CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS TRENCH BERNEY, of Morton Hall, in the County of Norfolk,
Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Sixth day of July, in the third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Trench Berney, my exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Thomas Trench Berney, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, or such others
as I, the said Thomas Trench Berney, my exors, adñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times hereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of Her
said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called
England; Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Thomas Trench

page_text: Berney, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Thomas Trench Berney, do hereby declare that the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are fully shewn and set forth in the following description of a cartridge,
in which my said improvements in cartridges are embodied, reference
being had to the Figures in the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters of reference thereon (that is to say):
My improved cartridge consists of an outer and inner case, the
former made as usual of paper or other suitable substance, and the
latter (which immediately encloses the shot) made of wire, formed into
a spiral spring case. Figure 1, is a view of a cartridge with the outer
case or covering of paper partially stripped off. A, A, is the spiral
spring wire case which encloses the shot, and which is made by winding
one or more lengths of wire round either a cylinder slightly tapered at
one end or a conically shaped mould. This case may be left wholly
open at the top and bottom, or either of them, by cutting the wire
even with the cylindrical or conically shaped mould; or it may be
more or less closed at top and bottom, or either of them, by making
the wire terminate at both ends, or either of them, in a gradually
diminishing series of coils, as shewn by Figures 2 and 3. The smaller
the aperture at top or bottom, or both, the longer the shots, slugs, or
balls will be retained in the wire case in its flight through the air,
after being discharged from the gun or other projective instrument.
The case may consist also of any number of coils, and these coils
may be more or less apart, according to the distance to which it is
desired to project the shot, slugs, or balls, and also to the size of
the shot, slugs, or balls employed. Figure 1, B is a cushion formed
::

page_text: of wool, tow, moss, or other soft elastic substance, placed between the
charge of powder and the wire case to prevent windage, and also to
prevent by its elasticity the sudden explosion of the powder from
breaking the wire coil or jamming or crushing the shot, slugs, or
balls. After the wire case has been charged with shot, slugs, or balls,
the interstices left between the shot, slugs, or balls are to be filled
up with cinder dust, and on the top of the case a small layer of
sawdust (c) is added, to prevent the wire from chafing or cutting the
outer paper case. Instead of or in addition to the cinder dust and
sawdust, last herein-before directed to be used, any other suitable
substance may be employed.
And having now described iny, said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not confine
myself to wire for the formation of the inner case of my cartridge
(though it is what I recommend as best adapted for the purpose), but
that I claim as comprehended in my exclusive right the use of any
and every other material, whether varying in substance or form, by
which a like spiral spring case for the reception of shot, slugs, or
balls can be formed. Neither do I confine myself to the use of an
inner case, formed of one length of wire or other material (though
that also is what I prefer); for the inner case may be in two or more
parts, formed of separate lengths of wire or other material. And I
declare that what I particularly claim as my Invention, is the inner
spiral spring case before described, whether the same is made of
iron or any other suitable material, and howsoever the wire or wires
or other materials of that case may be arranged or combined. And
such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
entirely new, and never before used within that part of Her said
Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called
England, Her Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
or in any of Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, I do
hereby declare this to be my Specification of the same, and that I
do verily believe this my said Specification doth comply in all respects
fully, and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in the said

page_text: herein-before recited Letters Patent; wherefore I hereby claim to
maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Trench Berney, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-
nine.