IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Noble, late Captain in the Royal Artillery, & now
of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Noble at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1878.
ANDREW NOBLE, late Captain in the Royal Artillery, and now of Jesmond Dine
House, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS,
AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME."
This Invention has for its object improvements in guns and in cartridges for the
same.
In order to obtain initial velocities with any given weight of projectile higher
than those hitherto attained, I form the gun with the powder chamber of larger
diameter than the rest of the bore, in which chamber the cartridge is to be received,
and I make the cartridge in such manner that it can be expanded after it has been
lodged in the chamber or enlarged portion of the bore of the gun. I form the
cartridge with a longitudinal fold or slit with overlapping edges, and I retain the
sides of the fold or slit together, so as to confine the cartridge to a diameter such as
to admit of its entering the gun by means of a thread or skewer, or both.
For the smaller sizes of cartridges a thread is convenient and sufficient, and the
thread is broken by the pressure of the rammer when the cartridge is in the
chamber. Such cartridges require to be protected by a separate canvas cover until
required for use. For cartridges of larger size, I employ a skewer to hold together
the sides of the fold or slit in the cartridge case.
In the case of a breech-loading gun the skewer can be easily drawn out by hand
after it has reached the chamber of the gun, when the cartridge will be expanded
by pressure of the rainmer or otherwise.
In the case of the muzzle loader, the withdrawal of the skewer may be effected

page_text: by a string passing along the rammer, and used to pull out the skewer after the
cartridge has reached the chamber, or the fold of the cartridge may be held
together by both a skewer and a thread, in which case the skewer will be with-
drawn when the cartridge enters the bore and the cartridge expanded, as in the
case of smaller cartridges by the pressure of the rammer breaking the thread after
it has reached the chamber.
Some muzzle-loading guns, and in particular those of smaller calibres with en-
largements or chambers to receive the cartridge, I form with a contraction in the
bore to form a seat or stop for the projectile, when it reaches the position it is
intended to occupy within the gun. In others, especially those of larger size, the
rifling forms a stop for the projectile when it arrives at its seat, the object.in both
cases being to ensure a definite gravimetric density dependent upon the charge and
nature of powder to be consumed.
In the case of breech-loading guns with enlargements or chambers for the
cartridge, the opening at the breech is of the size of the bore or thereabouts, and
the cartridge is expanded after it has passed the contraction and reached the en-
largement or chamber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Andrew Noble in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th December
1878.
ANDREW NOBLE, late Captain in the Royal Artillery, and now of Jesmond Dene
House, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS,
AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME."
This Invention has for its object improvements in guns, and in cartridges for the
same.
In order to obtain initial velocities with any givon weight of projectile higher
than those hitherto attained, I form the gun with the powder chamber of larger
diameter than the rest of the bore, in which chamber the cartridge is to be received,
and I make the cartridge in such manner that it can be expanded after it has been
lodged in the chamber or enlarged portion of the bore of the gun. I form the
cartridge with a longitudinal fold or slit with overlapping edges, and I retain the
sides of the fold or slit together, so as to confine the cartridge to a diameter such as
to admit of its entering the gun by means of a thread or skewer, or both.
For the smaller sizes of cartridges, a thread is convenient and sufficient, and the
thread is broken by the pressure of the rammer when the cartridge is in the
chamber. Such cartridges require to be protected by a separate canvas cover until
required for use. For cartridges of large size, I employ a skewer to hold together
the sides of the fold or slit in the cartridge case.
In the case of a breech-loading gun, the skewer can be easily drawn out by hand
after it has reached the chamber of the gun, when the cartridge will be expanded
by pressure of the rammer or otherwise.

page_text: In the case of the muzzle-loader, the withdrawal of the skewer may be effected
by a string passing along the rammer, and used to pull out the skewer after the
cartridge has reached the chamber, or the fold of the cartridge may be held together
by both a skewer and a thread, in which case the skewer will be withdrawn when
the cartridge enters the bore, and the cartridge expanded, as in the case of smaller
cartridges, by the pressure of the rammer breaking the thread after it has reached
the chamber.
Some muzzle-loading guns, and in particular those-of smaller calibres with en-
largements or chambers to receive the cartridge, I form with a contraction in the
bore to form a seat or stop for the projectile when it reaches the position it is
intended to occupy within the gun. In others, especially those of larger size, the
rifling forms a stop for the projectile when it arrives at its seat, the object in both
cases being to ensure a definite gravimetric density dependent upon the charge and
nature of powder to be consumed.
In the case of breech-loading guns with enlargements or chambers for the cartridge,
the opening at the breech is of the size of the bore or thereabouts, and the cartridge
is expanded after it has passed the contraction and reached the enlargement or
chamber.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
Figure 1 is a side view of a cartridge suitable for a cannon of small calibre, con-
structed with a powder chamber of larger diameter than the bore. In this Figure,
the cartridge appears in the outer canvas cover by which it is protected, until
required for use; the skewer a however has been partly withdrawn, in order to
show the arrangement more clearly.
Figure 2 shows the cartridge with the canvas cover removed. b is the thread by
which the overlapping edges of the twill case containing the charge of powder are
held together, it is passed through the eyelet holes c. The dotted line indicates the
edge of the inner fold.
As already mentioned, in ramming home the cartridge, the thread b is broken,
and the cartridge is then able to expand and fill the powder chamber of the gun.
Figure 3 shows to a scale of one-half the actual size, a cartridge for a six inch
gun, having an enlarged powder chamber. There is no outer cover, and the edges
of the twilled fabric cartridge case are retained by a skewer, until the cartridge case
is in the powder chamber of the gun, when it is withdrawn to allow the cartridge
to expand to the size of the powder chamber.
Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of the bore of a muzzle-loading gun of
small calibre, constructed with an enlarged powder chainber d, and a stop or seat e
for the projectile to retain it in its place, so that it may not rest upon the charge
when rammed home. This gun is adapted to receive the cartridge shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section of the bore of a six-inch breech-loading
gun, constructed with an enlarged powder chamber d, but having the breech
opening of the size of the bore or thereabout, so that the cartridge requires to bo
expanded after that it is in the gun.
For closing the breech, any approved method may be resorted to.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The construction of cannon cartridges with longitudinal folds or slits per-
mitting the cartridge to expand and fill a powder chamber of larger diameter than
the passage by which the cartridge is inserted into the gun.
Second. In nuzzle-loading guns, the combination of the enlarged powder
chamber d and the stop or scat e for the projectile, substantially as described in
respect to Figure 4.

page_text: Third. In breech-loading guns, the combination of the enlarged powder chamber
d and the breech opening of smaller diameter than the powder chamber, sub-
stantially as described in respect to Figure 5.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Noble, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.