Improved Means for Enabling Miniature Cartridges to be Used in Rifles and other Small-arms.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Enabling Miniature Cartridges to be Used in
Rifles and other Small-arms.
I, THOMAS ANDREWS, of 31 New Road, Woolwich, in the County of Kent,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention is designed to provide improved means whereby miniature
ammunition may be conveniently and advantageously used in rifles and other
small-arms.
For this purpose I construct a removable bushing or lining which is adapted to
hold a miniature cartridge and can be readily inserted into the chamber of the
fire-arm by hand and withdrawn therefrom by the ordinary extractor of the fire-arm,
and which comprises two readily separable parts so constructed that one part will
serve very efficiently for facilitating the extraction of the spent shell of the
miniature cartridge from the other part.
My improved device is applicable for use with central fire or with rim-fire
cartridges.
The two separable parts of the said bushing or lining are united by means of a
bayonet-joint, a screw-joint or other suitable means, so that they can be very
readily attached to and detached from each other. In one arrangement, the rear
part of the said bushing or lining is provided with an internal projection, flange or
hook, adapted to engage with the rim or flange of the mininture cartridge, so that
the act of separating the two parts of the said bushing or lining, will effect the
extraction or withdrawal of the spent shell of the miniature cartridge from the
forward part of the said bushing or lining.
When my said device is designed for use with rim-fire cartridges, I sometimes so
construct the bushing or lining that, when the two main parts thereof are detached,
the miniature cartridge can be inserted in the forward part, and, when the said
parts are subsequently united, the said cartridge will be enclosed between them.
In the rear end of the rear part of the said bushing or lining I fit a longitudinally
movable piece provided with one or more pius or projections on its forward end
adapted to indent the rim of the cartridge for the purpose of exploding the priming
thereof. The rear end of the said movable piece is so formed that it may be struck
by the ordinary central firing-pin or striker of the fire-arm in which my improved
device is used.
When my improved device is to be used with central fire cartridges, the said
bushing or lining is so constructed that, after the two main parts thereof are
united, the miniature cartridge can be inserted therein from the rear, and in
separating the two parts the spent shell will be withdrawn from the forward part,
and can then be very readily ejected or shaken out of the rear part. Or the rear
part is made with an internal projection or hook which serves as part of a bayonet-
joint for uniting the two parts of the bushing or lining, and whereby, when these
parts are separated, the spent shell of the miniature cartridge will be extracted and
ejected from the said bushing or lining.

page_text: My improved device is adapted for use with miniature cartridges loaded with
either bullets or shot as may be desired.
Dated the 26th day of February 1895.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Means for Enabling Miniature Cartridges to be Used in
Rifles and other Small-arms.
I THOMAS ANDREWS of 31 New Road, Woolwich in the County of Kent,
Gun Maker 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 is designed to provide improved means whereby miniature
ammunition may be conveniently and advantageously used in rifles and other
small-arms.
For this purpose I construct a removable bushing or lining which is adapted to
hold a miniature cartridge and can be readily inserted into the chamber of the
fire-arm by hand and withdrawn therefrom by the ordinary extractor of the fire-
arm, and which comprises two readily separable parts so constructed that one part
will serve very efficiently for facilitating the extraction of the spent shell of the
miniature cartridge from the other part.
My improved device is applicable for use with central fire or with rim fire
cartridges.
The two separable parts of the said bushing or lining are united by means of a
bayonet-joint, a serew joint or other suitable means, so that they can be very
readily attached to and detached from each other.
In one arrangement, the rear part of the said bushing or lining is provided with
an internal projection, flange or hook, adapted to engage with the rim or flange of
the miniature cartridge, so that the act of separating the two parts of the said
bushing or lining, will effect the extraction or withdrawal of the spent shell of the
miniature cartridge from the forward part of the said bushing or lining.
When my said device is designed for use with rim-fire cartridges, I sometimes so
construct the bushing or lining that, when the two main parts thereof are detached,
the miniature cartridge can be inserted in the forward part, and, when the said parts
are subsequently united, the said cartridge will be enclosed between them. In the
rear end of the rear part of the said bushing or lining I fit a longitudinally movable
piece provided with one or more pins or projections on its forward end adapted to
indent the rim of the cartridge for the purpose of exploding the priming thereof.
The rear end of the said movable piece is so formed that it may be struck by the
ordinary central firing-pin or striker of the fire-arm in which my improved device
is used.
When my improved device is to be used with central fire cartridges, the said
bushing or lining is so constructed that, after the two main parts thereof are
united, the miniature cartridge can be inserted therein from the rear, and in
separating the two parts the spent shell will be withdrawn from the forward part
and can be very readily ejected or shaken out of the rear part. Or the rear part
is made with an internal projection or hook which serves as part of a bayonet-joint
for uniting the two parts of the bushing or lining, and whereby, when these parts
are separated, the spent shell of the miniature cartridge will be extracted or ejected
from the said bushing or lining.

page_text: My improved device is adapted for use with miniature cartridges loaded with
either bullets or shot as may be desired.
At the rear end of the rear part of the bushing or lining adapted for to use
central fire miniature cartridges I sometimes employ a spiral spring to press against
the rim or flange of said cartridge to further facilitate the extraction of the spent
shell therefrom.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shown how my invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of one form of my improved device,
the miniature cartridge and other parts being shown in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section illustrating another form or modifi-
cation of my improved device, the miniature cartridge being shown in side
elevation.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section, the miniature cartridge and other
parts being shown in side elevation, showing my improved device designed for use
with rim-fire cartridges.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal central section, the miniature cartridge being shown
in side elevation, illustrating another form or modification of my improved device
designed for use with rim-fire cartridges.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the forward part of the bushing or lining which is so shaped that it will fit
into the forward part of the chamber of the rifle and thus form a continuation of
the bore of the barrel into a reduced cartridge chamber. a¹ is the rear part of the
bushing or lining which is fitted to the forward part by a bayonet, screw, or other
suitable joint and having at its rear end a head or flange for extracting the bushing
or lining from the chamber of the fire-arm. In Figs. 1 and 2 a² is an internal
flange formed on the rear part of the bushing or lining which on separation from
the forward part thereof by the bayonet, screw or other joint, engages with the
flange b of the miniature cartridge, or with the spring S shown in connection
therewith in Fig. 2, and thereby effects the extraction of the spent central fire
miniature shell.
In my device for use with rim-fire cartridges shown in Fig. 3 c is a longitudinally
movable block with one or more projections c at its forward end for to indent the
rim of the miniature cartridge d by the action of the striker of the fire arm on the
block c.
In Fig. 4 of my device, also for use with rim fire cartridges, e is a spring for
extracting the miniature cartridge by the act of separating the two parts which
form the bushing or lining. The said spring e with its hooked end, and the slot e¹
running into the circumferential groove e² form a bayonet catch for uniting together
the bushings or lininge.
In Fig. 4 I show a forked shape device c which I sometimes employ in the
manner shown, in the modified rear part of the bushing or lining, to transmit the
blow of the striker of the fire arm to the rim of the cartridge d'.
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 :
―:
First. A removable bushing or lining adapted to fit into the chamber of a fire
arm, the said bushing or lining being comprised of two separable parts whereby the
withdrawal of the spent miniature cartridge shell is readily effected by the act of
separating the two said parts, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. A removable bushing or lining adapted to fit into the chamber of a fire
arm and comprised of two separable parts, the rear end of the rear part being
fitted with a longitudinally movable piece provided with one or more projections
on its forward end to indent and explode a rim-fire cartridge situated at the reir
end of the forward part of the said bushing or lining as herein before described.
Third. The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined

page_text: substantially as described with reference to Fig. 1 or the modification shown in
Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings for the purposes above specified.
Fourth. Apparatus substantially as described and illustrated by Fig. 3, or the
modification shown in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings, for adapting fire arms
for using rim fire miniature ammunition.
Dated this 25th day of November 1895.