Improvements in Darts or Arrows for Projection by Catapults.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1898- Accepted, 24th Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Darts or Arrows for Projection by Catapults.
I, CORRIE CHARLES BAKER, of No. 5, Great Winchester Street, in the City of
London, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in darts or
arrows for projection by catapults the object of my said invention being to render
flight of the said darts or arrows in the direction in which they are aimed more
certain than in the case of ordinary darts or arrows and thus to facilitate accurate
shooting.
My said improvements consist essentially in providing for engagement of the
said darts or arrows with the elastic or spring cord of the catapult at or near their
forward ends instead of at their rear ends as heretofore usual.
The said darts or arrows may be conveniently and simply manufactured accord-
ing to my said invention by cutting wire of suitable thickness into pieces each
about double the length required for the darts or arrows and pointing one end of
each piece and bending each piece at or near the middle of its length so as to
bring the two portions of the wire beyond the bend parallel and close or nearly
close together and then bending the unpointed end of the wire outward or away
from the pointed end so as to form a hook near the forward end of the dart or
arrow for engagement with the spring of the catapult. A feather or slip of card-
board or tuft is or may be secured to the rear end of the dart or arrow in order
to steady it in its flight.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of October 1897
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Darts or Arrows for Projection by Catapults.
I, CORRIE CHARLES BAKER, of No. 5, Great Winchester Street, in the City of
London, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in darts or
arrows for projection by catapults the object of my said invention being to render
flight of the said darts or arrows in the direction in which they are aimed more
certain than in the case of ordinary darts or arrows and thus to facilitate accurate
shooting.

page_text: My said improvements consist essentially in providing for engagement of the
said darts or arrows with the elastic or spring cord of the catapult at or near their
forward ends instead of at their rear ends as heretofore usual.
The said darts or arrows may be conveniently and simply manufactured accord-
ing to my said invention by cutting wire of suitable thickness into pieces each
about double the length required for the darts or arrows and pointing one end of
each piece and bending each piece at or near the middle of its length so as to
bring the two portions of the wire beyond the bend parallel and close or nearly
close together and then bending the unpointed end of the wire outward or away
from the pointed end so as to form a hook near the forward end of the dart or
arrow for engagement with the spring of the catapult. In order to steady the
dart or arrow in its flight a tassel or tuft is secured to its rear end.
A dart thus made is illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing in
which figure the hook near the forward end is marked a. I prefer to connect the
forward end of the portion of the wire on which the hook a is formed with the
forward end of the pointed portion by means of solder as shown at b. The tassel
or tuft is formed by passing a bunch of woollen yarn or soft thread or cord o
through an eye d in the bend of the wire at the rear end of the dart and tying or
binding round the said bunch of yarn or cord near the said loop as shown at e.
Instead of making the pointed shaft of the dart and the hook a from one piece
of wire as illustrated in Figure 1 they may be made from separate pieces of wire
and connected by solder as shown in Figure 2.
In projecting a dart constructed according to my invention by means of an
ordinary catapult the hook near the forward end is engaged with the elastic cord
of the catapult and the dart is held by means of the tuft or tassel at its rear
end and pulled so as to extend the cord of the catapult the retraction of which
cord when the tassel is released causes projection of the dart.
Although I have described and illustrated convenient constructions of darts
embodying my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not restrict myself
to the said constructions as the darts may be otherwise made without departing
from the nature of my invention which is herein before stated.
66
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion of Improvements in darts or arrows for projection by catapults" and in
what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is: --
Darts or arrows having at or near their forward ends provision for engagement
with the cord of a catapult.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of July 1898.