Improvements in Cartridges.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 1st Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by DIE ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT GRUSONWERK, of
Magdeburg-Buckau, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Cartridges.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to cartridges and has for its object to provide an easily
portable and cheap kind of ammunition for field guns with quick-firing breech-
mechanism, and for fire-arms wherein the charge is required to be sometimes large
and sometimes small.
It is well known that ammunition in which the projectiles are firmly connected
with metallic cartridge cases, permits of quickly loading the gun; the cases form
moreover an excellent packing, inasmuch as the powder gases press the wall of the
case against the surface of the gun chamber; the ignition by means of an igniting
or percussion cap, is extremely simple; and such ammunition affords very material
advantages in the arrangements of the breech-mechanism of the gun.
If however a gun is to be used for alternately firing large and small charges, as
for instance in the case of mortars and howitzers, the firm connection of the
projectile with the cartridge case must be abandoned, because it has been hitherto
impracticable to prepare a great number of cartridges suited for the various ranges.
Nevertheless the advantages afforded by metallic cartridges are so important that
it is very desirable to be able to use such cartridges for varying charges.
This problem is solved by the present invention which provides for the employ-
ment of a bag to contain the charge, which bag is firmly connected to a metallic
cartridge case either before or after it is filled.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,
Figure 1 is a side view partly in longitudinal section of a cartridge.
Figure 2 shows in longitudinal section a slight modification, in the construction,
of the same.
a is the base of the metallic case, c is the bag for containing the charge.
A very simple and reliable mode of connecting the bag to the metallic case is
that hereinafter described.
On the inner side of the cylindrical part of the metallic case in proximity to the
base a is formed an annular collar or shoulder 6 which may be solid, as shown in
Figure 1, or may be formed by contracting the wall of the case as shown in
Figure 2. In the bottom of the cartridge bag c is placed according to one con-
struction a flat or slightly arched rigid plate d of pasteboard, wood, metal or other
suitable material, the outer edge e of which is bent as shown to form a spring.
The central part of the plate d may be reinforced by another plated placed
thereon to give the desired rigidity at that part, while retaining sufficient elasticity
at the curved part e for the object in view.
When the cartridge bag pressed into the cartridge case, the edge e of the
plate d as it passes the collar or shoulder b, is bent inwards, but as soon as it has
moved behind the said shoulder, the said curved edge springs out again and bears
with its edge against the lower face of the shoulder and locks the bag and case
together.
Sometimes according to this invention the locking piece d is made of very elastic
material such as india-rubber, cork or the like, and in such case the curved or

page_text: turned-up edge is not required. The entire plate will be slightly compressed on
forcing it through the annular collarb and will expand again and lock the bag to the
metallic case as soon as it has passed the said collar.
In order to slightly relieve the plate d of pressure, the upper edge of the case
may be bent inwards as shown to assist in holding the bag.
The plate d may at the same time be made to serve as a support for the cap i
which contains the priming interposed between the igniting cap k, arranged in the
base a of the case, and the charge l.
The above described connection between the bag and metallic case is very secure,
and will not permit the separation of the two parts without tearing the bag. It is
the kind of connection which I prefer to use, but it is obvious that the details
thereof may be modified without departing from the essential feature of this
invention.
The problem of using metallic cartridge cases for varying charges is solved in a
satisfactory manner by the herein described combination of a bag cartridge with a
cartridge case. The metallic casings with igniting caps can be produced almost as
cheaply as the ordinary tubes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A cartridge, composed of a bag containing the charge, in combination with a
metallic case provided with an ignition device, for the purpose specified.
2. The mode of connecting the bag to the metallic case by means of a rigid
plate having a flexible edge, or by means of an elastic plate, in combination
with the shoulder on the metallic case, substantially as described, for the purpose
specified.
3. A cartridge constructed substantially as described with reference to either of
the figures of the drawings, for the purpose specified.
Dated this 24th day of February 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.