Improvements in Cartridges and in Guns to be Used therewith.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ALFRED NOBEL, of 53, Avenue Malakoff, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Engineer.]
Improvements in Cartridges and in Guns to be Used therewith.
I ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates mainly to the construction of cartridges, and is designed
to, reduce considerably the length, weight, and cost of the same, the reduced size
of which naturally also permits of increasing the number of cartridges which can
be lodged in a magazine rifle.
In constructing cartridges according to this invention, many modifications are
adinissible without departing from the nature of the invention, but preferably a
pointed bullet is provided, of a length sufficient to reach to the bottom of the
cartridge. This bullet extends into, and fits the bullet chamber when the cartridge
is in place. Surrounding this bullet is the charge, preferably formed of a coiled
strip of nitroglycerine compound. The cartridge thus constructed may be fitted
into a metal case, having a depth of about one fourth the length of the bullet, and
a diameter to fill the rebated charge chamber.
The head of the case is pierced to allow of the fire from the detonator (which
fits in a recess of the cartridge head) to reach and ignite the charge.
the
Instead of the loose anvil cominonly used to resist the blow of the firing pin, the
bullet may be fitted at its roar with a steel plug, which enters the detonating
chamber in the head of the case, and the case may be fitted with an internal tube
to receive the bullet and form a guide for it, when starting under the pressure of
gras of the detonator before the ignited charge is enabled to act upon the bullet.
A further modification is to fit the detonator in the rear end of the bullet.
Around this bullet the nitroglycerine charge is lapped, and forms with it a chamber
in the rear end of the cartridge, to receive an extension of the breech block. In
this example, no case is provided for the cartridge, but to facilitate the removal
of the cartridge from the gun, when a miss-fire occurs, the end of a withdrawal
string or tape is secured between the bullet and the charge.
The explosive compounds which it is preferred to employ in the manufacture of
the improved cartridges, are those known as smokeless powders, consisting of celluloid
or collodion, like nitro-cellulose alone, or in conjunction with nitro-glycerine, as
described in the Specification of the Patent of January 31st 1888 No. 1471.
This class of powders is unaffected by dampness, and insoluble in water, so that
there is no necessity for protecting then against the action of the atmospheric
moisture. The charge of such powders may consist of grains, or any suitable
minute fragments, agglutinated, and shaped in a suitable mould into a tube, heat
or a solvent being employed for the purpose.
But instead of thus operating, the aforesaid smokeless explosives may, when heated
so as to become soft and unelastic, be rolled or pressed out into plates or ribbons
presenting deep indentures or impressions representing small ribs or pyramids, or
demi-globes, held together by a thin film of the same explosive substance. Such
sheets or ribbons offer the same advantage as grains in point of inflammability,
and multiplied surface of combustion, and seeing that the aforesaid film can be
turned outwards, it forms a kind of watertight coating, protecting the interior charge
against moisture. Such plates or sheets or ribbons also offer the advantage of
conversion into any required shape, and of a size and weight that will dispense with
the necessity for weighing each separate charge.

page_text: When using cartridges which have no case or inetal envelope, the breech block
of the gun will have a tubular extension concentric with the central extension
which acts upon the bullet. This tubular extension will fit the rebated charge
chamber of the gun, and served to prevent lateral fire, after the manner of the
metallic cartridge case. A similar arrangement may be provided around the firing
pin for cutting off the escape of gas.
Dated this 17th day of Santember 1980
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cartridges and in Guns to be Used therewith.
I ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, 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:
This invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates mainly
to the construction of cartridges, and, as respects guns, to the construction only of
such parts as require modification to adapt them to one of the peculiar forms of
cartridge hereinafter described, namely, the breech block and firing inechanism, the
object being to prevent windage or leakage of gas.
The improved cartridges constituting the main feature of this invention are made
either with or without a cartridge case. For those which are provided with a
cartridge case, the breech-loading mechanism of the rifles in common use, as well as
their extractors, require no alteration, but it may be necessary to adapt the cartridge
chamber in the barrel to the size and form of the cartridge.
The metallic case used in connection with the improved cartridge differs from those
now in use, in having no anvil, as the projectile, which extends rearwards so as to
touch. the bottom cr head of the cartridge case, is made to serve as an anvil. For
such purpose, a small steel plug may be driven into the rear end of the projectile,
forming thus a very effective anvil. The length to be given to the cartridge case will
be depend on the nature of the explosive charge employed. If the charge is to
consist of loose grains, like ordinary gun-powder, the entire charge must be encased
in the manner now practised, but if the charge is composed of a cohesive or tenacious
material, it is not necessary to encase the charge, especially when that material is
water- or moisture-proof. An explosive charge having such characteristics is readily
obtained from the horny or celluloidal material, composed mainly of nitro-cellulose
and nitro-glycerine, described in the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to me
and bearing date respectively 31 January 1888 No. 1471; 14th March 1889
No. 4479 and August 2nd 1889 No. 12307. This compound material, while in a
plastic state, is rolled out, say, into thin corrugated sheets, such as that shown in
edge view at Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing. These sheets are cut up into
appropriate strips, out of which small rolls encircling the projectile, as shewn at
Fig. 2, are formed, the lap end of such rolls .being secured by moistening it with a
little acetone, or other suitable solvent, and effecting its adhesion to the roll by
pressure.
In order to ensure the proper combustion of the charge, it is necessary to provide
for the rapid spread of fire through the mass, and it is for this purpose that the
corrugated strips are employed; or equivalent means is provided, as hereinafter
described, for conducting the fire through the body of the charge. By using
corrugated strips, sufficient free spaces are left in the coils for the fire to travel, and
for the gas formed by explosive combustion to percolate.
Instead of forming the charge, as herein described, out of a rolled-up strip of
corrugated sheets of the aforesaid explosive material, now commonly known as
ballistite, it may consist of a smooth (uncorrugated) strip, and another strip of

page_text: ordinary, very thin nitrated paper, laid together and coiled (the nitrated paper
inwards) into a compound roll, the overlapping end being cemented by the application
of acetone or other solvent in manner aforesaid. The nitrated paper thus embedded
serves to facilitate the inflammation of the ballistite charge, and provide for the
circulation, through the charge, of the gases evolved.
The thickness of the ballistite strip must needs vary, as varies the construction and
calibre of the fire-arms for which it is intended, just as the size of gunpowder
grains is varied. One half to one millimeter thickness is generally suitable for rifle
charges.
Another mode of forming said charge, consists in replacing the aforesaid roll by an
explosive tube pierced with holes and surrounding the projectile. Strips for the
formation of such tubes are cut from a sheet prepared as illustrated by the sectional
view Fig. 3, the diameter of the holes with which the sheet is pierced measuring, say,
half a millimeter. The function of these holes is to provide the surface needed for
explosive combination. The pierced strip, of a width sufficient to lap around the
projectile, is bent round the projectile, and secured by cementing it at its edges, so
as to form a regular tube fitting tightly on the projectile, as shown in the cross
section Fig. 4. The number and gange of the holes will depend on the size and
construction of the gun for which the charge is intended.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a cartridge constructed according to this
invention, in its completed state.
a is the cartridge case having a depth of about one fourth of the length of the
charge, which length of casing may of course be increased.
bis the fulminate cap sunk into the head of the case.
c the charge, d the projectile extending from the head of the case beyond the charge
to reach the bore of the gun.
e is a small steel plug-inserted in the rear end of the projectile, and forming an
anvil for setting off the fulminate of the cap b.
In the cartridge case a, it will be seen that the fulminate or equivalent explosive is
less confined than in the cartridge cases now commonly used. Hence, the action of
the fulminate charge of the cap may be increased without acting too violently on the
cartridge case, which increase of charge will give additional guarantee against.
miss-fire.
The projectile must extend so far beyond the cartridge case and charge, as, by
entering the bore, to be sufficiently steadied and guided in its forward motion. But
practice has shown that, as a rule, unless the projectile has a very sloping head,
it suffices to extend it beyond the cartridge case and charge, by one third of its
length.
I will now proceed to describe the form of cartridge which renders unnecessary
the use of a cartridge case. This cartridge is shown in longitudinal section at
Fig. 6.
The charge is formed in the same manner as hereinbefore described, by lapping it
around the projectile, but the projectile bas, in its rear end, a cap charged with
fulminate, which the firing pin of the rifle is intended to explode.
cap.
In this Figure, a is the celluloidal charge; the projectile, with c the fulminate
As this cartridge has no casing to form a gas check, its use necessitates that
the breech block and firing pin should be so constructed as to reduce the leakage of
gas to a practical minimum. The system of breech block known as "de Bange's,"
which is much used, and which is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, very effectually prevents
leakage of gas, and offers this advantage, that any gas escaping is directed muzzlewards,
and not towards the person handling the gun.
It will however be understood, that other breech-loading mechanisms which
effectually check leakage of gas, may be substituted for the mechanism herein
shown.
In these Figures, A is the barrel, B the breech block; a the charge, & the projectile,
c the fulminate cap. D is the firing pin. This pin is provided with a part of greater
diameter, forming a piston f, moving in the chamber g formed in the breech block B.

page_text: This chamber is fitted with a packing h, of asbestos, soft metal, or other material
suitable for preventing the escape of gas rearwards out of the chamberg. C is a tube
projecting from the centre of the breach block, its function, besides serving as a guide
to the firing pin, being to strike the projectile in rear, and push it forward into the
hore of the gun. This premature advance of the projectile, before firing, permits of
the length of the projectile being proportionately reduced, or the length of the
explosive charge proportionately increased.
E is the mechanism for actuating the firing pin.
The length suitable for the projectile is practically limited by its quickness of
rotation. Hence, the length shewn in the annexed figure is merely conventional,
and is in excess of the greatest length now in use, which is equal to about
4 calibres.
It is not absolutely necessary that the charge for the cartridges herein described
should consist of the aforesaid celluloidal explosive. It may be made from strips of
collodion backed by strips of nitrated paper, rolled up, and secured together in
manner aforesaid, or it may be made from strips similarly treated, of any explosive
coherent substance, produced by evaporating the solvent from dissolved nitrocellulose.
Or it may be made from nitrated paper only, rolled up over the projectile, and
cemented together by moistening its overlapping end with acetone or other solvent,
but such a charge of nitrated paper, unless very feebly nitrated, is apt to produce too
high a pressure, and damage the riffe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me,
I declare that what I claim is :--
1. The manufacture of cartridges as heroin described, the charge, whether enclosed
in a case or not, enveloping the projectile as and for the purpose set forth.
2. Converting the projectile, as herein shown, into an anvil for exploding the
fulminate charge of the cap,
3. In cartridges unprovided with a metallic case, as Fig. 6, fitting the fulminate
cap to the rear end of the projectile.
4. The construction of breech block as shown at Fig. 7, which provides for pushing
the projectile forward without moving the charge.
5. The construction of firing pin as shown and described, in combination with the
chambered breech block and packing, for the purpose of checking gas leakage.
Dated this 15th day of July 1890.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicani.