IMPROVE- -MENTS IN PROJECTILES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spence, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
-MENTS IN PROJECTILES."-A communication from abroad by Ira Wells
Shaler, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of New York,
United States.
Sealed the 5th September 1862, and dated the 10th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
March 1862.
I, WILLIAM. SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES," (being a communication from abroad by Ira
Wells Shaler, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of New York,
United States,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in forming the projectile in two or more sections
(by preference, three) so put together that they will separate when fired from
a gun, the front section striking directly the object at which it is aimed, and
the hinder section or sections diverging a little and striking near the point
struck by the front section. Each of the sections fits the bore of the gun,
and takes the rifling the same as an ordinary rifle ball. Each hinder section
bears upon the section in front of it at the point or apex of the former, and

page_text: each section in front of the hindermost one fits loosely over the section
enclosed within it, so as to allow of a little play at the base of the cavity, in
order to prevent the several sections from adhering together when fired. The
hindermost part of the projectile is formed with a shallow cavity, in which is
inserted a piece of metal presenting a convex surface outwards and a concave
surface inwards, which piece of metal when pressed upon by the explosion of
the charge has a tendency to force the hindermost part of the projectile
outwards, and thereby cause it to expand and fill the grooves, so as to prevent
windage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Spence, Her special license that I, the said William
Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
'said William Spence, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES," being a communication from abroad by Ira Wells
Shaler, of Brooklyn, 'in the County of Kings, and State of New York,
United States, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Spence, by an instrument 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said 'Letters 'Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the 'said 'William 'Spence, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, "and in what manner the same is 'to be pèr-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :
This Invention of "Improvements in Projectiles" consists in forming the
projectile in two or more 'sections (by preference, three) so put together that
they will separate when fired from a gun, the front section striking directly
the object at which it is aimed, and the hinder section or sections diverging
a little and striking near the point struck by the first section. Each of the
sections fits the bore of the gun, and takes the rifling the same as an ordinary
rifle ball. Each hinder section bears upon the section in front of it at the
point or apex of the former, and each section in front of the hindermost one
fits loosely over the section enclosed within it, so as to allow of a little play at
the base of the cavity, in order to prevent the several sections from adhering
together when fired. The hindermost part of the projectile is formed with.a
shallow cavity, in which is inserted a piece of metal presenting a convex
surface inwards, which piece of metal, when pressed upon by the explosion of the
charge, has a tendency to force the hindermost part of the projectile outwards,
and thereby cause it to expand and fill the grooves so as to,prevent windage.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by
reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which is represented a projectile

page_text: will be seen that a portion of the hinder end of each section is made of
the diameter required to fit the bore of the gun barrel. The section C has a
shallow cavity formed in it for the insertion of a piece of metal D of such
form as to be capable of spreading outwards when pressed upon by the powder
on its explosion. By this means the part of the section C; which fits the
barrel will be forced into the rifle grooves, and windage will be thereby pre-
vented. When these projectiles are used with the ordinary cartridge, the
sections are secured in their required positions by the wrapper of the
cartridge; but when they are used with loose powder the sections may be
connected by wrapping a piece of paper or tinfoil round them. This paper or
tinfoil should extend from the base or hinder end of the section C to about the
middle of section A. It will thus be perceived that when the projectile is fired
from a gun the front portion or section A thereof will be caused to take the
usual flight of a rifle shot, while the other two sections B and C will be caused
to diverge a little from such line of flight, so as to strike at other points near to
that struck by section A. The Invention, however, is not confined to the use
of three sections.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of
the Invention communicated to me from abroad, as aforesaid is, the construc-
tion of projectiles formed in two or more sections, each fitting the bore of the
gun barrel, such sections being adapted to separate when fired from a gun, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
GEORGE BEDELL COULCHER,
50, Chancery Lane,
Law Stationer.
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.s.)