Untitled record

Application filed December 2,1887. Serial No 258,795. (No model.!

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it kfaown that 1, Harris P. Hurst, re- ¹siding at Summit, in the county of Pike and State of Mississippi, have invented certain 5 new and useful Improvements in Cartridges, ^J of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. . '

Thisinvention relates tocartridges for smallto arms or artillery.

The invention consists in the construction of parts and combination of elements, hereinafter described.

The object of the invention is to produce, i 5 primarily,an improved accelerating-cartridge, and, secondarily, to produce an improved cartridge-shell which may be expanded by the explosion of the charge, and which will afterward contract, so as to be easily removable from the 20 bore of the gun. . .. ,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a cartridge made after the manner of thisinvention, the outer charge consisting of rings of compressed powder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec25 tion of a metallic cartridge-shell. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig- 2 on the line x x. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the front end of the cartridgeshell, Fig. 2, erimped in onto the projectile. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing a manner 30 of. connecting exterior shell with the base of the cartridge. ...... .. . nThe reference-letter a indicates the metallic head of an accelerating-cartridge, preferably of steel or some very strong metal. This head 75 has a tube, b, forming the inner charge-chamber and receptacle for the projectile c. The head a has an outer tubular portion, d, which extends a little way forward into the bore or chamber of the gun when the cartridge is in 40 firing position in the gun. This portion serves as a gas-check when the piece is fired. Surrounding the tube b, I place a number of rings, ee, of compressed powder. These rings may be of different qualities of powder, the 45 rings nearest the base being preferably of the quickest powder. The rings are shown in the drawings as differing in size; but this is not necessary in practice, although such may be used. Fig. 1 is intended to represent diagram 50 matically the fact that the rear ring, although smaller in size, may contain :vs many units of explosive energy as the large rings at the front.

The tube b has perforations/ near its iront end, through which the fire passesfrom tneinner to the outer charge when the cartridge is 55 fired. The inner powder charge, g, is in rear of the projectile. The projectile may rest against a shoulder, Λ, in the tube.

The compressed powder-Tings or outer powder charge may be covered by a coating, i, or < water-proof material—as paper—but is preierably surrounded by a lapped metallic tube, Λ, the joint I of the lapped tube being lightly soldered, so as to be ruptured when the outer charge explodes. /,.

The front end of the case k is notched, as at m Fig. 2, so as to crimp it onto the projectile, asin Fi. 4. Thepointsof the cartridge-shell, when crimped down onto the projectile, as in Fig. 4, are lightly soldered together and to the ^PFThe casi ng d, which projects for ward from the sol id head a, may be internally screw threaded, and the casing k attached thereto by a screwthread, as in the detail section, Fig. 5; or the parts may be soldered together or held by crimping, as common in cartridges.. _

The holes f may be stopped with lead or similar plugs, 0, or bits of solder, which plugs 0 will be blown out when the base of the projectile passes these holes.

The outer charge-may be composed of high explosives in whole or in part, or in combination with the powder packed in thin sheets or blocks or sticks, and the holes in the inner • tube may be filled with a detonating powder i or composition or primers to explode the high explosive in the outer charge.·

When the cartridge is fired, the charge g drives the projectile forward into the bore of 90 the gun. The outer charge is not ignited until the base of the projectile passes the holes. When the flame reaches these holes/, the gaspressure blows out the stoppers, if such be used, and the front ring of the outer charge is 95 ignited. The flame then burns backward on the rings, the intensity of combustion due to the different qualities of powder gradually increasing. „ ,

The explosion of the charge, &c., will tear too

390,232 the projectile loose from the tooinfn m <>n<i ici .· ... « the first charge does not the second charge will !.^{he ed}g^es θί the shell over- 45 _r expand to fill the boreor chamber of the gin! base-nice ' th?«Λ ^the ®^ombination of the ₅o As soon as the gas-pressure is removed this * the ή ^⁸¾ ^{or cas}ing overlapping at casing ft will contract to about its normal do- I ile ^{lg s}?^ld(:red, and a project10 sition, so that the entire shell can be readily stantili/ffieredtothe shell or casing, subremoved from the gun. ^υυ “auny 1 stantially as described. ⁶’

Agreatadvantageoftheringsof compressed ίηίϊ»ΪΧη the shell orcas- «

Powder and of the expansible outer shell i_s I notched nLr¹¹⁰ ?^ ^ir?^nfc P^ortion, the front ⁵that the entire cartridge can be made smaller nX?Si?^Or_P^ti2.ⁿ?iⁱⁿS^eri^mP^{ed in} to embrace a 15 than the chamber of the gun in which the car- λΓη^Η ,ξ⁰¹¹⁰¹ .smaller caliber, the edges tndgewill be seated in firing The forwnrri I ./^tbe notched portion being lightly soldered ^PK>JCCtl1' P«JabV°xS Sftfi¹!·? projeoVso i._fo into tfl6 Ο0Γ6 prODCF Of thp σ·πη fLna _βΛ · I θ Projectile firmly and close theininfQ oil Iho double 'Tr¹ as *

-o of the cartridge and seating the projectile in nor’fin/ ^acce,ey^atmg-cartridge having an in25 theexplosiou and gives a little roonf for the ex I ,-_nf *_Α“ ?^^el®^?atl*’g-^cart>^,idg^e havinga strong pansmn of gases, aside from the^paXinthe KΊEXϊηι “ ^{Which a} P^der-charge aid bore proper of theguti. The strain on the wall! /‘θ base of the projectile are inclosed,perfo°f the chamber of the gun is thus diminished SSili Tnd ^{tube f}°/^{ward of fche} base of the _ i..Ti ^ennS^sof compressed powder, referred to laid f?!ii ’ i^{d a}“ °“^{ter char}g^e surrounding 30 ill the preceding description, arenot merelav combSr ^{1 c}®^v®^ring ^8aid perforations, in

Xn ^{f Kran,diir} powder compacted inside the ?Αη Λ substantially as described, shell °r casing, but are caked powder each ?^C?^el^eratin.g‘.^cartridgehavingastrong ring being a cake or washer capable of sus the 1EX ^fc“b® ^eontaining a powder-charge and taming itself without breaka-e in ordinal ^b . ^the P^roJ^ectiIe> said interior tube 35 handling or transportation. ° y I being perforated forward of said powder-