Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1886.
Complete Left, 13th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Feb., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by WILHELM LORENZ, of No. 61, Krieg Strasse, Carlsruhe,
Baden, in the German Empire,. Manufacturing Engineer.]
1, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention has mainly for its object to enable percussion caps to be secured in
the metal bases of cartridges, more particularly those used for ordnance, in such a
manner that they may he readily placed in position in the charged cartridge case without
danger of explosion, and may also be readily removed to be replaced by a new cap,
either after firing or in case of a misfire. For this purpose the percussion cap,
instead of being introduced directly into the cap chamber or recess of the cartridge
case, is introduced into a separate chamber or capsule, which has a screw thread
formed on its outer surface, while the cap chamber of the cartridge case has a similar
screw thread formed within it, so that the percussion cap can be readily fixed in the
cartridge case at any time with perfect safety, by merely screwing the capsule
containing the same into the cap chamber.
The percussion cap and capsule as also the anvil for firing the same can be variously
constructed for the above purpose, thus according to one arrangement the capsule is
closed at its inner end, where it is formed with an inwardly projecting anvil, and the
percussion cap is introduced into it through the front open end, which is provided
with a thin projecting rim that is afterwards turned down over the base of the cap, so
as to hold this in position. Or the capsule may also have its inner end open and
provided only with a projecting flange, into a groove in which a loose anvil is fixed,
or the sides of the percussion cap may be made to extend sufficiently to have the
anvil fixed into a groove or in a turned-over edge thereon. The priming of the cap

page_text: is by preference extended up the sides thereof so as to present a greater surface for
ignition on firing, and this extended surface may be supported by a very thin metal
lining, held in position by turning over the edge of the
cap.
According to another modification, the capsule is closed at its outer end and open
at its inner end, through which the percussion cap is inserted, the inner edge of the
capsule being then turned over the edge of the cap, so as to secure it.
In this case greater security against accidental firing is afforded by the outer end
of the cap being entirely enclosed by the metal of the capsule, so that the blow for
firing has to be transmitted through this. With this arrangement the anvil is by
preference formed by an inward Bulge on the bottom of the cap chamber of the
cartridge case.
ABEL & IMRAY,
28, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Percussion Caps and in the Means for Securing
the Same in Cartridges:
1. CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent 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 :---
This invention has mainly for its object to enable percussion caps to be secured in
the metal bases of cartridges, more particularly those used for ordnance, in such a
manner that they may be readily placed in position in the charged cartridge case
without danger of explosion, and inay also be readily removed to be replaced by a new
cap, either after firing or in case of a misfire. For this purpose the percussion cap,
instead of being introduced directly into the cap chamber or recess of the cartridge
case, is introduced into a separate chamber or capsule which has a screw thread
formed on its outer surface while the cap chamber of the cartridge case has a similar
screw thread formed within it, so that the percussion cap can be readily fixed in the
cartridge case at any time with perfect safety, by merely screwing the capsule
containing the saine into the cap chamber.
The anvil for the cap is with this arrangement either fixed in the cap itself, or it is
fixed or formed in the capsule, or in the cap chamber of the cartridge case. According
to another improvement the charge of fulminate in the cap is increased so as to

page_text: increase its igniting power without decreasing its sensibility to fire, by carrying it up
the sides of the cap to a greater or less extent, so as to make it of cup shape, and thus
present an extended surface which may be supported by a very thin metal lining held
in position by turning over the edge of the cap. The percussion cap and capsule, as
also the anvil for firing the same, can be variously constructed for the above purpose.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing shews to an exaggerated scale a part section
of the base of a metallic cartridge case with one arrangement of my invention applied
thereto.
The percussion cap a with its charge of fulminate cc', carried up the sides of the
cap as described, is introduced into the capsule d through its open rear end, the
flange being at the time in the raised position shewn at the right hand side of
Fig. 1.
After the cap has been inserted, the flange e is bent down into the position
shewn on the left hand side of Fig. 1, so as to hold the cap securely within the
capsule while the central portion of the cap remains exposed to be acted upon by the
striker. The front end of the capsule d is closed and has the inwardly projecting
anvil i formed or fixed thereon, holes d¹ being provided through which the flame enters
the cartridge.
The capsule d has a screw thread d² formed on it, and the base of the cartridge case
has a chamber or socket indicated by dotted lines, formed on it, the interior surface
of which is formed with a female screw thread to corresponding with that on the
capsule, so that the latter with its percussion cap can be secured in the cartridge case
by screwing it into the chamber as indicated, and it can be readily removed by
unscrewing after firing.
As, owing to the great extension of the charge of fulminate, this might be liable to
become partly detached, it is by preference protected by a very thin metal lining fas
shewn at Fig. 3, and the edge of the cap is extended some distance beyond the
charge, as shown, so that after insertion of the lining the edge can be turned over as
at g on the left hand side of Fig. 3, and thus secure the lining in position.
Instead of fixing or forming the anvil on the capsule d it may be fixed in a groove g¹
in the edge of the cap as at Fig. 2, the edge of the anvil being made sufficiently
thin to allow it to be sprung into the groove. The anvil may in like manner be fixed
in a groove in the capsule, as shewn at Fig. 4. With the arrangement of anvil
shewn in Figs. 2 and 4 no firing holes are required for the passage of the flame, as,
on firing, the explosion of the fulminate charge will cause the anvil to be ejected
through the circular opening which is in these cases formed in the inner end of the
capsule, thus leaving this opening free for the passage of the flame from the ful-
minate. The lining when employed, will, on firing, he first thrown on to the surface
of the anvil and will then be ejected together with this.
Fig. 5 shews another modification of the invention, in which the capsule d is closed
at its outer end and open at its inner end, the anvil being in this case formed by a
bulge on the chamber of the cartridge case..
The percussion cap is in this arrangement entirely covered in and protected by the
capsule, the outer face e of which is hollowed out somewhat as shewn, thus affording
increased security against accidental firing through careless handling of the loaded
cartridge, or through its dropping on the floor. The striker of the firing mechanism
will in this case have to be made somewhat more powerful than usual, in proportion
to the double thickness of metal e¹ and á interposed between it and the fulminate.
With the last described construction of the capsule, the percussion cap is by pre-
ference retained in position by turning over the edge g³ of the capsule as shewn, after
the cap is inserted.
The fulminate of the cap may either be of the ordinary form or it may be carried
up the sides of the cap, as indicated in dotted lines at c', and it may in this case also
be protected by the metal lining f described with reference to Fig. 3.
It will be evident that the above described invention is applicable to all descriptions
of cartridges in which the base of the case is capable of having a female screw-thread
formed in it.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
--
1. The use for securing percussion caps in cartridge cases of capsules d within
which the percussion caps a are placed, and which are formed with external screw
threads d for screwing into corresponding internal screw threads formed in the base
of the cartridge case, substantially as herein described.
2. In capsules for percussion caps such as are referred to in the first claim, forming
the anvil either upon the capsule as at Fig. 1, or fixing it in a groove therein as at
Fig. 4, substantially as herein described.
3. Constructing capsules for percussion caps such as are referred to in the first.
claim, with a projecting rim on its outer open end, which rim is folded down
so as to hold the cap in position when this is inserted through such open end,
substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings.
4. Constructing capsules for percussion caps such as are referred to in the first
claim with a closed outer end for the protection of the percussion cap, and after intro-
ducing the cap, through the inner end turning the edge of the capsule over that of the
cap so as to keep this in position substantially as herein described with reference to
Fig. 5 of the drawings.
5. The combination with a percussion cap of an anvil fitted in a circular groove of
the cap, substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.
6. Constructing percussion caps with their explosive charge extending up the sides
of the cap and covering such charge, with a thin metal lining substantially as herein
described with reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings.
ז.
C TALD
ABEL &
Agents for the Applicant.