Ax IMPROVED WAR ROCKET AND ROCKET TUBE
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hanmer Fletcher, late Captain in the
Military Train, and Robert Forrest, Gent., both of Woolwich, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "Ax IMPROVED WAR ROCKET AND
ROCKET TUBE."
Sealed the 7th June 1864, and dated the 9th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hanmer Fletcher
and Robert Forrest at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 9th December 1863.
We, THOMAS HANMER FLETCHER, late Captain in the Military Train, and
ROBERT FORREST, Gent., both of Woolwich, in the County of Kent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED WAR ROCKET AND
BOOKET TUBE," to be as follows:-
The principal features of this Invention are that the rocket and tube-from
which it is fired are so constructed that a spiral or rifle movement is given to
the rocket.
We first construct a rocket tube of the necessary internal diameter suiting
the external diameter of the rocket. We place this tube in a rifling machine
and cut three or more (in number if necessary) of spiral grooves in the
internal surface of the tube, the usual twist being three-fourths of a turn in

page_text: the whole length of the tube; but we do not confine ourselves to this, as we
Into these
may vary the twist to what is termed a gain or graduated twist.
groves we fasten spiral planes projecting into the inside of the tube towards
the centre, thus forming guides for giving the rocket a rotary motion on its
leaving the rocket tube. We now construct a rocket case of any suitable
material (but we prefer iron); the diameter, length, and other proportions to
be regulated by pyrotechnic experience. On the outer periphery of the rocket
case we affix a corresponding number of spiral planes or projections of the
same pitch as those in the rocket tube previously described, so that when the
rocket is passed into the tube to be fired, the spiral planes on the rocket rest
on the corresponding spiral planes in the rocket tube. A small clip or clamp
with a spring is passed over the guides to hold the rocket in its place, as well
When the
as to guide it to the spiral of the plane on its leaving the tube.
rocket is fired it will rotate on its axis from the then following causes:
Firstly, from the spiral of the flanges in the tube; secondly, from the resis-
tance of the air in front of the spiral flange or planes on the rocket; and
thirdly, from the action of the vent fire acting against the spiral planes, which
project below the base of the rocket. These spiral planes are brought within
the range of the vent fire, and are so acted on by its force that an accelerated
rotary motion is obtained in its course from leaving the rocket tube to the
point aimed at.
In the construction of the rocket tube we do not confine ourselves to the
precise form of the planes or the manner of fixing them, provided we affix or
construct in the solid such planes on the internal periphery of the said rocket
tube, or we may grove the tube the same as a rifle cannon, and construct small
spiral projections on the outer surface of the rocket case to correspond, or we
may grove the outside periphery of the rocket case and pass them on corre-
sponding spiral projections on the inside of the rocket tube. The object
aimed at is to give a rotary motion to the rocket when leaving the rocket tube.
The most important feature in this Invention is in the spiral planes pro-
jecting below the base of the rocket case being acted on by the vent fire,
accelerating or quickening its rotary motion in its course.
The rocket tube to be mounted on a convenient carriage and fitted with
every appliance, precisely the same as the service rocket carriages. We do
not confine ourselves to any particular proportion of rocket or the diameter of
vent due to its length and external diameter, that being a matter strictly con
nected with the laws and rules obtained by experience in the manufacture and
use of such projectiles, the great feature in this Invention being not only to
give a rotary motion to the projectile in its course onward, but to maintain and

page_text: accelerate a rotary movement during its passage onward towards the object
aimed at by the means herein described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Hanmer Fletcher and Robert Forrest in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
HANMER FLETCHER, late Captain in the Military Train, and ROBERT FORREST,
Gent., both of Woolwich, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Thomas Hanmer Fletcher and Robert Forrest, Her special licence
that we, the said Thomas Hanmer Fletcher and Robert Forrest, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Hanmer
Fletcher and Robert Forrest, our 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 "AN
IMPROVED WAR ROCKET AND ROCKET TUBE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Thomas Hanmer Fletcher and Robert Forrest, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 we, the said Thomas Hanmer Fletcher and Robert
Forrest, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Chapter 1.-Our Invention consists in an improved constructed war rocket
and rocket tube, so that a spiral or rifle movement is given to the rocket and
the same movement maintained in its flight.
We first construct a rocket tube of the necessary internal diameter suited

page_text: Or we
to the external diameter of the rocket case. We place this tube in a rifling
machine and cut three or more spiral grooves in the internal diameter of the
rocket tube, and usually of the same twist as that of the rocket; but we do
not confine ourselves to this, as we may vary the twist to what is termed a
"gain twist" or graduated twist. Into these grooves we fasten spiral planes
projecting into the inside of the tube towards the centre, thus forming guides
for giving the rocket a rotary motion on its leaving the rocket tube.
fasten spiral planes by turning up flanges on the planes and rivetting them on
to the internal surface of the rocket tube without grooves, these planes making
guides for the rockets to rest on in the rocket tube, and also to direct the
rocket spirally on its leaving, as will be readily seen by reference to Figure 5,
where the flanges are rivetted on without the guide grooves; A, A, the section
of the rocket tube; B, B, B, three spiral planes rivetted on the inside, the pitch
of which will depend on the length, weight, and character of the rocket to be
fired; and on these planes rest corresponding spiral planes C, C, C, fastened
on to the sides of the rocket case, as in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal view of a rocket having one centre vent F with
the three spiral rings C, C, C, around the rocket case having one turn in three
times their length, and extending beyond the case at the bottom and forming
a spiral concentrated tail by being made wider, the inner edges extending to
the circumference of the vent and fastened by an annular piece of metal or
ring H, as seen in section in Figure 1. The body of the rocket is marked
D, D; E, the head carrying a shell filled with explosive material, as common
in most rockets; ar we use the concentrated planes only beyond the base of
the rocket, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, marked III.; these are held together
also by the annular ring J, J, to which, in this case, a rocket stick K may or
may not be, as may be required, fastened on to or inserted in a hole in the
ring J, J, which stick may be of any length and size, as occasion or circum-
stances may require. On to this stick we place a collar L, of any suitable
material, but we prefer wood, which collar can be slid down or up in any
position, so as to place the centre of gravity of the rocket in its right position,
preventing the rocket from turning in its flight. When the rocket is fired it
will have its first spiral direction imparted to it from the planes in the rocket
tube; and, secondly, from the resistance of the air in front of the spiral flanges
or planes on the rocket case; and, thirdly, from the vent fire issuing from the
vent hole and acting against the spiral planes which project below the base of
the rocket; these spiral planes project below and are brought at their extreme
ends together, as before described, the object of which is to bring them within
the range of the vent fire, and are so acted on by its force that an accelerated

page_text: rotary motion is obtained in its course from leaving the rocket tube to the
point aimed at.
In the construction of the rocket tube and rocket case we do not confine
ourselves to the precise form of the planes or the manner of fixing them, pro-
vided we affix or construct in the solid such planes on the internal periphery
of the rocket tube; or we may groove the tube the same as a rifled cannon
and construct small corresponding spiral projections on the outer surface of
the rocket case; or we may groove the outside periphery of the rocket case
and pass them on corresponding spiral projections on the inside of the rocket
tube; the object aimed at is to give a rotary motion to the rocket when leaving
the rocket tube.
The most important feature in this Invention is in the spiral planes, either
concentrated at their lower extremities, or otherwise, and projecting below the
base of the rocket case, being acted on by the fire from a single centre vent,
accelerating or quickening its rotary motion in its course.
The rocket tube to be mounted on a convenient carriage and fitted with
every appliance, precisely the same as the service rocket carriages. We do
not confine ourselves to any particular proportion of rocket, or the diameter of
vent due to its length, or the weight of shell to be affixed to the head, that
being a matter strictly connected with the laws and rules obtained by expe-
rience in the manufacture and use of such projectiles, the great feature in this
Invention being, not only to give a rotary motion to the projectile in its course
onward, but to maintain and accelerate a rotary movement on the rocket
during its passage onwards towards the object aimed at by the means herein
described and shewn in the Drawings annexed, in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would remark that we do not confine
ourselves to the precise details so long as the main features of the apparatus
herein described are maintained; what we claim as of our Invention is,―
Firstly, the construction of rocket tubes for firing rockets with spiral planes
affixed to the internal surface of the rocket tube for the purposes herein set
forth.
Secondly, in affixing on to the outer surface of rocket cases corresponding
planes to those in the rocket tube, and in projecting those planes below the
base of the rocket, and in concentrating such extended planes at their ends,
bringing them within the range of the vent fire, as fully described and shewn
in the Drawings annexed.
Thirdly, in the use of a single vent in the centre of the base of the rocket,

page_text: thereby insuring that uniformity of action which is not to be obtained from
two or more vents.
Fourthly, in the use of these extended concentrated planes with or without
the planes on the sides of the rocket case.
Fifthly, in constructing rocket tubes or cases either with grooves in the
case instead of planes, and planes on the body of the rocket case, or (vice
versa,) as also in the placing of collars of various sizes upon the rocket stick,
all of which is herein fully described and set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Hanmer Fletcher and Robert
Forrest, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
June, in the year of our Lord 1864.
T. H. FLETCHER.
(L.S.)
ROBERT FORREST. (L.S.)