AN IMPROVED CENTRAL-FIRE METALLIC CARTRIDGE AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT, to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CENTRAL-FIRE METALLIC CARTRIDGE
AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME."-A communication from
abroad by Dexter Smith and Joseph Miller Hall, both of Springfield, in
the State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd October 1867, and dated the 21st May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st May 1867.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lanė,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CENTRAL-PIRE METALLIC
CARTRIDGE AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new and improved method of forming the shells
or cases of metallic cartridges, and the Invention consists in forming a chamber
on the centre of the inner side of the cartridge head in which the fulminate is
securely fastened, and in the manner in which the fulminate is secured, and
also in the tools or dies and punches by which the cartridge bead is thus
formed and the fulminate secured.
In carrying out this Invention the cartridge case or shell is used as it comes
from the drawing presses made of thick copper, the head remaining the same
thickness as that of the copper before drawing. The chamber which is

page_text: intended to receive the fulminate is formed by raising by the pressure of dies
a wall on the inner face of the central portion of the head of the metallic
cartridge, thereby thinning the centre of the head. A metal disc containing
the fulminate is inserted in the chamber thus formed, and the wall of the
chamber is then turned over by pressure so as to secure the disc. The
chamber is formed by a rebated punch set in the end of a die and standing
up a little above the die. When the cartridge case is forced down upon this
die the thickness of its head at the centre will be materially reduced and will
admit of being readily pierced to fire the charge. The disc, which is notched
to allow the percussion fire to reach the powder, is secured in place by turning
in the wall of the disc chamber by means of a countersunk die. The disc
being held in place in the chamber by a tool passing up the centre of the
countersunk die, on pressure being applied to the head of the cartridge the
wall of the chamber will follow the curve of the countersink, turning it in, and
making it overlap the disc.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Invention for "AN
IMPROVED CENTRAL-FIRE METALLIC CARTRIDGE AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING
THE SAME," being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a new and improvel method of forming the shells
or cases of metallic cartridges, and the Invention consists in forming a chamber
on the centre of the inner side of the cartridge head in which the fulminate is
securely fastened, and in the manner in which the fulminate is secured, and
also in the tools or dies and punches by which the cartridge head is thus
formed and the fulminate secured.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a cartridge case or shell as
it comes from the drawing presses made of thick copper, the head remaining
the same thickness as that of the copper before drawing; Fig. 2 represents a
shell finished and ready to receive a metallic disc containing fulminate; Fig. 3
represents a shell complete with the metallic disc in place and fastened in the
chamber provided for it; Fig. 4 is a face view and cross section of the metallic
disc which contains the fulminate, shewing the openings through which the
fire from the fulminate communicates with the powder; Fig. 5 represents a
die and punch combined for striking up the head of the case or shell from the
form shewn at Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2. The header is attached to the slide of
an upright power press, the blow from which as it descends forms the chamber
as seen. Fig. 6 is a view of the same after the header has descended and
done its work; Fig. 7 shows a tool C for placing the metallic disc with the
fulminate in the chamber; Fig. 8 shews the saine tool C inserted in a shell
with the disc in position ready to receive a blow from the header; Fig. 9 is
a view of the same tool where a cartridge shell is shewn in which the metallic
disc is fastened, the header having descended and performed its work. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
By referring back to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the walls of the disc
chamber, which is marked a, are formed from the central portion of the cart-
ridge head d, thereby thinning the centre of the head and rendering it sensitive
while the full thickness of the head is retained around the base or outer edge of
the shell. It will be noticed that the punch A stands somewhat higher than the

page_text: die D (Figures 5 and 6) for the purpose of penetrating the head farther, and
thus making its centre thinner and consequently more sensitive. To turn in
the wall of the disc chamber a around the disc, and thus secure it in place, the
die B (Fig. 7) which corresponds in other respects to the form of the die D is
countersunk to form a cup-shaped recess, as shewn at i; and by referring to
the next Figure (8) it will readily be seen what the effect of a blow would
be. The disc being held in place in the chamber a by the tool C the wall of
the chamber will follow the curve of the countersink in B, turning it in
towards C and leaving it as shewn in Figs. 3 and 9.
The advantages of a solid cartridge head over those which are formed of
separ pieces, or formed hollow, are so many and so apparent that little
need be said on this subject. By preserving the full thickness of the metal at
the base, as shewn in the Drawing, all danger of bursting the case is pre-
vented, which is a very great advantage over the old kind; the fulminate
being confined in the centre of the head insures the ignition of the centre of
the charge of powder; and the cartridge shell or case being formed up from
one piece of metal entire insures durability as well as uniformity in the
manufacture.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved
Central-tire Metallic Cartridge and Apparatus for Manufacturing the same,"
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish
it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim,-
First, forming central-fire cartridges substantially as shewn and described.
Secondly, the die and punch D and A, and the die B and setting tool C,
with the header, constructed and operating in combination, substantially as
shewn and described for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)