Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
I, THOMAS PAGE WOOD, of 35 Nicholas Street, in the city and county of Bristol,
gunmaker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in improvements in cartridges for breech-loading fowling-
pieces and in means for turning in or folding inwards the open ends of such
cartridges.
The ends of the cartridges may be turned in either after or simultaneously with the
insertion of the final or shot wads, or prior thereto.
The improved apparatus for turning in the ends of the cases is in the form of a
screw press and is fitted with a perforated table, the perforations in which are
cylindrical towards the top and bell-mouthed towards the bottom. Above this table
is arranged a plate furnished with ram rods or plugs which extend downwards
therefrom. The plate carrying the ram rods or plugs is capable of being raised or
lowered by means of a central screw.
When the cartridges which are to be turned in have been previously charged, the
machine in which they have been charged is placed upon a platform situated below the
perforated table aforesaid and, by means of a screw or by the action of a cam or
eccentric, the platform is raised to the perforated table, the cartridges entering the
perforations from below.
As the cartridges ascend in the perforations they are thereby slightly compressed
and turned over at the open ends.
The plate carrying the ram rods or plugs is now lowered upon the perforated table
and as the rods or plugs enter the perforations, they bear upon the compressed edges
of the cartridges which are thus turned down inside the case.
When the cartridges to be turned in have been charged with powder only, they
are arranged upon the platform aforesaid and are raised and operated upon for
turning in the ends in the same manner as above described with reference to
cartridges previously charged.

page_text: The ends of the partially charged cartridges having heen thus turned in, charging
is completed by adding the shot and the final or shot wad which latter is so placed in
the case that the turned in part of the case intervenes all round hetween it and that
which then constitutes the outer shell of the case. The ends of the cartridges beyond
the shot wads are then slightly compressed.
By thus arranging the shot wad in the position described, retardation of the charge
when fired is reduced and pressure on the barrels relieved.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cartridges for Breech-loading Fowling-pieces and
in Machinery or Apparatus for Turning in the Open Ends of
such Cartridges.
I, THOMAS PAGE WOOD of 35 Nicholas Street, in the city and county of Bristol,
gunmaker 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 charging and finishing cartridges for breech-loading
fowling-pieces.
It consists, firstly, in turning or folding inwards the open ends of the cases and in
so placing therein the wad which confines the shot that the circumference of the wad
bears against the turned in edges. By this arrangement, retardation of the charge
when fired is reduced and pressure on the barrels of fowling-pieces diminished.
This invention consists, secondly, in a machine for use in turning in the edies of
the mouths of such cartridges.
The machine, which is a screw press, is fitted with a fixed perforated table, the
perforations being bell-mouthed at the lower end. Above the table is a plate from
the underface of which extend downwards plungers or plugs corresponding in number
with the perforations in the fixed table aforesaid. The plate with the plungers is
moved upwards or downwards by means of a screw and hand wheel or other handle.
Below the perforated table is a tray capable of being raised or lowered by means of
a second screw also operated by a handwheel or other suitable handle.
The mode of operation is as follows:-The cartridge cases having been charged

page_text: with powder and the wads confining such powder having been inserted, the cases are
placed, in any required number, in a frame, and the wads surmounting the powder
are then rammed either by hand, or by placing the frame on a shelf below the tray
aforesaid and forcing the wads down by a series of plugs attached to a board or
plate placed over them and pressed down by lowering the tray to bear upon the
rammer plate or board.
The cases are now ready for turning in. The is effected by operating the screw of
the tray to raise the latter and so cause the cartridge cases to enter the perforations
in the perforated table. Coming into contact with the bell-mouthed part of the
perforations, the open ends of the cases are thereby turned or gathered inwards.
The plungers or plugs of the plate above the table are now brought down, and,
bearing upon the partially turned in edges of the cases, turn the said edges against
the inside of the cases.
The plungers are then withdrawn and the cartridge cases charged with shot and the
wads for confining the shot are inserted. The shot wads are then rammed by the
plungers, and the cartridges finished by raising the tray so as to impart a pressure to
the edges of the cases and so turn them slightly over the shot wad.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 thereon represents a part
front elevation and part vertical section of a machine constructed in accordance with
this invention for turning in the open ends of cartridges for breech-loading fowling
pieces.
Bolted or otherwise fixed to the frame a is a table b with rows of perforations c.
The perforations c are bell-mouthed at the lower end. Above the table b and con-
nected to the screw d, with handwheel e, is a plate f from the underface of which
extend downwards the plungers 9 corresponding in number with the perforations c in
the table b. Below the table b is a tray h which, by stays i, is connected to the
plate attached to the screw / surmounted by the handwheel m. The screw d of the
plunger plate passes through the centre of the screw 1.
с
The mode of operation is as follows:-The cartridge cases n having been arranged
in a suitable frame o, as usual, and charged with powder, the wads for confining the
powder are inserted and rammed.
Ramming may be effected either by hand, in the usual manner, or a rammer board
or plate furnished with plungers may be placed over the frame containing the
cartridge cases, the plungers projecting downwards into the cases. The frame and
rammer board or plate may then be placed on the shelfs below the tray h and ramming
effected by screwing the tray down to bear upon the rammer board or plate. The
powder wads having been rammed, the tray h with the frame n is raised by turning
the handwheel m in the proper direction.
The cartridge cases n are thus made to enter the perforations c in the table b. It
will be seen that the perforations have two bell-mouths at the lower end, one bell is
simply to receive the end of the case and to guide it to the upper bell. As the cases
enter the second or upper bell the edges are thereby gathered in or turned down, as
shown at Fig. 2.
By an indicator provided on the handwheel m and on the top of the machine, the
extent to which the screw should be turned for this operation is shewn, and further
pressure is not exerted. The hand wheel e is now turned so as to lower the plate f,
the plungers g enter the perforations c and, bearing on the inturned edges of the
cases, double or fold them inwards, as seen at Fig. 3. The plungers are concave at
the lower ends whereby the ends of the cases are gradually gathered in prior to being
doubled or folded down inside the cases. After the ends of the cartridge cases have
been folded, as aforesaid, the plungers are raised above the table b and the shot is
charged into the cases, and the wads for confining the shot are then inserted and
rammed by again lowering the plungers. The latter are then again raised and the
double edge of each cartridge is slightly turned over the edge of the shot wad, as
seen at Fig. 4, by drawing up!the tray h to the required extent. It will be seen that
the shot wad, instead of being, as heretofore, thrust below the inturned end of the

page_text: cartridge case and thus bearing against the shoulder formed by the inturned end, is
not below the said shoulder and is, therefore, not impeded thereby when the charge
is fired.
Moreover, the wad being of smaller diameter than the barrel or barrels of the
fowling-piece, instead of being, as heretofore of the same diameter, is more freely
impelled in and expelled from the piece.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A cartridge, for breech-loading fowling-pieces, having the outer or shot wad
above or beyond the rim or shoulder of the inturned edges of the case, that is to
say, nearer the mouth than the said rim or shoulder, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The use, for turning in the ends of cartridges for breech-loading fowling-pieces
and for loading or partially loading such cartridges, of a screw pressing machine
having a fixed table such as 6 with perforations such as c, movable plunger plate such
as with plungers such as g, and movable tray such as h, constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying
drawings and for the purposes specified.
3. The use, for turning in the ends of cartridges for breech-loading fowling-pieces,
of plungers such as 9 having the lower ends concave, as hereinbefore described and
as shown at Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.
11
71009
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Applicant's Agent.