IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCKET GUNS AND ROCKET HARPOONS AND APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH FOR THE CAPTURE OF WHALES AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Welcome Roys, of the City of New York,
United States of America, Master Mariner, and Gustavus Adolphus
Lilliendahl, of the City of New York, aforesaid, Pyrotechnist, for the
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCKET GUNS AND ROCKET HARPOONS AND
APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH FOR THE CAPTURE OF WHALES AND OTHER
PURPOSES"
Sealed the 22nd August 1865, and dated the 27th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Welcome Roys
and Gustavus Adolphus Lilliendahl at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th February 1865.
We, THOMAS WELCOME ROYS, of the City of New York, United States of
America, Master Mariner, and GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS LILLIENDAHL, of the City
of New York, aforesaid, Pyrotechnist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCKET GUNS AND ROCKET HARPOONS AND
APPARATUS TO BE USED THEREWITH FOR THE CAPTURE OF WHALES AND OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in rocket guns and rocket
harpoons, and in the apparatus to be used therewith, and consists chiefly in
certain improvements on an Invention by the said Thomas Welcome Roys, and
for which Her Majesty was pleased to grant to William Walker, of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-
second day of February 1861, and numbered 450, and which consists, firstly,

page_text: in forming the fore part of the rocket gun or tube which receives the shell
rocket with a longitudinal groove or open slot on the under side in place of
the longitudinal recess described in the Specification of the herein-before
recited Letters Patent, and also in forming a longitudinal groove or open slot
in the fore part of the upper surface of the rocket gun or tube, so as to allow
the fire of the rocket to escape therethrough, for balancing the escape of the
back fire through the open cut or slot in the under side, for counteracting the
action of the back fire so as not to cause the tube to deflect or rise up and
destroy the aim; secondly, in dispensing with the gun lock and substituting
therefor a small pistol to the under side or side of the rocket gun or tube, in
such a manner that on the pistol being fired with a blank charge the fire
thereof will strike against the rear end of the rocket and instantly ignite the
same. This improved rock.et is fitted with the improved folding pro-
gun
tectors, which are opened out by the first action of the back fire to protect
the operator from the back fire, as described in the Specification of the herein-
before mentioned Letters Patent.
Now this improved rocket gun may consist of a cylindrical metal tube of
(say) about six feet long and three inches bore, the rear end of which is
covered with a disc held in position by four parallel rods of (say) aboutten
inches in length, between which the back fire escapes laterally and equally in
all directions.
And, thirdly, the improved rocket harpoon consists of a cylindrical metal
shell of about twelve inches long, the head of which is formed with a conical
point, or conically pointed and barbed, or of any other suitable form. To the
rear end of this shell is screwed a metal rocket tube of (say) about fifteen
inches long, and which is of slightly less diameter in the body than the shell,
and is surrounded by a casing of paper or other suitable material, so as to fill
up the bore of the gun. The rear end of the rocket is closed by a stout metal
nut through the centre of which is a hole or aperture for igniting the rocket
and for the escape of the back fire. To this nut is attached a looped rod of
(say) half-inch iron, which extends nearly the whole length of the tube of the
gun in rear of the nut. On this looped rod is fitted a sliding eye, upon the
under side of which is formed another ring of (say) about two inches in
diameter, to which is attached the harpoon line. At the junction or throat of
the two rings or eyes there is welded or cast a short transverse bar to act as a
stop when it comes into contact with the whales or other substance. The
metal nut on the rear end of the rocket is fitted with two, three, four, or any
required number of folding barbed arms which fold backwards into the centre
within the diameter of the tube.

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as foliows:-The shell rocket and looped rod
on the rear end thereof, with its sliding eye and appendages, being connected
together and attached to the barpoon line, the looped rod is introduced into
the tube and slid backwards until the sliding ring on the looped rod arrives at
the end of the open slot in the bottom of the gun. The pistol being screwed
into position, and the upper protecting flap being folded down, the operator
places the gun on the top of his shoulder, the hinder end of which extends in
rear of his body; he then takes aim, discharges the pistol, which ignites the
rocket, and the moment it commences to discharge its back fire and advance
the protecting flapsare thrown into a vertical position, thereby protecting the
operator from the action of the back fire. The sliding eye on the looped rod
is carried through the groove by the rear end of the looped rod,the harpoon
line being drawn forward thereby. When the sheel rocket and looped rod
enters the whale or other substance against which it is projected it is prevented
penetrating too far by the check given by the cross bar, which is now in rear
of the sliding eye and in advance of the harpoon line. When the shell
explodes and the harpoon line tightens the folding barbed arms, fitted to the
nut in rear of the rocket, spread out from one another and give good hold to
the looped rod and harpoon line.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Welcome Roys and Gustavus Adolphus Lilliendahl
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WELCOME ROYS, of the City of New York, United States of America, Master
Mariner, and GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS LILLIENDAHL, of the City of New York,
aforesaid, Pyrotechnist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Thomas Welcome Roys and Gustavus Adolphus Lilliendahl,
Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Welcome Roys and Gustavus
Adolphus Lilliendahl, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Thomas Welcome Roys and Gustavus Adolphus
Lilliendahl, our executors administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and all times thereafter

page_text: 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
ROCKET GUNS AND ROCKET HARPOONS AND APPARATUS TO BE USED THERE WITH FOR
THE CAPTURE OF WHALES AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Thomas Welcome Roys and Gustavus Adolphus
Lilliendahl, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 iminediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Welcome Roys and Gustavus
Adolphus Lilliendahl,do hereby declare the nature of our 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 our said Invention relates to certain improvements in rocket guns and
rocket harpoons, and in the apparatus to be used therewith, and consists
chiefly in certain improvements on an Invention by the said Thomas Welcome
Roys,and for which Her Majesty was pleased to grant to William Walker,
of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Her Letters Patent, bearing date
the Twenty-second day of February 1861, and numbered 450, and which
consists, firstly, in forming the fore part of the rocket gun or tube, which
receives the shell rocket, with a longitudinal groove or open slot on the under
side in place of the longitudinal recess described in the Specification of the
herein-before last recited Letters Patent, and also in forming a longitudinal
groove or open slot in the fore part of the upper surface of the rocket gun or
tube, so as to allow the fire of the rocket to escape therethrough, for balancing
the escape of the back fire through the open cut or slot in the under side, for
counteracting the action of the back fire, so as not to cause the tubeto deflect
or rise up and destroy the aim; secondly, in dispensing with the gun lock and
substituting therefor a small pistol to the under side or side of the rocket gun
or tube in such a manner that on the pistol being fired with a blank charge
the fire thereof will strike against the rear end of the rocket and instantly
ignite the same. This our improved rocket gun is fitted with the improved
folding protectors, which are opened out by the first action of the back fire,to
protect the operator from the back fire, as described in the Specification of
the herein-before last mentioned Letters Patent.
Now this our improved rocket gun may consist of a cylindrical metal tube

page_text: of, say, about six feet long and three inches bore, the rear end of which is
covered with a disc held in position by fcur parallel rods of, say, about ten
inches in length, between which the back fire escapes latterally and equally in
all directions.
And, thirdly, our improved rocket harpoon consists of a cylindrical metal
shell of, say, about twelve inches long, the head of which is formed with a
conical point, or conically pointed and barbed, or of any other suitable form.
To the rear end of this shell is screwed a metal rocket tube ef, say, about
fifteen inches long, and which is of slightly less diameter in the body than the
shell, and is surrounded by a casing of paper or other suitable material, so as
to fill up the bore of the gun. The rear end of the rocket we close by a stout
metal plug, through the centre of which is a hole or aperture for igniting the
rocket and for the escape of the back fire. To this plug we attach a looped
rod of, say, half-inch iron, which extends nearly the whole length of the tube
of the gun, in rear of the rocket tube. On this looped rod we fit a sliding
eye, upon the under side of which we form another ring of, say, about two
inches in diameter, to which we attach the harpoon line. At the junction or
throat of the two rings or eyes we weld or cast a short transverse bar to act
as a stop when it comes into contact with the whales or other substances.
The metal plug on the rear end of the rocket we fit with two, three, four, or
any required number of folding barbed arms, which fold backwards into the
centre within the diameter of the tube.
The action of this our improved apparatus is as follows:-The shell rocket
and looped rod on the rear end thereof, with its sliding eye and appendages,
being connected together and attached to the harpoon line, the looped rod is
introduced into the tube and slid backwards until the sliding ring on the
looped rod arrives at the end of the open slot in the bottom of the gun. The
pistol being screwed into position,and the upper protecting flap being folded
down, the operator places the gun on the top of his shoulder, the hinder end
of which extends in rear of his body; he then takes aim, discharges the pistol,
which ignites the rocket, and the moment it commences to discharge its back
fire and advance the protecting flaps are thrown into a vertical position,
thereby protecting the operator from the action of the back fire. The sliding
eye on the looped rod is carried through the groove by the rear end of the
looped rod, the harpoon line being drawn forward thereby. When the shell
rocket and looped rod enter the whale or other substance against which it is
projected, it is prevented penetrating too far by means of the check given by
the cross bar, which is now in rear of the sliding eye and in advance of the
harpoon line. When the shell explodes, and the harpoon line tightens, the

page_text: folding barbed arms fitted to the nut in rear of the rocket spread out from
one another and give good hold to the looped rod and harpoon line.
That this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
we have hereunto annexed Drawings in illustration ofso muchof our Invention
as will enable the nature of the same to be readily understood by those
practised in the art, like letters and figures marked thereon being used to
denote similar parts.
Figurel is a longitudinal vertical sectional elevation of one of our improved
shell rocket harpoons and one of our improved rocket harpoon guns, showing
the small pistol screwed into a nipple on the under side of the gun for the
purpose of igniting the rocket; and Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same,
showing the protecting lap elevated.
Figure 3 is a full-sized back view of the head of the plug for a gun of, say,
three-inches bore, which is used for closing the rear end of the rocket, and to
which the looped rod is securelyattached, and towhich are jointed the folding
barbs B, B1, B2, and B3. In this modification the four barbed arms are used
in pairs parallel to each other, each of which pair have a common axis; and,
Figure 5 is a half-size back view of the plug, showing the barbs arranged
at right angles to each other; and, Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section
of the same, also half size, for a gun of three-inches bore, taken through the
looped rod, which is shown broken off; and, Figure 7 is an horizontal section
of the same taken from a to b, Figure 4, which is also drawn half size, for a
gun of three-inches bore, one of the barbs being shown opened out, and on
which the link rod is shown broken off.
A is a cylindrical tube of the rocket gun, in which are cut Band B¹, two
longitudinal slots or openings on the top of the gun barrel or tube to allow the
escape of the back fire from the rocket in an upward direction, and to which
is fitted, C, a vertical disc which has a port opening formed on the top and
fitted with D, a jointed cover or flap which is folded down during the time of
taking aim, but which is elevated by the action of the back fire of the rocket;
E, E, and E2, are rods connected to the rear of the gun barrel, and the outer
ends of which carry F, a disc, against the inner face of which the back fire of
the rocket acts, escaping through between the bars; G, a longitudinal slot
cut through the under side of the gun tube, in which travels the throat of the
double eye or ring, and through which a portion of the back fire from the
rocket escapes when discharged; H, a nipple, formed on the under side of
the gun barrel, into which is screwed K, a small pistol for igniting the rocket;
L, an explosive shell, on the rear end of which is screwed M, the rocket,
the metal tube of which is of slightly less diameter than that of the shell and

page_text: the closing plug on the rear end thereof, and which deficiency in diameter is
made up by being surrounded externally with N,a covering of paper or other
suitable material; P, the plug closing the rear end of the rocket, and to which
is securely attached Q, the looped rod, and to which are jointed R, R; R²,
aud R3, the folding barbs, which, in Figures 3 and 4, are shown broken off,.
and through which there is S,a hole for igniting the charge and allowing the
escape of the back fire; T, an eye or ring through which slides the lower
portion of the looped rod Q, and which has attached thereto U, a rigid
transverse bar or stop rod, and below and in one picce therewith; V, a second
ring or eye, to which is attached W, the harpoon line.
When it is desired to discharge the gun the shell rocket harpoon is inserted
in the tube of the gun, taking care to bring the ring to the fore end of the
looped rod, so as to allow the throat thereof to slide through the groove G ou
the under side of the gun. Load the pistol with a small quantity of powder
and screw it on to the nipple H, cap the pistol, fold down the protecting
flap D,then place the gun on the top of the shoulder, take aim, discharge the
pistol, which ignites the rocket, which in its progress allows the lower. portion
of the looped rod to pass through the eye T until it arrives at the rear end of
the loop, when it carries forward with it the harpoon line W; when, on its
entering the whale or other substance,the rocket harpoon is prevented penc-
trating too far by means of the transverse rod or bar U. On the explosion of
the shell the rocket case and closing plug Pare driven backwards,causing the
barbed arms R, R1, R2, and R3, to open outwards, thereby ensuring a good
hold for the harpoon line.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this our said
Invention, and the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions, as it will
be readily seen that the same may be considerably varied without departing
from the Iuvention, but what we claim as new and our Invention is,-
Firstly, the construction of rocket harpoon guns with a longitudinal slot or
cut on the under side of the barrel, substantially in the manner and for the.
purposes herein-before described and set forth.
Secondly, the forming of the longitudinal grooves, slots, or openings on the
upper side of the gun barrel for allowing the escape of a portion of the back
fire to counteract or balance the escape of the back fire through the cut in
the bottom of the barrel, and for elevating the protecting curtain or flap, as
herein-before described and set forth.
Thirdly, the application of the small pistol on the under side or side of the

page_text: barrel,substantially in the manner in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described and set forth.
Fourthly, the peculiar form of plug used to close the rear end of the rocket,
and for carrying the barbed arms and looped rod.
Fifthly, the looped rod for carrying the double eye and transverse stop bar
or rod, and for attaching the harpoon line thereto, as herein.before described
and set forth.
Sixthly, surrounding the metallic rocket case or tube with paper or other
similar substitute, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described and set forth.
Lastly, the general arrangement and combination of the various parts of the
apparatus, and mode of operating the same, substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Welcome Roys and Gustavus
Adolphus Lilliendahl have hereunto set our hands and affixed our
seals, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
THOMAS WELCOME (L.S.) ROYS..
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS (L.S.) LILLIENDAHL.
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.