Improved Ball Seater and Capper Combined.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 19th May, 1890'
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1690 Accepted, fot Nev., 1000
Complete spremation on May, 1000
πνοσμιου
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Ball Seater and Capper Combined.
I, JAMES WOOD CARVER, of Pawlet, in the County of Rutland and State of
Vermont, United States of America, Manufacturer 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 :-
Expert marksmen usually prefer to force the ball into the breech of the gun before
introducing the shell containing the powder, and this shell is recapped and reloaded
with powder, so as to make great uniformity in the explosive force made use of in
projecting the ball.
This ball seater and capper combined is an instrument especially adapted to rifle
shooting, where great accuracy is sought for. I make use of a tool especially adapted
to the insertion of the ball into the breech of the gun, so that its position will be
accurately determined and it will be ready for the shell containing the powder to be
inserted behind it, and in the handle of the seating instrument I introduce a movable
device adapted to the decapping and recapping of the shell with great rapidity.
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the instrument complete, and
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the line xx.
The bandle portion A of the instrument receives into one end thereof an L-shaped
stock B, having a tubular socket 5 for the reception of the adjustable rammer 3,
upon which are divisions, so as to indicate the distance that the rammer is projected
from the end of the socket 5, and is a clamping screw for holding the parts after
they have been projected to the proper distance. This rammer 3 passes through the
rear end or base of the case, similar to a cartridge-case made use of in the fire arm
with which this tool is employed, and there is a head 8 to the rammer within the
case 2, and into this case 2 the ball 1 that is to be inserted into the gun is
introduced.
The object of the bent or L-shaped stock B is to allow the rammer 3 to occupy
an axial position to the barrel, while the handle A is above the housing or stock of
the barrel, the L-shaped stock B passing downwardly into the breech of the gun...
It will now be apparent that after the ball has been inserted into the shell 2 the
handle A and stock B can be used for introducing the shell 2 into the breech of the
gun, and then, the rammer 3 being slid forward, the head 8 presses the ball 1 into
the rifling-grooves of the barrel, so that such ball fills the rifling-grooves and is held
accurately in position, and the distance between the rear end of the ball and the
rear end of the barrel is determined by the distance that the rammer 3 projects from
the tubular socket 5, and the end of the socket 5 coming up against the rear end of
the shell 2 forms a stop to prevent the ball being projected too far into the barrel,
and this distance can be accurately determined by the marks upon the adjustable
rammer.
•
As before remarked, expert marksmen generally prefer to employ one cartridge
shell adapted to the gun that they use, and to decap the same after it has been fired,
apply a new cap, and reload the shell. In order therefore to adapt my present ball
seater to the requirements of the marksmen, I make a handle A, with an opening or

page_text: mortise through the same of a sufficient size to receive within it the cartridge shell,
and I insert the cylindrical holder D within the handle and support the same on the
pivots 13, so that this cylindrical holder D can be revolved, and through the centre
of the holder is an opening containing the sliding pin 11, one side of which is
flattened, so that the end of the screw 12 prevents the pin 11 falling out, but allows
an end movement to be given to this pin, and at one end of the pin 11 is a projecting
point adapted to pressing out and removing the spent cap. Hence, when a cartridge-
shell is slipped over the cylindrical holder D the pin 11 will be pressed along in
such holder and the point thereof will be in contact with the inner surface of the
spent cap, and in this condition the holder D is turned upon its pivots until the rim
of the cartridge passes into the notches 16 in the handle A and the base of the
cartridge rests against the handle at the end of the mortise, as shown by dotted lines
in Fig. 1, and a spring driver 10, with a head 18, passing through the extreme end
of the handle A is made use of to drive the pin 11 endwise and separate the spent
cap from the cartridge-shell, so that such spent cap falls away through the opening 17
in the handle. The holder D is now swung again upon its centres, the cartrid,
shell drawn off one end, and placed over the other end of such holder, or else the
holder is simply turned upon its centres and a cap inserted into the cavity of the
shell and the holder turned so as to bring the cap adjacent to the end of the driver 10,
in order that pressure may be applied to the cap to force it into the opening in the
end of the cartridge shell, as usual. After this has been done the shell is to be drawn
off the holder and is ready for receiving the powder, as usual.
ge-
By my improvement the marksman only requires one instrument for decapping and
recapping the cartridge-shell and for inserting the bullet properly into the gun, and
I remark that the shell 2 corresponding to the cartridge-shell prevents the ball from
being pressed too close to the chamber of the gun on either side. Hence, when the
shell containing the powder is introduced behind the ball the forward edges of the
shell pass in between the ball and the chamber, and the whole force of the explosion
is exerted against the back end of the ball to project the same through the barrel.
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 :
1. The combination, with the handle A, of the L-shaped stock B, baving a tubula
end 5, and the adjustable rammer 3, passing into the tubular portion of the stock
and having a head for acting against the rear end of the ball, substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination, with the handle A and L-shaped stock B, of the adjustable
rammer 3, passing into the tubular portion of the stock and having a head for acting
against the ball, and the shell 2, for receiving and guiding the ball, the adjustable
rammer passing through the base of the shell, substantially as set forth.
3. In a combination tool for marksmen, the L-shaped ball seater having a slotted
handle, the cylindrical holder D, pivoted in said handle, and a decapping rod 11,
passing through the cylindrical holder, and the spring driver 10 at one end of said
handle and adapted to act upon the decapper to remove the spent cap or against the
cap for forcing the same into position in the base of the cartridge shell, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 19th day of May 1890.
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.