IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lynall Thomas, of Chapel Place, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 19th February 1856, and dated the 23rd August 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lynall Thomas
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd August 1855.
I, WILLIAM LYNALL THOMAS, of Chapel Place, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PROJECTILES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in forming elongated shot and shell in such manner
as to cause them to expand while being fired around the upper as well as the
bottom parts thereof. For this purpose, I cast round the upper part of the shot
or shell in a chamber provided for it, a ring of lead or other suitable soft metal,
and by dovetail or other suitable joints cast on to the bottom of the shot or
shell an expanding cup or sabot of lead or other suitable soft metal, and between
the two soft metals I fit an iron or other hard metal ferrule. The first effect
of the discharge prior to the shot acquiring much motion is to expand the
bottom sabot, and simultaneously through the ferrule to cause expansion in the
upper soft metal ring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Lyuall Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LYNALL THOMAS, of Chapel. Place, in, the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August; in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Iler
reign, did. for IIerself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Lynall Thomas, Iler special licence that I, the said William
Lynall Thomas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Lynall Thomas, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Lynall Thomas, or my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 William Lynall Thomas, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:
My Invention consists in forming clongated shot and shell in such manner
as to cause them to expand while being fired around the upper as well as the
botton or lower parts thereof. For this purpose, I cast round the upper part
of the shot or shell in a clamber or recess provided for it, a ring of lead or
other suitable soft metal, and by dovetail or other suitable joints cast on to the
bottom or lower part of the shot.or shell an expanding cup or sabot, or ring
of lead, or other suitable soft metal, and between the two soft metals I fit an
iron or other liard metal ferrule. The first effect of the discharge prior to
the shot acquiring much motion is to expand the bottom sabôt or ring, and

page_text: Simultaneously throug
metal ring.
Ice to... Cause expansion the upper soft
:.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have represented examples of the
manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1. is a longitudinal section, taken through the axis, of a shell to which
it is applied. A, A, is the body of the shell; B, B, a cup or sabôt, of lead or
other suitable soft metal, in one with which are cast the projecting pieces b, b,
a transverse view of which is shewn in Figure 2; the object of these pieces
being to connect the cup or sabôt B, B, permanently with the body A of the
projectile. C, C, is a ring of soft metal cast round the upper part of the shell..
In one with this ring C; and of the same metal, is a casting D, D, the object
of which is to counterbalance the weight of the cup or sabôt B, and bring the:
centre of gravity of the shell nearer the upper.end. than it would otherwise be.
E, E, is a ferrule of hard metal, surrounding the body A, between the ring C,.
and the cup or sabôt B. This ferrule is of a wedge form at its upper end, and,
fits in behind the ring C.. When the discharge of the piece from which the
shell is fired takes place, the cup or sabôt B is expanded, and is at the same.
time forced-against the ferrule E, E, which again is forced against the ring C,
and expands it, as will be readily understood. The motion of the ferrule E is
limited by the projection d, d, on the body of the shell. c, c, are rings, of felt
or other suitable substance placed in circular grooves in the cup or sabot B
and the ring C, respectively. This shell is intended to explode by percussion,
and for this purpose it has fitted to it at the extremity Fan ordinary or other
percussion cap suitable for shells,
1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal, section,, taken through the axis, of another shell
to which my Invention is applied. A, A, is the body of the projectile; B, B, a
ring of lead, copper, or other soft metal, which takes the place of the cup or
sabot shewn in Figure 1, being removed from the extreme end of the projectile
and cast in a circular recess a, a, above which is another small circular recess
b. b, inclined in the opposite direction to a, a; the object of this recess b, b, being,
that when the ring B is expanded a portion of it may be forced therein, and the
ring B be thus retained tightly on the shell. C, C, is a ring of soft metal cast
round the upper part of the shell. c, c, are in this Figure also rings of felt or
other suitable substance, placed in circular grooves in the rings B and C
respectively. D, D, is a ferrule of hard metal, similar both in construction and
action to that shewn in Figure 1, its motion being limited by the projection d, d,
on the body of the shell. This shell may be exploded either by a suitable
percussion cap at E, or by a suitable fuse at F, and it may, if desirable, be
furnished with a conoidal head, as shewn in dotted lines.

page_text: Figure 4 is a longitudinal section, taken through the axis, of a projectile in
which two shells are combined, and to which my Invention is applied; the
combination of the two shells being rendered practicable by my Invention.
A, A, is a shell, to which the expanding rings, &c. are fitted precisely as shewn
in Figure 3. Into the upper end of this shell A is screwed a spherical shell
G, G, which may be charged with small shot, powder, &c., as in the case of
shrapnel shells or otherwise. At F is a fuse for firing the charge in A; and
at II is a second fuse for firing the charge in G. The object of this arrange-
nient is to produce a very destructive effect by obtaining two successive
explosions, first of the shell A, and then of the shell G.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, forming elongated shot and shell in such manner as to cause them to
expand while being fired around the upper as well as the bottom or lower parts
thereof.
Second, the several arrangements for carrying my Invention into effect,
shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lynall Thomas, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
T
'ΣΤΙΤΟΠΙ ΠΙΤΑΣ ΤΟ
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