IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOT OR PROJECTILES
Year: 1854

page_text: Letters
wen was no given
time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Kennedy at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th November
. 1854.
I, THOMAS KENNEDY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,
Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOT OR PROJECTILES" to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates principally to the arrangement and construction of
cylindro-conoidal shot or projectiles, in such a manner that great accuracy of
flight and certainty of effect are secured. In carrying out this Invention with
cylindro-conoidal shot, the cylindrical portion, forming the after part or base
of the projectile, is made hollow, for the purpose of receiving a series of move-
able feather pieces, which are arranged to be pressed through or into longi-
tudinal slots in the cylindrical portion of the projectile by a piece of caoutchouc
or other elastic material, also contained in the hollow of the projectile. It is
preferred to use four such longitudinal feather pieces, the shell portion of the
shot being cut through, with four slots to correspond, at equal distances apart.
Each feather piece has upon it a narrow longitudinal flange, turned inwards
when the feather is in position, and of such a size as to prevent the feather
from passing through the slot entirely when the pieces-are-inserted in their
longitudinal radial position. A piece of caoutchouc is inserted into the-bollow
of the shot, so as to press against all the four flanged sides, and thus tend to

page_text: keep the feathers fully projected outwards. The flat base of the shot is covered
with a disc cap piece, screwed or otherwise attached to the shot, to keep all
solid. A piece of cloth or other suitable material is then cut to the form of a
Maltese cross, and the solid central portion of this cloth being disposed to
correspond to the capped base, the four arm pieces of the cloth are turned
over, so as to embrace the cylindrical part of the shot. In this condition a
metal ring, of an external diameter somewhat larger than the bore of the gun
in which the shot is to be fired, is passed upon the base of the shot, and
entered upon the cylindrical portion thereof in such manner as to embrace
the cloth, and force the longitudinal feathers down into their slots, bringing the
external edges of the feather pieces flush with the external contour of the shot.
When the shot is placed in the gun, the base being entered first, the external
ring is pressed off the shot by the action of charging, the shot with the whole
of the parts connected with it being then forced down into the gun. The
embracing ring is only pushed off the shot as the latter enters base first;
hence the ring keeps the feather pieces flush with the cylinder of the shot
until fairly embraced by the gun. The shot thus passes easily down the bore,
the external cloth being greased, after the manner of the usual patch. When
the discharge takes place, and the shot leaves the gun, the reaction of the
elastic centre piece forces out the feather pieces, which are no longer restrained
by the gun's bore, and these feather pieces at once become projecting guides
for the shot's flight. If the shot or projectile is intended to fly without rotating
upon its centre, these feather pieces are placed perfectly parallel with the shot's
axis; but if rotation is intended, as in a rifle ball, the feathers are more.ór
less inclined to the axial line of the ball, when rotation will take place during
the flight, on the principle of the feathered arrow. By the adoption of this
Invention the common smooth bore pieces may be made to act with the best
effect of rifled arms. Various forms of projectiles may be used, but the
cylindro-conoidal shape possesses-every-obvious advantage for the purposes.