Improvements in Miniature Ammunition or Practice Cartridges.
Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 23rd day of March 1896.
Date of Application, 25th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Miniature Ammunition or Practice Cartridges.
I, MATTHEW MULLINEUX of 17 Maple Street, Cheetham, Manchester Piano-
forte Tuner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention relates to miniature ammunition or practice cartridges for use in
arms, the regulation cartridge for which is too dangerous to use at short ranges, as
described by me in Specification to Letters Patent No. 538 of 1888, and particularly
to that part which is therein described as made in two pieces, screwed together or
united by means of a bayonet-joint or slot-lock; the forward piece forming the
cartridge and the rear piece being a breech block fitted with a spring or other
pin for communicating the blow of the striker of the rifle to the cap in the base of
the cartridge.
I form the means of connecting the cartridge to the breech-piece by cutting into
the walls of the latter, two L slots, diametrically opposite, first cutting from the
fore-end longitudinally-the length of the slot being determined by the size of the
cartridge required-and continuing to right or left at right angles.
The cartridge is made without rim, but having two fins or ears to fit the slots
above described. To connect the cartridge and breech-piece, the fins are placed
in the slots, pressed to the end and turned to secure it. A miniature cartridge is
thereby formed which is the exact size and shape of the regulation cartridge.
It is found however that when a heavy charge of powder is used, say for a
cartridge suitable to a 400 yards range, a case of unusually thick walls is required to
prevent jamming,-cases of ordinary strength bulging at the slot where the
expansion is unresisted-thus creating a difficulty in disconnecting the empty shell
from the breech-piece.
My present improvement is to obviate this difficulty, and to avoid the expense of
the extra thick cases, which object I attain in the following manner. I use the
same method of attaching the cartridge and breech-piece, but I continue the
longitudinal cuts almost to the base of the breech-piece, and then make transverse
cuts to right & left: so that the outer shell of the breech-piece is practically split
by these cuts, and it will readily be seen that a slight pressure will close up the
gaps or longitudinal cuts in the same manner as a split pin.
The breech-piece may preferably be made of steel and tempered, the normal
condition being with the longitudinal cuts gaping slightly at the fore-end ; and it
must exactly fill the chamber when the slots are closed, due allowance being made,
in the making, for the metal wasted in cutting the slots.

page_text: I may however, make it of any other metal and I may use only one slot, or more
than two, if I so desire, either transverse or longitudinal; and in these cases I
make the fins on the cartridge base to correspond.
The cartridge and breech-piece, when connected, being of such a size as to
exactly fill the chamber, when the breech-piece is compressed to its smallest
dimension (that is when the gaps or longitudinal slots are completely closed) it
follows that when pressed home, the slots must close. Thus, during the explosion,
the cartridge is held completely surrounded by a ring of metal which successfully
resists the expansion; and on extraction from the chamber, the slots again open to
admit of the empty cartridge case being disconnected.
In order to hold the cartridge firmly in the breech-piece during manipulation I
may use a spiral spring inside the breech-piece which acts on the base of the
cartridge and is compressed as the cartridge is placed into the breech-piece. Or I
may use a flat spring fixed inside the breech-piece against which the base of the
cartridge would press when connected.
Dated this 20th low of lul. 1805
MATTHEW MULLINEUX,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Miniature Ammunition or Practice Cartridges.
I, MATTHEW MULLINEUX of 17 Maple Street, Cheetham, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Piano-forte Tuner 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 miniature ammunition or practice cartridg
dges for use in
rifles, the regulation cartridge for which is unsuitable for use at short ranges, as
described by ine in Specification to Letters Patent No. 538 of 1888; and particularly
to that part which is therein described as made in two pieces screwed together or
united by means of a bayonet-joint or slot-lock; the forward piece forming the
cartridge, and the rear piece being a breech-block or dummy fitted with a spring or
other pin for communicating the blow of the striker of the rifle to the cap in the
base of the cartridge.
The following description may, with advantage, be read in conjunction with the
annexed drawings in which like letters indicate like parts throughout.
Fig. 1 represents the cartridge connected with the breech-piece and placed in
the chamber of rifle ready for firing
Fig. 2 is a section of breech-piece shewing "fin" cartridge connected.
Fig. 3 is a section of breech-piece with bevelled rim cartridge connected.
Fig. 4 is a view of the breech-piece in elevation, with rim cartridge inserted in
perspective.
Fig. 5 is a section of modified form of breech-piece with loose pin.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8 shew details of rims and fins of cartridge.
I make my breech-piece of an outer shell B, of steel or other metal, in which
I fit a pin or subsidiary striker E, kept in position by a spiral or other spring F.
I cut into the walls of the breech-piece B two slots D, parallel to the axis of the
bore of the rifle, starting from the fore-end ; and at a distance from the fore-end
which is determined by the length of cartridge required, I make a turn D1 to right
or left at right angles.
The cartridge A is without rim, but has two fins or ears C to fit the slots D.
In order to prevent the empty case jamming by reason of the expansion caused
by the explosion, I continue the slots D almost to the end of the breech-piece where

page_text: I make a transverse cut to right and left, D2, or I may terminate the slot by a sinall
hole. The outer shell of the breech-piece B is therefore practically split by these
cuts, which render it springy and capable of the necessary expansion.
The breech-piece may preferably be made of steel and tempered, the normal
condition being with the slots gaping slightly at the fore-end, as shewn in Fig. 4;
and it should be made so as to fill the chamber exactly when the slots are
closed, as shewn in Fig. 1, due allowance being made for the metal wasted in cutting
the slots.
In order to hold the cartridge firmly in the breech-piece during manipulation, I
may use a spiral spring G Fig. 2 which acts upon the base of the cartridge,-being
compressed as the cartridge is placed in the breech-piece. Or I may use a flat
spring fixed inside the breech-piece against which the base of the cartridge would
press when connected.
The particular manner of using my invention is as follows viz.:-I place the
fins C of the cartridge A in the slots D of the breech-piece B, press home and turn
at D 1 to lock. This combination being of such form and dimensions as to exactly
fill the chamber of the rifle when the breech-piece is compressed to its smallest
size (that is, when the slots are completely closed) it follows that when pressed into
the chamber the slots D must close as shewn in Fig. 1.
Thus during the explosion the cartridge is held completely surrounded by a ring
of metal which successfully prevents bulging at any particular spot.
When the rifle is fired, the pin E communicates the blow to the cap H in the base
of the cartridge A. On being extracted the slots D again open and readily admit
of the empty cartridge case being disconnected.
In a modified and somewhat simpler form of my invention I make my breech-piece
out of the empty shell of the regulation cartridge in which I cut slots D as previously
described, but without the transverse cut D L.
I take away the cap holder, and drop into the shell from the fore-end, a loose
striking pin E Fig. 5 which has collars E1 to keep it central.
In this case I use an ordinary rim cartridge, the rim preferably bevelled on the
side nearest the bullet, (as shewn in Fig. 7), so as to conform to the taper of the
inside of the shell at the shoulder K Figs. 3 and 7.
To connect the 2 pieces the base of the cartridge is placed in the fore-end of the
breech-piece, as at Fig. 4 and a slight pressure will open the neck sufficiently to
allow the rim to pass through. As soon as the rim reaches the shoulder K the sides
On
of the breech-piece will spring back and secure the cartridge by the rim.
being placed in the chamber the breech-piece will close and grip the cartridge
firmly while it is fired; and on extraction will open sufficiently to admit of the empty
case being disconnected with very slight pressure.
Instead of the collars E 1 on the loose pin E I may use a lining I, as a guide for
The fastening
the pin, fixed to the shell B by rivets or otherwise (see Fig. 3).
should be close to the base of the breech-piece so as not to interfere with the
pliability of the walls thereof. The fore-end of the lining I forms a block against
which the base of the cartridge A rests, and thus prevents the cap coming in
contact with the striking pin during the process of connecting the two pieces.
In a further modification of my invention I use a cartridge case with a rim the
edge of which is square and preferably a little shallower than that generally used
for the size of cartridge. In this case I make the inside of the shoulder K of the
breech-piece B to correspond, as illustrated in Fig. 8.
case occupies that part of
regulation cartridge, as
The latter must therefore
at
It will be observed that when the miniature cartridge
the chamber usually occupied by the bullet in the
Figs. 3, 4, & 5, it is of the same diameter as the bullet.
be shouldered slightly at the base to fit the case.
It is obvious that I need not confine myself to the use of two slots but may
5 use one, or more than two, in which case I make the fins of the cartridge case to
correspond.

page_text: 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.) The construction of cartridge cases for rifle practice in two parts connected
by a slot-lock or bayonet-joint and fins or ears, the forward part being the
cartridge proper, and the rear part being a breech-piece or adapter, so that when
combined the two pieces are externally of such form and dimensions as to exactly
fit the chamber of a rifle with the slots completely closed, substantially as hereinbefore
shown and described.
(2.) The construction of cartridge cases for rifle practice in two parts, the rear
piece being a breech-piece or adapter the sides of which are split by cuts so as to
render them springy and capable of sufficient expansion to admit of a rim
cartridge being inserted from the fore-end or neck; the sides closing and holding
the cartridge in position for firing as soon as the rim reaches the shoulder of the
breech-piece, substantially as hereinbefore shown and described.
(3.) The application of slots cuts into the walls of a breech-piece which normally
lie open to admit of a cartridge being connected either by fins and bayonet-joint,
or spring sides and rim, the slots closing when the breech-piece is pressed into
the chamber of rifle, so that while the cartridge is fired it is held completely
surrounded by a ring of metal which resists expansion evenly and prevents
jamming, substantially as hereinbefore shown and described.
Dated this 1st day of October 1895.
MATTHEW MULLINEUX,
Applicant.