IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRAL-FIRE CARTRIDGES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE SAME
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ann Brooman, of Camberwell, in the County
of Surrey, Widow and Sole Administratrix of the late Clinton
Edgcumbe Brooman, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRAL-FIRE
CARTRIDGES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE SAME." -A com-
munication to the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman from abroad
by Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, of 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg,
Paris, France.
Sealed the 7th January 1870, and dated the 10th July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Clinton Edgcumbe
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th July 1869.
I, CLINTON EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman,
and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-

page_text: MENTS IN CENTRAL-FIRE CARTRIDGES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE
SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in the manufacture of a metallic
cartridge with a cup at its rear or base, and without an outer rim or
flange.
Secondly. In arranging the movable head of the breach block or
closer with an extractor engaging into the cup of the cartridge in order
to withdraw the empty case from the barrel chamber after the discharge
by the withdrawal of the breech block..
I preferably employ for the cartridge case a plate or leaf of very thin
metal, such as what is commonly called foil. This leaf of metal is cut
diagonally or into a lozenge shape and is then rolled into the tubular form.
This tube may be supplemented by another similar tube of thin metal or
strengthened by an envelope of paper, cloth, or parchment. The lower
end of this tube is turned inwards, and being formed by rolling and
with a spiral joint is more rigid, less liable to lose its form, and more
resisting to the tearing action of the gases at the moment of the dis-
charge than tubes otherwise formed. The base of the cartridge is of
tinned iron, or of copper, or zinc, and has an opening at its centre.
The cartridge case is strengthened at its lower part by another tube of
thin copper also cut diagonally and rolled, which is introduced into
the base of the cartridge. A wad is employed pierced with a hole at
the centre, a cup of stamped iron or other metal is forced by pressure
into this wad. The cup and wad when united are inserted into the
strengthening tube above spoken of, and the cartridge case proper is
then also inserted. A caoutchouc washer is then prepared which is
introduced into the cartridge case proper or first tube, and another
strengthening tube is placed within the latter. There now only remains
to introduce the cap and a pasteboard washer to obtain the complete
cartridge. All its parts are pierced so as to allow the needle of the
arm to proceed easily to the cap, and in addition the opening in the
base allows the hook of the extractor to catch as will presently be
described.
The metallic cartridge above described can be disengaged at will from
the barrel chamber either before or after the charge, provided that
whilst pressing the breech block backwards a hook catches in the cup
of the cartridge case in connection with the moveable head of the breech
block and withdraws the cartridge at the same time.

page_text: This arrangement of breech block with the cartridge withdrawer is as
follows: The moveable head of metal is in connection with the end
of the breech block by means of a tail piece and held in place by a
screw. A notch is made across the hinder face of the moveable head
in order to engage with the T-shaped claw of a spring rod which
penetrates into a longitudinal opening of the head and proceeds thence
in the form of a hook at the face. It is this hook which engages
with the cup of the cartridge at the interior of the inner rim of the
base.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ann Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANN
BROOMAN, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Widow and Sole
Administratrix of the late Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, of the Firm
of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City
London, Patent Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Ann Brooman, Her special licence that
I, the said Ann Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Ann Brooman, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CENTRAL-FIRE:
CARTRIDGES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE SAME," (communicated
to the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman from abroad by Antoine
Alphonse Chassepot, of 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, France,):
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ann Brooman,
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 Ann Brooman, 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements upon former Inventions of
Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, for which Letters Patent were granted to
the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman on the 7th September 1866,
No. 2304, and 18th February 1868, No. 534.
It consists, first, in the manufacture of a metallic cartridge with a cup
at its rear or base and without an outer rim or flange.
Secondly. In arranging the movable head of the breech block or
closer with an extractor engaging into the cup of the cartridge in order
to expel the empty case from the barrel chamber after the discharge by
the withdrawal of the breech block.
The accompanying Drawings will enable the Invention to be readily
understood.
preferably employ for the cartridge case a plate or leaf of very thin
metal, such as what is commonly called foil. This leaf of metal, shown
at a, Figure 1, is cut diagonally or into a lozenge shape, and is then
rolled into a tubular form b with a spiral juncture c. This tube may be
supplemented by another similar tube of thin metal, or strengthened by
an envelope of paper, cloth, or parchment. The lower end c¹ of this
tube b is turned inwards, as shown in Figure 2, and being formed by
rolling and with a spiral joint is more rigid, less liable to lose its form,
and better resists the tearing action of the gases at the moment of the
discharge than tubes otherwise formed. The base d of the cartridge,
shewn in section and plan view in Figure 3, is of tinned iron, or of
copper, or zinc, and has an opening e at its centre. The cartridge case
is strengthened at its lower part by an open-ended tube of thin copper f
(Figure 4) also cut diagonally and rolled, which is introduced into the
base of the cartridge. A wad g, shewn separately at Figure 5, is
employed pierced with a hole at the centre; a cup h, Figure 6, of

page_text: stamped iron or other metal is forced by pressure into this wad and a
small hole is made at the centre of this cup, as shewn in Figure 7 which
represents the cup h and wad g united. The cup and wad when thus
united (see Figure 2) are inserted into the strengthening tube f and the
cartridge case proper 6 is then also inserted. A caoutchouc washer,
shown at i, is introduced into the cartridge case proper or first tube b,
and another strengthening tube. with one end partly closed is placed
within the latter. There now only remains to introduce the cap m,
Figure 9, and a pasteboard washer o, Figure 8, to obtain the complete
cartridge, as shown in longitudinal section in Figure 10, all its parts are
pierced so as to allow the needle of the arm, shown in section, Figure 11,
to penetrate easily to the cap, and in addition the opening è in the
base d allows the hook of the extractor to catch, as will be presently
described.
t
It will have been noticed that the details shew the successive
assemblage of the different parts of the empty cartridge; the metallic
cartridge above described can be disengaged at will from the barrel
chamber of the arm either before or after the discharge, provided that
whilst pressing the breech block backwards a hook catches in the cup
of the cartridge case in connection with a movable head of the breech
block and withdraws the cartridge at the same time.
This arrangement of breech block with the cartridge withdrawer is
represented in sectional elevation in Figure 11. The movable head of
metal p, shown detached in Figures 12, 13, and 14, is in connection with
the end of the breech block k by means of a tail piece p' which holds a
screw z. A notch, Figure 14, is made across the hinder face of the
head p in order to engage with the T-shaped claw of a spring rod u,
shewn separately at Figure 15, which penetrates into a longitudinal
opening of the head p, and proceeds thence to the opposite face in the
form of a hook v, see Figures 12 and 13. It is this hook which engages,
as shown in Figure 11, with the cup h of the cartridge at the interior of
the inner rim of the base d. Therefore upon drawing back the breech
block the cartridge, whether full or empty, will be withdrawn from
the barrel chamber.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The manufacture, substantially as herein-before described and

page_text: represented in the accompanying Drawings, of the metallic cartridge
with a cup at its rear or base and without an outer rim or flange.
Secondly. The arrangement, substantially as herein-before described
and represented in the accompanying Drawings, of the movable head of
the breech block or closer with an extractor for withdrawing the cartridge
case from the arm.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ann Brooman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street,
London.
ANN BROOMAN. (L.S.)