IMPROVEMENTS IN BOMB SHELLS AND SIMILAR PROJECTILES."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James McIntyre, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BOMB SHELLS AND SIMILAR PROJECTILES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James McIntyre at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
December 1861.
I, JAMES MCINTYRE, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BOMB SHELLS AND SIMILAR PROJECTILES," to be as follows:-
I cast a hollow case or shell of the size and shape desired with projections
from its surface, I then surround this shell with sand, so as to make it the
core around which to cast the next shell, and so on. Any number of shells
can be formed around each other, the projections sustaining the respective
shells firmly in position. These shells are to be filled with powder or inflam-
mable material, so as to explode several times in succession, commencing with
the outer casing. To form the shrapnel shell the balls are introduced into the
'sand forming the core between the inner casing and the next, and are tightly
-pressed into sand close together, and so remain after being cast; in other cases,
the sand core is shaken out.
My improvements are applicable to globular or to elongated balls or pro-

page_text: jectiles, and to adapt the same to rifled cannon I have an expansive metal base
corrugated to take the rifling. In order to fire the successive charges I
employ a fusee formed by enclosing powder in a lead pipe, and bending the
same twice, and compressing the same, and introducing it with sulphur packing
into a brass screw cap, so that the confined explosion does not force through
this fusee to cause simultaneous explosions. I also employ the same fusee
with three or more bombs arranged on an axis to be rotated and filled within
one main bomb. The fusee for the first explosion after being fired may be
of any usual kind.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James McIntyre in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MINTYRE, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James McIntyre, Her special license that I, the said James M Intyre,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
McIntyre, 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 BOMB SHELLS AND
SIMILAR PROJECTILES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James McIntyre, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 1, the said James McIntyre, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):―

page_text: Fig 1 is a section of a circular bomb with my improvement.
"
"
"
"
3
2 is a vertical section of an elongated shrapnel shell constructed on my
plan.
3 is a globular shrapnel bomb.
4 is a section of my improvement as applied with grenades in the bomb.
5 is a side view of said grenades, and
6 is a section, in larger size, of my improved fusee employed on the
inner shells.
Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.
These bomb shells are to be made of the sizes adapted to fit the various
cannon with which they are to be used, and hence in the Drawing the various.
Figures may be considered the actual size, or larger or smaller, according to
circumstances.
My Invention consists in a peculiar manner of casting one shell or casing
around another so that the respective shells are held firmly and correctly in
their relative positions. To effect this object I cast the smallest shell first, as
at a, Figs. 1 and 3, and this shell is provided with projections 1, 1, 1, as long
as the distance between the one shell and the next; the screw hole for the
introduction of the fusee may be cut (as at 2), and then this shell is coated
with moulding sand surrounding said projections 1, 1, so as to form the mould
around which the next shell (b) is to be cast, and so on. Any number of
shells may surround each other. and the contraction of the metal in cooling
causes the projections 1, 1, to hold the shells firmly to each other and in their
correct relative position. The sand is easily shaken out after the shells are
cast; and in order to introduce balls so as to make the shrapnel fire, I intro-
duce as many balls or pieces of metal as can be pressed into the sand core
before casting, hence said balls and pieces of iron are held firmly in place, and
the sand surrounding them cannot be shaken out, see Figs. 2 & 3, but when
the bomb bursts these balls scatter in every direction with great uniformity.
These balls are shown at c, c, Figs. 2 and 3. The various spaces between the
shells are to be filled in succession with powder or inflammable material, and
a fusee communicating with each causes the same to fire successively, so that
there are as many explosions, distinct from each other; as there are charges,
and the explosion of the outer charge first throws the shell to a different place
each successive explosion.
The first fusec, 3, may be of any ordinary or desired kind, and lighted by
the act of firing as usual, but the inner fusees 4, 4, must be of a different
character, because the confining of the explosion would drive the ordinary

page_text: fusee through and there would be only one explosion of the separate charges,
I therefore form the fusees, as in Fig. 6, by taking a piece of fusce in the
form of a pipe, I prefer that a small lead pipe be used, and twist the same so
that two bends are formed therein, hence a direct line, as in the ordinary
fusee, is prevented and the fire cannot blow through from one charge to the
other, but the powder burns the time required, according to the length of
fusee. The fusee is to be introduced in the metal screw cap, as shewn, with
a packing of sulphur, as at x.
The elongated bomb, Fig. 2, will be understood in its general construction
from the foregoing, I have, however, shown that it is to be fired by a cap on
the sliding hammer 5, that when the bomb strikes, flies forward with sufficient
force to explode it against the screw cap 6. The base of this shrapnel bomb
is to have cross holes 8, 8, and I introduce corks in these prior to entering in
the gun; I also have a brass or other corrugated metal base e attached to
the rear end of the bomb, and as the explosion takes place the corrugations
are instantly forced out tight against the inside of the cannon to prevent
"windage," and the corks in the holes 8, 8, clearing the end of the cannon
before the said base e are forced out and relieve the pressure, so that the said
base e is not split and broken by the action of the gases behind it, and thus the
accuracy of the shooting is not impaired by any unequal projection at the back
of the ball.
The grenades i, i, i, Fig. 4, are attached to the heads 9, 9, with an axis 10,
each of these grenades is cast and the screw for the fusee cut, and the
grenades, shown separately in Fig. 5, are moulded in the sand together with
balls 11, 11, if desired, and then the shell (a) is cast around it, and after the
sand has been shaken out the grenades can be revolved on their axis 10 within
said shell a by the finger or any instrument introduced through the eye of the
shell a, and said grenades are charged in succession and fitted with the fusee
4, 4, and then the whole shell a filled with powder, the explosion of which
throws the grenades in different directions and they explode in separate
places.
I find that in moulding the balls to form the shrapnel shells, the sand with
a small proportion of flour and rosin, hold the balls the best in place while the
outer shell is cast around; then a small vent hole should be left for the escape
of gases, to be afterwards stopped up. Projections might be made on the
insides of the outer shells as well as on the outsides of the inner shells by
moulding in small patterns, or by removing the sand surrounding the shell at
places previous to casting.

page_text: What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First, casting shells around each other by the employment of projections to
keep the shells in position when cast, as set forth.
Second, I claim imbedding balls or pieces of metal in the sand or moulding
material around which the outer shell is cast, as set forth, to form a shrapnel
shell.
Third, I claim a corrugated metal base e attached to the elongated bomb in.
combination with the cross holes 8, 8, plugged or corked up for the purposes
and as specified.
Fourth, I claim the twisted or folded fusee 4 to prevent the force of explo-
sion blowing the fire through the fusee, as and for the purposes specified.
Fifth, I claim the grenades i, i, i introduced in the bomb shell in the
manner set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James M'Intyre, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witnesses,
LEMUEL W. SERRELL,
121, Nassau St., New York.
THOS. GEO. HAROLD,
121, Nassau St., New York.
JAMES MCINTYRE. (L.S.)