IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC CARTRIDGES FOR FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting En-
gineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC CARTRIDGES
FOR FIRE-ARMS." -A communication from abroad by Francis Draper,
Sealed the 8th October 1870, and dated the 18th August 1870.
5
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 18th August 1870, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
o
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
METALLIC CARTRIDGES FOR FIRE-ARMS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
:

page_text: grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that
it has been communicated to me from abroad by Francis Draper, of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
forming a part of this Specification.
A great objection to that class of fire-arms in which a metallic cart-
ridge is employed arises from the difficulty of obtaining these cartridges
in wild and unsettled portions of the country, thereby rendering it
necessary for sportsmen and others using such arms to carry a very
large number of cartridges with them, which are very expensive, and on
account of their weight and bulk are inconvenient to transport from
place to place.
This Invention which is designed more particularly for sportsmen has
for its purpose to remedy this inconvenience, and consists in a cart-
ridge case of peculiar construction, which may be charged with great
facility an indefinite number of times by the person using it, thereby
rendering it necessary to have only a small number of cartridges, as the
materials to re-charge the empty cases are to be found, where it is
impossible to obtain metallic cartridges ready charged, the said Inven-
tion being applicable to that class of fire-arms in which a central rod or
plunger is used to discharge the cartridge.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cartridge; Figure 2
is a central vertical section through the cartridge case; Figure 3 is a
view of the screw cap detached.
A is the cartridge case which is made of brass or other suitable metal
and of such thickness as to withstand the force of the discharge with-
out injury. At the rear end of this case is formed a tube or nipple b,
for the reception of a percussion cap c, and through this nipple is
formed
300e

page_text: the heel or base of the case A. is formed a screw thread over which fits
the screw cap B, this cap is furnished at its base with a flange d which
enters the groove at the rear of the barrel of the gun, and by which
the empty cartridge case is ejected in the ordinary manner. Through
the base of this screw cap B which is made very thick, is formed an
aperture e through which projects the percussion cap c, the top of which
is nearly flush with the base of the cap B when the latter is screwed
down tightly in place. This aperture e is made slightly conical to
correspond to the form of the percussion cap on the nipple, and is of such
a size as to protect the percussion cap and prevent its being displaced.
The ball C is made to fit into the open end of the case A with sufficient
friction to hold it in place and prevent its falling out.
A charge
of shot may be substituted for the ball C to adapt the cartridge for
shot guns, in which case the shot would be held in place by a suitable
wad.
It will thus be seen that when a person is about to visit an unsettled
portion of the country, it is only necessary for him to take a small
number of these cartridges (fifty or thereabouts), as after they are fired
it is simply necessary to fill the case A with gunpowder and force
in the ball C, the screw cap B is then removed and a fresh percussion
cap placed on the nipple 6, when the screw cap is replaced and the cart-
ridge is again ready for use, no wad or other contrivance except the
screw cap will be required to hold the percussion cap in place, and all
danger is avoided of the supply of cartridges becoming exhausted, an
event not unlikely to happen when the ordinary metallic cartridge is
employed.
I do not confine myself to the use of a screw thread for holding the
cap B in place, as any other equivalent device may be employed instead
if preferred.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it understood, I am aware
that a metallic cartridge has been constructed with a tube or nipple
at its base for the reception of a percussion cap, which was held in
place and protected by means of a disc or wad of paper, leather, or
wood. I do not therefore broadly claim a cartridge having a nipple
for the reception of a percussion cap, but I claim a cartridge case A

page_text: having its heel or base covered by a metallic cap B, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)