IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Caudwell, of Oatlands House, Shillingford, in
the County of Oxford, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 31st May 1864, and dated the 15th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Caudwell, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
March 1864.
I, HENRY CAUDWELL, of Oatlands House, Shillingford, in the County of
5 Oxford, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES," to be as follows:--
My Invention of improvements in projectiles relates to a novel construction
of shot or shell to be used with heavy ordnance. The projectile, whether
solid or hollow, is made cylindrical with a triangular or pyramidal head or fore'
O end with the point or apex cut off so as to leave a flat head of a triangular
shape. The sides or faces of the pyramidal head may be made slightly con-
cave, if desired, and the rear end of the projectile should be hollowed out so
as to make it lighter than the fore end in order to ensure accuracy in the
flight. In shells or hollow projectiles the fore end being solid will naturally
5 be heaviest.
The next 'improvement consists in fluting the cylindrical part of the pro-
jectile so that the sharp projecting edges of the flutes may be able to cut their
way down the bore of the gun when it has become foul through long firing.

page_text: The projectile is also provided with one, two, or more leaden or other rings,
which will be expanded by the explosion of the charge, and by being caused to
fit the bore and the grooves made therein will prevent loss of explosive force
by windage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Caudwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
CAUDWELL, of Oatlands House, Shillingford, in the County of Oxford, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Caudwell, Her special license that I, the said Henry Caud-
well, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Caudwell, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry
Candwell, 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 Henry Caudwell, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Projectiles" relates to a novel con-
struction of shot or shell to be used with heavy ordnance, the principal object
being to produce a shot of great penetrating power.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn several views of my improved

page_text: projectiles, which may be made either solid or hollow, and are constructed of a
cylindrical form with a triangular or pyramidal head or fore end, the point or
apex of which is cut off.so as to leave a flat head of a triangular shape.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of my improved projectiles; Fig. 2 is an
end or top view of the same shewing the triangular end, which may be slightly
concaved or depressed; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a hollow projectile or
shell; Fig. 4, a horizontal section of a solid shot. The sides or face of the
pyramidal head may be made slightly concave, if desired, and the rear end of
the projectile should be hollowed out, as indicated by dots in Fig. 1, so as to
make it lighter than the fore end in order to ensure accuracy in the flight.
In shells or hollow projectiles, such as that shewn at Fig. 3, the fore end being
solid will naturally be heaviest, and therefore the rear end need not be
hollowed out as shewn in Fig. 1.
The next improvement consists in fluting the cylindrical part of the pro-
jectile, as seen best in Fig. 4, so that the sharp projecting edges of the flutes
may be able to cut their way down the bore of the gun when it has become
foul through long firing. The projectile is also provided with one, two, or
more leaden or other rings a, a, which will be expanded by the explosion of
the charge, and by being caused to fit the bore of the gun and the grooves
made therein will prevent loss of explosive force by windage.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation, and Fig. 6 a horizontal section, and Fig. 7 an end
view of a modification of the projectile shewn at Fig. 1. In this instance the
body of the projectile is reduced in such a manner that the sides thereof touch
the bore of the gun only at three ribs or spaces marked b, b, b. The shot,
which is made of hard steel, is also provided with sharp angles or cutting
edges c, c, c, which will materially assist in causing the projectile to penetrate
an armour plate. I prefer that the ribs b, b, b, should be made separately, of
soft iron or other suitable substance, which may be let into dovetailed or other
grooves, so that when the shot strikes any object these ribs may be knocked
out and not prevent the projectile from penetrating an object.
Fig. 8, Sheet II., is a side elevation of another modification; Fig. 9 is
a plan or end view of the same. In this instance the shot itself is made
triangular, but the ribs b, b, are forged solid with the shot, and the projectile
is brought to a cylindrical form to fit the bore of the gun by the addition of
filling pieces d, d, one of which is shewn detached in elevation and cross
section, at Figs. 10. These filling pieces may be coated with lead to suit rifled
ordnance. Fig. 11 is à cross section of another shot in which the ribs b, b, do
not fit the bore of the gun, and the filling pieces are not dovetailed into them,
but extend over their edges.

page_text: Having now described my Invention of." Improvements in Projectiles," and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim, as
the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, constructing
projectiles with triangular flat heads and angular cutting edges, as herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Caudwell, have hereunto set my
' hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
HY. CAUDWELL. (L.S.)