Improvements in Cartridge Loading Appliances.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 17th Aug., 188
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cartridge Loading Appliances.
I, CORNELIUS DIXON of Bevington Road, Aston, near Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Professor of Gunnery do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The said invention, consists First of improvements hereinafter described in a cart-
ridge rammer, which both rams, and gives to the charge, an unvarying pressure, which
is necessary for securing good, and accurate shooting; and further the said combined
instrument prevents over compression, and consequent bursting of an arm-Secondly
providing, or combining with the said pressure gauge rammer, proper measures,
(which are accurate to weight) for the explosive charges Thirdly in a recapper and
a cap extractor, in connection with the rammer, although the rammer, can be used
alone, without these last named accessories.
The principal object of my invention is first to prevent over compression, thereby
rendering the use of "EC""Schultz" and such like wood powders, safe, or free from
danger, as it is well known, that on the said explosives being compressed beyond a
certain limit, they become most dangerous, from the fact of being too much confined,
and approaching in constitution gun cotton. Secondly to give to the said powder
charges, an unvarying pressure, by making the rammer, gauge the compression, what-
soever the charge may be.
I will first describe my invention in connection with a combined apparatus in which
EC powder is used as the explosive.
The rammer consists of a round plunger like stem, of a diameter about equal to the
internal bore, of an ordinary cartridge shell, and which said stem is made preferably
of about three inches and a quarter in length.
The stem is provided with a cylindrical head or holder part, of about double the
aforesaid stem's diameter and the junction thus made between the stem and head, forms
an abutment shoulder, against which, the upper end of a gauge sleeve, which encircles
the stem at its upper part, takes its bearing This sleeve represents the gauge for
40 grains, and is preferably of about one inch and five eighths in length, thus leaving
the lower part of the stem naked.

page_text: This naked part on being pressed home into the shell of a cartridge, after a charge
has been introduced, constitutes botli a rammer, and a gauge for proper compression.
In using the rammer, for 40 grains of EC powder, the gauge sleeve is slipped on
the stem up to the shoulder, and after the explosive material has been placed in a
cartridge shell, with a wad upon it, the naked part of the stem is then introduced into
the mouth of the cartridge and then rammed, or pressed home, until the underside of
the sleeve, comes upon the sides of the cartridge.
By thus constructing a rammer as described a constant and gauge pressure, is
always given to the explosive, on its being rammed home.
To use the rammer with varying charges, I provide supplementary gauge rings,
respectively marked, say 45 grains, 50 grains, and so on. These rings are placed
respectively at the upper end of the stem, between the collar and the top of the sleeve,
as aforesaid so that if 45 grains is to be the charge then the explosive, will require
to be compressed in due proportion to its bulk,
The head of the rammer is made hollow or box like, and fitted with an enclosing
cap.
Within the hollow, or box part, the measures by weight, as hereinafter described
and the gauge rings may be placed.
The apparatus may be made into a recapper, and cap extractor, by placing on the
crown of the inside of the lid, a stud' or presser home, while the lower end of the stem
is furnished with a spike or cap extractor.
To extract a cap, remove the sleeve, and press. home the stem down a cartridge shell
when the cap will be removed.
To recap, place the cartridge shell in the box chamber in the head, then the cap in
its chamber, when on the lid being forced down, the cap will be pressed home.
The measure by weight charges, consists of short cylinders or shells, closed at
bottom, with an ear, pierced with a screwed hole wherein the screwed end of a handle
or stem, with a limiting stop passes. prefer to use three of these charges holding
40, 45, and 50 grains respectively. These charges or measures vary in borc, so as
to be stored away, one within the other, on being placed in the hollow of the head of
the rammer.
My said invention, is particularly applicable to wood powders, although the same
may be used, in connection with ordinary black powders; and as different wood
powders, vary in both measure and weight, I wish it to be understood that in such
cases, the combined rammer and gauge is arranged accordingly, so as to give an
unvarying pressure to the charge, to secure good and regular shooting.
Dated this Twenty first day of October 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Cartridge Loading Appliances.
I, CORNELIUS DIXON of Bevington Road, Aston near Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Professor of Gunnery, 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 primary object of this invention, is to give to "E C," "Schultze," and such
like wood powder charges, and unvarying pressure on ramming; whereby the said
powder charges are rendered safe, or free from danger-It is well known, that if
the said explosives be compressed beyond certain limits, they become most dangerous,
from approaching in constitution, gun cotton.
The said invention consists first, of an improved cartridge rammer, which both
rams, and gives to the charge rammed, an unvarying pressure, which is a desideratum,
in securing accurate shooting; and further, by giving an unvaried pressure to the
charge, over compression is prevented, and the consequent bursting of an arm, averted.
2ndly, providing or combining with the said pressure gauge rammer, proper charge
measures, which are accurate to weight. 3rdly in a recapper, and cap extractor, in
connection, or in combination with the rammer, or parts thereof.
I will first describe my invention, in connection with a combined apparatus, in
which EC powder is used as the explosive.
The raminer consists of a round plunger like stem, of a diameter, about equal to the
internal bore, of an ordinary cartridge shell, and which said stem, is made preferably
of about three inches and a quarter in length.
The stem, is provided with a cylindrical head, or holder part, of about double the
aforesaid stem's diameter, and the junction thus made, between the stem and head,
forms an abutment shoulder, against which, the upper end of a gauge sleeve, which
encircles the stem at its upper part, takes its bearing. This sleeve represents the
gauge for 42 grains, and is preferably of about one inch and five eighths in length,
thus leaving the lower part of the stein, naked.
The naked part as aforesaid, constitutes both a rammer, and a gauge, for proper
compression.
On using the rammer, say for 42 grains of EC powder, the guage sleeve is slipped
on the stem, up to the shoulder, and after the explosive material has been placed in a
cartridge shell, with an ordinary waterproof or grease proof wad upon it, the naked
part of the stem, is then introduced into the mouth of the cartridge, and then rammed,
or pressed home, until the underside of the rim of the sleeve, comes upon the sides of
the mouth of the cartridge.
By thus constructing a rammer as described, a constant and gauge pressure, is
always given to the explosive, on its being rammed home.
To use the rammer with varying charges, I provide supplementary gauge rings,
respectively marked, say 45 grains, 50 grains, and so on. These rings are placed
respectively at the hilt end of the stem that is, between the shoulder of the head,

page_text: and the upper end of the sleeve. Thus, if 45 grains is the charge used, then it will
require to be compressed to a degree relative to its bulk; so that the 45 grain ring,
is placed in position, and the charge rammed home.
The head of the rammer, is preferably made hollow or box like, with an enclosing
cap, and within the hollow or box part, the measures by weight, as hereinafter
described, and the gauge rings, may be placed.
The apparatus may be made into a recapper, and cap extractor, by placing on the
crown of the inside of the lid, a stud or presser home, while the lower end of the stem,
is furnished with a spike or cap extractor.
To extract a cap, remove the sleeve, and press home the stem down a cartridge
shell, when the cap will be removed.
To recap, place the cartridge shell in the box chamber in the head, then the cap in
its chamber, when on the lid being forced down, the cap will be pressed home.
The measure by weight charges, consists of short cylinders or shells, closed at
bottom with an ear, pierced with a screwed hole, wherein the screwed end of a handle
or stem, with a limiting stop, passes. I prefer to use three of these charges, holding
42, 45 and 50 grains, respectively. These charges or measures, vary in bore, so as to
be stored away, one within the other, on being placed in the hollow of the head of the
rammer.
Although the gauge rammer, as aforesaid, is particularly applicable to wood
powders, yet the same may be used for ramming home black powders.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, a pressure gauge rammer, constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 2 represents the same, but with the gauge sleeve encircling the stem, in
section. It will be also seen, that in this figure, the gauge rings 45 and 50 grains,
respectively, are removed; so that the gauge rammer as thus represented, is for giving
an even pressure, and ramming home 42 grains.
Figure 3 represents partly in elevation, and partly in vertical section, the gauge
rammer, pressing home a charge.
Figure 4 represents the head of the rammer in vertical section, showing the
measure shells enclosed within it, and figures 5, 6 and 7 show the said charge
measures, separately.
Figure 8 is a top side plan of the rammer head, with the lid removed. Figure 9 is
a measure, with its holding stem. Figures 10 and 11 are front and side elevations of
gauge rings.
the
9
and at the junction of
top edge of a gauge
a is the rammer, with a plunger like stem a², and a head a³
the one with the other, is a shoulder a', against which, the
sleeve b, or the top face of gauge rings c, d, respectively come.
The gauge sleeve b, has a turn or set screw b¹, which on being rotated, affixes the
sleeve in position, upon the rammer stem, which it surrounds.
The lower end of the gauge sleeve, has a flange or collar 62, which forms the
limiting stop, and comes upon the boundary mouth edges of the shell of the cartridge,
as represented in figure 3.
The rammer head a³, has an enclosing lid as; and within the interior a of the said
head, measures e¹, e, e³, are placed, so also are the rings c, d, and the stem, which
latter is secured to the measures, by one of its ends being screwed, and taking into
screw holes 9, in an extension on the lower undersides of the said measures.
In using the rammer, for a 42 grain charge, the upper end of the gauge sleeve, is
made to come against the shoulder of the head, and for a 45 grain charge, the gauge
ring e, is interposed between the said gauge sleeve and shoulder, whilst for a 50 grain
charge, the thicker gauge ring d, is substituted for that of c.
Figure 11 represents another form of my invention, in which the gauge rings c, d,
are dispensed with, and graduated line or scale, rings, substituted therefor.
a is the rammer, consisting of a stem, upon which, a pressure gauge sleeve b, is
adjustable. is an affixing means, and a² is the rammer head. It will be seen that

page_text: the stem of the rammer, has a pressure gauge scale, marked upon it, miz.: 42, 45
and 50 so that the top end of the gauge sleeve, has only to be adjusted to the
varying lines of pressure, and there fixed, by a clamping or securing device.
In figure 12, the lid of the head of the rammer is utilised as a seat or rest, for the
removal of a spent cap from a cartridge shell, in recapping.
Figure 13 represents a stem, provided with a cap removing needle upon its
underside.
a is the inverted lid of the rammer, a' is a hole through its bottom, is a cartridge
shell, and is a detachable needle, screwed into the middle of the underside of the
rammer stem figure 13.
The pressure gange rings, may be arranged to come opposite the bottom of the
sleeve, instead of at the top.
When the lid is required to be used as a recapper, a plug may be placed within the
holo a', on the inside of the lid, so as to properly press home the cap, on the lid being
forced over the head.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is.
First. A pressure gauge rammer, consisting of a stem or rammer a², (with or
without a head) and an adjustable gauge sleeve b, b, substantially as, and for the purpose
as herein described and set forth.
Secondly.
7.-A pressure gauge rammer, consisting of a stem a², shoulder a, adjustable
sleeve bb, and one, two or more gauge rings c, d, substantially as, and for the
purpose as herein described and set forth in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 10 and 11 of the
drawings.
Thirdly. The combination with the stem of a powder rammer, of an adjustable
pressure stop or its equivalent, as set forth.
Fourthly. The combination with a powder rammer, of a hollow head a³, a³, aº, for
the purpose as described and set forth.
Fifthly. A pressure gauge powder rammer, consisting of a graduated stem (or its
equivalent) with an adjustable sleeve b, whose lower end forms a pressure stop, for
limiting and determining the necessary pressure, that shall be given to a powder
charge, as set forth in figure 11.
Sixthly. The combination with a powder rammer (of the kind as herein described)
of two, three or other number of shells, constituting determinate powder charges, as
set forth in figures 5, 6, 7 and 9.
Lastly. The combination with a powder rammer and lid, or cover thereof, of a
cap extractor and recapper, as set forth in figures 12 and 13.
Dated this 20th day of T... 1000