AN IMPROVED PROJECTILE TO BE USED WITH ORDNANCE OR FIRE-ARMS OF ANY CALIBER
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Loeder, of No. 1, New Broad Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Merchant, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROJECTILE TO BE USED WITH ORDNANCE OR FIRE-ARMS OF ANY CALIBER."-A
communication from abroad by Gabriel Dümler, of Namur, Belgium,
Engineer.
Sealed the 13th April 1863, and dated the 13th October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Loeder at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
October 1862.
I, WILLIAM LOEDER, of No. 1, New Broad Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED PROJECTILE TO BE USED WITH ORDNANCE OR FIRE-ARMS OF ANY
CALIBER," (a communication to me.from abroad by Gabriel Dümler, of Namur,
Belgium, Engineer,) to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to give additional power to a projectile after
it has attained the mark against which it has been directed, and for this
purpose the projectile is essentially composed of two principal parts. The first
(which I will call the barrel) consists of, a chamber made of wrought or cast
iron, steel, bronze, or other suitable, metal, and resembling the interior of the
piece of, ordnance known as a mortar. On the bottom of this chamber in its
interior is a pin or point, and a compartment for receiving a charge of powder;-
the barrel is grooved on the exterior to receive an iron or steel band or bands,

page_text: and a piece of felt is placed in the grooving and projects therefrom to clean
the gun after a discharge. The second part of the projectile (which I will call
the ball) consists of a cylindrical piece of iron, steel, bronze, or other suitable
metal, the stem of which will fit in the barrel above described, while the
diameter of the lower part of its head (which may be conical or of any other
form) will be equal to the exterior diameter of the barrel. The projectile is
charged as follows:-The compartment in the lower part of the barrel is filled
with powder, and a percussion cap is placed on the pin or point; the ball of the
projectile is then introduced into the barrel, a leaden washer being first placed
under the head of the ball between it and the barrel, or resting on a shoulder
on its interior bottom, the object of this washer being to keep the lower part or
stem of the ball from touching the percussion cap. The projectile may then be
placed in an Armstrong gun or other fire-arm and discharged. When the
apex of the ball touches the mark, the resistance which it meets causes it to
crush the leaden washer and bring its stem upon the cap which it explodes,
causing it to discharge the powder 'in the compartment above mentioned, and
give to the ball or bullet a fresh impulsion, which joined to the force it
possessed on attaining the mark will enable it to pierce an obstacle against
which it would otherwise be comparatively harmless. If a chamber be
reserved in the ball it becomes explosive and acts as a shell.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Loeder. in the Great. Seal Patent Office-on the 13th
April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LOEDER, of No. 1, New Broad Street, in the County of Middlesex, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eiglit- hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me;
the said William Loeder, Her special licence that I, the said William Loeder,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Loeder, 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROJECTILE TO BE
USED WITH ORDNANCE OF FIRE-ARMS OF ANY CALIBER," a communication to me
from abroad by Gabriel Dümler, of Namur, Belgium, Engineer, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Loeder, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said William Loeder, 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 state-
ment, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing hereunto annexed and
forming part of this my Specification, and to the figures and letters of
reference placed thereon, similar letters of reference denoting similar parts at
each of the Figures respectively.
The object of this Invention is the production of a projectile which shall
have imparted to it additional projective power after it shall have attained the
mark against which it has been directed. It is composed of two principal
parts, A, Figure 1, and B, Figure 2. The part A (shewn in vertical section
through the centre at Figure 1) may be made of cast or wrought iron, steel,
or bronze, and resembles in the shape of its interior one of those pieces of
ordnance known as mortars. a indicates a pin or nipple of iron or other
suitable metal which receives the cap a* (Figure 3); b, chamber for receiving
powder; c, barrel; d, grooving to receive bands or hoops of iron or steel.
In the grooves d formed on the barrel of the projectile are also placed bands
or washers made of felt or other suitable material, the edges of which slightly
overlap the outer periphery of the barrel, and the object of which is to clean
after a discharge the cannon or mortar which is to receive this improved
projectile. The part B (Figure 2), which may also be constructed of wrought
or cast iron, steel, or bronze, may be of the shape illustrated in the Drawing,
or 'cylindro-spherical or of other suitable form, and it may either be made
solid or with the chamber X, in which latter case. it is explosive and acts as 'a
shell. The mode of assembling or putting together the parts forming this
projectile (as shewn in vertical section through the centre at Figure 3), and
charging it, is as follows:-The part 6 (Figures 1 and 3) is filled with powder,
and a percussion cap a* is placed on the pin or nipple a; this done, the stem
of the part or bullet B is introduced into the barrel c of the part A, occupying

page_text: the position shewn, Figure 3, and: between the parts A and B is placed either
at m or atro (Figure.3) a leaden. or other soft metal washer, the object of
which is to keep, the base of the bullet B from touching the cap a*. The
projectile being ithus charged and put together may be passed into an
Armstrong or other gun and discharged against. a mark. When the point s
(Figure 3), which should be of steel or other hard metal, strikes the mark,
the resistance which it meets causes the bullet or part B to crush the leaden
washer at m or o, and the base of the bullet descending upon the cap a
discharges it, and fires: the powder in the chamber b; the result is that the
bullet or ball B, by the combustion of the powder in the chamber b, acquires; a
new force. or impulsion, which joined to that which it still possessed on
attaining the mark enables it to pierce with facility. an object which might
otherwise have offered an effectual resistance. The barrelic of part! A;
strongly hooped).ore circled, cannot. explode, and othe felt introduced into this
hooping cleans and removes in the cannon any, dirt or deposit which may have
formed therein. This hooping, may be dispensed with if the part: A be other:
wise of suitable strength, and the use of the felt is also optional. Of course,
if no hooping be used the grooving d is unnecessary, and the outer periphery
of the part A presents an even surface. A projectile thus discharged
may acquire different degrees of impulsion: or force on attaining the mark
according to the quantity of powder placed in the chamber b, and if it :be
desired that the ball explode like-a-shell on attaining the object fired' at the
chamber X is reserved, if not the ball or bullet B is solid. It will be evident
that if a leaden washer be placed at m none is required at o, and vice
versa.
:
Figures 4, 5, and 6, shew (in vertical section through the centre) another
projectile constructed on the principle of this Invention, and this arrangement
may also be used for cylindrical, conical, spherical, cylindro-conical, or any
other shape of ball. Figure 4 shews the ball or bullet B separate; Figure 5;
the part A separate, C indicating powder chamber; and Figure 6, the two
parts brought together to form the projectile. A, barrel; B; ball'; C, powder
chamber; m, leaden washer (which may be placed at o, if. found: more
desirable);ȧipin or nipple for receiving cap a*, or the capimay be placed as
shewn, Figure 5; on a pin or nipple. in: the centre of a cross bar of iron let
loosely in a groove on the piece A, or hinged to it. Or the cap may be
otherwise placed as experience may direct, but always so that it will. explode
on the crushing of the leaden washer when the ball strikes the mark. Again,
it: maybe, found preferable to discharge the powder. in the chamber of the
projectile by a needle and detonating powder after the manner of the Prussian

page_text: needle gun; and I therefore would here observe that I do not confine myself
to any precise mode of causing the explosion of the powder on the crushing of
the leaden washer, and that any means of effecting this purpose may be used
without in anywise departing from the principle of this Invention.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the means
by which it is carried into practical effect, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to any particular dimension of projectile, as such must
necessarily vary with the bore and principle of the weapon from which it is to
be discharged; nor do I confine myself to, either of the methods, illustrated
illustrated in the annexed Sheet of Drawing, of combining the two parts, nor
to the use of any particular metal in their manufacture; but what I claim is
the exclusive use of a projectile carrying within it a charge of powder, such
charge being exploded on the ball striking the object against which it is
impelled, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the annexed
Sheet of Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Loeder, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
WILLIAM LOEDER. (L.S.)