A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FILLING CARTRIDGES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Dalziel Dougall, of Saint James's Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Gunmaker, and William
Bartram, of Sheffield, in the County of York, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Dalziel Dougall
and William Bartram at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 1st July 1869.
We, JAMES DALZIEL DOUGALL, of Saint James's Street, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, Gunmaker, and WILLIAM
BARTRAM, of Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
FILLING CARTRIDGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention to a new or improved construction of apparatus
whereby cartridge cases may be filled or charged with powder or shot, or
with both, such apparatus being capable of regulating the quantity of
charge to the exactitude required, and of supplying such charge without
wasting any portion of the powder.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a shallow cylindrical tube or measure, con-
tinued by a tapering tube or funnel. The measure and tapering feeding
cylinder are held just below the base of the measure by a ring attached
to a bar and handle, the base of the measure being provided with a
horizontal or other suitable slot, in which a disc or cut-off slide works,
such slide being connected to a lever bar working on a fulcrum on the
fixed bar between the handle and measure. The lever when it joins the
disc forms an acute angle with the line of the handle, and is kept in
position by a spring tending to maintain the base of the measure
closed. The cylinder to contain the charge may be made of any required
dimensions, so as to furnish a specified quantity of powder or shot to
the cartridge case; or, if desired, it may be provided with an outer
cylinder capable of moving or sliding vertically on the fixed inner
cylinder or measure. If such adjustment should be required, it can be
effected by a series of steps on the moving cylinder coming into gear
with a screw stop or stem on the fixed cylinder; but in practice
we prefer to use separate apparatus for each particular quantity of
charge.
The object of the Invention is consequently to enable cartridges to
be filled or charged with the exact quantity of powder or shot required
by means of the apparatus described, which, being held in the hand of
the operator, enables him to dip into the bowl of gunpowder or shot, and
thereby obtain a proper charge for the cartridge. After the measure has
been filled the funnel is brought over the cartridge case, and inserted
therein;
the lever is then pressed against the action of the spring, and
the base plate, disc, or false bottom of the measure is consequently
moved horizontally out of the slot, thereby allowing the charge to fall
out of the measure through the funnel, and into the cartridge case.
order to make this apparatus more portable the fixed bar may have a
slot cut therein for the reception of the lever between the fulcrum and
disc.
In
The configuration of the various parts of the apparatus may be varied,
the novelty of the Invention consisting in the means of accurately
measuring and supplying the charge to the cartridge case.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Dalziel Dougall and William Bartram in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st Jannary 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
DALZIEL DOUGALL, of Saint James's Street, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, Gunmaker, and WILLIAM BARTRAM, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said James Dalziel Dougall and
William Bartram, Her special licence, that we, the said James Dalziel
Dougall and William Bartram, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said James Dalziel Dougall and William
Bartram, our 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 therein 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
"A NEW OB IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FILLING CARTRIDGES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said James Dalziel Dougall and
William Bartram, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of 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 the said William Bartram, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Our Invention relates to a new or improved construction of apparatus,
whereby cartridge cases may be filled or charged with powder or shot,

page_text: or with both, such apparatus being capable of regulating the quantity of
charge to the exactitude required, and of supplying such charge
without wasting any portion of the powder.
The apparatus consists of a shallow cylindrical tube or measure con-
tinued by a tapering tube or funnel entering the cartridge case, which is
placed under the tube or funnel. The measure and tapering feeding
cylinder are held just below the base of the measure by a ring attached
to a bar and handle, the base of the measure being provided with a
horizontal or other suitable slot, in which a diso or cut-off slide works,
such slide being connected to a lever bar working on a fulcrum on the
fixed bar between the handle and measure. The lever when it joins the
disc forms an acute angle with the line of the handle, and is kept in
position by a spring tending to maintain closed the base of the measure.
The cylinder to contain the charge may be made of any required
dimensions, so as to furnish a specified quantity of powder or shot to
the cartridge case; or, if desired, it may be provided with an outer
cylinder capable of moving or sliding vertically on the fixed inner
cylinder or measure. If such adjustment should be required, it can he
effected by a series of steps on the moving cylinder coming into gear
with a screw stop or stem on the fixed cylinder; but in practice
we prefer to use separate apparatus for each particular quantity of
charge.
The object of the Invention is consequently to enable cartridges to be
filled or charged with the exact quantity of powder ar shot required by
means of the apparatus described, which, being held in the hand of the
operator enables him to dip into the bowl of gunpowder or shot, and
thereby obtain a proper charge for the cartridge. After the measure
has been filled the funnel is brought over the cartridge case and inserted
therein; the lever is then pressed against the action of the spring, and
the base plate, disc, or false bottom of the measure is consequently
moved horizontally out of the slot, thereby allowing the charge to fall
out of the measure through the funnel and into the cartridge case. In
order to make this apparatus more portable the fixed bar may have a
slot cut therein for the reception of the lever between the fulcrum and
disc.
The lever bar which opens and closes the measure is made of half-
round metal, so that when the measure is closed and inserted in the

page_text: powder bowl the circular edge or surface of the lever bar comes flush
with the handle, and allows all superfluous powder to fall off the handle
or lever, thus preventing any waste during the operation of charging
the filling apparatus.
The configuration of the various parts of the apparatus may be varied,
the novelty of the Invention consisting in the means of accurately
measuring and supplying the charge to the cartridge case..
In order that our said Invention may be completely understood we
annex the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a plan
view of the apparatus closed; Fig. 2 a similar view shewing it open;
and Fig. 3 a side view, the same letters denoting corresponding parts
in each Figure.
a is the cylinder supported by the ring attached to the handle c by
means of the bar d; e is the closing plate or disc actuated by the lever
handle working on the fulcrum g formed on the bar d; and is the
spring tending to keep the disc closed in the cylinder; the disc is enabled
to enter between the cylinder and funnel i by the slot cut in the
ring b. The cylinder may be raised from its case a¹ attached to the ring
in order to increase the quantity of charge. In Fig. 3 the cylinder is
shewn elevated to measure fifty grains of powder; it is provided with a
milled-edged top or border to enable it to be turned, so that the screw /
fixed therein may be set firmly in either of the slotted guides o, o, o,
according to the measure required.
For shot, the measure would be adjusted on the same principle to
measure drachms.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we would remark that
we do not limit ourselves to the exact details of the apparatus as
described, as the same may be slightly varied without departing from
the principles of the Invention; but what we claim and desire to be
secured to us by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is, the con-
struction of apparatus consisting of a cylinder and funnel attached to a
handle, and containing a dise or cut-off plate in connection with a spring
lever handle, such apparatus being actuated by the hand of the operator
for the purpose of accurately measuring powder and shot, and supplying

page_text: the same to cartridge cases, substantially as herein specified and shewn
by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bartram, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
WILLIAM BATT,
Sheffield.
WILLIAM BARTRAM. (L.S.)