Year: 1887

page_text: I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. 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
This invention relates to cartridge loading tools or implements, and has for its
object to provide an assemblage in the smallest possible compass of a pocket loader or
complete "kit" for uncapping, capping, cleaning and loading cartridges for swaging
or crimping the shell around the bullet, and for expanding and fitting reinforcing or
other cups in the base of cartridges.
In the drawings forming part of this specification:
Figure 1 is a sectional view with parts in elevation showing the cap being driven
from its seat in the cartridge.
Figure 2 is a similar view shewing the cap punch adjusted ready to drive a new
cap to its scat.
Figure 3 is a sectional view showing a loaded cartridge and illustrating the method
of inserting the bullet.
Figure 4 is a section showing cup spreader and its mode of operation.
Figure 5 is a section showing the socket, cartridge and punch in position to drive
the movable head and rubber packing from the shell.

page_text: an elevation of the bullet punch.
Figure 7 is a cross section through line of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is an external view of the compactly nested parts as assembled when not in
use, and
Figure 9 is a section showing a loader adapted for a Martini-Henry, or bottle
necked cartridge.
A, A is a tubular socket or holder for a cartridge shell while being uncapped,
capped, or loaded.
B is a punch for uncapping cartridges, and for seating rubber or other like gaskets
in the base of cartridges, and for driving the head therefrom.
C is a removable base or head piece for the socket.
D is a cap setting punch.
E is a bullet punch, F a cup spreading punch, and H is a spring attached to and
embracing the socket for holding the parts together, when assembled, and for holding
a stop pin to its work.
The socket. A A' is made up of two parts coupled together by square or heavy screw
threads so that it may be extended and contracted in length for a purpose hereinafter
described. The part A is formed or provided with a collar or shoulder a which serves
as a stop or gage for the base or head piece C. This part is also slotted or cut away
at one end as particularly shown at a, Figure 6, the projecting segments being screw
threaded as shown.
The part A of the socket is externally screw-threaded and is provided with
indentations arranged spirally around it marked 1, 2, 3, etcetera, as shown in Figure 6.
It is also provided with an internal tapering shoulder Z (see Fig. 2) for swaging the
end of the shell to secure the bullet in position as shown in Figure 9. The A
parts
and Aare screwed together until the spring stop pini is forced into the first
indentation when it is adjusted as a loading socket as shown in section in Figures 1
to 5, and is held from accidental change by said stop pin 7.
When a number of
cartridges have been loaded and it is desired to swage or crimp the shell around the
ball, the part A is screwed down from one-hundredth to one-tenth of an inch
according to the amount of crimp desired. This operation shortens the socket tube
and brings the tapering shoulder Z into range of the end of the cartridge when
driven down, and swages or crimps the end of the cartridge around the ball, as
shown in Figure 9.
The punch B, has formed at one extremity a stud b, which passes through the
central hole in the cap pocket, and drives the cap therefrom. Adjacent to this stud
is a punch to drive out the head or base of the cartridge when desired for cleaning
or other purposes; the operation being illustrated in Figure 5. The shoulder around
the head punch serves as a punch for pushing down and seating a rubber or other
like gasket in the bottom of the cartridge, shown in Figure 1, and for pushing it
out as shown in Figure 5. The stem or handle of this punch has attached to it, a
steel disc having an edge for scraping and cleaning the ashes and residuum of
powder from the interior of the cartridge cases. This disc or scraper may be
immovably attached to the handle or may be adjustably connected therewith as shown
in Figure 5.
The base or head piece C, is perforated at the center to permit of the removal of
the cap by the uncapping punch, and to serve as a guide for the cap in recapping
the cartridge. Said head piece is also provided with a head or rib c to co-operate
with a spring catch holding the parts together. When the end of the base or head
piece rests against the shoulder a, there is just room enough for a cartridge head
between the end of the socket and the bottom of said head piece.
The cap punch D is made in the form of a cup with a central internal punch d just
long enough for driving the cap to its seat in the cartridge. The sides fit over the
head piece and guide the punch to accurately seat the cap.
The bullet punch E consists of a punch proper for foreing the bullet to position

page_text: and adapted to enter the mouth of the socket, and of a tubular part to fit over the
outside of the socket and guide the punch part. The punch is perforated to permit
the handle of the cap punch B to extend there through when the parts are assembled,
as shown in Figure 8. The,iubular part is made with segmental extensions e at one
end adapted to extend into the slots of the part A of the socket. These segmental
extensions are provided with steps el and with outside notches e.
In setting a long bullet, the punch is driven down until the end of the extensions e
are arrested by the adjacent end of the part A, which serves as a gage or limiting
shoulder on the socket as shown in Figures 2 and 4. In setting a short bullet, it
should be driven down until the step el comes in contact with the limiting shoulder or
the top of part A, and for driving the shell out of the socket, the segmental extensions e
enter the slots or notches a' and the punch part the mouth of the socket. By this,
the length of the loaded cartridges are gaged to the proper length, the accurate
insertion of the bullet is insured, and the loading and crimped cartridge is readily
removed from the socket.
The outer case of the Morse movable base cartridge, the Berdan Cartridge and other
like cartridges having a cup combined therewith often expands away from the cup
leaving it loose in the shell.
To expand and fit the cup in the base of the shell, a cup spreader F, (shown in
Figure 4) is provided, having one end of the form of the end of the projectile to fit
the concavity in the bullet punch, and having the other end conical, bored out,
counterbored and split, as shown.
To expand a cup in the base of the outer case, the spreader F is inserted to the shell
and is driven down until arrested by striking the bottom of the cartridge. In this
operation, the cap-pocket of the cartridge operating in the conical counterbore of the
punch spreads the staves or segments and thus spreads the cup and fits it tightly in
the shell.
H, is a three part spring made from a single plate, made to embrace the part A of
the socket, and attached thereto by screws as shown in Figure 7. This spring has
a wing or part h which holds the pin i to its work, a wing or part having an indenta-
tion which engages the notch e² of the bullet punch, and a wing and lip h² to engage
the rib e on the base or head piece to hold the parts together when assembled and
nested as shown in Figure 8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a loading tube or socket, a movable cap or head piece having
a guide hole for a primer, and an uncapping punch as specified.
2. In a pocket cartridge loading implement, the combination of a holder or socket
tube having external limiting shoulders or abutments, a movable cap or head piece
and a bullet punch, both limited by said shoulders for accurately setting the bullet and
gaging the cartridge.
3. The combination of a loading tube or socket, a removable cap or head piece
having a guide hole for a primer, and a capping punch, substantially as described.
4. In a pocket cartridge loading implement, the combination with the punch handle
of a scraping disc for cleaning cartridges as specified.
5. The combination of a holder or socket tube and a thimble shaped hullet punch
accurately guided to its work by sliding over the holder and limited in its movement
by a shoulder on the holler as specified.
6. The combination of the socket tube, the capping punch, the bullet punch, and
spring catch for locking them together when not in use as specified.
7. The combined uncapping, head expelling, and rubber or gasket setting punch,
consisting of a cylindrical portion for expelling the head, a shoulder for setting the
gasket, and a stem portion for uncapping the shell, as specified.

page_text: 8 The cup spreader herein described, consisting of a conical expanding punch, one
end thereof being bored out and split to permit of expansion, and the hore being
countersunk to fit over the cap-pocket to spread the punch and mouth of the cup
against the walls of the cartridge.
9. The combination of the socket tube, the bullet setting punch, and a cap spreading
punch as specified.
10. A socket for cartridge loading implements, consisting of the combination of two
tubular parts, one part provided with crimping shoulder or die, and longitudinally
movable with relation to the other part, substantially as described.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.