Fire
Year: 1850

page_text: Application of Tin, Tinfoil, &c. to Sheathing
Bottoms of Ships and other Vessels; also
to Manufacture of Cartridges and Pellets
for Fire-arms, and Rockets and other Fire-
works
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JAMES AUGUSTUS ELMSLIE and GEORGE SIMPSON, of Union Buildings,
Leather Lane, Holborn, Importers of Quicksilver and Tin Foil
Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
by Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Augustus Elmslie and George Simpson, our exors, adñiors,
and assigns, Her special licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we, the said James Augustus Elmslie and George
Simpson, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others as we, the
said James Augustus Elmslie and George Simpson, our exors, aditiors,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and now others, should

page_text: SUCH
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
the Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and
in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in
all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, during the
term of years therein mentioned, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHEATHING OF SHIPS, AND IN PROTECTING AND CONFINING GUNPOWDER AND
CERTAIN COMPOUNDS THEREOF, AND IN THE MATERIALS USED FOR
PURPOSES" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging
us, the said Jamies Augustus Elmslic and George Simpson, or either of
us, to cause a particular description of our Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in writing under our hand and
seal, or under the hand and seal of one of us, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months after
the date of such in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention to be fully
described and ascertained hereby, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:
Our Invention of improvements consists,―
First, of an improved mode of sheathing the bottoms of ships and
vessels by the employment of those descriptions of metals or alloys of
metals known as tin, tinfoil, or other alloys of metals of a like
nature.
. Secondly, of an improved mode of manufacturing cartridges for fire-
arms and cannon by the employment of metals or alloys of metals
known as tin, tinfoil, or other alloys of metals of a like nature.
Thirdly, of an improved mode of manufacturing the pellets or wads
of fire-arms and cannon by the employment of metals or alloys of metals
known as tin, tinfoil, or other alloys of metals of a like nature, and by
the employment of certain descriptions of vegetable matters, as spent or
refuse hops, &c. treated so as to render the pellets or wads so manu-
factured non-combustible.

page_text: Fourthly, of an improved mode of manufacturing rockets and other
descriptions of fire-works requiring cases or envelopes, by the employ-
ment of metals or alloys of metals known as tin, tinfoil, or other alloys
of metals of a like nature.
We will now proceed to describe these our several improvements, and
which, when requisite, are illustrated in the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
In the ordinary method of sheathing the bottoms of ships and' vessels
with sheets of copper, Muntz's metal, or other metallic material usually
employed, the bottom of the vessel undergoes a preparation previous to
the application of the metal sheets; this usually is to lay on to the
planking of the bottom of the vessel a coating or layer of tar or pitch,
or a compound of these materials, and then to lay over the bottom
sheets of felt or coarse paper saturated with tar, and over this the
copper or other metal sheathing is laid and secured. Several dis-
advantages attend this mode of sheathing ships, amongst them the
difficulty of ascertaining the exact locality of any leak, and for arriving
at which, for the purpose of caulking it, a very considerable extent of
the metal sheathing and the layer of felt or paper has to be torn away
consequent upon the large quantity of pitch or tar spread upon the
vessel's bottom, rendering the locality of the leak difficult to discover.
We to a great extent obviate these disadvantages, as also the injurious
practice of dubbing and breaming by our improvements, which consist
in dispensing with the use of felt or paper materials between the bottoni
of the vessel and the ordinary metal sheathing, and employing in lieu
thereof any description of metals or alloys of metals known under the
denomination of tin, tinfoil, or other metals or alloys of metals of a like
ductile nature; we employ these materials in the shape of sheets of a
very small amount of thickness. Fig. 1, of the annexed Drawing
represents an elevation of part of the side and bottom of a vessel,
showing the application of our improved mode of sheathing. A, the
planking of the vessel previous to the application of the sheathing,
which is rendered clean after the caulking of the seams has been
effected. We then place the sheets of tin, tinfoil, or other like metallic
alloys B, and by rubbing and pressing them to the sides of the vessel,
and by laying one sheet over the other, and fastening the same with

page_text: copper tacks, we make them quite impervious to wet, which may be
_done either with or without adhesive cement under them; the sheathing
of tin, tinfoil, or other metallic alloy being thus laid on, a layer or
coating of tar or its compound may be applied over the foil or metal in
the usual way, and the ordinary copper or copper alloy sheathing C,
applied and secured in the usual manner, thus rendering, by this our
improved mode of sheathing, the water impenetrable to the vessel when
any inequalities in the surface of the planking of the vessel exist, and
when it is required, under such circumstances, that the exterior surface
of the sheathing should be even, regular, and free from those inequalities,
then we apply two or more thicknesses of the tinfoil or other alloy
sheathing in some parts, the number of thicknesses depending upon
the amount of inequalities, the thickness of the material renders it
extremely convenient for this purpose.
Our second improvement relates to the manufacturing of cartridges
for fire-arms and cannon, and which consists in forming and making
the cases or envelopes into which the material or materials are placed,
or covering them with metals or alloys of metals known as tin,
tinfoil, or other alloys of metal of a like nature. These materials we
employ and use in lieu of paper, fabrics, or other materials which are
generally used, and which are permeable to moisture; the advantages
attending the application of our improvements are several; amongst
them may be stated the preserving the gunpowder comprised in the
cartridge in a good and dry state for any length of time from moisture
and atmospheric influences, owing to the impermeable nature of the
metallic material and the effectual confinement of the powder and
prevention of escape, which occurs through the pores or interstises in
fabrics when such are employed, also the greater strength of the case
itself, so that there is less liability of damage or fracture from moving it
about, also that the metallic particles of the case when the cartridges
are exploded, from their. nature and the great heat produced by the
explosion of the powder, are either consumed or blown from the piece,
instead of being left within it in an ignited state to the great danger of
exploding the next charge of gunpowder when introduced into the piece.
By reference to the Drawing, Fig. 3, represents an elevation of a skot

page_text: cartridge complete; Fig. 4, a section of the same; Fig. 5, an elevation
of the two pellets or wads and the needle previous to the introduction
of the powder and shot. E, the gunpowder; F, a wad placed between
the powder and the shot G; another wad F', is placed in front of the
shot, and
may, if desired, be placed in front of the ball' when it is a
ball cartridge; H, the needle, which is the whole length of.the.cartridge,
and is formed of wire, and that end of it which is intended to be at the
apex of the conical part I, is of a divided form, so that when the cart-
ridge is introduced into the barrel of the piece and rammed down. by
the ramrod the needle will be forced down a little sufficiently to break
through the apex. of. the cone and allow. a. portion of the gunpowder
contained within the cartridge to pass out into the chamber of the piece
into a position to be ignited by the action of the. cap through the touch
hole in the usual way (cartridges for muskets do not require the needle).
Any description of wads may be employed in the manufacture of these
our improved cartridges, but we prefer the use of our improved vegetable
wads for the purpose, the manufacture of which constitutes another of
our improvements, and is fully described in another part of. this our
Specification. Fig. 6, represents. an elevation and Fig. 7, a section of
a ball cartridge; and Fig. 8, an elevation and Fig. 9,. a section of a
plain or blank cartridge; the making of these is, similar to that of the
shot cartridge before described..
We will now.describe our mode of manufacturing. cartridges for
cannon. Fig. 10, an elevation and Fig. 11, a section of a cartridge for
a.32" gun; Fig. 12, an elevation showing the shot attached; and
Fig. 13, an elevation of a long range 68 cartridge and shot. K, the
charge of gunpowder; L, the wads; N, the shot; and O, the case or
envelope of tin, tinfoil, or other alloys of metal, as before described.
We propose also to mark upon the exterior of each cartridge whether
for fire-arins, fowling pieces, or cannon, the proportions of the charge
of powder and shot contained in them, as also to paint them in colors,
and mark them with the..calibre. of the cannon and its locality for
which they are intended. In forming the cartridges, the edges of, the
inetallic cases or envelopes of them are closed and cemented together in
a water and air tight manner so as to be impervious to moisture, which
:

page_text: would, if it obtained access to the powder, deteriorate or render the
cartridge useless. We do not confine ourselves to the forms or descrip-
tion of cartridges above shown and 'described, as our improved mode of
manufacturing them is equal to all descriptions, whatever the form and
shape of the breach of the fire-arms or cannon may be.
Our third improvement relates to the manufacture of pellets or wads
for fire-arms or cannon, whether such be used in the manufacture of
and in conjunction with cartridges or otherwise. In the use of the
ordinary description of wads great danger arises from the explosion of
the succeeding charge of gunpowder by reason of some portion of the
wad used at the previous discharge remaining in the barrel of the piece
in such a state as to ignite the succeeding charge this not unfrequently
occurs. Our present improvement is in manufacturing the pellets or
wads so as to be of a non-combustable nature, and for this purpose we
employ certain descriptions of vegetable matters, such as the spent or
refuse hops from the brewing of beer or other vegetable matters; which
are submitted to a process or treatment by which they are rendered
non-combustable. The refuse or spent hops or other vegetable matters
are steeped in a solution of alúm, or lime, or other substances, by which
the combustable nature of them is destroyed or counteracted, and they
aré rendered non-combustable; they are, when sufficiently impregnated,
removed from the solution and submitted to a drying and pressing
progress, by which they are rendered sufficiently hard and compact to
form the pellets or wads for fire-arms and cannon; they may be formed
and made by compressing the prepared vegetable materials into moulds,
or it may be formed into sheets, and the pellets or wads formed and
cut by means of. cutters or punches, as may be. most convenient; the
pellets or wads thus produced are subsequently covered or enveloped
with the metals or alloys of nietals known as tin, tinfoil, or other alloys
of metals of a like nature, and are then in a fit state for use as pellets
or wads, or in some cases we use them as pellets or wads without the
separate covering or envelope of tinfoil or alloys.
Fourthly, our improvement, relates to the manufacture of fire-works,
and consists, in making and forming the cases or envelopes of those
descriptions which require them of metal or alloys of metal known as

page_text: tin, tinfoil, or other alloys of metal of a like nature, in place of the
usual and ordinary cases or envelopes of paper or other materials, by
which the gunpowder and other materials composing them will be
protected from, moisture and preserved in a good state. for any length of
time, or in casing the said fire-works, with a metallic substance after
they are made with paper in the ordinary way.
Having now fully described the nature of our said improvements, and
modes of carrying them into practical. operation, we do not confine
ourselves precisely to the detailed particulars shewn and described, as
such may be varied and modified without departing from the nature of
our said improvements. But what we claim are,-
First, the sheathing the bottoms of ships and vessels by the applica-
tion and employment for that purpose of metals or alloys of metals
known as tin, tinfoil, or other alloys of metal of a like nature, in the
manner and for the purpose shown and described.
Secondly, the manufacturing cartridges for fire-arms and cannon by
the employment for that purpose of metals or alloys of metals known as
tin, tinfoil, or other alloys of metal of a like nature, in the manner and
for the purposes shown and described.
Thirdly, the manufacturing pellets or wads for fire-arms and cannon
by the employment for that purpose of metal or alloys of metal known
as tin, tinfoil, or other alloys of metal of a like nature, and also by
the employment of certain descriptions of vegetable matters treated so
as to be rendered non-combustible, whether alone or in combination, as
above described.
Fourthly, the manufacture of the cases or envelopes for fire-works
generally of metals or alloys of metals known as tin, tinfoil, or other
alloys of metals of a like nature, as a substitute for the ordinary cases or
envelopes of paper or other materials, or as a covering if made in the
ordinary manner.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals,
the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
JAMES (L.S.) A. ELMSLIE.
GEORGE (L.B.) SIMPSON.
JAMES (L.S.) A. ELMSLIE.
GEORGE (L.B.) SIMPSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of May,
in the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid James Augustus Elmslie
and George Simpson came before our said Lady the Queen, in Her
Chancery, and acknowleged the Specification aforesaid, and all and
every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor
of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.