MENTS IN ROCKET PROJECTILES FOR PURPOSES OF WAR
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Addington Taylor, of Lydbury, in the County
IMPROVE-
of Salop, Major on the Bengal Staff, for the Invention of "
MENTS IN ROCKET PROJECTILES FOR PURPOSES OF WAR."
Sealed the 15th November 1870, and dated the 20th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Addington Taylor at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th May 1870.
I, ADDINGTON TAYLOR, of Lydbury, in the County of Salop, Major
on the Bengal Staff, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCKET PROJECTILES FOR PURPOSES OF WAR," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the ensuring of an even, direct, and
undeviating course in a rocket during its flight, and consists in imparting
to the head of a rocket an initial velocity, the flight being afterwards
sustained and prolonged by the reactive fire of the rocket. The pro-

page_text: jective force is applied approximately to the centre of gravity of the
mass and not as is usual placed behind it.
To the rocket proper or tube for containing the composition is affixed
by suitable means a head containing a bursting charge, and being larger
in diameter than the rocket. A smaller tube is centrally disposed for
the entire length of the head and rocket and firmly fixed to the head
and vent piece, where it passes through the composition, being studded
with holes for the purpose of supplying air to the composition, thus
superseding the ordinary method of ramming rockets, the composition
in this case being rammed solid round the tube. When the rocket is at
rest this inner tube is occupied by a rod of a somewhat less diameter
than the interior diameter of the tube; one extremity of this rod forms
the apex of the rocket head, and is enlarged for a short distance of its
length so as nearly to fit the tube, the other extremity projects slightly
beyond the tube and is fitted with a screw of two or more blades for
the purpose of assisting in causing the rocket to rotate during its flight.
At the end of the tube and close to the vents of the rocket a friction
fuze is fitted accurately round the rod, being in connexion with the
priming. On the rocket being projected from a suitable gun the air
impinging upon the end of the rod, which is hollowed, forces the rod
down the entire length of the inner tube, the enlarged end of the
rod tearing the fuze and thus igniting the composition, and then firmly.
jambing itself in the vent piece. The tube being thus open to the
atmosphere at the head, and blocked at the vent piece, an abundance
of air is of necessity supplied to the burning composition. The annular
cartridge by which the rocket is projected is disposed round the tube
(which is here adequately strengthened for the purpose) immediately
under the head, being of the same diameter and kept in place by a
washer secured by a collar formed on the rocket tube. The rocket is
fired from a rifled gun, the internal diameter, or bore of which is cqual
to the diameter of the rocket head, a hole being formed through the
breach of the gun for the reception of the rocket proper. On the rocket
composition being spent it explodes the bursting charge contained in
the head in the usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Addington Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENT SHALL COME, I, ADDINGTON
TAYLOR, of Lydbury, in the County of Salop, Major on the Bengal
Staff, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in-the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Addington Taylor, Her special licence that I,
the said Addington Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns,"
or such others as I, the said Addington Taylor, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thercafter 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 ROCKET
PROJECTILES FOR PURPOSES OF WAR," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Addington Taylor, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
'
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Addington Taylor, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings which forms part of this Specification:-
This Invention has for its object the ensuring of an even, direct, and
andeviating course in a rocket during its flight, and consists in imparting
o the head of a rocket an initial velocity, the flight being afterwards
ustained and prolonged by the reactive fire of the rocket. The pro-
ective force is applied approximately to the centre of gravity of the
ass and not as is usual placed behind it.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the war rocket and gun as they
would appear previous to the discharge of the gun, and Fig. 2 is an
elevation of the rocket during its flight. Similar letters of reference
are employed at each of the foregoing Figures to denote corresponding
parts.
To the rocket proper or tube for containing the composition A is
affixed by suitable means a head B containing a bursting charge C, and
being larger in diameter than the rocket. A smaller tube D is centrally
disposed for the entire length of the head and rocket and firmly fixed
to the head at E and vent piece F, where it passes through the com-
position, being studded with holes for the purpose of supplying air to the
composition, thus superseding the ordinary method of ramming rockets,
the composition in this case being rammed solid round the tube. This
inner tube is lined or covered externally with stout paper or other
suitable substance to prevent the fire running up it and bursting the
rocket. When the rocket is at rest this tube is occupied by a rod G of
a somewhat less diameter than the interior diameter of the tube D; one
extremity of this rod G forms the apex of the rocket head, and is
enlarged for a short distance of its length at H, so as nearly to fit
the tube; the other extremity projects slightly beyond the tube, and
is fitted with a screw K of two or more blades for the purpose of
assisting in causing the rocket to rotate during its flight. At the end
of the tube D and close to the vents of the rocket a friction fuze L is
fitted accurately round the rod, being in connexion with the priming.
On the rocket being projected from a suitable gun the air impinging
upon the end of the rod H, which is hollowed, forces the rod down the
entire length of the inner tube, the enlarged end H of the rod G tearing
the fuze L, and thus igniting the composition and then firmly jambing
itself in the vent piece F. The tube being thus open to the atmosphere
at the head, and blocked at the vent piece, an abundance of air is of
necessity supplied to the burning composition. The annular cartridge M,
by which the rocket is projected, is disposed round the tube (which is
at N adequately strengthened for the purpose) immediately under the
head, being of the same diameter and kept in place by the wad or
washer secured by a collar P formed on the rocket tube. The rocket
is fired from a gun Q rifled or smooth, the internal diameter or bore of
which is equal to the diameter of the rocket head, a hole being formed

page_text: through the breech R of the gun for the reception of the rocket proper.
On the rocket composition being spent it explodes the bursting charge
contained in the head in the usual manner. A percussion fuze may be
placed in the head of the rocket for the purpose of exploding the
bursting charge immediately on the rocket coming into contact with
any opposing substance.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that
what I claim as my Invention is, projecting a war rocket from its centre
of gravity; the application of the inner perforated tube to a rocket;
the method of firing the rocket by a rod within this tube; and the
combined arrangement and construction herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Addington Taylor, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
ADDINGTON TAYLOR. (I.S.)
WALTER F. CLARE,
Patent Agent,
23, Southampton Buildings,
London.