Improvements in Blank Cartridges.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Blank Cartridges.
I MAX GAUTIER, Manufacturer, in care of Messieurs E. Bede & Cie., of
37 Rue Philippe le Bon, Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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 this invention is to provide a blank cartridge that is to say one
that is only charged with powder and contains no projectile, and the principal
purpose of the improvements,is to give such cartridge the same external shape as
one provided with a projectile. The improved cartridge is composed of an ordinary
metallic primed cartridge case and having one or more touch holes and of a tube
sufficiently prolonged to project beyond said socket so as to assume, when closed,
the appearance of a projectile; this tube being made of a resilient, resistant metal
and having its outer end opened and serrated thus forming a number of teeth in
such a manner that these teeth or points when bent over toward the longitudinal
axis of the cartridge form a pointed, arched, spherical or other surface and unite
without leaving large intervals between them, the said tube having also its inner
end closed and perforated with one or more holes or entirely open and widened
with or without serrations.
The invention is represented in the annexed drawings, Figs. 1 to 5 representing
cross sections of the improved cartridges.
The closed extremity of the tube (Fig. 1) may be provided with a recess or
cavity and the bottom pierced with one or more holes facilitating the firing of
the powder which the tube is to contain-or the bottom may be made serrated as in
Fig. 1 and bent inwards to leave a central hole similar to that in Fig. 1.
The tube may be made in such a manner that its outer diameter exactly
corresponds to the inner diameter of the neck c of the case (Fig. 2) so as to require
effort for being introduced into said case, this precaution being necessary so that in
introducing the inner tube into the case, a certain amount of frictional resistance
must be overcome to provide that the inner tube will be firmly pressed against the
inner walling of the case. The tube is pushed inwards until its lower end rests
upon that of the case.
It is then fixed either by means of a setting in of the mouth of the case (Fig. 2
at c) or by means of a circular groove (Fig. 2 at d) made in the neck or by means
of pointed recesses driven into the neck; thereupon the charge of powder is
introduced into the tube and covered with a wad (Fig. 3) of felt or any other
light material, not constituting a dangerous projectile. This done, the teeth a are
bent over in the above mentioned manner, thus imparting to the extremity of the
closed tube a pointed, arched, spherical, truncated conical, cylindrical, square, flat,
or other desired shape as at E, (Fig. 3).
When the shot is fired the charge of powder is inflamed through the touch-hole
provided in the bottom of the tube, the teeth a of the toothed top part open and
the deflagration of the charge distends the walls of the tube against the bottom
and the inner wall of the case, thus swelling the tube in such a way that the latter
becomes hermetically fixed against the walls of the neck and the body of the case
at f Fig. 3, so that said tube cannot become separated from the case, while the
expansion of the neck itself is limited by the bore of the gun.
To prevent the metal of the inner tube from being driven inwards towards the
centre of the case (as shown at A in Fig. 4) owing to the air pressure produced
between the inner wall of the case and the outer wall of the tube, immediately after
expansion of the latter due to deflagration of the powder two small holes are

page_text: pierced in the body of the case at h h¹ Fig. 4 through which holes at the moment
of firing, the air layer confined between the tube and the case will escape and like-
wise the surplus of the gases from the priming will be enabled to pass from the
spaces ii. The metal of the tube is under these circumstances permitted to expand
uniformly against the inner wall of the case. The arrangements shown in Figs. 5
and 6 serve, as regards the form to be given to the tube and especially the method
of uniting it to the case, to secure a still better fixing of the case before the shot is
fired, to more efficiently prevent any separation of these two elements (tube and
case) and to enlarge the chamber for the powder.
According to Fig. 6 the tube can be placed in the case before setting in the neck
of the latter in which case the diameter of the body of the tube is made to
correspond to the inner diameter of the body of the case and neck of the case, being
set in only after the tube being inserted.
The cartridge thus made and charged replaces a ball-cartridge and the rigidity
of the pointed top part allows of its use in magazine or repeating rifles.
Fig. 5 represents the cartridge in which the form of that part of the tube which
is enclosed in the case corresponds to the inner shape of the body of said case; the
tube being here maintained in the socket by the aid of the neck 1 of the latter, this
neck part being set in after the tube is inserted over the shoulder k of the tube.
Fig. 6 represents the tube introduced into the case and being already made with
a shoulder k over which the upper part of the case is set in.
The complete combustion of the charge of the powder obtained by the hermetic
closure of this new cartridge tends to prevent fouling of the riflings of the gun.
These cartridges can be readily recharged by replacing the priming and by
annealing if required, the serrated edge of the tube in order to avoid any
detaching of the teeth a in subsequently bending them.
To prevent the powder escaping through the touch hole the latter may be
covered by an easily combustible film of paper. When smokeless powder is used
it is advisable to employ a fine grained powder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
11
1. An improved blank cartridge consisting of a cartridge case and a tube for the
charge sufficiently projecting from the case to present the appearance of a real
projectile, this inner tube being fixed at or by the neck of the case and provided
at its outer end with serrations capable of being bent over toward the longitudinal
axis of the cartridge, while the under extremity of the tube is either open or closed
and perforated with touch-holes.
2. An improved blank cartridge according to Claim 1 in which lateral holes h h¹
are provided in the body of the case so as to allow of the escape of gas.
3. An improved blank cartridge as described in Claims 1 and 2 in which the
neck of the case and the tube are provided each of them with a groove, the one
corresponding to the other and serving to maintain the tube within the socket.
4. An improved blank cartridge comprising a case and tube the tube having its
outer shape corresponding to the finished inner form of the body of the case in
which latter it is maintained by the neck of said case, set in or adjusted over
a shoulder k of the tube after the latter has been inserted in the socket
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 27th dex of January 1904
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.