Improvements in Ammunition for Guns.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 12th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ammunition for Guns.
I, CHARLES AMBROSE M'Evor, of the London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to avoid the necessity of using long cartridges for
loading breech loading guns or for loading the guns with loose bags of powder as is
common when cartridges are not used.
The greater part of the powder I enclose and hermetically seal in a metallic case or
cases preferably of zinc and with the ends of comparatively thin metal-these are to
be loaded into the gun next to the projectile and to ignite the powder contained in
them and to eject them from the gun together with the projectile when the charge is
fired I use a short cartridge formed with a rim base and carrying a fuze or
detonator as in ordinary metallic cartridge cases. This short cartridge is to be filled
with powder and closed at its front end with thin metal.
When this short cartridge is fired in a gun it will make a tight joint at the breech
and blow in the end of the cylindrical powder case in front of it and ignite the
powder therein and will at the same time propel forward the metal of which the case
was formed and eject it from the gun..
"
.
A check arrangement of
gas
any kind with a strong primer might be used instead
of the short cartridge for making a tight joint at the breech.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ammunition for Guns.
I, CHARLES AMBROSE M°Evoy of the London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to avoid the necessity of using long cartridges for
loading breech loading guns or for loading the guns with bags of powder as is common
when cartridges are not used.
The greater part of the powder I enclose and hermetically seal in a metallic case or
cases preferably of zinc and of comparatively thin metal-these are to be loaded into
the gun next to the projectile and to ignite the powder contained in them and to
eject them from the gun together with the projectile when the charge is fired I use a
short cartridge formed with a rim base and carrying a fuze or detonator as in ordinary
metallic cartridge cases. This short cartridge is to be filled with powder and closed
at its front end with thin metal.
When this short cartridge is fired in a gun it will make a tight joint at the breech
and blow in the end of the cylindrical powder case in front of it and ignite the powder
therein and will at the same time propel forward the metal of which the case was
formed and eject it from the gun.
A gas check arrangement of any kind with a strong primer might be used instead
of the short cartridge for making a tight joint at the breech...
In order that my said Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawing hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The drawing shows a longitudinal section of a gun showing the cartridge in place
within it.
'
a is a short cartridge containing a small powder charge, it is closed in front with
a plate of thin metal which may be secured in its place by solder. This cartridge is
provided with any ordinary ignition apparatus and it is supported in rear by the
block which closes the breech of the gun-a screw breech block is indicated in
the drawing.
bbare cylindrical cases of thin corrugated metal, zinc is the most suitable metal as
it is liable to be consumed by the strong heat of the powder gases and but little
remains to be projected out of the gun. The cases 6 6 contain powder charges and
they are closed in front by discs of thin metal also preferably zinc soldered or
cemented in place. d is the projectile.
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. Ammunition for guns consisting of a short cartridge or primer with metallic
capsule or gas check; and a powder charge or powder charges contained in a thin
metal case or cases; the whole so arranged that the thin metal case or cases if not
consumed is or are driven forward out of the gun by the explosion of the short
cartridge whilst the metallic capsule or gas check of the cartridge is withdrawn
rearwards out of the gun when the breech is opened.
2. Ammunition in conformity with the first claiming clause and with the powder
charge or powder charges contained in zinc cases.
Dated this 13th day of January 1890.