An Improved Manufacture of Blank Cartridges.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1892-Accepted, 30th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of Blank Cartridges.
We HENRY GREENWOOD, Engineer, and ROBERT ANNING Foss, Foreman
Mechanic, both of Albion Works, Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a blank cartridge, which, on being
fired, will break up and disperse in fragments, without risk of injury to any
person or thing within the range of the gun in which it is fired, while at the same
time no deposit is left in the gun that will not be removed by the cartridge
extractor.
To this end we use the ordinary metal cartridge case, and fit it with a tube
composed of paper pulp, or equivalent material, of a size corresponding to the bore
of the gun, and of sufficient capacity to contain a charge of gunpowder, cordite, or
or other explosive material.
"1
This paper tube will be closed at its extremity, and take the shape of the
projectile used in the gun, and its powder chamber, if too long, will be filled in at
its forward end with pulpy or other frangible matter, that will serve to give it a
slight sustaining power.
The powder, when filled in, will be secured by a pellet. attached to the rear of
the tube, and serving to close it.
The tube will reach to the bottom of the flanged metal case in which it is
inserted, so that the flash of the percussion cap may strike the powder with
certainty, and the tube will extend beyond the case, so that the blank cartridge
will correspond in size with the bullet cartridge which it replaces or represents.
The tube may be secured in place in the metal case by pressing into it the upper
edge of the metallic case.
The tubes we propose to mould in paper pulp like the cops used by spinners, but
it is obvious that they may be made in any of the ways hitherto adopted in the
manufacture of cases for blank cartridges.
Dated this 16th day of October 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Manufacture of Blank Cartridges.
We HENRY GREENWOOD, Engineer, and ROBERT ANNING Foss, Foreman
Mechanic, both of Albion Works, Leeds, in the County of York, 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:-
.
The object of this invention is to produce a blank cartridge which, on being
fired, will break up and disperse in fragments without risk of injury to any
person or thing within range, while at the same time no deposit is left in the
chamber of the gun that will not be removed by the cartridge extractor.
This end we attain, with the addition of another and most important advantage,
viz., that of facilitating the making up of blank cartridges far from established
arsenals and manufactories, and, indeed, wherever blank cartridges are required to
be used, by utilizing -exploded cartridge cases for the reception of our blank
cartridge, which may be applied by the soldiers themselves without risk, and
without demanding the exercise of manipulative skill.
In carrying out our invention, we manufacture a cylindrical tube composed of
....
1.
.
ID 03

page_text: paper, paper pulp, or equivalent material, of a diameter corresponding to the bore
of the gun in which it is to be used, and of a length corresponding to the
loaded cartridge which, when fitted up in its containing metal case, it is designed
to represent.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 shews a paper or paper pulp tube intended to receive a charge of
explosive material.
Fig. 2 shews the charged tube in longitudinal section; and
Fig. 3 shews, in longitudinal section, the blank cartridge complete, the charged
tube being fitted in its metallic case.
In these figures, a is the tube for containing the charge, and b the metal case for
receiving the tube, such case being fitted, as usual, with a percussion cap c.
"The tube a will have an internal capacity sufficient to contain an explosive
charge of gunpowder, cordite, or other equivalent material, that will, when the
cartridge is fired, shatter into fragments that portion of the tube which represents
the exposed portion of the projectile. The tube we either make from paper, by
rolling it on a spindle, or we mould it directly from the pulp. If made from
rolled paper, the end of the tube which is to form the head, is closed by folding the
paper, cementing it, and shaping it in a die.
The tube (however prepared) we charge with explosive, and close the open end
by a disc of paper (see Fig. 2) secured in place by cement.
When the tube proves to be too long for the charge required, the paper disc may
be pressed into the tube, so that it rests on the charge of explosive.
The charged tube, when inserted in the metal case, will reach to the bottom of
the same, and stand immediately over the percussion cap, in order that the flash
from the cap may strike the powder with certainty.
The tube a may be secured in place by pressing into it the upper edge of the
metallic case b, or by cement, or both. Tubes a prepared as indicated at Fig. 2 in
an arsenal or manufactory, may be packed and sent abroad to any part of the
world, where, being delivered into unskilled hands, they may be readily fitted
to exploded metal cartridges, as indicated at Fig. 3. Thus, a considerable
economy will be obtained in the manufacture of blank cartridges, as the exploded
cases may be repeatedly used for the reception of fresh charges.
One advantage incidental to the use of blank cartridges of our improved
construction, is, that there is no interference with the operation of extracting the
case, the simulated projectile being blown out of the gun as completely as the
metallic projectile when the cartridge is fired.
Another advantage is, that it admits of practice with a magazine rifle being
taught in a similar manner to ball cartridge practice.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A blank cartridge containing within itself a sufficient quantity of explosive
for a blank charge, to be used in combination with a case to represent a ball
cartridge.
2. A blank cartridge constructed as shewn at Fig. 2, the design being that, when
fired, its head will be shattered into fragments, and therefore not liable to fly in
hard pieces from the muzzle of the gun.
3. A blank cartridge which can be readily prepared for use by troops in the field,
provided with fired or other cartridge cases for the reception of the same, as
described with reference to Figure 3.
1
201 1
PT
1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.