IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Thompson, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES."
A communication from abroad by Charles Edward Sneider, of the City
and County of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, in the United States
of America.
Sealed the 1st August 1865, and dated the 14th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Thompson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th February 1865.
I, BENJAMIN THOMPSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARTRIDGES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
The subject of this Invention is a cartridge consisting of a case of any
suitable material, a pin firmly secured in one wall of such case and extending
nearly to the opposite wall, which opposite wall is perforated to permit the
application of a percussion cap to the end of the pin or rod within the case,
and an outer cap closing the aperture in the case to confine the percussion
cap and prevent the escape of gas.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
THOMPSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, 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 Benjamin Thompson, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin
Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Benjamin Thompson, 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, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN CARTRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Thompson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Benjamin Thompson, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) -
The subject of this Invention is a cartridge consisting of a case of any
suitable material, a pin firmly secured in one wall of such case and extending
nearly to the opposite wall, which opposite wall is perforated to permit the
application of a percussion cap to the end of the pin or rod within the case,
and an outer cap closing the aperture in the case to confine the percussion
cap and prevent the escape of gas.
I will now proceed to describe the Invention more fully in detail by the
aid of the annexed Drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of
the improved cartridge; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; and
Figure 3 a transverse section.

page_text: (a) represents the main case which may be made of sheet brass or copper,
closed at its rear end (a) and brazed or otherwise formed into a tube, or
if preferred with a longitudinal lapped unclosed joint (a¹) at one side to permit
the expansion of the case in order to check the escape of gas when the charge
is fired; (B) is the pin screwed, soldered, or otherwise fixed in the wall of
the case, and projecting transversely within the latter nearly or quite to the
opposite side, at which part is made an aperturo (a) of the required size to
allow a percussion cap (C) to be passed through from the outside, and
placed upon the end of the pin (B); (D) is an external cap adapted to fit
over the rear end of the case (A); the said cap is formed with a close base.
(6) and an unclosed longitudinal lap joint d to permit its expansion as
already described. The length of the cap (D) is sufficient to adapt it to
cover the rear of the case (A) to a slight distance beyond the pin (B) and
aperture (a), and it is formed at its forward end with a longitudinal and
transverse slot (d) which fitting over the external projecting end of the
pin (B) adapts the said cap to be locked upon the cartridge by slipping it
over the end of the latter and turning; when in this position the said cap
closes the aperture (a2), confines the percussion cap (c), provides a bearing
for the head of the latter, and completes an effective gas check. The cart-
ridge may be made of sheet brass or copper, paper, or any other suitable
material, and is adapted for repeated use, many times, without becoming
seriously impaired. The position of the pin in the cartridge must correspond
with the construction of the piece with which it is to be used. For breech-
loading guns in which the entire breech chamber is forward of the place of
inserting the cartridge, the pin must be at or very near the rear end of the
latter. For guns in which the breech opens at or near the mid length of
the chamber the pin is located at a suitable distance forward as in the present
illustration. In firing the hammer strikes the externally projecting end of
the pin (B), and the case (A) yields inwardly to a sufficient extent to explode
the percussion cap (C) the head of which rests against the cap (D) which
has a solid bearing within the breech chamber of the gun. After firing the
cap (D) is removed, when the exploded cap (C) may be taken out of the
aperture (a) and the cartridge is ready for re-charging. A great advantage
of the Invention is that it requires only common ammunition, namely powder,
shot, or ball, and percussion caps, which are every where obtainable.
If at
any time the percussion cap should become detached, or in the event of
a cap failing to explode a new cap can be applied at any time while the
cartridge is loaded.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I claim without limiting myself to these
precise details,―
Firstly, a cartridge consisting of a casing fitted with a transverse pin (B)
fixed to the said casing and an aperture (a²) in the casing opposite the end
of the pin (B) for the application of a percussion cap (c) to the end of the
pin through the side of the casing.
And, secondly, the moveable cap or cover (D) employed in combination
with the aforesaid casing to close the aperture (a2) and check the escape of
gas.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
BENJAMIN (L.S.) THOMPSON.