Improvements in Cartridges.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Cartridges.
I, LEVI WILLIAM LOMBARD, Machinist and resident in Lexington Street Boston,
County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of my 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 "Cartridge Shells," so called, more particularly those
adapted for sporting purposes and to be used in shot-guns. My invention consists in
the arrangement and construction of a cartridge shell by which two charges may be
inserted in said shell, one being superimposed above the other, and then successively
discharged by means of two primers located in the head of said shell.
One of said primers communicating with the forward charge through a duct, and the
other primer communicating with the end of the rear charge directly.
The said invention also consists in a cartridge having two charges, one on top of the
other and two primers, one of which communicates with the upper or forward charge
through a duct formed in the wall of the cartridge shell.
The said invention also consists in a cartridge having two charges, one on top of the
other and two primers communicating with the rear ends of said charges, all as
hereinafter set forth.
The drawings represent in Fig. 1 a central vertical section of a cartridge-shell,
which embodies my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent modifications in construction
of the same.
In said drawings A represents a cartridge shell, as an entirety struck up from some
thin sheet metal or other suitable material, and exteriorly, of the same general contour
as cartridge-shells now in use, but somewhat longer, to enable it to contain two charges
in lieu of one, as before premised.
To carry out my improvements and to enable two charges contained in a single
shell to be successively discharged, I have provided in the closed ond or flanged head B
of said shell two holes a b, adapted to receive primers, which shall contain some
compound to be discharged percussively.
In Fig. 1 a represents a hole, centrally located and to contain a primer, which
communicates with the lower charge C, while laterally thereof I have disposed a
similar hole b, from which extends a small duct c, formed in the present case by a

page_text: tube d. This duct leads to and communicates with that portion of the shell, which is
occupied by the powder of the second or upper charge D. Thus by means of this
second primer and the duct leading therefrom, the upper charge can be discharged, to
be quickly followed by the lower one, should circumstances require.
By this improved construction of a cartridge-shell, it is evident, that every fire-arm
having a single barrel may be as effective as one with two barrels, while the weight of
material and cost of manufacture is lessened, being much in favor of the single
barrelled weapon.
Furthermore it is practicable to introduce and employ such
cartridge-shells in double barrelled shot-guns, in which event four charges could be
rapidly and easily discharged.
There are many obvious and simple modifications of the above described
cartridge-shell, which I consider, embody my invention, two of which are shown in
Figs. 2 and 3. In the former I have represented the shell, as provided with a semi-
circular rib d in which the duct c is to be formed, said rib to be placed exteriorly and
thereby leave the bore of the shell unobstructed and so facilitate loading; while in
Fig. 3. this rib is to extend the entire length of the shell and thus enable a rod to be
inserted and extract the primer in the event of reloading the shell. The central primer
in this construction may be removed, as usual.
A third modification, as shown in Fig. 4, represents the duct c, as extending from
the central primer to the upper charge, but this method is somewhat objectionable,
since it divides the charge, while furthermore, in loading it requires wads of special
construction that is provided with a central perforation.
In the event of shells being employed in which the exterior rib d is employed, a
corresponding slot must be provided in the chamber of the barrel, not shown, in order
to receive it.
After the shell is primed, I load as usual, but insert two wads between the shot of
the lower and the powder of the upper charge. If preferred two wads may be employed
above such charge of powder, as it has been fully established that better results are
obtained by such manner of loading.
The point, where the duct c opens into the bore of the shell may be so arranged, as
to communicate about centrally with the powder of the upper charge, thus both charges
can be varied and the discharge of both cartridges is assured.
I find by experiment that the construction shown in Fig. 3 is the most efficient and
practical form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. As a new article of manufacture, a cartridge-shell provided with two primers
located in the head thereof, substantially as and for purposes stated.
2nd. A cartridge-shell having two primers a b, a duct d extending from one of
said primers to the forward part of said shell and one orifice through which the
other primer communicates directly with the interior of the shell, substantially as set
forth.
3rd. A cartridge-shell containing two charges one on top of the other and having a
duct, which extends from within said shell to the forward charge, and an aperture
which communicates directly with the lower or rear charge, substantially as set forth.
November 5th 1887.
LEVI WILLIAM LOMBARD,
Boston, Mass., U.S.A.