IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PERCUSSION CAPS AND Рогирра
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Joyce, of Upper Thames Street, in the
City of London, Percussion Cap Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PERCUSSION CAPS AND
Рогирра "
Sealed the 15th June 1855, and dated the 3rd April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Joyce at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd April 1855.
I, FREDERICK JOYCE, of Upper Thames Street, in the City of London,
Percussion Cap Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PERCUSSION CAPS AND OTHER
PRIMERS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the employment of azotised and oxygenated vege-
table matters as a casing or covering to fulminating compositions when used as
primers, whether in connection with caps or otherwise, so as to protect such
compositions from the damp.
The method which I prefer in making these coverings is to immerse paper,
either sized or not, (or linen, cotton, or other fabric composed of vegetable
matter,) in strong nitric acid, or in a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acid, and
thereby to render the same highly combustible. The vegetable substance so

page_text: treated, after being washed with water to free it from the acid, I finally immerse
in a weak solution of nitre or other nitrous salt or thin varnish, but these last
processes are not indispensably necessary; it is then fit to be cut up into discs
or such shaped pieces as may be required for covering, lining, or casing per-
cussion caps or other primers. The disc when applied to percussion caps should
be dropped in after the priming is inserted, and being firmly pressed by a peg
of the required size and shape, should be moistened with a drop of varnish, to
secure its perfect adhesion to the sides of the caps, and so also with other primers
requiring inflammable and waterproof coverings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Joyce in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
JOYCE, of Upper Thames Street, in the City of London, Percussion Cap
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Frederick Joyce, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick
Joyce, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Frederick Joyce, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PERCUSSION CAPS AND OTHER PRIMERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Joyce, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Frederick Joyce, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
.
The object of this Invention is so to manufacture percussion caps and other
primers which shall be impervious to moisture, that when applied to fire-arms
they shall not endanger the stopping of the passage which conducts the fire of
the priming to the charge.
The method hitherto adopted for protecting detonating caps and primers
from the effects of damp and wet, is to place over the priming composition a
portion of tin or other metallic foil, either in the shape of a disc or linings,
with the addition of a drop of varnish to keep the foil in place; but as this
covering does not readily or perfectly consume or burn off when the priming
is ignited by the fall of the hammer of the gun or pistol lock, or by other
percussive force used for that purpose, it frequently happens that the nipples
or openings into fire-arms get stopped up, thus occasioning missfires. Another
disadvantage attendant on the employment of metallic coverings is the necessity
of using with them corrosive compositions (such as those containing the chlorate
of potash), which on combustion eliminate gases of a nature highly destructive
to iron and other metals, and therefore tending to make fire-arms unsafe,
uncertain in their action, and involving a constant outlay to keep them in
repair.
Now, in order to render percussion primers capable of resisting the dete-
riorating action of wet or moisture, and at the same time avoid the defects
which are consequent on the use of tin or other metallic foil, I employ azotized
or oxygenated vegetable matters as a casing or covering to fulminating com-
positions when used as primers, whether in connection with caps or otherwise,
so as to protect such composition from the damp.
In carrying out my Invention, I immerse paper, whether sized or unsized,
or linen, cotton, or other fabric composed of vegetable matter, in strong nitric
acid, of a specific gravity of 15, or nearly so; or I immerse such materials in
a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids (preferring equal proportions of the
two acids), for the purpose of obtaining a highly combustible vegetable sub-
stance, having somewhat the character of gun cotton. When the immersed
materials are thoroughly saturated with the acid (the time for effecting which
will depend upon the quality or thickness of the vegetable materials under
operation, and vary from five minutes to an hour, or more,) they are withdrawn
from the acid and washed in clear water until the washings cease to redden
litmus paper.
The vegetable materials are then finally immersed in a weak
solution of nitre or other nitrous salt (nitrate of strontia), but these last pro-
cesses are not indispensably necessary. The paper or other vegetable fabric

page_text: thus prepared I then cut up into discs, or such shaped pieces as may be
required, for covering, lining, or casing percussion caps or other primers. When
applying the discs to percussion caps, they should be dropped in after the
priming is inserted, and pressed down firmly upon the priming by a peg of
the required size and shape. When the disc is thus properly inserted, it should
be moistened with a drop of varnish, which will give it a waterproof coating,
and secure its perfect adhesion to the sides of the cap. The like precaution
should be taken for attaching the inflammable covering to other kinds of
percussion primers.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Manufacture of Percussion Caps and other Primers," and 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, the employment of azotized or
oxygenated vegetable substances as a covering or lining for percussion caps
and other primers.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Joyce, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
FREDERICK JOYCE. (L.S.)