IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTRIDGE CASES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Eley, of Gray's Inn Road, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTRIDGE CASES."
Sealed the 9th July 1869, and dated the 18th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas Eley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th January 1869.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS ELEY, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTRIDGE CASES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of cartridge

page_text: When it is desired to employ a cartridge which will hold a charge of
powder considerable in proportion to the bore of the weapon the powder
hamber of the cartridge case may be formed of larger diameter than that
part of the cartridge which embraces the bullet or projectile.
Where metal cartridge cases or cartridge cases formed from a coil of
metal alone or combined with paper are employed, formed as above
described with a larger chamber to contain the powder, according to my
Invention form the neck or smaller diameter of the cartridge case by
means of a die or dies so arranged as to form one or more (by preference
three) flutes or folds in the case, and so allow of the reduction of its
diameter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Thomas Eley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS ELEY, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me. the said William Thomas Eley, Her special
licence that I, the said William Thomas Eley, my executors, adminis-
Trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Thomas Eley,
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 therem 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARTRIDGE CASES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Thomas Eley, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of

page_text: 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 1, the said William Thomas Eley, 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 thereof, that is to say: -
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of cartridge
cases.
When it is desired to employ a cartridge which will hold a charge of
powder considerable in proportion to the bore of the weapon the powder
chamber of the cartridge case may be formed of larger diameter than that
part of the cartridge which embraces the bullet or projectile.
Where metal cartridge cases or cartridge cases formed from a coil of
metal alone or combined with paper are employed, formed as above
described with a larger chamber to contain the powder, according to my
Invention form the neck or smaller diameter of the cartridge case by
means of a die or dies so arranged as to form flutes or folds in the case,
and so allow of the reduction of its diameter.
And in order that my Invention may be well understood and
readily carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the manner in
which I carry the same into operation, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: tion from sheet metal coiled up I take a piece of thin sheet of brass or
copper or of any of the metals or alloys employed in the construction of
cartridge cases. This piece of sheet metal may vary in form and dimen-
sions, but a good cartridge case can be formed from a rectangular piece of
metal of suitable length and breadth. This piece of sheet metal I coil
around a mandrel or former so as to form an overlapping coil, and when
of suitable length and thickness I lap the piece of sheet metal twice
around the mandrel, as shown in the transverse section on an enlarged
scale at Figure 3, Figure 4 being a side view. a is the mandrel, and b
the coil of thin sheet metal. I next place the coil b upon a mandrel c.
a side view of one end of which is shown at Figure 5. The mandrel c is
turned down at the end c' to the diameter, to which it is desired to reduce
the interior of the cartridge case, and when placing the coil upon the
mandrel that part which is to be reduced in diameter is so placed as to
surround the smaller diameter c' of the mandrel c. the other part of the
coil surrounding the larger part of the mandrel c. After the coil of thin
sheet metal b is placed upon the mandrel c dies d, d, are caused to close
upon and around the coil of metal at the part which surrounds the smaller
diameter c of the mandrel c. as shewn in transverse section on an
enlarged scale at Figure 6. The effect of closing the dies d, d, upon the
coil bin to produce four folds or flutes at that part operated upon by the
four dies, the intervening parts being reduced to the diameter of the smaller
part of the mandrel c. Other numbers of flutes or folds may be
formed by means of suitably constructed dies, but I have found four
Hlutes or folds to answer in practice. Whilst the flutes or folds are being
formed in the coil 6 when placed upon the mandrel c, that part of the
coil which surrounds the larger part of the mandrel c is surrounded by a
ring or by dies which act to retain that part of the coil in the cylindrical
form,
Figure 7 shows a side view, and Figure 8 an end view on an enlarged
scale of a partially formed cartridge case after the folds or flutes have
been formed therein by the closing of the dies d, d. When forming a
cartridge case from a coil of sheet metal without the aid of solder I
prefer to so form the flutes or folds that one of such flutes or folds is close
to the overlapping edge of the coil, and so that such flute or fold can be
turned over upon and thereby secure such overlapping edge. The dies
d, d, are so formed as to give a tangential direction to the flutes or folds

page_text: that they may be afterwards readily closed down. After the flutes or
folds are formed as above described the dies d, d, are caused to recede
from the mandrel into the positions shown in transverse section at Figure ),
and the cartridge case is then turned a short distance, so that by again
closing the dies d, d, upon the mandrel they will close upon the flutes or
folds previously formed in the cartridge case and turn such flutes or folds
down upon the smaller diameter of the case, and make them lie closely
against the sides or walls of the case.
Figure 10 shows a side view, and Figure 11 a transverse section on an
enlarged scale taken through the contracted part of the cartridge case
after the flutes or folds have been closed down as above described. It
will be understood that I also employ the means above described for
reducing the diameter of a cartridge case formed from a coil of metal, the
edges of which have been soldered, and which may be formed from one
turn of metal, or for reducing the diameter of a plain metallic tube, and
the metal from which the cartridge case is formed may be lined with paper.
By forming flutes or folds and closing them.down as above described a
contracted neck for embracing the bullet small in proportion to the
diameter of the powder chamber and with the larger and smaller parts
concentrical can be formed with much greater facility and accuracy than
by the methods hitherto practised. After the cartridge case is formed
as above described it is combined with a base carrying the ignition,
which may be the "Pottet" central fire or the "Boxer" or other base,
and afterwards charged with powder and provided with a projectile as in
well understood.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the means I
employ for carrying the same into practice, I would here remark that
cartridges with an enlarged powder chamber have been hitherto formed
of sheet metal, and I make no claim to formning cartridges with an
enlarged powder chamber and a contracted neck embracing the bullet or
projectile; and I would further remark that I do not confine myself to
the precise details or means, or the number, form, and situation of the
flutes or folds herein-before described, which may be varied without
departing from the nature of my Invention; but what I claim is, con-
tracting part of a metallic or combined metallic and paper cartridge
case so as to embrace a bullet of smaller diameter than the powder

page_text: chamber by forming flutes or folds therein and closing down such flutes
or folds, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Eley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witne-s,
WILLIAM TONGUE.
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM THOS. ELEY. (L.S.)