Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1886.
Complete Left, 17th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 18th Oct., 1887.
We DAVID JOHNSON, 52 Fitzjohn's Avenue, South Hampstead, London, Gentleman,
and WILLIAM DALRYMPLE BORLAND, 35 Petherton Road, Highbury New Park,
London, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of this invention is to effect improvements in the manufacture of
ammunition for military and sporting rifles, guns, and ordnance generally, for use
with all kinds of powder, but especially adapted for the powder prepared according to
Johnson's Specification No. 8951 of the year 1885.
The adoption of this process is serviceable with cartridge cases of a bottle-necked
shape such as are used with the regulation Martini-Henry and Martini-Enfield rifles ;
it also allows a cartridge case to be used of a cylindrical or slightly tapered shape
with practically the same bore throughout as the bore of the gun. The length of the
cartridge case may also be materially shortened.
In charging the cartridge cases we press the powder used into the case by a
rammer having a shoulder and a tapering pointed end. The powder is pressed
practically into a solid mass with a centrally situated conical or cylindrical cavity,
nearly but not quite through the charge. The size and depth of this cavity is
regulated by the nature of the powder used, and the purpose for which the charge is
to be employed.
Cylindrical cartridge cases may also be charged by introducing a separate cylinder
of powder, prepared beforehand by pressure in suitable moulds and having a cavity
similar to that described above. The solid end of the cylindrical charge is to be
placed against the flash end of the case, the open end of the powder cylinder being
thus adjacent to the bullet.
The sides of the conical or cylindrical cavities may be varnished with any material
that will increase the coherence, or if requisite, render the charge waterproof; or a
conical or cylindrical tube of paper or other such material, plain or varnished, may be
inserted in the cavity.
For heavy guns the charge may be made of several compressed blocks, which when
built up into a complete charge may have one or more of such cavities as have
hereinbefore been described, extending from the ball end of the charge not quite
through to the flash end.
+1
101 1
1100
W. H MUNNS,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: We, DAVID JOHNSON, 52 Fitzjohn's Avenue, South Hampstead, London, Gentle-
man, and WILLIAM DALRYMPLE BORLAND 35 Petherton Roail, Highbury New Park,
London, Chemist, 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 effect improvements in the manufacture of
ammunition for military and sporting rifles, guns, and ordnance generally, for use
with all kinds of powder, but especially adapted for the powder prepared according to .
Johnson's Specification No. 8951 of the year 1885.
The adoption of this process is serviceable with cartridge cases of a bottle-necked
shape such as are used with the regulation Martini Henry and Martini-Enfield Rifles;
it also allows a cartridge case to be used of a cylindrical or slightly tapered shape
with practically the same bore throughout as the bore of the gun. The length of the
cartridge case may also be materially shortened.
In charging the cartridge cases we press the powder used into the case by a
rammer having a shoulder and a tapering pointed end. The powder is pressed
practically into a solid mass with a centrally situated conical or cylindrical cavity,
nearly but not quite through the charge. The size and depth of this cavity is
regulated by the nature of the powder used, and the purpose for which the charge is
to be employed.
Cylindrical cartridge cases may also be charged by introducing a separate cylinder
of powder, prepared beforehand by pressure in suitable moulds and having a cavity
similar to that described above.
The solid end of the cylindrical charge is to be placed against the flash end of the
case, the open end of the powder cylinder being thus adjacent to the bullet.
The sides of the conical or cylindrical cavities may be varnished with any material
that will increase the coherence, or if requisite, render the charge waterproof; or a
conical or cylindrical tube of paper or other such material, plain or varnished, may be
inserted in the cavity.
For heavy guns the charge may be made of several compressed blocks, which when
built up into a completo charge may have one or more of such cavities as have
herein before been described, extending from the ball end of the charge not quite
through to the flash end.
The drawings annexod shew examples of ammunition formed according to our
invention.
Dice is a longitudinal section of a cartridge for a sporting gun.

page_text: cartridge, and
Figure 4 is a similar view of a military cartridge of larger size for a quick
firing gun.
•
Figure 5 is a section and figure 6 an end view of a mould suitable for forming the
cartridge shewn at figure 2.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 shew examples of various forms to which the tapering point of
the plungers may be made.
The mould shown in the drawing is composed of a vertical metallic cylinder A
having a number of holes B formed longitudinally through it at equal distances apart
around its circumference.
The cartridge cases to be filled are inserted into the lower ends of the holes, a
measured charge of powder or explosive compound is afterwards filled into each
hole from the top and then a plunger C is made to descend into the hole and to
compress the powder or explosive compound into the cartridge case. D is the
tapering point projecting from the end of the plunger.
The cylinder A may conveniently have a step by step rotating movement imparted
to it and at one point of its rotation have cartridge cases fed into the lower
ends of the holes B-at a further point have a measured charge of powder or
explosive compound fed into the holes from the top-at a further point have the
plunger descend into the holes and compress the charge the base of the cartridge
being then supported on a table below it and at a further point the filled case may
be withdrawn.
Preferably the cartridge cases are not inserted entirely into the holes in the case A
but are left projecting somewhat from their lower ends to facilitate their being
withdrawn after a charge has been compressed into them.
The means we have above described for compressing the charges of powder into the
cartridge cases are well adapted for the purpose but any other suitable arrangement
of pressing machinery may be used. When also large numbers of cartridges have to
be dealt with the mechanism may be arranged for compressing several cartridges
at once.
As before stated also the charges of powder or explosive might be separately
compressed in moulds and be afterwards inserted into the cartridge cases we however
prefer to compress them into the cases themselves both for simplicity and cheapness
and also because the compressed charge then fits closely against the interior of the
caso and is not liable to be broken up when centrally ignited. Also as before stated
each charge may be composed of powder of different rates of combustion compressed
into separate sections. At Figure 4 it is shewn to be formed in five sections
marked a, b, c, d, ef section a would first be compressed, then the powder for forming
section would be filled in on the top of it and would be compressed and so on.
Any suitable means may be adopted for preventing the central hole formed in the
sections first compressed from being filled in with powder used for forming the
succeeding sections, or the powders of varying rates of combustion may be filled into
the cartridge case in the order a, b, c, d, ef and then pressed np.
If a charge of powder be compressed as herein before described with a pressure
approximating to or greater than the pressure to which it will be subjected when
ignited in the bore of a gun the charge will not be broken up when ignited but
will be burnt in place. The powder first ignited will be the small quantity just in
front of the primer. The gases from this will find a free vent through the central
tapering cavity to the rear of the projectile so that the gases will exert their pressure
directly upon the base of the projectile and not as is usual upon an unconsumed
portion of the charge which intervenes between the projectile and the first ignited
portion.
Preferably we form the chamber in which the cap is contained with a central flash
hole at its front end so that when the cap is ignited the flash may pass directly
to and ignite first the small quantity of powder which is immediately in front of it
so that the ignition of this small quantity of powder may ensure the ignition of the

page_text: remainder of the charge. This small quantity of solid powder which is retained
unperforated just in front of the cap chamber also enables us with safety to compress
the powder into the cases after the cap has been placed into the cap chamber; as
the point of the plunger is not brought into contact with the cap chamber and the
cap chamber is of amply sufficient strength to sustain the uniform compression which
comes upon it by the compression of the powder.
We would state that we are aware that it has before been proposed to compress
powder and explosive compounds into solid charges within the rear ends of cartridge
cases and also to compress blocks of explosive compounds separately in moulds to be
afterwards inserted into cartridge cases-it has also been proposed to form such
solid blocks with a central hole of uniform diameter extending through them from
end to end and it has also been proposed to form such blocks with a tapering hole
extending into them from the front end but in this case the ignition of the charge was
effected at the front end of the block and not at the rear end as in our cartridges.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. Compressing a charge of powder or explosive compound into a cartridge case
carrying a primer at the centre of its base the compression being effected by means of
a plunger having a tapering point projecting from it of sufficient length to reach
nearly down to the cap chamber at the bottom of the case substantially as described.
2. Ammunition composed of a cartridge case with central primer at the base and
with the rear end of the case filled with powder compressed into a block having a
central tapering hole extending from its front end nearly but not quite to the cap
chamber and with the larger end of the hole towards the projectile.
3.-A cartridge similarly formed but with powder in rings having different rates of
combustion.
4. The manufacture of ammunition substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described.
1002
DAVID JOHNSON.
W. D. BORLAND.