IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Eley, of Broad Street, Golden
Square, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES."
Sealed the 17th September 1858, and dated the 27th March 1858..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Eley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1858.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY, of Broad Street, Golden Square, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in cartridges. For these
purposes a strong case is formed to contain the powder; at the upper end of
this case the diameter is enlarged, so as to produce an interior ledge or
shoulder all round a short distance from the outer end of the case. The shot
is placed within another case suitable to fit within the smaller diameter at the
end of the first-mentioned case. The shot case has affixed at its outer end a
wad of somewhat larger diameter than the case in which the shot is placed.
For this purpose, the shot having been put into a case so as to fill it, a disc of
cardboard of the diameter of the case is placed over the shot, a piece of thin
paper is then cemented round and over the end, so as to secure the disc of
cardboard, then the wad is cemented to the disc of cardboard. The wad fits
within the first-mentioned case at its larger diameter, and there is a piece of
thin paper fixed by gum or other cement over the end in such manner as to

page_text: retain the the wad within the outer case. To the end of the shot case is fixed
a piece of tape or other material, on pulling which the shot case, with its wad,
is withdrawn from the outer case, so that the powder can be readily poured
from the outer case into the barrel of a fire-arm. In some cases the powder
is put into a comparatively weak case, which is attached to the shot case, and
the cartridge so formed, and having a wad, as before explained, is introduced
and withdrawn from an outer case with an internal ledge or shoulder, as above
explained.
employed.
When using balls in place of shot, similar outer cases are
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Eley in the Great Seal Patent Office on.
the 27th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, WILLIAM
THOMAS ELEY, of Broad Street, Golden Square, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign. did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Thomas Eley, Her special licence that I, the said
William Thomas Eley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Thomas Eley, my 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 In
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Thomas Eley, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Eley, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in cartridges. For these
purposes a strong case is formed to contain the powder; at the upper end of
this case the diameter is enlarged, so as to produce an interior ledge or
shoulder all round a short distance from the outer end of the case.
The shot
is placed within another case suitable to fit within the smaller diameter at the
end of the first-mentioned case. The shot case has affixed at its outer end a
wad of somewhat larger diameter than the case in which the shot is placed.
For this purpose, the shot having been put into a case, so as to fill it, a disc of
cardboard of the diameter of the case is placed over the shot, a piece of thin
paper is then cemented round and over the end, so as to secure the disc of
cardboard, then the wad is cemented to the disc of cardboard. The wad fits
within the first-mentioned case at its larger diameter, and there is a
piece of
thin paper fixed by gum or other cement over the end in such manner as to
retain the wad within the outer case. To the end of the shot case is fixed a
piece of tape or other material, on pulling which the shot case, with its wad, is
withdrawn from the outer case, or that the powder can be readily poured
from the outer case into the barrel of a fire-arm. In some cases the powder
is put into a comparatively weak case, which is attached to the shot case, and
the cartridge so formed and having a wad, as before explained, is introduced
and withdrawn from an outer case with an internal ledge or shoulder, as above
explained. When using balls in place of shot, similar outer cases are
employed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
more fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a section of the shot cartridge, consisting of the case a filled
with shot and bone dust, as is usual. On the upper surface of the shot case a
is introduced a disc of cardboard b, over which, at the upper edge of the bag
or case, a thin piece of paper is cemented; a wad c, of felt or other suitable
material, is then cemented to that end of the cartridge, and there is fixed
through such wad a piece of tape or string c¹, to act as a handle. The edges
of the wad are greased to aid it in its passage through a gun barrel.
Figure 2.d is an external view of a case to receive the powder and also
the shot cartridge; this case may be either conical or cylindrical; in either
form it is to be made in such manner that the internal diameter of the outer
end shall be such as to receive within it the wad c of the shot cartridge, as is
shewn in section at Figure 3. In order to open the side of case d, a tape is
introduced as shewn at e.

page_text: From the above description, it will be seen that by this Invention a very
simple yet useful combination is obtained, consisting,-
First, of a shot cartridge, with an exterior wadding (greased at its edges)
cemented on to thin paper attached to a disc of cardboard, as above described,
which in the discharge of the gun readily separates, and makes an open end
to the case, which allows the shot to escape freely.
And, secondly, such shot cartridge forms a stopper to close the powder or
outer case d, so as to keep in the powder, and which outer case is readily torn
asunder by the aid of the tape e.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Eley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY. (L.S.)