IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES AND CARTRIDGES FOR FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wilson, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES
AND CARTRIDGES FOR FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 4th October 1860, and dated the 11th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th May 1860.
I, THOMAS WILSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROJECTILES AND CARTRIDGES FOR FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, firstly, in making a cylindrical hollow or recess at
the hind part of the projectile or ball, and in the axis thereof, the said hollow
or recess extending little more than half the length of the ball. I drive a
wooden plug into the said hollow or recess, so as to fill it up, and I finish off
the end of the said plug, so as to make it flush with the end of the ball, it
thereby is made to present a flat surface for the powder to act against. By
this method of construction, the hind part of the ball is lightened, and the ball
is rendered less likely to turn over in its flight through the air. Projectiles or
balls made according to this part of my Invention may be made of lead, iron,
or other metal or alloy, and are suitable for both small arms and ordnance.
My improvements in projectiles consist further in making them completely
hollow or tubular, that is, of the figure of a hollow cylinder. In order to

page_text: form a flat base for the powder to act against, I place against or lightly attach
to the hind part of the ball a disc of metal of about the same diameter as the
ball. The ball is discharged as effectually as a solid ball, and the disc of metal
separates from the ball soon after the latter leaves the barrel of the fire-arm,
the strong current of air in the interior of the ball detaching the said disc.
By making projectiles hollow, or tubular, the exhaustion or partial vacuum
formed behind a solid projectile and retarding its motion is avoided. The
tubular balls may be made spiral inside when they are to be fired from smooth
barrels, they will in that case assume a rotatory motion in passing through
the air. For rifled barrels they may be made either smooth or with a spiral
internally or externally or both. The said tubular balls may be made of lead,
iron, or other metal or alloy.
My improvements consist, secondly, of the following methods of protecting
and lubricating projectiles and cartridges. To protect the lead or metal of the
projectile from the fatty matter used for lubrication, I coat the said projectiles
or balls with a covering of beeswax, shellac, varnish, or other material which
will resist the action of the said fatty matter. I use a mixture of beeswax
and oleine to lubricate the cartridge and projectile, which is less hard and
easier to work than pure beeswax, and does not foul the gun. I sometimes
use a mixture of stearine, or margarine, or spermaceti, with oleine as a
lubricant. Instead of oleine I sometimes use olive or almond oil. When a
wad is used for cleaning the gun or other purpose, I saturate the wad with
glycerine before coating the said wad and cartridge with the lubricant. The
wad is thereby prevented from becoming hard.
My Invention consists, thirdly, in attaching a disc of metal to the perforated
wad of the cartridge. The said disc of metal prevents the wad from sticking
to the ball after leaving the gun, and thus secures greater accuracy in firing.
The disc may be connected with the wad by a conical peg or projection on the
former entering the latter. On firing the wad is driven further on the said
peg or projection, and thereby expanded.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Wilson, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Wilson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Wilson, 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
PROJECTILES AND CARTRIDGES FOR FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Wilson, 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 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 Thomas Wilson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My improvements consist, firstly, in making a cylindrical hollow or recess
at the hind part or base of the projectile or ball and in the axis thereof, the.
said hollow or recess extending little more than half the length of the pro-
jectile. I drive a wooden plug into the said hollow or recess, so as to
completely fill it up; and I finish off the end of the said plug so as to make it
flush with the end of the projectile; it is thereby made to present a flat
surface for the powder to act against. By this method of construction the
hind part of the ball is lightened, and the ball is rendered less likely to turn
over in its flight through the air.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a longitudinal section of
a cartridge, the projectile of which is made according to this part of my
Invention. a is the ball or projectile, in the axis of the hind part or base of
which a cylindrical hollow or recess at a² is made, as represented; b is the
wooden plug filling up the said recess a², the end of which plug is made flush
with the end of the projectile. The paper c, powder d, and wad e, at the rear
of the projectile a are attached to the projectile in the ordinary manner of
making up cartridges. I am aware that plugs of wood have been inserted

page_text: into projectiles for the purpose of expanding them, but the object of this part
of my Invention is to lighten the rear end of the projectile, and present a solid
base for the powder. As the wooden plug is parallel and completely fills up
the cavity or recess in the projectile, it cannot expand the said projectile, nor
be forced inwards by the explosion. Projectiles or balls made according to
this part of t my Invention I may be made of lead, iron, or other metal or alloy,
and are suitable for both small arms and ordnance.
My improvements in projectiles consist further in making them completely
hollow or tubular, that is, of the figure of a hollow cylinder. In order to form
a flat base for the powder to act against, I place upon or lightly attach to the
hind part of the ball a disc of metal, of nearly the same diameter as the ball.
The ball or hollow cylinder is discharged as effectually as a solid ball, and the
disc of metal separates from the ball soon after the latter leaves the barrel of
the fire-arm, the strong current of air in the interior of the ball detaching
the said disc.
Figure 2, of the accompanying Drawing, represents a longitudinal section of
a cartridge, the projectile of which is made according to this part of my
Invention. is the ball or projectile, having a cylindrical passage g in its
axis, the said passage extending from end to end of the projectile; h is the
metal disc, placed at and closing the base of the projectile, against which disc
the powder acts. The said disc h may be kept in its place against the pro-
jectile by making on the said disc a slight projection i, which enters the
hollow passage g in the projectile; or the said disc may be made plain and
held in its place by the paper wound round the ball in making up the
cartridge. Although I prefer using a metal disc at the base of the projectile,
yet a disc of wood or other suitable material may be employed in place of the
said metal disc. By making projectiles hollow or tubular, as described and
represented, the exhaustion or partial vacuum formed behind a solid projectile
and retarding its motion is avoided. The tubular balls may be made spiral
inside when they are to be fired from smooth barrels; they will in that case
assume a rotatory motion in passing through the air. For rifled barrels they
may be made either smooth or with a spiral internally, or externally, or both.
The said tubular balls may be made of lead, iron, or other metal or alloy.
My improvements consist, secondly, in the following methods of protecting
and lubricating projectiles and cartridges:-To protect the lead or metal of
the projectile from the fatty matter used for lubrication, I coat the said
projectiles or balls with a covering of beeswax, shellac, varnish, or other
material which will resist the action of the said fatty matter, and prevent the
said projectiles from oxidizing or becoming hard. I use a mixture of beeswax

page_text: and oleine to lubricate the cartridge and projectile, which is less hard and
easier to work than pure beeswax, and does not foul the gun. I sometimes
use a mixture of stearine, or margarine, or spermaceti with oleine as a
lubricant. Instead of oleine I sometimes use olive or almond oil. When
I use beeswax and oleine alone to lubricate the cartridge and projectile,
I prefer to mix the said beeswax and oleine in equal parts. When I use
stearine in combination with oleine and beeswax, I prefer to mix them in the
following proportions, namely, sixteen parts by weight of stearine, sixteen
parts by weight of oleine, and one part by weight of beeswax. When I use
margarine or spermaceti, I prefer to employ a mixture having the same pro-
portions as that last described, that is to say, sixteen parts of either margarine
or spermaceti to sixteen parts of oleine and one part of beeswax. The
proportions before explained must be varied to suit the temperature of the
climate in which the cartridges or projectiles are to be used, the hottest
climate requiring the hardest lubricant, and consequently a lesser proportion of
oleine or oil. When I employ olive or almond oil in place of oleine, I use
the same proportion of the said olive oil as that of oleine in the compositions
or mixtures herein-before described. When a wad is used for cleaning the
gun or other
purpose, I saturate the wad with glycerine before coating the
said wad and cartridge with the lubricant. The said wad is thereby
prevented from becoming hard, and also acts as a lubricant to the barrel.
My Invention consists, thirdly, in attaching a thin disc of metal to the wad
of the cartridge, the object of the said disc of metal being to prevent the wad
from sticking to the front or point of the succeeding ball after it leaves the
barrel of the gun, and thus to secure greater accuracy in the flight of the said
ball. The disc of metal may be connected or fastened to the base of the wad
either by rivetting or by a conical peg or projection formed on one side of the
disc of metal, which peg or projection may be made to enter a perforation in
the wad. The said wad is driven further on the said peg or projection by the
explosion of the powder, and thereby expanded, and the escape of gas at the
breech of the gun more effectually prevented.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my
Invention,―
Firstly, the improvement in projectiles for small arms and ordnance, herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing,
that is to say, making in the hind part or base of the projectile a cylindrical

page_text: hollow or recess, into which hollow or recess a cylindrical plug of wood is
inserted, and finished off flat with the base of the ball, thereby presenting a
level base for the explosion of the powder, and lightening the said hind part
of the ball, and rendering the projectile less likely to turn over in its flight
through the air.
Secondly, the improvement in projectiles herein-bofore described, and illus-
trated in Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making the
said projectiles hollow or tubular from end to end, or of the form of a hollow
cylinder, and closing the hind part or base of the projectile by means of a
metal or other disc, against which disc the powder acts in projecting the said
tubular ball from the barrel.
Thirdly, the method herein described of protecting the surface of projectiles
or balls from the fatty matter used in lubricating the same, that is to say, by
coating the said projectiles or balls with a covering of beeswax, shellac,
varnish, or such like material as will resist the action of the said fatty
matter.
Fourthly, the mixtures or combinations of substances herein-before described
for lubricating cartridges and projectiles.
Fifthly, the use of glycerine for softening the wads of cartridges, and
lubricating the barrels of fire-arms, as herein-before described.
Sixthly, attaching a disc of metal to the wads of cartridges, for preventing
the said wads sticking to the front or point of the projectile after leaving
the fire-arm, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS WILSON. (L.S.)