IMPROVEMENTS IN CANNON, AND IN PROJECTILES TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Franklin Bates, of Morley's Hotel, Strand,
-
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CANNON, AND IN PROJECTILES TO BE USED THEREWITH." Partly a com-
munication from abroad by Charles Macy, residing at New York, in
the United States of America.
Sealed the 23rd June 1863, and dated the 6th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Franklin Bates
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th February 1863.
I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BATES, of Morley's Hotel, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CANNON, AND IN PROJECTILES TO BE USED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in cannon, and in projectiles
to be used therewith. In constructing cannon, according to this Invention, I
form a hole through the breech end; this hole is smaller than the bore, and is
parallel and concentric with it. Each projectile is provided with a long rod
or bar, which, in loading the cannon, is passed through the hole in its breech;
at the front end of the rod is an enlargement or head, which, however, is
smaller than the bore; this head may be solid, or it may be formed into a
shell; behind this enlargement is placed a loose disc, which fits the bore accu-
rately; the periphery of this disc may, if desired, be formed of soft metal, and
may also have lubricating material combined with it, the rod at the rear end

page_text: of the projectile is, by preference, polygonal in section with each of the sides
winding spirally around the rod from end to end of its length, as though the
rod were twisted; the hole in the breech end of the cannon is formed to fit
and correspond with the bar, so that when the piece is fired, the projectile, in
addition to being propelled forward, will at the same time be caused to revolve
on its axis. The loose disc behind the head of the projectile, by preference
does not rotate with the projectile, but the rod of the projectile turns in a hole
in the disc; as soon as the projectile leaves the gun the resistance of the air
will cause the disc to slip off the bar at its rear end, or the disc may be made
to separate into two pieces as soon as it leaves the gun. If desired the hole
through the breech end of the gun may be closed as soon as the rear end of
the projectile passes out of it by means of a sliding piece pressed forward for
that purpose by a spring. The hole in the breech end of the gun may be pro-
vided with a close fitting plug, the gun can then either be used to propel a
shot, such as above described, or when the plug is fixed in the hole, the gun
may be used as an ordinary smooth bore gun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Franklin Bates in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJANIN
FRANKLIN BATES, of Morley's Hotel, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Benjamin Franklin Bates, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin
Franklin Bates, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Benjamin Franklin Bates, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CANNON, AND IN PROJECTILES TO BE USED THEREWITH," the
result partly of communication from abroad made to me by Charles Macy, a
person resident at New York, in the United States of America, and partly of

page_text: Invention and discovery made by myself, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Benjamin Franklin Bates, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Franklin Bates, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in cannon, and in projectiles
to be used therewith. In constructing cannon, according to this Invention, I
form a hole through the breech end; this hole is smaller than the bore, and is
parallel and concentric with it. Each projectile is provided with a long rod
or bar, which in loading the cannon is passed through the hole in its breech;
at the front end of the rod is an enlargement or head, which, however, is
smaller than the bore; this head may be solid, or it may be formed into a
shell, behind this enlargement is placed a loose disc which fits the bore accu-
rately; the periphery of this disc may, if desired, be formed of soft metal, and
may also have lubricating material combined with it; the rod at the rear end
of the projectile is by preference polygonal in section, with each of the sides
winding spirally around the rod from end to end of its length, as though the
rod were twisted; the hole in the breech end of the cannon is formed to fit
and correspond with the bar, so that when the piece is fired the projectile, in
addition to being propelled forward, will at the same time be caused to revolve
on its axis. The loose disc behind the head of the projectile by preference
does not rotate with the projectile, but the rod of the projectile turns in a hole
in the disc; as soon as the projectile leaves the gun the resistance of the air
will cause the disc to slip off the bar at its rear end, or the disc may be made
to separate into two or more pieces as soon as it leaves the gun. If desired,.
the hole through the breech end of the gun may be closed as soon as the rear
end of the projectile passes out of it by means of a sliding piece pressed
forward for that purpose by a spring. The hole in the breech end of the gun
may be provided with a close fitting plug, the gun can then either be used to.
propel a shot, such as above described, or when the plug is fixed in the hole
the gun may be used as an ordinary smooth bore gun.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shows a section of a cannon
constructed in the manner I prefer for carrying out the Invention; Figure 2
.

page_text: shows a section taken at right angles to the section shewn at Figure 1, in both
these Figures the cannon is shown to be loaded with a projectile constructed
as above described; Figure 3 shows the breech end of the cannon.
a is the hole at the breech end of the cannon; this hole is, by preference,
made sufficiently large for the rod or stem of the projectile to pass freely
through it, and behind the breech is bolted, as is shown at Figure 3, a piece b;
this piece has also a hole made through it sufficiently large for the rod or bolt
to pass through freely; through the piece b is a slot c, in which is a sliding
piece d made of steel; in this sliding piece is a hole, which accurately fits the
rod or stem of the projectile; the slide d is constantly pressed on by a spring e,
so that as soon as the end of the stem or rod passes beyond the hole formed
in the slide the slide will be moved forward so as to stop up the hole through
the breech. In loading the gun this slide is held down by the handle d³, so
that the hole in the slide shall correspond with the hole in the breech, there
being stops on the slide which prevent it being lowered too far; the projectile
is inserted at the muzzle of the cannon, and is pressed home in the ordinary
way;
the powder is, by preference, contained in an annular bag or case, so
that the rod of the projectile may be inserted through it before the projectile
is placed in the gun. f is the stem or rod of the projectile, at the foremost
end of which is the head g; this head, as above stated, may be solid,
or it may be formed into a shell; the front end of the head is shown
in the Drawing to be shaped like the head of a punch, but it may be made
rounded or be otherwise formed, the rod or stem is of a section to fit the hole
in the slide d, this hole I prefer to make six-sided, as is shown at Figure 3,
but it may be of other form; the portion of the rod that passes through the
hole is twisted from end to end of its length, as is seen at Figures 2 and 4, so
that when the projectile is fired from the gun the projectile will be caused to
rotate on its own axis; h is the loose disc at the back of the head of the pro-
jectile, the periphery of which is made to fit the bore of the cannon, the disc
is shewn at Figures 1, 2, & 4, to be in one piece, but it may, as before stated,
be made in two or more pieces, so that it may readily separate as soon as it
passes out of the cannon. The red lines in Figure 2 shew the cannon fitted
with a plug at its breech end, so that it may be used as an ordinary muzzle-
loading cannon. Figure 4 shows a cannon constructed in such manner that
the piece d, through which the hole is formed that corresponds with the
section of the rod of the projectile, is held stationary, in place of having a
sliding motion given to it, as in the arrangement just described; the piece d
in the arrangement shewn at Figure 4, is held in its place by the screw plug
and is prevented from turning by its being formed hexagonal on its outer cir-

page_text: cumference, and fitting within an hexagonal hole formed to 'receive it. The
red lines in Figure 4 shew a modification of the cannon, wherein the cannon
has screwed on to its breech end a tube i, which receives the rod or stem of the
projectile, so that the stem of the projectile cannot be injured after it has been
inserted into the cannon.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Franklin Bates, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
BENJAMIN F. BATES. (L.s.)