AN IMPROVED CARTRIDGE
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sir Henry Stracey, of Rackheath Hall, in the
County of Norfolk, Baronet, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
CARTRIDGE."
Sealed the 30th March 1858, and dated the 26th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sir Henry Stracey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th January 1858.
I, Sir HENRY STRACEY, of Rackheath Hall, in the County of Norfolk,
Baronet, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CARTRIDGE," to be as follows:-
I first form a tube in paper of about the length of the intended cartridge,
and close one end over an ordinary gun wad by gumming down the edges of
the paper thereon; I then introduce the charge of shot and cover the shot
with another gun wad, then introduce the powder, turn down the edges of the
still open end of the paper tube, and gum or paste thereon a disc or cover of
paper, to the under side of which a piece of tape or other like material has
been previously attached; when the cartridge is complete the piece of tape
projects beyond the tube. To load, tear away the paper disc by pulling up the:
tape, the powder will be exposed, and the cartridge being rammed into the barrel
sufficient powder will be forced into the nipple to ensure the firing of the charge
upon the explosion of a cap in the ordinary manner. In order to distinguish
these cartridges from others I intend to call them "the Rackheath cartridges.".

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Sir Henry Stracey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE. PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, Sir HENRY
STRACEY, of Rackheath, Hall, in the County of Norfolk, Baronet, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, 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 Sir Henry Stracey, Her special licence that I, the said Sir Henry
Stracey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Sir Henry Stracey, 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,. andi vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IM-
PROVED CARTRIDGE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Sir
Henry Stracey, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or. their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 Sir Henry Stracey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed
(that is to say) :-
I first form a tube. A in paper of about the length of the intended cartridge,
and close one end over an ordinary gun wad B by gumming down the edges
of the paper thereon. I then introduce the charge of shot and cover the shot
with another gun wad C, then- introduce the powder D, turn down the edges
of the still open end of the paper tube A and gum or paste thereon a disc or
cover of paper E, to the under side of which a piece of tape or other like ma-
terial F has been previously attached. When the cartridge is complete the
piece of tape projects beyond the tube.
To load a gun with my improved cartridge, I tear away the paper disc E

page_text: by pulling up the tape F, the powder will thus be exposed, and the cartridge
being placed into and rammed down in the barrel sufficient powder will be
forced into the nipple to ensure the firing of the charge upon the explosion of
a cap in the ordinary manner. In order to distinguish this cartridge from
others, I intend to call it "the Rackheath cartridge."
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the improved
cartridge in which provision is made for tearing off the end of the cartridge
by means of the hand only, as herein-before described, and illustrated in
the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sir Henry Stracey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
HY STRACEY. (L.S.)