CARTRIDGE. A case containing a charge of powder for fire-arms. For pistols and muskets the case is made of strong paper manufactured for the pur pose, and called therefore cartridge-paper, and the cartridges are called ball or blank cartridges, accordingly as they contain or not a ball or bullet, with the powder in the case. For cannon, the case for the powder is made of serge or flannel ; but the Americans, during the last war, are said to have employed for that purpose " tea-lead," similar to that used for lining tea-chests ; the advantage of which is, that the guns do not require sponging, and that no ignited portions of the cartridge can remain in the chamber, from which most dreadful accidents sometimes happen. For cannon, the cartridges are always made up without the shot, between which and the cartridge, a wad made of old rope is placed in charging the cannon. The annexed engraving re presents an ingenious and well-contrived machine, invented by W. Caffin, Esq., of Woolwich, for filling cartridges, but which, if constructed on a larger scale, may be applied to measure grain, seed, and all , other articles that are estimated by strike measure. By. 1 represents a perspective view of the instrument, and Fry. 2 an elevation in section. The measures d d are fixed vertically in a circular plate f opposite to each other, with an axis be tween them, upon which they work be tween two other plates. On the to plate
y y a hopper re is fixed, communicating alternately with the measures, and filling them ; and on the opposite side, in the bottom plate a, is a hole with a spout a, through which the discharge takes place. The plates are framed together by three pillars b b b, having double adjusting nuts e c on each to regulate the distance of the plates. The measures are moved by a handle or lever e, the motion of which is limited by two pins g g, which, while it presents one under the hopper to receive, places the other immediately over the discharge hole for delivery, so that the two operations of filling and discharging, are going on at the same time. The bot tom of each measure is contracted, to re tard, in a small degree, the discharge, so as to secure one measure being filled be fore the other is emptied. A hole is cut in the top plate over the discharging measure, by which it may be ascertained that it is always perfectly filled, as well as that the whole of its contents are de livered ; x is the hook by which the machine is supported. Some of these machines have been used a long time for filling cartridges, and a boy delivers with ease 12,500 measures daily, from one ma chine, in the most perfect and accurate manner, and supplies his hopper himself