IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PROJECTILES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lawrence, of Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 2nd February 1853, and dated the 8th December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lawrence
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th December 1852.
I, JAMES LAWRENCE, of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PROJECTILES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of casting projectiles of two or more
metals, the one by its softness fitting to the bore of the fire-arm,
and the other acting by its hardness when thrown.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said James Lawrence in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES LAWRENCE, of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
5 send grecting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her Reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto ine, the said James Lawrence, Her
special licence that I, the said James Lawrence, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jaines
Lawrence, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF PROJECTILES,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Lawrence, 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 James Lawrence, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 (that is to say):
This Invention consists of casting projectiles of two or more
metals, the one by its softness fitting the bore of the fire-arm, and
the other acting by its hardness when thrown. And in order that
my Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me. This
Invention is peculiarly applicable to those projectiles which are
made of greater length than their diameter. And in forming the
inoulds, therefore, in place of making them such as would produce
a projectile of the same diameter from end to end, I cause them to
be made in such manner that the part of a projectile which is of the
harder netal may be of somewhat less diameter than the part which

page_text: is made of the softer metal, in order that the softer metal, being
somewhat larger than the harder metal, may fit the barrel when
discharged, whilst the harder metal will pass out of the barrel
freely. The projectiles may be made of various metal, but I believe
that the best two metals to be employed are lead and zinc, but I do
not confine myself thereto, as others may be used; and I make the
projectiles in such manner that the fore part of each projectile
which strikes the object is of the harder metal, zinc, and the hinder
part of the projectiles is of lead, to fit the barrel. I melt these metals
in separate vessels, and I pour the lead first into the mould, and the
zinc as soon after as the lead begins to set at its outer surfaces, but
before the other parts become hard; and I have found that a pro-
jectile consisting of nine parts by weight of zinc and twelve parts
by weight of lead is a good proportion, but these may be varied.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that
what I claim is, the manufacture of projectiles by casting them of
two or more metals, the one by its softness fitting the bore of the
fire-arin, and the other acting with more effect by its hardness
when thrown against an object.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lawrence, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year
of our Land One thousand nial
5 Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
JAMES LAWRENCE. (L.s.)