IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES OR CHARGES FOR ORDNANCE
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 21st Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887.
I GEORGE QUICK of Chipping Campden in the County of Gloucester, Staff Engineer
Royal Navy, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARTRIDGES OR CHARGES FOR ORDNANCE" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the construction of self consuming or consumable cartridges
or charges and consumable percussion primers for the same for ordnance to supersede
the metal cased and other ordinary cartridges and to enable large guns to be loaded
more rapidly, and consists Firstly-in forming the bag case, or cartridge proper by
weaving a seamless tube of vegetable or animal fibrous material the rear end of which
is of larger diameter than the forward end, the said rear end being closed by a flat
hottom or disc of similar material woven with the said tube or sewn thereto in the
centre of which bottom or disc a smaller tube of fibrous material is secured by
weaving, sewing or otherwise; Secondly, in loading the said cartridge with a disc or
cake of compressed meal powder, gunpowder, or other gas producing composition, of
considerable thickness and of sufficient diameter to fill the enlarged rear end of the
cartridge or bag, the said disc of gas producing material having a central orifice
sufficiently large for the inner tube of fibrous material to be passed through it. This
rear disc of gas producing material may be so composed and arranged as to burn more
slowly than the other part of the charge and thus to act for a very short interval as a
wad or obturator at the rear of the chamber before it is consumed. The loading of
the cartridge is then continued by inserting other smaller discs of gas producing
composition having central orifices and the annular space surrounding the smaller
discs can then be filled up with ordinary powder. The cartridge may then be choked
with the inner tube also, and hooped in the usual manner.
It is to be understood that the chamber of the gun is enlarged at the rear end
sufficiently to allow the large end of the cartridge to enter into its proper position and
to retain it there so that it may not be forced further into the gun.
Thirdly in providing self consuming or consumable percussion primers to fit into
the central orifice of the cartridge, the cases of which primers are formed of celluloid

page_text: or zylonite. Each primer case contains in its rear end a large cap also made of
celluloid which cap is loaded with detonating composition similarly as an ordinary
cap. An anvil formed also of celluloid is fitted in the cap.
In the front end of the primer case I place a cylinder or plug of hard compressed
meal powder or composition which I secure therein so that cannot be driven out of
the said case.
This cylinder or plug has a small central hole to receive the flash of
the detonating material.
In the cartridges for guns not exceeding four inches calibre the primers may be
permanently secured in the base thereof; but for larger guns the celluloid percussion
primers may be, kept ontirely separate from the cartridges, and may be inserted in the
cartridge only just before or after the cartridge is placed in the chamber of the gun.
It is obvious that for guns of small calibre the projectile may be choked by the
cartridge in one or more grooves formed around the base of the projectile, whilst for
larger guns the cartridge and projectile would remain separate.
These cartridges would of course have to be fired by means of a striker working in
the breech screw or breech block at the rear of the cartridges..

page_text: I GEORGE QUICK of Chipping Campden in the County of Gloucester Fleet Engineer,
Royal Navy, 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:-
My Invention relates to the construction of selfconsuming or consumable cartridges
or charges and consumable percussion primers for the same for Ordnance to supersede
the metal-cased and other ordinary cartridges and to enable large guns to be loaded
more rapidly and consists;
Firstly; In forming the bag, case, or cartridge proper by weaving a seamless tube
of vegetable or animal fibrous material the rear end of which is of larger diameter
than the forward end, the said rear end being closed by a flat bottom or disc of
similar material woven with the said tube or sewn thereto, in the centre of which
bottom or disc a smaller tube of fibrous material is secured by weaving, sewing, or
otherwise.
Secondly In loading the said cartridge with a disc or cake of compressed meal
powder, gunpowder, or other gas producing composition of considerable thickness and
of sufficient diameter to fill the enlarged rear end of the cartridge or bag the said disc of
gas-producing material having a central orifice sufficiently large for the inner tube
of fibrous material to be passed through it. This rear disc of gas producing material
may be so composed and arranged as to burn more slowly than the other part of the
charge and thus to act for a very short interval as a wad or obturator at the rear of
the chamber before it is consumed. The loading of the cartridge is continued by
inserting other smaller discs of gas producing composition having central orifices, and
the annular space surrounding the smaller discs can then be filled up with ordinary
powder. The cartridge may then be choked with the inner tube also and hooped in
the usual manner. It is to be understood that the chamber of the gun is enlarged at
the rear end sufficiently to allow the large end of the cartridge to enter into its proper
position and to retain it there so that may not be forced further into the gun.
Thirdly, In providing self-consuming or consumable percussion primers to fit into
the central orifice of the cartridge the cases of which primers are formed of celluloid
or xylonite. Each primer case contains in its rear end a large cap also made of
celluloid which cap is loaded with detonating composition similarly as an ordinary
cap. An anvil formed also of celluloid is fitted in front of the cap. In the front end
of the primer case I place a cylinder or plug of hard compressed meal powder or
composition which I secure therein so that it cannot be driven out of the said case.
This cylinder or plug has a small central hole to receive the flash of the detonating
material. In the cartridges for guns not exceeding four inches calibre the primers
may be permanently secured in the base thereof; but for larger guns the celluloid
percussion primers may be kept entirely separate from the cartridges and may be
inserted in the cartridge only just before or after the cartridge is placed in the
chamber of the gun.
It is obvious that for guns of small calibre the projectile may be choked by the
cartridge in one or more grooves formed around the base of the projectile, whilst for

page_text: larger guns the cartridge and projectile would remain separate. These cartridges
would of course have to be fired by means of a striker working in the breechscrew or
breechblock at the rear of the cartridges.
When cartridges are loaded entirely with discs of gunpowder of nearly the same
diameter as the chamber of the gun and having a central orifice as described in the
Specification of my Letters Patent, No. 15546, dated 26th November 1884, it is
obviously unnecessary for an inner tube of fibrous or any other material to be carrried
up the centre of the cartridge as the central orifice will remain clear without its use.
It is also obvious that a hole must be formed in the bottom of such cartridge cases to
permit of the insertion of the percussion primers. When it is intended for the primer
to remain permanently in the cartridge a patch of red shalloon or other material may
be secured by means of any adhesive material over the primer to the bottom of the
cartridge to protect the primer and powder from air or moisture.
When it is intended for the primer to be inserted at the time the gun is being
loaded the the orifice in the bottom of the cartridge is to be covered with a patch of
black shalloon or other material having a loose end by which the said patch may be
removed from the cartridge to permit the primer to be inserted.
་
In making the celluloid primer case I prefer to form it by boring and turning it
out of the solid and to make the anvil on which the detonating material is exploded part
of the case.
On the rear end of the case a rather large rim is formed to prevent the
primer being driven into the cartridge, and in the centre of the rear of the primer a
suitable recess is for the reception of the percussion cap. At the base of this recess
the conical anvil or nipple is formed on which the cap is driven by the striker of the
percussion lock. The percussion cap is formed with a strong rim at its rear end
which fits into a corresponding part of the recess in the primer case. This rim on the
cap effectually prevents the cap being accidentally driven in upon the anvil so as to
produce premature firing. This cap is also sunk somewhat below the level of the
primer case to prevent any accidental injury to it. By these means a severe blow in
direct line with the centre of the cap is required to shear off the centre part of the
cap from the rim and thus permit the detonating material to be driven down upon the
anvil. The cap is secured in the primer and the whole rendered waterproof and
airtight by shellac or varnish in the usual manner.
In the Drawing Figure 1 is an elevation of the rear face of the rear disc of powder
or propelling composition in the cartridge and Figure 2 is a section of the same, both
Figures showing the percussion primer in position in the said disc..
In these Figures A is the disc of powder, B is the percussion primer, C is the cap
containing the detonating composition, a is the compressed meal powder or composi
tion which produces a long flame to Ignite the powder in the cartridge, and is a wad
to secure the said composition in its place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I claim is :-
1. The construction of cartridges for ordnance having self-consuming or consumable
cases with a rear disc of compressed. powder or other gas-producing material with a
recess formed therein for the reception of a self-consuming percussion primer sub-
stantially as herein described and shown in the drawings.
2. The construction of the self-consuming percussion primers for such cartridges
substantially as herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
GEORGE QUICK.