US1883575A - Shot shell and method of loading the same - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1932. R. s. CLYNE SHOT SHELL AND METHOD OF LOADING THE SAME 'Filed June 15, 1929 ,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I 6 l @5597" 6 CL /VE,

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 ROBERT G.

CLYNE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN CARTRIDGE COM- PAN Y, OF EAST ALTON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SHOT SHELL AND METHOD 0]? LOADING THE SAME Application filed June 15, 1929. Serial No. 371,129.

shot shells, and

This invention pertains to method of loadmore particularly to a novel ing the same.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a shot shell with a wad between the powder and the shot which will, upon discharge, effectively seal the barrel of the gun against the escape of gases therearound.

Another object is to provide such a shell with a wad which will expand readily upon being subjected to the pressure of discharge so as to come into close sealing engagement with the gun barrel.

Another object is to provide such a shell with a wad which will be not only expansive as to form and sealing engagement, but which will be self-lubricating.

Another object is to provide a method of loading a shot shell so as to form an improved wad between the powder and the shot.

Another object is to provide a method of loading whereby unformed material may be placed in the shell and awad formed therefrom within the shell.

Another object is to provide a method in which wad material and a lubricant may be placed in the shell and a wad formed within the shell in such a manner that upon discharge, the lubricant will be applied to the gun barrel.

Another object is to provide a method of loading shot shells, which may be carried out with increased rapidity and improved econl urther objects will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figures 1 to 8, inclusive, are sectional views of a shot shell embodying this invention, illustrating the successive steps which may be taken in loading the shell.

The ballistic characteristics of a shot shell are affected greatly by the character of the wad placed between the powder and the shot. This wad transmits the force of the explosion to the shot load. Upon its characteristics depends the manner in which this force is applied to the shot charge. The flight of the shot will depend upon whether this wad is hard and unyielding, soft and pliable, or resilient. The flight of the shot will also depend upon whether or not the wad forms an effective gas seal with the walls of the gun barrel. If gas leaks past the wad and mingles with the'shot charge, it may have the effect of causing the pellets to be fused together, or it may cause an objectionable scattering of the shot in flight. Different kinds of shot loads will be affected differently by similar characteristics in the wad. Ac-

cordingly, it is an important matter in the construction of shot shells to be able to provide a wad of just the required characteristic. In the ordinary manufacture of wads or shot shells, it has been the custom to make up a finished wad before placing the same in the shell. This requires that the wad must be sufliciently rigid so as to maintain its size and shape until placed in the shell. This requirement itself places a limitation upon the Variation in characteristics of the wad itself which can be obtained.

In accordance with the present invention, the wad is formed within the shell itself and during the process of loading the shell. In accordance with this method, a wider range of wad characteristics is obtainable, for the reason, among others, that it is not necessary to construct the wad in such a way that it will maintain its size and shape outside of the shell. The unformed wad material is placed in the shell and is then formed into a wad in its place in the shell. When so formed, it may be held in the desired form by other materials, such as powder and shot, occupying the same shell. Accordingly, wads of any degree of plasticity or elasticity maybe used, and greater leeway is thus obtained in determining the action of the wad when the shell is discharged.

Any suitable wad material may be used.

Good results have been obtained with granulated cork and the like. Other materials suitable for the purpose may, however, be used, and the range of materials may include not only granular materials, but fibrous and cellular materials as well. The material is preferably applied in comminuted form. By comminuted materials, as used in this specification and the appended claims, is meant material in sub-divided form, whether granular or in fairly large particles, or in pulverized or shredded form.

In order to provide that the particles of material will co-here in the formed wad, any suitable binder may be incorporated with the wad material, either before or after placing the same in the shell. In cases where a high degree of cohesion is desired, a binder having adhesive properties may be employed.

As lubrication of the gun barrel by the discharge of the shot shell is very desirable, a lubricant may be incorporated with the wad material so as to be applied to the barrel upon discharge. If such lubricant also has the properties of a binder, it may serve as both. Good results have been obtained with paraffin wax, which acts both as a binder and as a lubricant. Other forms of binders or lubricants, such as tallows of any kind and particularly materials that will congeal, are suitable for use in forming wads in accordance with the present process.

A convenient manner of applying the hinder or lubricant is to mix the comminuted wad material with such binder'or lubricant separately before placing the'same in the shell, so as'to coat the particles of the wad material with the binder or lubricant; For instance, it has been found that, by mixing granulated cork with molten paraffin in a mechanical mixer, using a mixture of approximately 60 percent cork and 40 percent paralfin, the grains of cork were thoroughly coated with paraffin. When this material was then allowed to cool, it was found that the coated grains did not become sticky or pack under normal storage conditions-and were in such form that they could be used in a machine process for loading shells.

In the process as outlined in the accom panying drawing, the powder charge 1 is first placed in the shell 2, which may be of any suitable type. An ordinary pre -formed Wad 3, such as paper, felt or the like, may then be placed upon the powder. The unformed, comminuted wad material 4, such as granulated cork, corn pith, or other suitable material is then placed upon the wad 3.

If the wad material has b en; previously coated, as described above, the wad may now be formed by pressure without further application of binder or lubricant. If, however, the uncoated wad material is used, it is desirable, as the next step in the operation, to apply a suitable quantity of binder or lubricant 5 in liquid form, such as molten paraffin, by depositing the same upon the charge of Wad material 4, as indicated in Figure 4.

A second pre-formed wad 6 may now be placed upon the wad material and pressure applied to the same in any suitable manner. Means for carryin out this step of the process, in which the shell is suitably supported as in a holder 10 while a plunger 11 or other device is forced down upon the wad, are well known in the art and need not 'be described here. The amount of pressure applied may be regulated in accordance with the characteristics of the wad desired to be formed. The wad is thus formed in place in the shell. The shot charge 7 may now be placed upon the wad 6, as indicated in Figure 6. Then, the final closing wad 8 is put in place upon the shot charge and the shell'crimped as shown at 9, the last two steps being illustrated in Figures 7 and 8.

It will be seen that the above described method of loading shot shells provides a shell of greatly improved characteristics. The steps of the process are easy to handle and the materialsand the working thereof are not affected by atmospheric conditions Boththe wad material and the lubricant or binder may beselected so as to'provide a wad of any desired characteristics. These characteristics can alsobe varied by varying the amount of pressureapplied during the forming of the wad. The thickness and resiliency of the wad can also be controlledin this way. The process may be carried out by machine methods and, as a result, great uniformity of product can be obtained. The finished wad forms an improved gas check, as the pressure of the powder gases behind the wad, resisted by the inertia of the shot charge in front of it, subjects the wad to a pressure which causes it to expand againstvthe sides of the gun barrel. disintegrates and does not fly ofi as a unit. In addition to these advantages, the cost of manufacture of wad of this type is only a fractioncf that of'other kinds of wadding heretofore used. It is possible by this process to apply a plurality of wads of different characteristics. This is a great convenienceyas sometimes it is desirable to apply onewad which is harder or less resilient than the other. By employing two grades of wad material and difierent pressures, or diflerent grades of binding material, or any combination of these, characters of the various wads may be changed at will. 7

The complete shells prepared by this method have great uniformity in their ballistic characteristics.

While the shell and process of this invention have been described as a complete Whole, it is understood. of course,that certain features of the combination may be useful without reference to others, and that the-use of such sub-combinations is contemplatedbythis invention. It is further obvious that varrious changes may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, in the details of construction or procedure without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific de-' tails shown and/0r described.

Upon discharge, the wad Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is:

1. In the art of loading shot shells, the process comprising, placing part of the load 5 in the shell, inserting wad material in the shell, placing binding material in the shell, and forming said materials into a wad within the shell.

2. In the art of loading shot shells, the

, process comprising, placing part of the load in the shell, inserting Wad material in the shell, placing lubricating material in the shell, and forming said materials into a wad within the shell.

3. In the art of making cartridge shells the process comprising, charging comminuted wad material into a shell, and con densing the material with a congealed substance maintained at a temperature sum cient to soften the same.

4:. In the art of making cartridge shells the process comprising, charging comminuted wad material and a congealable substance into a shell, condensing the material and congealing the substance within the shell.

5. In the art of making cartridge shells the process comprising, charging comminuted wad material and a congealable substance into a shell, and condensing the ma- 3 terial while the substance is congealing.

6. In the art of making cartridge shells the process comprising, charging comminuted wad material and an uncongealed congealable substance into the shell, compressing the material and permitting oongelation of the substance while the material is compressed.

7. A shot shell having a propellant powder charge and a wad overlying said powder charge and composed of comminuted wad 4O material and a congealable substance assembled in the shell and condensed therein while the substance is soft so as tolimit the pressure necessary to unify the wad material over the powder charge.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature this 27th day of June, 1928.

ROBERT G. CLYNE.

GERTIFECATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent N0. 1,883,575. October 18, 193

ROBERT G. CLY NE.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification 0ft above numbered patent requiring currection as follows: Page 3, line 18, 022 3, for "crmgealeti" read "congeaiabie"; and that the said Letters Patent she: be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the mm of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of February, A. D. 1933.

M. J. Mama Acting (mmmlssloner 0f Pate;

(Seal) CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,883,575. flctober 18, 1932.

ROBERT G. GLYNE.

it is hereby certified that error appears it; the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 18, claim 3, for "congealed" read "congeaiabie"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of February, A. D. 1933.

w M. J. ;\loor, (beat) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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