IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE METALLIC CASES OF CARTRIDGES FOR MACHINE GUNS AND ARTILLERY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Richard Bayliss, of Northfield, in the County
of Worcester, Mechanical Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE METALLIC CASES OF CARTRIDGES FOR
MACHINE GUNS AND ARTILLERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Richard Bayliss at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th February 1882.
THOMAS RICHARD BAYLISS of Northfield in the County of Worcester, Mechanical
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE METALLIC CASES OF
CARTRIDGES FOR MACHINE GUNS AND ARTILLERY."
My Invention has reference to the large cartridges used with machine guns and
artillery and cousists of the improvements herein after described in the manufacture
of the metallic cases of the said cartridges.
The method ordinarily employed in manufacturing metallic cartridge cases for
the cartridges of small fire arins is not well adapted for the manufacture of the
large cases required for cartridges used with inachine guns and artillery but the
improvements in the manufacture of large metallic cartridge cases constituting my
Invention render the manufacture of the said cases simple and economical and is
free from the risk of injury to the metal resulting from the formation of the head
by the ordinary process of upsetting.
In manufacturing according to my Invention metallic cartridge cases for
cartridges for machine guns and artillery I proceed as follows:-
I take rolled brass or copper or other metal or alloy from which the cartridge
case is to be made the said metal or alloy having a thickness suitable for the
cartridge case to be manufactured. From this sheet metal I cut out or turn
circular dises. These discs I shape by reducing the thickness of the marginal
portion leaving the central portion of the disc of the original thickness.
reduction of the thickness of the marginal portion of the disc may be effected
by the turning or it may be effected by the rolling process described and
This

page_text: represented in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me April 4th 1877
No. 1303. These discs are drawn into the shape of a cup the thick central portion
being external. These cups are made tubular by a series of drawing through
processes until their diameter is reduced to nearly that of the rim or flange
of the head and the metal of the greater part of the case has the required
thickness.
The case or tube thus obtained has an excess of metal near the closed end and
for some distance along the case or tube and by turning in a lathe the said excess
is removed. The turning away of the metal is not however continued to the closed
end of the case or tube but is stopped at such a distance from the closed end as to
leave the diameter of the extreme end undiminished. The said part of undimi-
nished diameter constitutes the rim or flange of the solid head of the cartridge
case rendering unecessary the costly process of forming the solid end and flange
ordinarily practised. The case is finished in the ordinary way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Richard Bayliss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th July 1882.
THOMAS RICHARD BAYLISS of Northfield in the County of Worcester Mechanical
Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE METALLIC CASES OF
CARTRIDGES FOR MACHINE GUNS AND ARTILLERY."
My Invention has reference to large cartridges used with machine guns and
artillery; and consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the manufacture
of the metallic cases of the said cartridges.
The method ordinarily employed in manufacturing metallic cartridge cases for
the cartridges of small arms is not well adapted for the manufacture of the large
cases required for cartridges used with machine guns and artillery but the
improvements in the manufacture of large metallic cartridge cases constituting my
Invention render the manufacture of the said cases simple and economical and the
improved manufacture is free from the risk of injury to the metal resulting from
the formation of the head by the ordinary process of upsetting.
In manufacturing according to my Invention metallic cartridge cases for
cartridges for machine guns and artillery I proceed as follows:-
I take rolled brass or copper or other metal or alloy from which the cartridge
case is to be made, the said metal or alloy having a thickness suitable for the
cartridge case to be manufactured.
From this sheet metal I cut out or turn circular discs. These discs I shape by
reducing the thickness of the marginal portions, leaving the central portion of the
disc of the original thickness. This reduction of the thickness of the marginal
portions of the disc may be effected by the turning process, or it may be effected
by the rolling process described and represented in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me April 4. 1877 No 1303.
These discs are drawn into the shape of a cup the thick central portion being
external.
These cups are made tubular by a series of drawing through processes until their
diameter is reduced to nearly that of the rim or flange of the bead and the metal
of the greater part of the case has the required thickness. The case or tube thus
obtained has an excess of metal near the closed end and for some distance along
the case or tube and by turning in a lathe the said excess is removed. The turning
away of the metal, is not however continued to the closed end of the case or tube,
but is stopped at such a distance from the closed end as to leave the diameter of
the extreme end undiminished. The said part of undiminished diameter constitutes
the rim or flange of the solid head of the cartridge case, rendering unnecessary the
costly process of forming the solid end and flange ordinarily practised. The case
is finished in the ordinary way.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in plan and Figure 2 in edge view the disc of rolled brass
or copper or other metal or alloy from which the cartridge case is to be made;
Figure 3 represents in plan and Figure 4 in section, the said disc Figures 1 and 2,
after its marginal portions have been reduced in thickness leaving the central
portion a of the original thickness. This reduction of the marginal portions of the
disc is effected in either of the ways herein before described. Having produced the
disc Figures 3 and 4 it is shaped by the ordinary drawing process into the cup
represented in elevation in Figure 5 and section in Figure 6, the thick central

page_text: portion a being external as represented. From the cup Figures 5 and 6 the tube
or partly made case represented in longitudinal section in Figure 7 is produced by
a series of drawing through processes conducted in the ordinary way. Or the
tube or partly made case Figure 7 may be produced from a thick disc having the
same thickness throughout; that is, the turning or shaping of the marginal portions
of the disc may be dispensed with. By the drawing processes the diameter of the
closed end 6 of the case Figure 7 is reduced to nearly that of the rim or flange of
the head to be made, and the said case has also an excess of metal near the closed
end b (indicated in dotted lines) and for some distance along the case, that is, at
the part marked c. By turning in a lathe the excess of metal along the case is
removed as represented at Figure 8 leaving at the closed end the part e of
undiminished diameter, but the thickness of metal at the said closed end is slightly
reduced by removing by turning, the excess of metal at the said closed end as
represented in the said Figure 8. The part e constitutes the rim or flange of the
solid head of the cartridge case the particular shape required being given to the
said part e by turning or otherwise. The case is finished in the ordinary way.
Figure 9 represents in longitudinal section a finished cartridge case with a flat
bottomed cap chamber made in the manner described.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described and illustrated as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention.
But I claim as my Invention-The improvements in the manufacture of
the metallic cases of cartridges for inachine guns and artillery herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings; that is to say producing from
thick discs of the metal or alloy of which the cartridge cases are to be made, or
from thick discs having the marginal portions reduced, the tube or partly made
case represented in Figure 7, the said case having an excess of metal near the
closed end and for some distance along the case and removing the said excess of
metal, excepting at the extreme end by turning in a lathe or machine thereby
leaving a portion of undiminished diameter which constitutes the rim or flange of
the solid head of the cartridge case or from which the rim or flange is made
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Richard Bayliss have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty second day of July in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS RICHARD BAYLISS. (LS.)