US1066525A

US1066525A - Cartridge.

Info

Publication number: US1066525A
Application number: US72692612A
Authority: US
Inventors: John D Pedersen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1912-10-21
Filing date: 1912-10-21
Publication date: 1913-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 1930-07-08

Description

J. D. PEDERSEN.

CARTRIDGE.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T.21, 1912.

3.@669525., Patente July 8,1913.

g [d'bP JOHN D. PDERSEN, or JAcKsoN, wYoMJNG.-

cAnrnInGE,

Specification of Letters IEIatent.-

Application filed October 2l, 1812. Serial No. 726,926.

To all 'whom it may concern.'`

. Be it known that I, JOHN D. PEDERSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Jackson, in the county of Uinta and State of Vyoming, have invented certainl new and useful Improvements in Cartridges, of which the following is a specification.

My present improvements relate to ammunition for small-arms, and more part-icuvlarly to shot-cartridges for use in such firearms Lhaving straight-bore barrels.

/One object of this invention is to secure a 4better pattern, or shot distribution, at

v while in contact therewith.

' those shot pellets.

\ It vwill bey remembered that in Shotguns using shot-cartridges, it has been the practice `to drive 'the shot out of the cartridge case directly into the bore of the gun-barrel. For the purpose-of preventing or reducing the spreading or scattering of the shot charge to a certain extent, and thus keep down the area and diameter of the pattern the practice has lbeen to reduce the diameter of the bore near or at the muzzle of the barrel, this construction or reduced p0rtion of the bore being known as the choke. The use of the choke bore has appeared to have the effect of making the shot strike closer together on the target than would be the case if a straight or cylindrical bore were used. This action, however, as I have found by extended investigation and experiment, is not uniform in practice, but gives an uneven shot distribution which is usually designated as patchy. The choke bore yalso tends to increase the'distortion or flattening out of those pellets of shot which come in actual contact with the surface of the bore and choke, and thus form, by the action of friction and pressure, a number of small iiats on the surface of each of As a result of .these causes, I have found that at the usual targeting distances, (at the range of 40 yards for lnstance) the shot charge scatters'` or. strings out to\ an undue extent, so that in a shot charge iired througlia choke bored barrel, the leading shot in the charge are frequently as much as forty or fifty'y feet in advance' of the rear pellets in the 'same charge, while many of the shot fall prematurely,-as may readily be observed by firing horizontally at suitable elevations over the surface of still water, in a -well known manner. Furthermore, the choke-bore will evidently be variable in its action on shotcharges of dierent quantities, and also on charges of the same quantity or weight but made up of shot of different sizes.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side lview ,of a complete shot-cartridge made in accordance with my present invention; this view shows the main shell, or powder-shell, S, having the usual extraction-rim, 2, and combined with a shot-case, C, detachably secured in or to the forward end of the main shell. Fig. 2 is a similar side View, drawn in alinement with Fig. l, for showing the complete shot-packet ready for insertion into a powder-shell. Fig. 3 is a View on an enlarged.scale-, showing a longitudinal sec tion through -the vshot-cartridge' illustrated in Fig. l; this view shows the several component members in position ready for tiring the cartridge, the slidable powder-wad, E,

being located with an annular space, B, forward thereof. Fig. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to F ig. but showing the powder-wad, E, operating as a piston-meml ber and advanced a short distance from its initial position shown in Fig. 3; and showing the deformable head, II, of the shot-case, C,'as having had its central zone, al, driven forward (toward the right-hand,) by the initial action of the powder gases acting through the member E; this member is here shown as 'an ordinary three-part wad, comprising the disks or layers 3, 4, and 5, but this composite form is not material. Fig. 5

is a face or plan view; and Figg an edge plained.

shot contained therein through the bore of. the gun and out into the open air, and thereupon the shot-case while sealed at its front end, would travel through the air substantially as a solid projectile and, of course, would noi` constitute nor be effective as proper ammunition for a shot gun.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of my invention to provide means for breaking such seal or shot wad, and thus release the,

shot-charge before the shot-packet leaves the bore of the gun. For effecting this object, I have illustrated in the drawing a preferred form of an organization of cartridge components or members, wherein theinitial force of the powder gases operates through certain of those component members to transmit force through the central portion or zone, as Z1, (see Fig. 7) of the shot-charge to the shot-wad D, for displacing this wad or shot sealing-in member during the acceleration of the shot-packet and while this packet is still within the bore of the gun barrel. The effect of these operations is, of course, to substantially eliminate or close up the annular space at B, Fig. 3, which is provided in the completed cartridge for the purpose of permitting the forward movement of the member E relatively to the shot-case C.

The position of the parts before firing the cartridge, is shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 4: shows their position immediately after the powder has been ignited. In this latter view, the powder-wad E has been driven forward a short distance in the powdercase or shell S, and by driving forward the central zone al of the head H, has re-formed this Vshot-case head and has thereby also driveu forwardly the mid-zone portion of the shot-pack, designated in a general way by P, in Figs. 3 and 4. The body portion of the 'shot-case, however, is yet held in the same relation to the main cartridge case or shell S, b v the combined action of the front end, b, of the shell S crimped into the annulargroove 8 of the shot-case, acting in conjunction with the inertia` of that portion of the shot charge situated adjacent to the outside of the shot-case, as in zone Z3, which portion of the shot charge is not directly nor very greatlyI affected by the reforming 'been pushed forward just out of the front end of the shot-case, and Yto have bent out the slight crimp at the front end ofthe shot-case during its forward movement in this case. It is probable, I apprehend, that at this time the breakin up or destruction of the shot-wad D is su stantially effected, and that this breaking up will be completed later on during the accelerating movement of the shot-charge within the bore of the gun. In the preferred arrangementv here described, the main shell or powder-case S, it will be noted (see Fig. 3), has a length greater than required for containing the powder charge, as G, Fig. 3, and eXtends forwardly thereof for providing the wadspace for the wad E; and then extends still farther forward to provide the annular pis-,f ton-space B, and to provide .for'f receiving and locking with the rearward part of the casel C of the 'shot-packet by means of the detentively-connecting and resistant but releasable engagement at- 8, which should preferably be so adjusted by its construction as to delay the forward slidingvmovem'ent of the shot-case within the main-shell S, until after the reforming of the head H is begun.v The shot after being loaded into the case C, are readily held therein by some suitable shot-wad, as D, which I preferably make of thin cardboard,-preferably of a crisp or fragile, yetrelatively rigid quality,-set into the open end of the case, and,

there held by', slightly crimping the edge, as at 9, FigsQ and 3, or by `other means, such, for instance, as suitab e cementation.l The shot-'case is shown provided near its rear end with an annular groove, at `8, into which the front end, b, of the 'cartridge shell, S, is crimped, this being one preferred method for detachably securing the shotcase C, into the cartridge shell S. In practice the groove at 8 may usually be made relatively smaller than illustrated in the drawing. f

This' composite construction of the caru tridge hasvthe advantage of permitting the shell 'S to be very much shorter than could metal, so that one may be highly tensioned while the other is softer or otherwise differently formed. That portion of the shot-case fozgvard of the annular groove or retentionfs L. S, will usually, or preferably, corre-` i spo'wi in diameter to gvthe outside of the main-shell S, while that portion al of the incassa shot-case to the rear of said face or groove 8,- correspends tothe inside diameter of the forward end of the main-shell S, so that when the shot-case is assembled with the shell S, the general diameter of the car- ,tridgemay be maintained; by this means I provide for the properfitting of the carri'dges in a gun having-a truly .cylindrical ore.

By making the case C of metal of a readily expansible character, as compared with the gas-pressure to be used, the operation of the combination of elements may be so regulated that as the case C slides out of the sheil S, the reduced cylindrical'portion d thereof, will become enlarged and so bring the entire length of this case to a substant-ially` cylindrical form and diameter; this is indicated by the line e in Fig. 7 The rcduced portion al of the shot-packet being of a considerable length, as herein illustrated, provides for a sliding movement of the case C within the shell S during the later stagesof the reformation of the head H, should this reforming operation not be completed until after the separation of the retainerjoint, or resistant lock-joint at 8; but this lockingV together of the shell S with the case C, should, in general, be relatively-rm in order to provide -the proper initial resistance, or such as may be required in addi` tion to the inertia of the shot-packet,-

For the purpose of illustrating approximate-ly the operation of head H and lof the shot-pack- P, I have indicated in Fig. 7 this pack as being divided into concentric zones', comprising .the central zonel Z1, the integrally-connected medial zone Z2, and outer, or peripheral portion Aor zone; Z3, as indicated by dotted lines.A For comparison, the head H is here shown in its initial ,positionv vby a`-`solid line and in its reformed-position by a dotted llne. The concentric areas of the head H which correspond to the shotpack4 zones Z1, Z2y and Z3, respectively, are designated by n1, n2 and n". As the head H should be formed of strong yet mobile material, it will `be evident 'that the forcible advance of the powder-wad E, (see Figs. 3 and 4) against the head zone nl, will operate to drive the head inwardly, with resultantchange of form alg/out such as indicated in Figs. 4 and 7.A The initial sliding movement of the powdrwad, begins. the reforming of theJ head for reducingl the space within the' shot-case, and then the further sliding movement of said Wad continues such reforming operation 'during the-sliding for-f ward of the shot-ease in the main shell, provided, of course, such reformation shall not in any given case be completed before the forward movement of the 'shot-case. shall have begun; and fr this purpose, among others, I have shown the shot-case fitted within the main shell andlslidable therein, the leztent of this sliding movement preferably' being as much, or greater, than the annular space B, which corresponds to4 the distance f,

Fig. 7. When the pressure on the zone/ft1v begins to advance this central zone,-the Shot in the medial zone Z2 are thereupon slightly advanced relatively to those in the outer zone Z3. This operation is naturally. favored by the inert-ia of the mass of shot insaid peripheral portion or outer zone Z3, since this inertia operates against the outer zone n3 of the head H, until the wad E has advanced to the' position' indicated in 4Fig. 4, in which the head H is shown reformed for bearing firmly on both its central and outer zone, 11,1 and n3, against the said -wad E. By' comparison of Figs. 3 and 4 with the diagrammatic lines' and positions indicated in Fig. 7, the mode of action and the results of those peculiar operations will be evident'. When the slidable wad E, acting' as a powder-driven piston, has advanced against the shot-packet to the extent indicated in Fig. 4, the head H of such packet will become attfed or crushed to conforml with fthe shape lof the forward surface of that piston member. Usually, however, owing to the custom of making powder 'wads of slightly mobile and compressible material, the said wad E is likely to be itself somewhat modified in form by the pressure; and a small change of shape, such as might result` from such causes, is indicated in Fig.V

4 by the curvatureof the forward layer 5, and of the forward surface of the layer- 4 of the member E. On iiring the gun, the shot-charge, while still wholly or partially contained in the shot-case, moves up thev bore of the gun and outrinto the open air impelled by the expansion of the powder gases, and during'this time the shot-wad, D,- -has been displaced from the shot-case (Fig. 4) and should be so broken up or otherwise dislodged that it does not prevent the shot from moving forwardly out of the shot-case C. When the driving action of the expanding powder gases ceases after the shot and shot-case have left the muzzle of the gun, the air resistance, filtering, as it were, backwardly through the spaces or intersticesbetween the shot pellets, appears to become compressed and to be directed against the bottom of the shot-case and so tends to retard this'case in its flight through the-air, this action being assisted by the friction of the air on the exterior surface of the shot-case, as well as by any suction in the rear of this now forwardly moving case. As the ,resistance of the shot-case in its Hight through the air is greater than the air resistance effective `against each individual shot pellet, it appears that each pellet of shot normally will move forward relatively to and `,out vof the shot-case, which .then will quicklybe stopped by the air re sistance and fall to the ground not far from the muzzle of the gun, the shot continuing on their usual range.

During the passage of the shot-case with its contained charge through the gun-barrel, this case moves or slides forward in the bore substantially as if it were an elongated cylindrical bullet, and so leaves the muzzle of the barrel while moving in a true and accurate line, and free of any forces or resistances which would tend to impair the proper direction or path of movement of the shot. After leavin the barrel, the shotcase is not subjecte to any breaking up or deformation, nor is it separated or dismembered in any way,4but continues on without change of shape or structure, in its true line of movement until the shot-pack has gone forward out of the case. Thus I avoid any interference with the 'shot-pellets after these leave the barrel, by any kind of separation or breaking up destructive action upon a shot case.

As the shot-case C holds the shot charge together during its passage up the bore and for a short distance after they together have left the bore, the individual pellets of shot the seal at the front end of the case C. Also the distribution or scattering of the shot may be modified or 'regulated to some extent by suitably shaping the head H 'of the shotcase and thereby determining the relativel spa-ces within the case C before and after the reformation of the head. This reduction of interior space-is indicated in F ig. 7,v

where the annular zone Z2 is shown projected slightly outside, at the right hand, of the end of the'case C, while the central zone Z1 is projected farther outward, thus fully expelling' the shot-wad D', as indicated by the dotted lines, in this diagram.

- In practice, not only the displacement of the shot-wad, as D, is desirable but also the destruction or breaking up thereof. This may be provided for in any one of several ways, but for ordinary practice, I prefer the form of shot-wad construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. This construction should preferably be such that, while not materially impairing the rigidity of the wad while this is holding the shot in the case, the wad will, under the violent stress of the shot being pushed forward in the case. from or by the initial forward movement of the powder-wad or member E, bo broken up into such fragments as will not seriously interfere with the flight of tho individual shot pellets after they have left the muzzle of the gun. If this shot-wad were to leave the muzzle of the gun while completely intact, the air resistance on the wad, this being of the usual disk-form, might tend to retard too greatly the progress of some portion of the shot-charge or pack immediately behind the wad.

I The means which I have herein shown for effecting the destruction of the shot-wad is a sectional formation thereof, which is obtained by making therein one or more cuts or grooves (as l2, Figs. 5 and 6, and preferably three or more in number) extending partially through this wad, and preferably made in the inner surface thereof. These cuts or grooves should be such as will not seriously affect the ability of the wadto properly hold the shot in the shot-case while the cartridge is being transported or while carried in the magazine of a gun, but such as will aid and secure a suflicient breaking up or destruction of the wad on the violent thrust imparted to it by the shot moving forward in central zone of the shotcase. Y Y

The shot-wad being expellable fiom the cylindrical part of the shot-case by'ia comparatively small amount of forward movement in a portiononly of the shot-mick, the expulsion of the shot-wad begins immediately Y when the advancing .powder-wad drives forward the center zone, Z1, of the reformable head H,and thereby so initially reduces the amount of space within the case C, as to begin or preliminarily inaugurate the advance movement of the shot-pack, and the expulsion of the shot-wad prior to the disengagement of the shot-case, which is thus effected by force transmitted through the shot-pack, this force beginning to be effective while the resistant lock-joint is still unreleased, so that the resistance aorded by this releasable lock-joint which engages the forward end of the main-shell with the shot-shell, operates as a means supplemental to the inertia of the shot-packet for increasing the intensity of the reformative action exerted'on the head H during the timethe powder-wad is advancing forwardly through the distance'of theannular space B, which I have indicated approximately at f, Fig. 7.

In my improved shot-cartridge, the displacement or detachment of thevshot-wad is accomplished, as to the brealing o r unsealing thereof, preliminarily to the ejection of the shot from the gun, and' not subsequently thereto; and by this means the breaking or Ldetaching of the shot-wad is accomplished by the` initial force of 'the powder acting instantly on the inauguration lcharges of the same weight, but having dif-v of the forward movement of the powderwad, and thus I accomplish in a peculiarly direct, simple, and practical manner a result which hitherto, as far. as I am aware, has not been known in this art.

Shotguns being usually patterned for a range offortyyards and with a target cir- 'cle thirty inclies in diameter, the best. or

ideal pattern will of course, be one in which all the shot will be contained within that circle and be evenly distributed thereover. l/Vith the choke bored guns, however', the majority of the sho-t are frequently concentrated near the center and only a few near the outside, and frequently large spaces within lthe target circle are not ccvered at all; the latter is termed a patchy pattern. The beneficial control afforded by my improved shot-case over the distribution of the shot will be evident, since the shot will all leave the muzzle of the barrel in a bunch or relatively close and cylindrically-shaped pack, and not be divided into successive groups as is commonly the result with the choke bored gun. The form and proportion of the rear end or head H, of the shot-case affords means to so proportion the total number of shot contained in each successive and concentric cylindrical zone 'of t-he pack, as Z1, Z2, Z3, Fig. 7, before the shot leave the shot-case, that a nearly ideal distribution of the shot charge on the target may be obtained.

In practice, the shot-case may be made of any length suitable for holding the quantity of shot tobe used in one charge; and may also be made of such thickness, character of material, and degree of resi-stance to the deformation and re-formation of the head thereof, as may be required for any particular range and kind of service. Thus shot-charges of different weights, and

ferent sizes of sho-t, respectively, may be used equally well in the same gun. Also, in manufacturing the'complete shot-cartridge, a shot-case of any suitable length or capacity 'may be combined with any given length of powder-shell, thus providing for the widest range of service conditions.

Having't-hus described my mventlon', I

in operative reshot-wad in the forward end of the shotshell, and a resistant but releasablelockjoint engaging the forward end of the mainshell with the shot-shell, whereby on firing the cartridge, the initial movement of the shot-case isresisted by said resistant lockjoint for increasing the initial effect of the advancing powder-wad on the reformable head, and thereby prior to the disengagement of the shot-case, beginning the expulsion .of the shot-wad by-force transmitted through the shot-pack within said shot-case.-

2. In a shot-cartridge, the combination with the cylindrical main-shell and with the powder-wad slidable therein, of a shot-case having a cylindrical `forward portion eX- ternally coinciding in size with the mainshell and forming an extension thereof, and having a rearward portion fitting wit-hin the main-shell and slidable therein, and having a rearward head comprising a portion which is reformable for reducing the space within the shot-case, whereby the rcforming of said head may' be begun by the initial sliding movement of the said wad and then continued during the sliding forward of the shot-case in the main-shell.

3. In a shot-cartridge, the combination` with the cylindrical main-shell and with the powder-wad slidable therein, of a shot-case having a cylindrical portion externally coinciding in size with the inside of the malnrearward head comprising a portion which is reformable for reduclng the lspace within the shot-case, whereby the reforming of said head may be begun by the initial sliding' i adapted to be driven forwardly prior to the expulsion of the shot-case from the powdershell, whereby to inaugurate the forward movement of the central part of a shot-pack within said shot-case in advance of such movement of the outer portion of the shotpack.

5. In a shot-cartridge, the Jombmatmn Iwith the cylindrical main-shell and with the powder-wad slidabletherein, of a shotcase having -a cylindrical forward portion forming an extension of the main-shell, and having a rearward portion fitting within the main-shell and slidable therein, and having a rearward head comprising' a portion which is reformable by the initial forward movement of the powder-wad, and a releasable resistant engagement detent-ively-connecting shell and slidable therein, and having a the main-shell and the shot-case and having its resistance adjusted by the construction for delaying the forward sliding movement of the shot-case in the main-shell until after the reforming of the head is begun.

6. The herein-described improvement in shot-cases, which consists in a tubular shell for holding the shot-pack and adapted at its open forward end for receiving a sealing-in wad, and having -at and closing its rearward end a reformable head in which the central portion thereof is forwardlymovable relatively to the rearward end of the tubular shell.

7. The herein-described improvement in shot-cases, which consists in a metallics tubular shell for holding the shot-pack and adapted at its open forward end for receiving a sealing-in wad, and having at and closing its rearward end a thin metallic, reformable head in which the central portion thereof is located rearwardly of the rearward end of the tubular shell.

8. The herein-described improvementin shot-cases, which consists in a metallic tubular shell for holding the shot-pack and adapted at lits open forward end for re- 'ceiving a sealing-in wad, and having at and closing its rearward end, a reformable head in which the central zone nl thereof is located rearwardly of the rearward end of the tubular shell, nd having the medial annular reformable zone n2 integrally connectingl said zone n1 with the peripheral )ortion of said head, substantially as descri ed.

9. A shot-case having at its forward end a shot-wad-engaging face and having at its rearward end a closed head comprising a reformable zone arranged for operating through shot within t-he case and thereby expelling a case-closing shot-wad located yin the forward end of the shot-case. v

10. A shot-case comprising, in combination,"a tubular shell and a rearward head therefor which has a forwardly Vmovable central zone surrounded by a reformable integrally-connected zone, whereby to initially reduce thel space within the shotcase and thereby preliminarily` inaugurate the advance movement of the central portion of a shot-pack within case.

1l, A one-piece metallic shot-case, comprising, in combination, the cylindrical case having at'its forward end4 a shot-wad-engaging face and having at its rearward end a closed vhead comprising a central forwardly movable zone, lthe peripheral zone relatively non-reformable, and the medial expel a case; closing shot-Wad located in v the forward end of the shot-case.

12. A one-piece-met-allic shot-case lfor use in metallic cartridge shells, comprising, in combination, t-he cylindrical case having its rearward portion of a reduced size, and at the forward end of such reduced portion having a shell-engaging resistant face, as 8; and having at its rearward end a closed head comprising a central forwardly-movable zone, the peripheral zone relatively non-reformable, and the medial and reformable zone integrally-connecting the central and peripheral zones and arranged for operat-ing with the central zone through shot within the case and thereby expel a caseclosing shot-wad located in the forward end of the shot-Case, substantially as described.

13. The combination in a shot-packet, of the cylindrical shot-case for containing the shot-pack, a shot-wad closing the forward.4

end of the cylindrical case and comprising adjoining relatively rigid areas connected by relatively breakable portions, and a closed head' for the rearward end of said case comprising a reformable zone adapted to be driven forward by a powder-wad, whereby to drive forwardly a portion of the shot in the shot-pack and thereby break the shot-wad in said breakable-portions, substantially asl described;

14. The combination in a shot-packet, of the cylindrical shot-case for containing the shot-pack, a shot-wad closing the forward end of the cylindrical case and comprising ladjoining relatively lrigid portions separated by channels in the inner surface thereof, and a closed reformable head for the rearward end of said case comprising a zone adapted to be driven -forward by a powder-wad, whereby to displace and break the shot-wad by the initial movement of a powder-wad, substantially as described.

W. F. LAWRENCE,