Improved Practice Cartridge.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 20th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by the firm of F. C. GLASER, of 80, Linden Strasse,
Berlin, in the German Empire, Engineers.]
Improved Practice Cartridge.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, in the County of London,
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
It has heretofore not been possible to use certain chemical explosives of the so
called "smokeless" kind, in practice cartridges without inconvenience because these
explosives cannot be properly burst without being confined in front by a resisting
object such as a projectile, whereas ordinary gunpowder can be exploded without
difficulty without any such confinement, in firing at manoeuvres and salutes.
Various attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty but without
success.
The present invention consists in rendering such smokeless explosives applicable for
practice cartridges by confining the same in the gun by means of a voluminous
soft, but pulverulent body, and by arranging the initial ignition in a peculiar
manner.
A cartridge arranged in this manner effectually obviates the above described
objections and is therefore particularly applicable for use in manoeuvres and similar
purposes.
The material employed for the said pulverulent body is Kieselguhr or Infusorial
Earth, which is particularly well suited for this purpose, as its specific gravity is very
low and it can therefore be used without any danger, while at the same time it
is very bulky and cartridge bags for ordnance of all calibres can be easily filled
therewith.
The accompanying drawing shews the mode of arranging the said body and the
means for initial ignition in combination with the charge for the cartridge. The
Kieselguhr is introduced into the cartridge bag over the charge of explosive and is
confined by tying the bag, as shewn at Figs. 1 and 2.
Between the explosive and the body may be placed a cardboard disc. On firing, the
bag containing the Kieselguhr is first compressed and is then burst open. All danger
in manoeuvres is avoided, as the Kieselguhr never cakes together in lumps.
The initial firing charge is introduced centrally in the charge of explosive, more
particularly at the front end thereof, as the combustion of certain smokeless
explosives is the more perfect, the more central and forward the initial firing is
effected therein. At the base the initial charge should only extend sufficiently to insure
the certain ignition thereof by the flash from the percussion tube or cap.
For the initial charge may be used a specifically light gunpowder introduced into a
tubular case or gauze fabric. The case is best made of the form shewn at Fig. 3. To
both ends of a cylindrical tube a of a length equal to that of the explosive charge, are
sewn discs, of which the lower one 6 serves as closing base, while the upper one is
considerably larger so as to form a flange to which is secured a second circular
disc d by sewing over the edge.
This cover d has a small hole e through which the charge is introduced. After it is
charged both end discs and the tube are sewn through so that the powder is spread
out to a flat layer at the ends, and is prevented from shifting in the tube so that the
tube may not alter in form.
The completed tube is then placed in the cartridge case and the explosive is filled in
round it, so that the tube is kept centrally in the charge.
A charge giving very good results consists of 0.4 kilos. of explosive with

page_text: 25 grammes of the initial charge, with a front charge of 0.2 kilos. Kieselguhr, the
initial charge being arranged as at Figs. 1 and 3. The arrangement as at Fig. 2 gives
rather more unconsumed explosive. but is otherwise also very effective.
The complete combustion of the smokeless explosive is effectually insured if the
cartridges are made at the front end, i.e., that next the Kieselguhr, of a diameter
exactly equal to that of the bore of the gun. The diameter should be at least as large
as the cartridge pouches allow of. It should he noted that the combustion of the
initial charge imparts no perceptible coloration to the explosion gases of the
charge.
Dated this acu
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Practice Cartridge.
I, OLIVER IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, in the County of London,
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
. It has heretofore not been possible to use certain chemical explosives of the so
called "smokeless" kind in practice cartridges without inconvenience because these
explosives cannot be properly burnt without being confined in front by a resisting
object such as a projectile, whereas ordinary gunpowder can be exploded with out
difficulty without any such confinement, in firing at manoeuvres and salutes.
Various attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty but without
success.
The present invention consists in rendering such smokeless (xplosives applicable
for practice cartridges by confining the same in the gun by means of a voluminous
soft, but pulverulent body, and by arranging the initial ignition in a peculiar
manner.
A cartridge arranged in this manner effectually obviates the above described
objections and is therefore particularly applicable for use in manoeuvres and similar
purposes.
The material employel for the said pulverulent body is Kieselguhr or Infusorial
Earth, which is particularly well suited for this purpose, as its specific gravity is very
low and it can therefore be used without any danger, while at the same time it is
very bulky and cartridge bags for ordnance of all calibres can be easily filled
therewith.
The drawing accompanying my Provisional Specification shews the mode of
arranging the said body and the means for initial ignition in combination with the
charge for the cartridge. The Kieselguhr is introduced into the cartridge bag over
the charge of explosive and is confined by tying the bag, as shewn at Figs. 1
and 2.
All
Between the explosive and the body may be placed a cardboard disc. On firing,
the bag containing the Kieselguhr is first compressed and is then burst open.
danger in manoeuvres is avoided, as the Kieselguhr never cakes together in
lumps.
The initial firing charge is introduced centrally in the charge of explosive, more
particularly at the front end thereof, as the combustion of certain smokeless explosives
is the more perfect, the more central and forward the initial firing is effected therein.
At the base the initial charge should only extend sufficiently to insure the certain
ignition thereof by the flash from the percussion tube or cap.
For the initial charge may be used a specifically light gunpowder introduced into a
tubular case of gauze fabric. The case is best made of the form shewn at Fig. 3.
To both ends of a cylindrical tube a of a length equal to that of the explosive charge,
are sewn discs, of which the lower one b serves as closing base, while the upper one is

page_text: considerably larger so as to form a flange c to which is secured a second circular disc d
by sewing over the edge.
This cover d has a small hole e through which the charge is introduced. After it is
charged, both end dises and the tube are sewn through so that the powder is spread
out to a flat layer at the ends, and is prevented from shifting in the tube, so that the
tube may not alter in form.
The completed tube is then placed in the cartridge case and the explosive is
filled in round it, so that the tube is kept centrally in the charge.
A charge giving very good results consists of 0.4 kilos. of explosive with
2 grammes of the initial charge, with a front charge of 0.2 kilos. Kieselguhr,
the initial charge being arranged as at Figs. 1 and 3. The arrangements as at
Fig. 2 gives rather more unconsumed explosive, but is otherwise also very
effective.
The complete combustion of the smokeless explosive is effectually insured if the
cartridges are made at the front end, i.e., that next the Kieselguhr, of a diameter
exactly equal to that of the bore of the gun. The diameter should be at least as
large as the cartridge pouches allow of. It should be noted that the combustion
of the initial charge imparts no perceptible coloration to the explosive gases of
the charge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I claim:
1. An improved manufacture of practice cartridges of smokeless explosive wherein
a soft pulverulent body such as Kieselguhr is placed in front of the cartridge,
sustantially as herein described.
2. In practice cartridges constructed as set forth in the preceding claim, the use of
an initial firing charge arranged substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1
and 3, the main portion of such charge being arranged centrally at the front part of
the explosive charge while at the base it only extends sufficiently to insure ignition by
the percussion tube.
Dated this 25th day of April 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.