Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Cartridges for Guns.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 24th May, 1900-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Cartridges for
Guns.
I, PAUL DU BUIT, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
For several years attempts have been made to render the combustion of
powder progressive, but these attempts have been based in general only on
the composition of the said powder.
According to this invention the object is attained by other means, viz:-by
shaping the elements composing the charge in a specially suitable manner.
In order to make this characteristic form of the elements of the powder_com-
posing the charge perfectly clear, it is illustrated by way of example in Fig. 1
of the accompanying drawings together with some modifications in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, and 7. This characteristic shape is a flat prism having triangular
bases A, B, C, A, B, C¹, shown in perspective in Fig. 1, or these bases may
be regular lozenges (Fig. 2) of such a kind that the elements of the powder
take the form of a double tongue, thin and slim; they may also be trapezoidal
(Fig. 3) or in the form of an irregular lozenge (Fig. 4), and truncated (Fig. 5).
Finally these tongues, which are cut to the desired shape (Figs. 6 and 7), may
be joined by small attachments to form a bundle more or less compressed, or
they may be joined by a narrow band so as to form a core by rolling or super-
posing.
The combustion of the powder, under pressure, takes place on the surface of
the elements of the powder, and by replacing, in a charge, cubes of a given size
by others of greater dimensions one may reduce, in inverse ratio to the areas,
the surface of the same weight of powder and consequently the volume of gas
evolved in a given time from this same weight.
By replacing, in a charge, prisms having rectangular bases of a particular
area by others of greater area one may even also reduce in an inverse ratio
to the areas, the volume of gas evolved in the same time and with the same
weight of powder.
It is the verification of the correctness of the above-mentioned principles that
has led to the adoption of a form for the elements of a charge which allows of
pushing the advantage of the reduction of the surface beyond the limit herein-
before indicated.
Thus, instead of forming the charge by a group of prisms (or of cylinders)
tongues cut in the form of triangles or of lozenges are employed in a sheet whose
thickness is such as to ensure complete combustion for the particular conditions
to be complied with in shooting. There is thereby obtained a real progression
due to the shape of the elements of the charge, whatever may be the composi-
tion and the nature of the powder used.
The tongue- or lozenge shape permits (when the total length at disposal in the

page_text: socket or in the cartridge is utilized and when the point of the element is placed
towards the detonator) of the complete combustion of all the elements of
the charge and consequently a better utilization thereof.
The determination of the dimensions of the lozenge-shaped tongues or plates
is easy to accomplish for any particular conditions of firing corresponding to a
weapon, to a projectile, to a given quantity of powder and to a particular kind
of powder. By a certain number of preliminary shots with rectan-
gular prisms the maximum area of these prisms is determined.
For this purpose there are employed in succession, prisms having sides of
different dimensions and the firing is discontinued at the moment when (the
combustion being incomplete) a while silk screen, placed at a short distance
from the mouth of the weapon, begins to be spotted by the remains of the
unburned powder; the extreme dimension thus found being adopted for the
thickness to be given to the tongue or lozenge.
} |
"
In the cut out elements of the charge, the height is always equal to the
length at the disposal of the charge, and the base is as large as possible while
permitting complete combustion. In order to arrive at the desired result it
is necessary to try several types of tongues or lozenges wherein the base goes on
increasing and the experiments are discontinued, as has been said, at the last
dimension at which the gases do not entrain residues with them.
Dated this 4th day of September 1899.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Cartridges for
Guns.
I, PAUL DU BUIT, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
r.
For several years attempts have been made to render the combustion of
powder progessive, but these attempts have been based in general only on
the composition of the said powder.
According to this invention the object is attained by other means, viz:-by
shaping the elements composing the charge in a specially suitable manner.
An example of the form of the elements of powder composing a charge accord-
ing to this invention is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings filed with my Provisional
Specification, whilst some modifications thereof are shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 7. The elements are characterized by possessing the form of a flat prism
having triangular bases A, B, C, A¹, B1, C¹, as shown in perspective in Fig. 1;
or bases of the form of a regular lozenge (Fig. 2) so that the elements of
powder take the shape of a thin and elongated double tongue; trapezoidal bases
(Fig. 3); or bases in the form of an irregular lozenge (Fig. 4), which may be
truncated (Fig. 5). Finally these tongues, which are cut to the desired shape
(Figs. 6 and 7), may be joined by small attachments to form a bundle more or
less compressed, or they may be joined by a narrow band so as to form a core
on being rolled or coiled, or superposed.
The combustion of the powder, under pressure, takes place on the surface of

page_text: these elements of the powder, and by substituting, in a charge for cubes of given
length of edge, others of a greater length one may reduce, in inverse ratios to
the lengths, the surface of a given weight of powder and consequently the volume
of gas evolved in a given time from this weight.
By substituting, in a charge, for prisms having rectangular bases of a given
area, others having bases of greater area and less thickness, one may likewise
reduce approximately in an inverse ratio to the thicknesses, the volume of
gas evolved in the same time and with the same weight of powder.
Being convinced of the correctness of these principles, I have adopted a
new form for the elements of powder which enables the greatest possible reduc-
tion of the surface to be effected.
Thus, instead of forming the charge by a group of prisms (or of cylinders)
tongues cut in the form of triangles or of lozenges are employed in a sheet whose
thickness is such as to insure complete combustion under the particular con-
ditions to be complied with in shooting. There is thereby obtained a real pro-
gression due to the shape of the elements of the charge, whatever may be the
composition and the nature of the powder used.
The tongue or lozenge shape permits (when the total length at disposal in the
cartridge is utilized and when the point of each element is placed towards the
detonator) of the complete combustion of all the elements of the charge and con-
sequently a better utilization thereof.
The determination of the dimensions of the tongues or lozenge-shaped plates
is easy to accomplish for any particular conditions of firing corresponding to a
weapon, to a projectile, to a given quantity of powder, and to a particular kind
of powder. By a certain number of preliminary shots with rectangular prisms
(i.e., prisms having their axes perpendicular to their bases) the maximum thick-
ness of these prisms is determined. For this purpose there are employed in
succession, prisms having sides of different dimensions (i.e., prisms having sur-
faces of different areas) and the firing is discontinued at the moment when
(the combustion being incomplete) a white silk screen, placed at a short distance
from the mouth of the weapon, begins to be spotted by the remains of the un-
burned powder; the extreme thickness thus found is adopted as the thickness to
be given to the tongues or lozenges.
In the cut out elements of the charge, the height is always equal to the length
at the disposal of the charge, and the base is as large as possible while permitting
complete combustion. In order to arrive at the desired result it is necessary to
try several types of tongues or lozenges wherein the thickness goes on increasing
and the experiments are discontinued as has been said, at the last dimension at
which the gases do not entrain residues with them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A cartridge powder-charge composed of elements having the form of
prisms with triangular or trapezoidal bases, or bases in the form of regular,
irregular, or truncated lozenges, substantially as set forth.
2. Elements of powder for gun cartridges formed substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dal
IT
041
1
P
1000
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.