Improvements in Signal Rockets.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Signal Rockets.
I, HENRY CHRISTOPHER MANCE, of Manora, Newnham Road, Bedford, in the
County of Bedfordshire, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SIGNAL ROCKETS to be as follows :-
My improvements can be fitted to any ordinary rocket or bomb.
Rockets carrying stars or other pyrotechnic devices are usually provided with a
hollow head in which the stars etc. are packed the whole being dispersed and ignited
by an explosive charge which ruptures the chamber when the propelling force of
the rocket is expended.
In my invention the hollow head of the rocket which may be of the usual shape
and dimensions is removeable or the conical end of the rocket forms a cover (which
is by preference made of thin metal). The charging of the rocket with stars or
other matter which it is intended to ignite when the rocket is near the end of its
flight can therefore be deferred until the moment before firing.,
Instead therefore of keeping rockets permanently charged with certain signals or
explosives which cannot be readily changed I keep the rocket and stars distinct so
that any combination can be effected at the time it is required to make the signal.
The chamber may be filled with common stars of the same or divers colors or with
dynamite or one or more floating stars with parachutes as hereinafter described.
Assuming floating stars of three colors only used and that the chamber holds
from one to four complete stars it will be obvious that upwards of 34 signals can
be effected or with a single rocket and a small box of stars any one of 34 signals
can be made only a few seconds being required to prepare the rocket the signals in
which can be changed at pleasure.
The code of signals may be secret or international. To enable stars to be
accurately noted each star should be attached to a parachute constructed of water-
proof paper the star and its respective parachute being carefully packed in a thin
metal or card damp proof case which may be colored so as to indicate the color
of the star it contains.
The cases containing the star and parachute may be closed at each end by thin
metal or damp proof material which can be torn away before placing the star in
the rocket. The cases are slightly taper so that the parachute and star may be
easily dislodged from its protecting cover. The length of the star cases should
be that of the chamber and their section either triangular-semi-circular or circular
according to the number of signals it is desired to display simultaneously in the
code employed.
The bottom of the parachute & star case is perforated to allow of the star or
its fuse being ignited by the explosive charge in the rocket-a slight supplementary
explosive charge in the bottom of the case or at the end of the star frees it with
the parachute from its shell immediately it has been expelled from the rocket and
the parachute is folded in such a manner that it readily opens and supports the
ignited star.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Signal Rockets.
HENRY CHRISTOPHER MANCE, of Manora, Newnham Road, Bedford, in the
County of Bedfordshire, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My improvement can be fitted to any ordinary rocket or bomb.
Rockets carrying stars or other pyrotechnic devices are usually provided with a
hollow head in which the stars etc., are packed the whole being dispersed and
ignited by an explosive charge which ruptures the chamber when the propelling
force of the rocket is expended.
In my invention the hollow head of the rocket which may be of the usual shape
and dimensions is removable or the conical end of the rocket forms a cover (which
is by preference made of thin metal) the charging of the rocket with stars or other
matter which it is intended to ignite when the rocket is near the end of its flight
can therefore be deferred until the moment before firing.
Instead therefore of keeping rockets permanently charged with certain signals
or explosives which cannot be readily changed I keep the rocket & stars distinct
so that any combination can be effected at the time it is required to make the
signal. The chamber may be filled with common stars of the same or divers
colors or with dynamite or one or more floating stars with parachutes as herein-
after described.
Assuming floating stars of three colors only are used and that the chamber holds
from one to four complete stars it will be obvious that upwards of 34 signals can
be effected, or with a single rocket and a small box of stars any one of 34 signals
can be made only a few seconds being required to prepare the rocket the signals in
which can be changed at pleasure.
The code of signals may be secret or international. To enable stars to be
accurately noted each star should be attached to a parachute constructed of water-
proof paper the star and its respective parachute being carefully packed in a thin
metal or card damp proof case which may be colored so as to indicate the color of
the star it contains.
The cases containing the parachute and star may be closed at each end by thin
metal or damp proof material which can be torn away before placing the star in
the rocket, the cases are slightly taper so that the parachute and star may be easily
dislodged from its protecting cover, the length of the star cases should be that of
the chamber and their section either triangular, semicircular, or circular according
to the number of signals it is desired to display simultaneously in the code
employed.
The bottom of the parachute and star case is perforated to allow of the star or
its fuse being ignited by the explosive charge in the rocket, a slight supplementary
explosive charge in the bottom of the case or the end of the star frees it with the
parachute from its shell immediately it has been expelled from the rocket and the
parachute is folded in such a manner that it readily opens and supports the ignited
star.
With reference to the drawings (a) Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is the conical end forming
a cover to the empty chamber on the top of the rocket (g). This conical end is
fixed to a ring (b) the latter fits with but little friction over the top of the empty
chamber (c).
Fig. 3 is a top view of the chamber (c) containing four star cases (d1, d2, d 3,
& d4) the shape of the latter being arranged that four very nearly fill the whole
of the chamber (c).
The square hole (f) in the centre formed by the four star cases, serves as a
channel for the explosive force originated in the stout rocket tube (9) and which
throws off the top cover from the chamber of the rocket and ignites through the

page_text: holes (el e2 e 3 & 4) the small supplementary explosive charge contained in
the bottom of the case or star itself.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The construction of a signal rocket in such a manner that the top of the
rocket has a fixed empty chamber with a removable top which may easily be taken
off and replaced so that any combination of colored stars floating or otherwise to
represent certain signals may be put into this chamber at a moments notice before
firing.
2. And the combination of a rocket with removable top with stars floating or
otherwise kept distinct from the rocket, packed in suitable cases as described and
constructed so that they can be ignited and expelled by the explosive charge in
the rocket.
Dated this Tenth day of December 1890.
HENRY C. MANCE.