Ar EXPLODING SHOT OR PROJECTILE
Year: 1829

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN TUCKER, of Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex, Brewer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Second day of November, in the
tenth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give.
and grant unto me, the said John Tucker, His especial licence that I
the said John Tucker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, 'or
such others as I, the said John Tucker, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and also in all His said
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "Ar
EXPLODING SHOT OR PROJECTILE," in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, obliging me, the said John Tucker, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and

page_text: ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said John Tucker, do hereby describe the nature of my said Invention
to consist in a projectile which bursts by means of percussion powder,
and which powder receives the necessary blow to cause it explode from
a loose bolt, which, when the projectile is passing through the air,
remains at the hinder part of a tube made to receive it, but the instant
the projectile meets with any sudden check or impediment, such as
striking against a target or the object it is aimed at, the bolt rushes to
the forward end of the tube, where the percussion powder is placed,
with such violence as to cause an immediate explosion. And in further
compliance with the said proviso, I, the said John Tucker, do hereby
describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be performed by
the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
Description of the Drawing.-Figure 1, is a side view of my said
projectile complete. Figure 2, is a view of the front or head.
Figure 3, is a view of the opposite or feathered end, shewing the three
fans or wings to guide the projectile, or keep it straight, on the
principle of the feathers of an arrow. Figure 4, represents a longi-
tudinal section of my said projectile: A, is the head or magazine; B,
is a screw plug, through which the magazine is charged with powder;
C, C, are two of the said fans or wings; D, is a long hollow space or
chamber, cast in the hinder part or tail of the projectile, to receivo and
keep steady the tube E; this tube is screwed into the projectile at F,
and contains the loose bolt and percussion powder, as shewn more
clearly in the next Figure. Figure 5, is a section of the tube E, sup-
posed to be unscrewed at F, and drawn out of the projectile; G, is the
loose bolt or hammer which gives the blow on the percussion powder;
H, is a screw plug, one end of which forms a nipple I, on which the

page_text: percussion powder is placed or tied. In this Figure it is represented
as put in a small bag and tied over the nipple. J, is a piece of quick
match, drawn through two holes pierced in the tube E, to serve as
vents; it will be observed that the screw plug H, has two screw
threads cut on it K, and L; the former screws into one end of the tube
F, and the latter into the magazine or end F, of the projectile. S, is
the end of the tube closed. In order to prepare this projectile for use
the bolt, percussion powder, and quick match should be arranged as
shewn in Figure 5, and then screwed into the projectile, as shewn at
Figure 4; the screw B, should then be removed, and the part A, filled
or partly filled with gunpowder, when the screw B, should be replaced,
and the projectile put into a canvass case fitted to it, when it is ready
to be put into the gun to be shot off, and it is only necessary to
observe that the feather end should be next to the powder in the gun.
It may be fired from an ordinary cannon, like any other shot, and the
effect will be as follows: while the projectile is passing through the air
the bolt G, will remain at the hinder end of the tube E, having of
course the same impetus as the other parts of the projectile, but the
moment the impetus of the other parts receives a check by striking
against the object aimed at, the impetus gained by the bolt will carry
it forward along the tube E, to the nipple I, where it will bring up or
strike with such force as to cause the fulminating powder to explode
and communicate with the gunpowder in the part A, which will of
course instantly burst to pieces in various directions. It is scarcely
necessary to state that the fusee or quick match J, is merely to keep
the gunpowder in A, from passing into the tube E, through the vent
holes.
Now whereas I claim as my Invention an exploding shot or
projectile, the explosion of which is caused by fulminating powder
being struck by a bolt or hammer, which derives its force from the
impetus given to the missile by firing it from the cannon, but the
impetus of which bolt continues after that of the other parts of
the projectile has ceased or is checked. And such my Invention being
to the best of my knowledge and belief entirely new, and never before
used within that part of His said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great

page_text: Britain and Ireland called England, his said Dominion of Wales, or.
Town of Berwick upon Tweed, nor in any of His said Majesty's
Colonies or Plantations abroad, I do hereby declare this to be my
Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe this my said
Specification doth comply in all respects fully and without reservo or
disguise with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent contained; wherefore I do hereby claim to maintain
exclusivo right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Tucker, have hereunto
set my hand, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our
T
JOHN (Ls.) TUCKER,
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-ninth day of
April, in the eleventh year of the reign of His Majesty King George
the Fourth, the said John Tucker came before our said Lord the King,
in His Chancery, and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all
and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor
of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late
Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-ninth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty.