An Improved Manufacture of Cartridges for Fire-arms.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left 22nd July, 1893-Accepted. 26th Aug.. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of Cartridges for Fire-arms.
We, JAMES GEORGE ACCLES, of Perry Barr, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, and WILLIAM HARRIS, of 348 Albert Road, Aston,
Birmingham aforesaid, Engineer, dɔ hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
This invention relates to cartridges for fire-arms and is intended chiefly to
improve the mode of manufacture and construction of such cartridges whereby the
body is more securely locked or fastened to the head than has heretofore usually
been the case.
With some forms of cartridges heretofore in common use, the body
is liable to be insecurely fastened to the head in the process of manufacture, and
consequently when such a cartridge is fired, the insecurely fastened body is frequently
drawn from the head and carried some distance along the barrel, which it thereby
blocks. We obviate this defect by ensuring that the head shall be so securely
fastened to the body that the two cannot be separated by the force likely to be
brought to bear thereon during firing, or during extraction of the cartridge from
the barrel after firing. Our invention further comprises an improvement in the
anvil used in the cap-chamber.
Our said invention is chiefly applicable to sporting cartridges but is also adapted
to cartridges for firing blank ammunition.
The chief feature of our invention relates to a method of forming the rim of the
cartridge head, and of ensuring that the external rim or flange of the cylindrical
portion or body of the cartridge shall properly enter, and be effectively secured in,
the annular groove provided in the head to receive it.
In the preferred form of construction according to this invention the cartridge is
provided with an internal reinforcing paper or metal lining at the rear end of the
tubular paper body, a base disc prepared for receiving the cap chamber, a cork or
plug, and an external metal tube, ferrule or head surrounding the paper body at
the rear end thereof and forming the rim. These parts are constructed and
assembled in the manner now to be described.
A
The paper tubular body is flanged outwardly at the rear end by suitable means
and is placed over or upon the reinforcing lining tube which is also similarly
flanged at its rear end, the said two flanges being thus brought into contact.
convenient mode of forming the said flanges is by pressing the tubes against the
end of a suitably shaped rotating spindle. The lining tube which in some cases is
slit from end to end forms the powder chamber. It is preferably made of such
length as to constitute at its forward end a support for the wad, which is placed
between the powder and the shot, and thereby prevent the wad being pressed
tightly upon the powder. The tubular body is now pushed into the metal cylinder,
ferrule or head, the rear end of which has been previously expanded so as to pass
freely over the aforesaid flange of the body. The cork or plug is next inserted,
and the metal disc is then placed against the end of the cork. Having thus
assembled the parts, they are placed on a punch in a die and pressure is applied
thereto, whereby the expanded end of the ferrule or head is turned inwards around
the flange of the body and over the disc, thereby securing the latter in position.
The pressure is so applied that an annular portion of the disc is bent inwards to
such an extent, that the end of the turned-in portion of the tubular head is brought
flush with the central portion of the disc thereby forming a perfectly flat end to
the cartridge. The ferrules may be made from drawn tubes, or they may be drawn
up by means of a punch and cut off to the desired length. The cork or plug is
made of papier machè or of paper pasted and rolled and cut to the desired length,

page_text: or of other suitable material, and is constructed to receive the cap chamber. By
the above described mode of manufacture the proper entrance of the external
flange of the body and lining into the annular groove of the ferrule or head is
ensured, as also is the firm fixing of the tubular body to the ferrule or head.
For cartridges of inferior quality we sometimes omit the lining, or the disc, or
both. In such cases we prefer to make the cork or plug with a flange at the rear
end thereof to press upon the flange of the tubular body and assist in retaining the
body in the head. In another modification, we make the lining with a closed rear
end, and we in such case insert the cork, through the front end of the lining which
is open. The said closed end serves the same purpose as the disc above referred to.
A small central hole is made in the end of the lining to admit of the insertion of
the cap-chamber. In a further modification we dispense with the paper body, and
extend the ferrule to the full length of the cartridge thus making it serve as
the body.
Our improvement in the anvil upon which the cap is driven by the firing pin or
hammer to explode the fulminate consists in forming said anvil from sheet metal
blanks which are shaped like a double swallow tail or fan, that is to say, they are
narrow in the centre and widen out towards both ends. These blanks are forced
through a die by means of a punch or are otherwise suitably treated to bend the
same at the middle and to curve the two ends to form segments of circles. The
anvil when finished is in the form of a cylinder closed at one end and having two
longitudinal slits down the sides, the said slits being of increasing width from the
open to the closed end of the cylinder. These slits allow the fire produced by the
explosion of the fulminate to pass down to the priming hole of the cartridge.
The object of the above described form of anvil is to prevent canting of the anvil
to one side or the other and so causing a miss fire should the cap happen to be
struck out of the centre. The sides of the anvil fit snugly against the sides of the
cap chamber.
Dated this 24th day of September 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of Cartridges for Fire-arms.
We, JAMES GEORGE ACCLES of Perry Barr, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, and WILLIAM HARRIS, of 348 Albert Road, Aston,
Birmingham, aforesaid, Engineer, 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 cartridges for fire-arms and is intended chiefly to
improve the mode of manufacture and construction of such cartridges, whereby the
body is more securely locked or fastened to the head than has heretofore usually
been the case. With some forms of cartridges heretofore in common use the body
is liable to be insecurely fastened to the head in the process of manufacture, and
consequently when such a cartridge is fired the insecurely-fastened body is
frequently drawn from the head and carried some distance along the barrel, which
it thereby blocks. We obviate this defect by ensuring that the head shall be so
securely fastened to the body that the two cannot be separated by the force likely
to be brought to bear thereon during firing or during extraction of the cartridge
from the barrel after firing.
For this purpose we have devised a novel method of forming the rim of the
cartridge head, and of ensuring that the external rim or flange of the cylindrical
portion or body of the cartridge shall properly enter, and be effectively secured
in the annular groove provided in the head to receive it.

page_text: comprises to improY
Cap
chamber, and also certain other improvements in detail hereinafter specified.
Our said invention is chiefly applicable to sporting cartridges but is also adapted
to blank cartridges.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood we will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of one form of our improved
cartridge.
Figures 2, 3, and 3ª, are longitudinal central sections of details of the cartridge
shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 4 is a similar section illustrating a stage in the manufacture of the said
cartridge.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are longitudinal central sections of alternative constructions
of cartridge, made according to our invention.
Figure 9 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a blank for an improved anvil
constructed according to our invention.
Figure 10 is a side elevation, and Figure 11 an end view of the completed anvil,
drawn to the same scale as Figure 9, and
Figure 12 is a longitudinal central section of a cartridge with the improved anvil
applied thereto.
Like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
In the form of construction illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 34, and 4, A is the
tubular body of the cartridge, constructed of paper, in the present instance;
B is an internal reinforcing lining of metal at the rear end of the body. C is the
base disc. D is the cap-chamber. D₁ is an annular groove provided in the cap
chamber for a purpose hereinafter specified. E is an annular cork or plug.
The cap-chamber is received by the disc C and cork E. Fis an external metal
tube, ferrule or head surrounding the rear end of the body A and having a rim F¹
formed thereon. These parts are constructed and assembled in the manner now to
be described :-
The body A is flanged outwardly at the rear end A¹ see Figure 2 by suitable
means and is placed over or upon the reinforcing lining-tube B which is also
similarly flanged at its rear end B', the said two flanges being thus brought into
contact. A convenient mode of forming the said flanges is by pressing the tubes
against the end of a suitably-shaped rotating spindle or by pressing them in a
suitable die. The said lining tube which in some cases is split from end to end
as at B2 Figures 1, and 4 forms the powder chamber. It is preferably made of
such length as to constitute at its forward end a support for the wad, which is
placed between the powder and the shot, and it thereby prevents the wad being
pressed tightly upon the powder. The tubular body A containing the tube B
is now pushed into the metal cylinder, ferrule or head F the rear end F2 of
which has been previously expanded as shown in Figure 3 so as to pass freely
over the aforesaid flange of the body. Then, the base disc C is placed against
the end of the cork E, the cap-chamber D inserted in the cork, and the whole
inserted in the rear end of the case.
Having thus assembled the parts, they are placed on a punch in a die and
pressure is applied to them, whereby the expanded end F2 of the ferrule or
head F is turned inwards around the flange of the body and over the disc, thereby
securing the latter in position, and forming the rim F¹. The pressure is so applied
that annular portions C¹ of the disc C are bent or struck up to such an extent,
that the end of the turned-in portion F2 of the tubular head F and the rear flange
of the cap chamber are brought flush with the main or principal portion of the
disc thereby forming a perfectly flat end to the cartridge.
The ferrules F may
be made from drawn tubes, or they may be drawn up from suitable blanks by
means of a punch and cut off to the desired length. The cork or plug E is made
of papier machè or of paper pasted and rolled and cut to the desired length, or of
other suitable material, and is constructed to receive the cap-chamber and to fit

page_text: close against the flange B', of the tube B. By the above-described mode of
manufacture the proper entrance of the external flange of the body and of the
lining into the annular groove formed by the operation of turning-in the end F of
the ferrule or head F is ensured, as also is the firm fixing of the tubular body A
to the ferrule or head.
In cartridges of an inexpensive character we omit the lining B, as in the cartridge
illustrated in Figure 5; or we omit the disc C, or as a further alternative we omit
both lining and disc, as in the cartridge illustrated in Figure 6. In such cases we
prefer to make the cork or plug E with a flange E' at its rear end to bear closely
against the inside of the flange A¹ of the tubular body A to maintain the form of
the said flange and thereby assist in retaining the body in the head of the cartridge.
In another modification, illustrated in Figure 7, we make the lining B with a
closed rear end by forming the disc C in one piece therewith and we in such an
instance insert the cork E through the front end of the lining which is open, and
insert the cap-chamber D from the rear. In a further modification shown in
Figure 8 we dispense with the paper body, and extend the ferrule F to the full
length of the cartridge thus making it serve as the body.
The method of constructing and assembling the parts of the cartridges illustrated
in Figures 5, to 8 is so closely analogous to that herein before set forth with reference
to Figures 1, to 4 that no further description is needed.
Our improvement in the anvil upon which the cap is driven by the firing-pin or
hammer to explode the fulminate, consists in forming said anvil G from sheet metal
blanks which are shaped as in Figure 9 for example, and are narrow in the centre
and widened out towards the ends G'. These blanks are forced through a die by
means of a punch or are otherwise suitably treated to bend the same at the middle
and to curve the two ends G¹ to form segments of circles as at G³ Figure 10. The
anvil when finished is in the form of a hollow cone with a part of its larger end
cylindrical. Two longitudinal slits G2 extend down the sides of the cone, see
Figures 10 and 11, the said slits being of increasing width from the open to the
closed end of the cone. These slits allow the fire produced by the explosion of the
fulminate to pass down to the priming hole of the cartridge. The object of
the above-described form of anvil is to provide a cylindrical portion of the anvil to
fit snugly against the sides of the cap chamber, and to enter the annular groove D¹
of the said chamber and thus to prevent canting of the anvil to one side or the
other to cause a miss-fire should the cap happen not to be struck in its centre. The
preceding description of the said improved anvil is given by way of example; we
do not however limit this portion of our invention to the particular pattern herein
described.
In Figure 12 a cartridge of the type shown in Figure 1 is illustrated, with the
anvil G, cap H and disc of fulminate I in place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved manufacture of cartridges for fire-arms, which comprises the
formation of a circumferential enlargement or rim upon certain of the parts, and
the subsequent engagement of the several enlargements or rims with each other
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purposes specified.
2. The outer tube, ferrule, or head, expanded or otherwise formed with an
enlargement at one end, and having a portion of said enlargement flanged inward
to engage with the cork or with the base-disc, substantially as hereinbefore
described, for the purpose specified.
3. Forming the base-disc with annular portions struck up around the rim and the
central opening substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
4. The improved sheet-metal anvil constructed with openings at the sides
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
5. The combination with the said anvil of the cap-chamber, provided with an

page_text: annular groove to receive the larger end of the anvil substantially as hereinbefore
described for the purpose specified.
6. The improved cartridge constructed substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figure 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 12 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.