Improvements in Cartridges.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1888
Specification Accepted, 25th May, 1888
RESERVE
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cartridges.
I, GERSHOM MOORE PETERS, residing at Xenia, in the County of Greene, in the
State of Ohio, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:
My Invention relates to Cartridges and is an improvement on the one granted to
me, in Letters Patent, of the United States, No. 299,162, May 27th, 1884.
In the specification of the patent referred to, the fastening for the upper wad
consists of inwardly projecting holding pieces made by indenting and cutting the
sides or wall of the shell and forcing the holding piece inward, in such manner that
their lower edges press against the wad, the holding pieces being of a substantially
triangular or pyramidal form, when pressed into the interior of the shell. The in-
denting points, in shoving the indentations or holding pieces inward, almost
invariably so cut, tear or crush them upward along the acute angle that they become
greatly weakened. As a result, they do not hold the wad in with sufficient firmness.
In firing the indentations are torn out and the gas escapes into the gun chamber,
producing fouling, which soon causes leading at the shoulder, so interfering with the
passage of the shot, good pattern and penetration; moreover, the shell being torn at
the end it can not be reloaded as is often desirable. This has led me to change the
form of the indentation, from a triangular and pyramidal shape, to the oval and cone
shape, while still preserving the feature of cutting the base clean away from the wall
of the shell and shoving it in over the wad. This will be hereinafter, more fully
explained and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1, is a perspective view of the shell, showing the indentations forced over
the wad.
Figure 2, an end view, and
Figure 3, a section of the same.
As here shown, the base, o, of the holding pieces, d, is cut away in the same manner
Laustauned to
12.1+

page_text: acute and instead of having the faces meet, forming an acute angle, the indentation
are cone-shaped, the apex, e, being rounded, the bases being arc-shaped, as shown in
the drawings. These indentations are made at the moment, when the greatest
pressure is being exerted on the load, the rammer being withdrawn, without altering
the shape, whereby a firm fastening is secured and the load, of whatever size, is held
in the same compact form, in which it is left by the machine in filling. This makes
a firm and enduring fastening, it being plainly impossible for the indentations to
withdraw of their own accord, or their hold to be loosened by dampness of the
atmosphere. The base of the indentations, not forming a complete circle of resistance,
and being easily pressed back into the opening, from which they were cut by the
bulging of the wad, there is presented the least possible obstruction to the load when
discharged. This tends to prevent recoil of the gun and scattering of the shot and
increases the penetration. The end of the shell, not being turned in or crushed, the
chamber of the gun is completely filled and the liability of fouling, at that point,
obviated. The shell can be perfectly reloaded, as the places, where the indenta-
tions are pressed in, are again pressed out into their proper position, by the action of the
load.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. A cartridge, the sides of which are cut and indented to leave inwardly pro-
jecting holding pieces, the said pieces, being indented in such manner that when
pressed inward, their inner faces are convex, the shell being entirely cut away at
the bottom of said holding pieces, which are forced inward, so that their edges
press against the wad or ball.
2nd. A cartridge, the sides of which are indented and cut to leave inwardly pro-
jecting holding pieces, each separate holding piece, having an are shaped base,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 10th day of April 1888.