IMPROVEMENTS IN LARGE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Simon Holland, of Woolwich, in the County
of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LARGE AND
Sealed the 1st May 1855, and dated the 25th November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Simon Holland at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th November 1854.
I, JOHN SIMON HOLLAND, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LARGE AND SMALL FIRE-ARMS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF THEIR CHARGES," to be
as follows:-
My first improvement consists in making the barrels of guns and cannons
in the manner following:-For small guns, I take small iron wire, and wind
it round a centre core in layers one over the other, forming right and left
handed spirals. These are afterwards to be cemented or braised together by
brass or gun metal, so as to form one compact body. In the manufacture of
cannon, I use rods or bars of somewhat larger size, but twisted round, and
cemented or braised together or coated, as in the case of gun barrels.
My second improvement consists in making canister shot in pieces of

page_text: such shape that they shall entirely or nearly fill the canister, and so form
.a cylinder.
My third improvement consists in making a shell or grenade having a
cavity in the centre for the powder, and between that cavity and the external
case a number of pieces of metal closely packed in one or more layers, in
such manner that when the shell bursts, by the explosion of the powder, these
pieces shall become independent missiles.
My fourth improvement consists in making shot with a spiral head, and
where used for "breaching," with.a.steel. centre or nose. For small arms I
have a wire or tubular tail to the shot, passing through the centre of the
cartridge, and thus preventing the powder from being crushed in ramming
home the charge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Simon. Holland in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th May 1855.
1.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SIMON HOLLAND, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand. eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Simon Holland, Her special licence that I, the said John Simon
Holland, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Simon Holland, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LARGE
-AND-SMALL FIRE-ARMS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF THEIR CHARGES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the.said.John-Simon-Holland,-by-an-instru-
ment 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Simon Holland, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
-
My first improvement consists in making the barrels of guns and cannons
in the manner following: For small guns, I take small iron wire, and wind
it-round a-centre-core-in layers one over the other, forming right and left
handed spirals: These are afterwards to be cemented or braised together by
brass or gun metal, so as to form one compact body. In the manufacture, of
cannons, I.use-rods or-bars of somewhat larger size, but twisted round, and
cemented or braised together or coated, as in the case of gun barrels. Fig. 1
shews 'a section of part of a gun made according to this improvement. a, a, is
the core or tube, of brass, iron, or steel, round which the iron or steel rods
or wires b, b, are wound. I prefer making these coils of rods or wires with a
rectangular seçtion, although round, wire might be, used.
My second improvement consists in making canister shot in pieces of such
shape that they shall entirely or nearly fill the canister, and so form a cylinder.
Fig. 2 shows. a transverse, and Fig. 3 a. longitudinal section, of a canister shot
made according to this improvement. Figs. 4 and 5 show another modifi-
cation of my. plan; or they may be made of cubes, with filling-in pieces at
the outside; the. objects. being to fill the. canister, and to prevent the too,
great dispersion which takes place with round missiles in canister shot. a, a,
the case; b, b, the missiles. The case may be made either of tin, iron,
or paper.
.
1
My third improvement consists in making a shell or grenade having a
cavity within it for the powder, and between that cavity and the external case
a number of pieces of metal closely packed in one or more layers, in such
manner that when the shell bursts, by the explosion of the powder, these
pieces shall become independent missiles. Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section,
and Fig. 7 a half longitudinal elevation of a shell; a, à, being the carcase,
and b, b, the missiles; c, c, the cavity for the powder; and d, d, the opening
for the fusee. The carcase a, a, is fitted together in two pieces at the joint
A, B, by means of dovetailed tongues and recesses, fitted into each other and
then wedged and cemented. The missiles may likewise be incorporated in
a loam core and the carcase cast over them. The shell may be spherical
as well as of the form shewn. Fig. 8 shows a section at the line A, B,
looking towards the back end of the shell; and Fig. 9 shows a half section,
looking towards the point.

page_text: My fourth improvement consists in making shot with a spiral head, and
where used for breaching, with a steel centre or nose. For small arms, I
have a wire or tubular tail to the shot, passing through the centre of the
cartridge, and thus preventing the powder from being crushed in ramming
home the charge. Figs. 10 and 11 show "in dotted lines" a longitudinal, and
Figs. 12 and 13 an end elevation, of a shot with three spiral grooves in the
point. Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 show the steel points and caps or
plugs, of a lighter material than the body of the shot. In lead shot, the steel,
being specifically lighter than lead, would have a tendency to throw the centre
of gravity behind the centre of bulk; this would be obviated by the use of a
hollow cast iron or wood plug at the back end. a, a, is the body of the shot;.
b, b, the steel point; and c, c, the pieces of wood or cast iron intended to
throw the centre of bulk behind the centre of gravity. Fig. 16 shows the
pin or tube b attached to the shot a. On ramming home the charge, the end
of the pin will go to the breach, and take the pressure from the ramrod, and
thus prevent the powder from being crushed fine, and spoilt thereby.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention in the several
parts thereof, I declare that I do not confine myself to the details hercin-
before described so long as the distinguishing character of any part of my
said Invention is retained; but what I claim is, the several improvements
described under the first, second, third, and fourth heads of this Specification,
and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Simon Holland, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.