IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJEC- TILES FOR FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Handson Rollet, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Surveyor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJEC-
TILES FOR FIRE-ARMS."
Scaled the 22nd January 1856, and dated the 23rd July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Handson Rollet
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd July 1855.
I, GEORGE HANDSON ROLLET, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR FIRE-ARMS " to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a cylindrical projectile, on the front or fore end
of which is formed a conical point, and the hinder or breech end thereof having
a truncated conical form. On the fore and after ends of this conical-ended
cylinder are fitted circular rings, sabots, or packings, formed of wood or other
suitable material or materials. The outer surface of these packings are formed
cylindrical, so as to fit the bore of the gun from which they are to be projected,
and their inner surfaces are made to fit against the inclined sides of the cones
upon which they are fitted. It is proposed to make short cuts or slots in the
packings to allow them to expand equally on all sides when ramed home
within the gun, so that the body of the shot will be cradled in the centre of
the bore of the gun, and when projected therefrom they will fall off from the

page_text: metal portion of the projectile. These "sabots" or "cradlings" for the body of
the shot, when acted upon by the explosion of the charge, "fox" or counter-
wedge it against the inner side of the bore of the gun. The method described
above for cradling the conical-ended cylindrical shot could be readily applied
and be equally applicable to spherical or other shaped shot.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Handson Rollet in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HANDSON ROLLET, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Surveyor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Handson Rollet, Her special license that I, the said George
Handson Rollet, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said George Handson Rollet, 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_I,_the_said George Handson Rollet, 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 (that is to say):
This Invention consists of shot or projectiles having a cylindrical body, and
the front or fore end formed with a conical shaped point, and the hinder or
breech end thereof having a truncated conical form, the base springing from
the hinder end of the cylindrical body (or centre portion) of the shot. The
front and breech ends of these conical-ended cylindrical projectiles are fitted

page_text: with circular rings, sabots, or packings, formed of wood or other suitable
material or materials. The outer circular surface of these sabots or packings
are formed so as to fit the bore of the gun from which they are to be projected,
and their inner surfaces are made to fit against the inclined sides of the conical
ends of the projectile upon which they are placed. I make short cuts or slits
in the sabots to allow them to expand equally in a lateral direction when
rammed home within the gun, so that the body of the shot will be cradled in
the centre of the bore of the gun, and allow the sabots upon leaving the gun
more readily to fall off from the metal portion of the projectile. The sabots
or cradlings for the body of the shot (in horizontal section being of a right
angle triangle form) when acted upon by the explosion of the charge, "fox"
or counter-wedge against the inner side (or bore) of the gun.
The sabots or packings herein-before described for cradling the conical-
ended cylindrical shot can be as readily applied and be equally applicable to
hollow or solid spherical or other shaped shot.
That my said Invention may be the more readily understood, I have here-
unto annexed Drawings in partial illustration of the application of my plan.
Like letters used in the accompanying Drawings refer to similar parts, and
all the Figures represent the shot to contain the same weight of metal.
Figure 1 is the side elevation of a common spherical shot having my im-
proved sabots applied thereto; and Figure 2 shews a section of the same within
the bore of a gun. Figure 3 shows a side elevation of the improved sabots
applied to a cylindrical spherical-ended shot; and Figure 4 is a section of
the same, placed within the bore of a gun. Figure 5 is a side elevation of
an improved cylindrical shot having truncated conical ends, which are fitted
with the improved sabots; and Figure 6 is a section of the same within the
bore of a gun. Figure 7 is a side elevation of an improved cylindrical conical-
ended shot with the improved sabots applied thereto; and Figure 8 is a section
of the same within the bore of a gun. The conical-ended cylindrical shot
(shown by Figures 5 and 6, and 7 and 8,) when fitted with the improved sabots,
I believe to be well calculated to obtain a long and accurate range, and an
18 lb. shot can be projected from the same size of bore as that of an ordinary
nine-pounder gun used for spherical shot, the advantages of which are obvious.
Figure 9 is a view of the thin end of one of the improved sabot; and
Figure 10 is a view of the thick end of the same; Figure 11 is a vertical
section of ditto; and Figure 12 is a side view of the same. A, shot;
B, sabots; b, slots or cuts to allow the sabot to expand literally; C, portion
of section of gun; D, charge.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and in what manner the same may be performed or carried into
effect, what I claim as my Invention is,―
First, the conical-ended cylindrical shot, and the sabots or packings for
cradling the same within the bore of the gun, as herein.before described.
Secondly, the use or application of the sabots or packings to spherical or
other shaped shot, as herein-before described.
set
In witness whereof, I, the said George Handson Rollet, have hereunto
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
year
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER.
GEORGE HANDSON (L.s.) ROLLET.