IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION CONTION OF BALL CARTRIDGES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Eley, of the Firm of Eley,
Brothers, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF
Sealed the 18th March 1864, and dated the 23rd September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Eley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd September 1863.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY, of the Firm of Eley, Brothers, of Gray's Inn
Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF BALL
CARTRIDGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of ball
cartridges, and consists in the means of attaching the case for containing the
powder or explosive material to the ball. For this purpose the back end of
the ball to be attached to a cartridge case is by preference formed with a
recess, or hollow, and with a circular groove near the periphery, into which
one end of the tube, made of paper or other material, to form the case of the
cartridge is inserted; the two sides of the groove are then closed together
by forcing the ball and case containing a mandril through a suitable die, or
the parts may be closed or compressed together by other mechanical means,

page_text: so as to attach the end of the cartridge case securely to the back end of the
ball. The form of the ball and of the groove may be varied so long as it is
suitable for having the end of the cartridge case attached thereto by means of
pressure, which constitutes the novelty of my Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Thomas Eley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS ELEY, of the Firm of Eley, Brothers, of Gray's Inn Road, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Thomas Eley, Her special licence that I, the said
William Thomas Eley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Thomas Eley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR CONSTRUCTION OF BALL CART-
RIDGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Thomas
Eley, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Thomas Eley, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of ball

page_text: cartridges, and consists in the means of attaching the case for containing the
powder or explosive material to the ball. For this purpose the back end of
the ball to be attached to a cartridge case is by preference formed with a
recess or hollow, and with a circular groove near the periphery, into which
one end of the tube, made of paper or other material, to form the case of the
cartridge is inserted; the two sides of the groove are then closed together by
forcing the ball and case containing a mandril through a suitable die, or the
parts may be closed or compressed together by other mechanical means, so as
to attach the end of the cartridge case securely to the back end of the ball.
The form of the ball and of the groove may be varied so long as it is suitable
for having the end of the cartridge case attached thereto by means of
pressure, which constitutes the novelty of my Invention.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a ball with a cartridge case attached
thereto constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 shews a section
and plan of the back end of the ball before the case of the cartridge is com-
bined therewith.
a² is a circular groove cast or otherwise formed in the back end of the ball a.
Into the groove a¹ one end of the tube 6 of paper or other suitablo material to
form the case of the cartridge is inserted, and the metal forming the inner
circumference of the groove a' is pressed outwards by placing the ball in a
suitable die, and applying pressure (by means of a mandril or punch) to the
inner circumference of the hollow or recess at the back of the ball, so as to
close the groove upon the circumference of the end of the cartridge case, and
thus secure the ball and cartridge case firmly together. I have not thought it
necessary to show the mechanical means employed for closing the circular
groove upon the end of the cartridge case, as this may be greatly varied, but a
competent mechanic, aided by the previous description, will readily arrange
simple apparatus suitable for the purpose of carrying out my Invention. Balls
or bullets having cases attached thereto as previously described will be readily
charged and made up into cartridges, as is well understood in making up other
ball cartridges, my Invention having for its object the mode hercin described
of securely attaching the case to the ball in the manufacture or construction
of ball cartridges, and I would remark that I do not confine myself to any
particular form of ball or bullet, nor to the position of the groove for receiving

page_text: the end of the cartridge case, as this may be greatly varied without departing
from the nature of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Eley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY. (L.S.)
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
W. C.