IMPROVE- MENTS IN CARTRIDGES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Clark at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th September
1867.
I, GEORGE CLARK, of No. 29, Arundel Street, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARTRIDGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in an improved mode of making cartridges, of
which the principal feature is the application and use of paper or cloth
chemically prepared so as to ignite readily and burn rapidly without leaving a
residuum for the purpose of containing the gunpowder charge. The objects
of this arrangement are,-.
1st. In lieu of loading cartridges or guns with loose powder to enclose and
confine the charge of powder in a cylindrical covering or wrapper of suitable
dimensions so as to admit of the charge being readily inserted in the cartridge
case of a breech-loader, or in the barrel of a muzzle-loader gun, and rammed
down without the necessity of breaking or tearing open such covering or
wrapper.
2nd. To insure the instaneous and simultaneous ignition and combustion
of the cover or wrapper and powder.

page_text: 3rd. To constitute the cover or wrapper a part of the charge, so that the
heat of its combustion shall aid the explosive force of the powder.
The mode I adopt in applying this Invention to make up cartridges or
charges is as follows:-I cut the before-mentioned chemically prepared paper
or cloth into pieces of the proper size and form to hold the charge; I roll
each of these pieces of paper or cloth into a tubular cylinder on a cartridge
former, and I fasten it (the cylinder) so as to maintain its form, and close it
at one end either with gum, paste, or other cement, or by choking it with
thread. The latter mode is preferable. When the charges have to be used
with bullets or ball, I sometimes secure the paper or cloth cylinder in its
form, and close it at one end by cementing one end of it to the bullet or ball.
In other cases, whether for ball or shot guns, I secure and close one end of the
cylinder by cementing it round the edge of a wad. Into the paper or cloth
cylinder thus formed and closed at one end I loal the gunpowder charge,
which I cover with a disc of the chemically prepared paper or cloth, and ram
down to the required degree of compression; I then close the other end of the
cylinder, which is of sufficient length to be folded over the powder charge, by
cementing or choking it, but the latter plan is preferable. To give greater
solidity to the fore end of the charge thus made up, a card or millboard disc
may with advantage be inserted in the cylinder before loading it with
powder.
The charges prepared and made up as above described and loaded with
gunpowder only may be used to load cartridges for breech-loader guns or to
muzzle-loader guns requiring only to be rammed down tight into the breech
end of the cartridge case or barrel; this being done, the charge of shot or ball
has to be loaded in the usual way. Or the charges for ball cartridges may be
made up with the bullet fastened to one end of the paper cylinder, prepared in
the manner herein -before described. The cartridge thus prepared will be
complete and ready for loading, and may be at once inserted in a muzzle-
loader gun or the cartridge case of a breech-loader.
The charge or cartridge made up in the manner above described and referred
to is well adapted to be loaded with Schultze's granulated wood gunpowder or
other explosive compounds which does not foul the gun and consequently
requires no lubricating arrangement.
This Invention is applicable to charges and cartridges for small arms, cannon,
and blasting purposes.
Another improvement, which forms part of my said Invention, is the division
into two or more parts of the powder charge in a gun or cartridge by inter-

page_text: posing between such parts of the charge a card, millboard, felt, or other wad
or disc with a hole or holes in the wad for the passage of the flame or flash of
ignition. The object of this improvement is to retard the combustion and
increase the propelling effect of the powder by giving time for greater and
successive expansion of the gas evolved by the combustion of the charge.