A NEW SAFETY PROJECTILE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pietro Bertinetti, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris,
in the Empire of France, and of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Gentlenian, for the Invention of "A NEW SAFETY PROJECTILE."
Scaled the 21st December 1855, and dated the 19th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Pietro Bertinetti at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
July 1855.
I, PIETRO BERTINETTI, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention of "A NEW SAPETY PROJECTILE" to be
as follows, that is to say:
The Invention consists in constructing a projectile to be used in cases of
shipwreck, when it is required to establish communication by means of a line
between a ship and the land.
A, B, C, D, of the annexed Drawing in section shew the construction of the
projectile; it is of a cylindrical form, and is terminated like an hemisphere at
the part C, E, D, at which it receives the impulse of the powder. At the
opposite side it carries the line to be sent off, which is coiled round so as to
form a hollow cylinder A, B, F, G, H, I, K, L, the external diameter of which

page_text: is similar to that of the projectile. The end of the cord united to the projectile
is placed on the part A, B, and the other end (which is to remain fixed at the
place of departure) is fixed to the last internal sphere K, L.
The projectile is formed of pieces of wood or other suitable material screwed
and dovetailed together, and placed in such a manner with respect to the grain
of the wood as will resist the force of the explosion of the powder in the
cannon. This resistance is further ensured by means of a wooden casing con-
sisting of several thin pieces of wood suitably fixed together, so as to obtain a
uniform solidity over the whole surface. This casing is covered with a cloth
varnished over to render the projectile impervious to water, and preserve it
from being destroyed by the burning of the powder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Pietro Bertinetti in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIETRO
BERTINETTI, of 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, and
of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Ier reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Pietro Bertinetti, Her special license that I, the said Pietro Bertinetti, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Pietro
Bertinetti, 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
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW SAFETY PROJECTILE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Pietro Bertinetti, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Pietro Bertinetti, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in forming a communication between a ship in dis-
tress and the shore, or between any other two places, by means of a cord
attached to a projectile thrown from a cannon. The cord employed when
coiled round forms part of the projectile, which is of such a construction as
will enable it to resist the force of the explosion of the gunpowder used when
firing it off.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a front view of the projectile, with a
part of the external covering removed; and Figure 2 is a section of the same.
A, B, C, D, is the projectile, having hemispherical ends, and is composed of
pieces of wood E, F, G, of a cylindrical shape, and hollowed out at the parts
H, I, J, K, and so placed with respect to the grain as to render them capable
of resisting great pressure. The pieces E, F, G, are braced internally by
cylindrical brace pieces L, M, and screwed together at the part N. These
pieces pass through and unite together the dovetailed cylinders O, P. The
cap pieces Q, R, are then placed on and fixed to the body by the conical screw
pieces S, T, furnished at the part T' with a collar of iron. The whole is then
covered with thin layers of wood U. At the part A, B, a piece of wood is fixed,
bevilled out to receive the exterior part of the cord V. One end of this cord
is attached to the top of the projectile, and is then coiled round so as to form
a hollow cylinder; the other end of the cord V₁ is made fast on shore by any
suitable means.
A varnished cloth W is then made to envelope the projectile,
to render it impermeable to water.
To prevent the cord being broken by the sudden force which the projectile
receives from the cannon when fired off, I make use of a small rocket attached
to a part of the cord coiled round near the fixed end V¹, which rocket is fired
off immediately before the cannon, and in this manner deadening the shock.
Care must be taken in coiling the cord so that no hitches are made when being
used. The weight of the projectile will enable it to be thrown a distance of
about eight hundred and eighty yards, and, being specifically lighter than
water, will float upon it.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I
claim is-

page_text: The constructing of safety projectiles in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before described, and referred to in the accompanying Drawings.
And I also claim the application of a rocket in combination with the projec-
tile, to prevent the cord being broken by the sudden force when the projectile
is fired off.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pietro Bertinetti, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
P. BERTINETTI. (L.S.)