IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES AND CARTRIDGES FOR CENTRAL-FIRE BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johann von der Poppenburg, of Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROJECTILES AND CARTRIDGES FOR CENTRAL-FIRE BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Sealed the 15th September 1865, and dated the 3rd April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johann von der Poppen-.
burg at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd April 1865.
I, JOHANN VON DER POPPENBURG, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES AND CARTRIDGES FOR CENTRAL-FIRE BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements, herein-after explained, in pro-
jectiles and cartridges to be used with such breech-loading fire-arms and
ordnance as have pins or strikers in a line with the axis of the barrel for the
purpose of discharging the cartridge, which said fire-arms and ordnance are
commonly called central-fire guns.
I will describe my Invention as applied to projectiles and cartridges for
central-fire breech-loading fire-arms.
In making projectiles according to my Invention I make the projectile or
ball or bullet of any of the ordinary forms. In the base of the projectile I
make an annular depression concentric with the axis of the projectile, and of
i

page_text: a size proper to receive an ordinary percussion cap. I place a percussion cap
in the said depression, the nipple-like piece in the centre of the projectile
occupying the inside of the percussion cap. By means of a hammer or mallet,
or by pressure, I force the percussion cap upon the said central piece until the
closed end of the cap is flush with the base of the projectile. The lead
or other soft metal or alloy of which the bullet is made is not sufficiently
hard to cause the detonation of the percussion cap as the latter is being forced
into its place in the bullet. A projectile of the kind described is made into
a cartridge in the ordinary way, the pin or striker of the gun passing
through the powder of the cartridge to strike upon and discharge the per-
cussion cap.
In making blank cartridges according to my Invention I form a tubular
cup of papier mâché or other hard non-metallic substance, the base of the
said cup having an annular recess, similar to that already described in the
projectile or bullet, and in the said annular recess an ordinary percussion cap
is fixed. This tubular cup is made up into a cartridge in the ordinary way.
By making a series of longitudinal incisions in the said tubular cup it expands
immediately it leaves the muzzle of the gun, and exposes such a surface to
the air that its flight is speedily arrested. The cartridge last described may
be converted into a sporting cartridge by filling the cup with shot.
Projectiles and cartridges for ordnance are made in the manner herein-
before described, but of a larger size.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Johann von der Poppenburg in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHANN
VON DER POPPENBURG, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Johann von der Poppenburg, Her special licence that I, the said
Johann von der Poppenburg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Johann von der Poppenburg, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,

page_text: from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES AND CARTRIDGES
FOR CENTRAL-FIRE BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Johann von der Poppenburg, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 Johann von der Poppenburg, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of the improvements, herein-after explained, in pro-
jectiles and cartridges to be used with such breech-loading fire-arms and
ordnance as have pins or needles in a line with the axis of the barrel for the
purpose of discharging the cartridge, which said fire-arms and ordnance are
commonly called central-fire guns...
I will describe my Invention as applied to projectiles and cartridges for
central-fire breech-loading fire-arms.
In making projectiles according to my Invention I make the projectile or
ball or bullet of any of the ordinary forms. In the base of the projectile. I
make an annular depression concentric with the axis of the projectile, and of
a size proper to receive an ordinary percussion cap. I place a percussion cap
in the said depression, the nipple-like piece in the centre of the projectile
occupying the inside of the percussion cap. By means of a hammer or mallet,
or by pressure, I force the percussion cap upon the said central piece until the
closed end of the cap is flush with the base of the projectile. The lead or
other soft metal or alloy of which the bullet is made is not sufficiently hard to
cause the detonation of the percussion cap as the latter is being forced into
its place in the bullet. A projectile of the kind described is made into a
cartridge in the ordinary way, the pin or point of the gun passing through the
powder of the cartridge to strike upon and discharge the percussion cap.
In making blank cartridges according to my Invention I form a tubular
cup of papier mâché or other hard non-metallic substance, the base of the
said cup having an annular recess, similar to that already described in the
projectile or bullet, and in the said annular recess an ordinary percussion cap.

page_text: is fixed. This tubular cup is made up into a cartridge in the ordinary way.
By making a series of longitudinal incisions in the said tubular cup it expands
immediately it leaves the muzzle of the gun, and exposes such a surface to
the air that its flight is speedily arrested; the cartridge last described may be
converted into a sporting cartridge by filling the cup with shot.
Projectiles and cartridges for ordnance are made in the manner herein-
before described, but of a larger size.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, and Figure 2 in section, a projectile for a
-central-fire breech-loading gun constructed according to my Invention, and
Figure 3 is a section of the same with a percussion cap fixed therein.
In the base of the projectile or ball a I make an annular depression b of a
size proper to receive an ordinary percussion cap. The sides of the said
depression may either be parallel or inclined to one another, as represented in
the Drawing. The part within the depression 6 somewhat resembles a nipple,
and is marked c; upon the said nipple piece c I place an ordinary percussion
cap d, the said nipple piece c occupying the inside of the said percussion cap,
as shown in the section Figure 3. By means of a hammer or mallet, or by
pressure, I force the percussion cap d upon the central piece c until the closed
end of the cap is flush with or a little below the level of the base of the
projectile. The projectile, Figure 3, is made into a cartridge in the ordinary
way.
Figure 8 represents in section a complete cartridge made up of the pro-
jectile or ball, Figure 3, and powder e at the back of the said projectile. The
powder e is covered by a thin paper covering f fastened to the projectile at g.
In discharging the cartridge, Figure 8, the pin or point of the central-fire gun
passes through the powder e, and striking upon the cap d on the nipple piece c
of the projectile a discharges the cap and explodes the cartridge.
In casting the projectile, Figures 1 and 2, I use moulds of the kind repre-
sented in plan and section in Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawing. The said
moulds are of the ordinary construction, excepting that the bottom is closed
by a plug h held by a handle i. The top of the plug h has a projecting hollow
piece of the size of the annular depression b to be made in the projectile.
When the fused lead or other soft metal or alloy is poured through the get linto
the moulds, the said lead fills up the moulds, excepting that part occupied by the
hollow piece k, the said piece forming the annular depression 6 in the finished
projectile. In fixing the percussion cap d upon the central nipple piece c of

page_text: the projectile by pressure or percussion, I support the projectile in a holder'
made in halves of the kind represented in Figures 6 and 7.
Although the moulds and holding tools described and represented answer
well for making the depression in the projectile, and for holding the projectile
while the percussion cap is put in its place; yet the same objects may be
effected in other ways or by other apparatus.
Figure 9 represents in section a blank cartridge for a central-fire gun made
according to my Invention. The said blank cartridge consists of a tubular
cup m of papier mâché or other hard non-metallic substance, in the base of
which cup an annular depression and nipple piece n are formed similar to
those in the projectile, Figures 1 and 2. On the nipple piece n an ordinary
percussion cap p is placed. The powder q is placed behind the tubular cup m
and is covered by a thin paper covering in the manner représented: The
cartridge, Figure 9, is discharged by the pin or needle of the gun passing
through the powder q and striking the percussion cap p. In the front of the
tubular cup ma series of incisions marked r may be made.. When the cup
m leaves the muzzle of the gun on the discharge of the cartridge, the said
incisions expand and expose such a surface to the air that its flight is speedily
arrested. By filling the tubular cup m with shot the cartridge is converted
into a sporting cartridge. Instead of making a nipple-like piece in the base
of the tubular cup, as in Figure 9, a circular depression may be made, into
which the percussion cap is placed, as represented in Figure 10, where the
tubular cup is marked the circular depressions and the percussion cap
placed therein is marked t. The percussion cap t is fixed in the depression s
by the turning back of the flange or ears of the cap into the papier mâché cup, as
represented. In discharging this cartridge the pin or needle of the gun enters
the hollow of the percussion cap t, and strikes the under side of the said cap
instead of the top, as is usual in discharging percussion caps. The tubular
cup m of papier mâché or other substance may be made by moulding in dies
or in any other convenient way. The projectile, Figure 3, and cartridges,
Figures 9 and 10, when used for ordnance are made larger than represented.
m;
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and represented in the
Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, the improvements in projectiles for central-fire breech-loading fire-
arms and ordnance herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 8 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making in the base of the

page_text: projectile an annular depression or nipple-like piece, upon which nipple-like
piece an ordinary percussion cap is placed, by means of which percussion cap
the cartridge containing the projectile may be discharged.
Secondly, the improvements in blank cartridges for central-fire breech-
loading fire-arms and, ordnance herein-before described and illustrated in
Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making the
said cartridges of a tubular cup of papier mâché or other hard non-metallic
substance, behind which cup the powder is situated, the said tubular cup
having an annular depression or nipple-like piece or circular depression in its
base upon or in which the percussion cap by which the cartridge is discharged
is placed.,
Also converting the said blank cartridges into sporting cartridges by filling
the tubular cup with shot.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johann von der Poppenburg, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHANN VON DER POPPENBURG. (L.S.)