereto either by screwing into the head of the capsule or by spinning the inner
end of the capsule on to a neck or tapering part thereof.
.

page_text: When the tubular lining extends up to the head of the capsulo, it may be formed with
a small chamber with anvil for receiving the percussion cap.
According to another modification, the tubular extension is formed on the capsule
itself and receives within it a separate tubular piece forming the anvil for the per-
cussion cap, it being secured by a turned over edge of the capsule. The percussion
cap may either be fitted directly into the capsule or into an outer cap which is fitted
into the capsule bearing with a flange thereon and formed so as to leave a small
space between its inner face and the outer face of the percussion cap, for safety
against accidental ignition. The outer end of the capsule may be either open or
closed and may otherwise be constructed as described in the specification to patent
No. 6909.
When the said tubular extension is filled with explosive material as described, its
end may be closed either by a plug or by a cap fitting into it or over the end of the
cap chamber, which plng or cap is blown off by the explosion of the said charge.
This charge may or may not have a central hole formed through it for ready ignition
by the flame of the percussion cap.
Dated this 30th day of August 1888
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what unner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improved means for effecting the firing of cartridges for
ordnance in which the ignition is effected by a striking pin acting against a percus-
sion cap that is enclosed in a capsule which can be screwed into and out of the cap
chamber.
One improvement consists in providing the capsule which contains the cap with a
tubular extension, the end of which presented to the charge of the cartridge is open
and passes into a hole or bore of the cap chamber bottom. This tubular extension
fits with its outer surface closely against the surface of such hole or bore, and in being
subject internally to the gaseous pressure of the explosion on firing, it is made to fit
still closer against the hole so as to serve as means for preventing the backward escape
of the explosion gases, which gases otherwise might pass into the cap chamber and
escape between the screw threads, of the capsule and cap chamber, thereby fouling the
cap chamber and the lock mechanism. This tubular extension can be filled with a
charge of powder or other explosive substance, in order to cause the flame of the
percussion cap in the first instance to ignite such charge and thus produce a larger
and more energetic flame which will effectually penotrate into and ignite the charge of
coarse-grained powder in the cartridge.
The said tubular extension may either be formed in one with the capsule or it may
be secured to its base by screwing or otherwise, the inner end being formed into the
perforated anvil against which the charge of the percussion cap strikes; or it may
extend into the chamber of the capsule so as to form a lining to it and be fixed thereto
either by screwing into the head of the capsule or by spinning the inner end of the
capsule on to a neck or tapering part thereof.
When the tubular lining extends up to the head of the capsule, it may be formed
with a small chamber with anvil for receiving the percussion cap.
According to another modification the tubular extension is formed on the capsule
itself and receives within it a separate tubular piece forming the anvil for the
percussion cap, it being secured by a turned-over edge of the capsule. The percussion
cap may either bo fitted directly into the capsule or into an outer cap which is fitted
into the capsule, bearing with a flange thereon and formed so as to leave a small
space between its inner face and the outer face of the percussion cap, for safety
against accidental ignition. The outer end of the capsule may be either open or
closed and may otherwise be constructed as described in the specification to patent
No. 690980.
When the said tubular extension is filled with explosive material as described, its
end may be closed either by a plug or by a cap fitting into it or over the end of the
cap chamber, which plug or cap is blown off by the explosion of the said charge.
This charge may or may not have a central hole formed through it for ready ignition
by the flame of the percussion cap.

page_text: Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings shew various arrangements of capsules
according to my above described invention.
Fig. 1 shows an arrangement in which the capsule d, which can scrow into and out
of the cap chamber of the cartridge case, in a similar manner to the capsules
described in my previous patent No. 6909, has a perforated anvil i formed in one
therewith, and also a tubular extension h. The latter is formed slightly tapering
towards its extremity and fits accurately into the correspondingly tapered hole k of the
cap chamber bottom. On the firing of the charge the gases evolved at very high
pressure in the tube 1, force the sides thereof so closely against the sides of the hole so
as to form a perfectly gas-tight joint.
Fig. 2 shews a modification of the above described arrangement in which the tube
and anvil i are formed in one as a separate piece from the capsule d, into which it is
screwed at o.
Fig. 3 shows an arrangement in which the tube with anvil i formed thereon
screws with its outer end, at o, into the screwed capsule d, the chamber for the per-
cussion cap a being in this case formed in the outer end of the tube h. Fig. 4
shews another modification in which the tapering tube his formed in one with the
anvil in a similar manner to Fig. 2, but instead of screwing into the capsule d, it is
fitted into a correspondingly tapered extension thereof. The tube / is wedged
so tightly into that it cannot be driven forward by the blow of the striking pin on
firing, and it is prevented from being driven backwards towards the percussion cap
by a shock, by having its inner end 2 rivetted over the end of the capsule d. The
pressure of the gases on firing force the tube against the tubular extension d' and
the latter against the hole of the chamber so as to form gas tight joints between all
three parts.
Fig. 5 shews another modification in which the tube his wedged tight in the
capsule d, and has a cap chamber formed in its outer end containing the anvil formed
thereon, and the cap a. The tube in this case fits directly into the hole k of the
chamber as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the end d¹ of the capsule stopping short some
distance from the end of and being made to fit tightly against it after has been
inserted, so as to prevent the tube from shifting forward.
The tube may in all the above arrangements be filled with powder or other
explosive material m, or it may be left without such charge, as at Fig. 3; at Fig. 1
this charge is shown confined by a cap n; at Figs. 2 and 4 it is confined by a cap p
of paper or other material cemented on, at Fig. 5 the mouth of the tube is shown
closed by a plug n of any suitable material. The charge m may have a passage formed
through it, as at m¹ Fig. 4, so that the jet of flame passing from the cap a shall effect
the ignition of the charge m over the whole surface of this passage.
The percussion caps for the above described devices may be of any suitable known
form, such as the usual form shewn at Figs. 1, 3 and 5, or they may be made with a
thick head a¹ as at Figs. 2 and 4, so that they cannot be indented or perforated but
are forced forward in the cap chamber, as a piston, on firing.
The head of the cap may either be exposed to the striking pin as at Figs. 2 and 4,
or the capsule may have a thin closed head as at e¹ Figs. 3 and 5, or the percussion
cap may be fitted into an outer cap as at Fig. 1, the sides e of which fit the sides of
the chamber in d and which has a projecting rim e² fitting a corresponding recess in
the capsule.
By preference a small space is left between the head e* of this cap and the head of
the percussion cap, so as to afford increased protection against accidental firing of the
latter by a blow against the head e* or by the cartridge falling on the ground.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In capsules that can be screwed in and out of cartridge cases, the use of a
tube or tubular extension that is either formed in one with or is screwed or otherwise
secured to the capsule, and which fits with a tapering end into a tapering

page_text: hole in the cap chamber of the cartridge case substantially as and for the purposes
herein described.
2. The construction of capsule herein described with reference to Fig. 1 wherein
the tubular extension is formed in one with the capsule d and anvil i.
3. The construction of capsule herein described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3
wherein the tube is forined in one with the anvil i and is screwed into the
capsule d.
4. The construction of capsule heroin described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5
wherein the tube h is formed in one with the anvil and is secured by wedging in a
tapered extension d' of the capsule d.
5. In combination with capsules with tubes or tubular extensions such as are
referred to in the preceding claims, the use of a charge of explosive material m within
the said tube or tubular extension either with or without a passage m³ substantially as
described.
6. In combination with a tube or tubular extension charged with explosive
material such as is referred to in the preceding claim, the use of a cap or plug
such as n or covering such as p for confining the charge substantially as herein
described.
7. In combination with capsules having tubes or tubular extensions such as are
referred to in the preceding claims, the use of a protecting outer cap containing
the percussion cap and having a rim e³ and a head et with space between the latter
and the porcussion cap, substantially as and for the purposes described with reference
to Fig. 1.