IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCKET GUNS AND ROCKET HARPOONS, AND APPENDAGES TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Walker, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCKET
GUNS AND ROCKET HARPOONS, AND APPENDAGES TO BE USED THEREWITH."
-A communication from abroad by Thomas Welcome Roys, of Paterson,
New Jersey, one of the United States of America, Master Mariner.
Sealed the 15th August 1861, and dated the 22nd February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd February 1861.
"
I, WILLIAM WALKER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
ROCKET GUNS AND ROCKET HARPOONS, AND APPENDAGES TO BE USED THEREWITH,"
and that it has been communicated to me from abroad, by Thomas Welcome
Roys, of Paterson, New Jersey, one of the United States of America, Master,
Mariner, to be as follows (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements on an Invention for improvements
in rocket guns, for which Provisional Protection was obtained by me, dated
16th April 1859, No. 965, and to shell rocket harpoons, and the appendages

page_text: to be used therewith, intended chiefly for the capture of whales. The
improved rocket gun consists of a' tube or hollow barrel for receiving the
rocket harpoon and staff, but it is intended now to form the lower part of the
bore of the barrel with a longitudinal slot or furrow to receive a hook on
the harpoon or rocket staff, which will be hereafter described.
The harpoon rocket is introduced into the barrel of the gun from the rear
end, which is then closed by a port or curtain piece to prevent the back fire
of the rocket escaping backwards. In the former Invention, herein-before
alluded to, the back fire was allowed to escape through an opening in the top
of the 'hinder part of the barrel, but it having been found that the resistance
of the air to the escape of the back fire caused the rear of the gun, which is
in rear of the operator's shoulder, to deflect, and consequently to elevate the
muzzle, thereby destroying the aim. This defect is now obviated by allowing
the back fire to escape from two or more lateral holes formed in the rear of
the barrel, so that the resistance of the air to the escape of the back fire will
be equalised.
In the description of thei gun herein-before alluded; to the folding jointed
curtain or transverse projecting flanch on the muzzle' or fore part of the gun
having been found inconvenient in practise; it is now placed on the barrel a
short distance in front of the lock used for firing the rocket, the folding flap
of the transverse flanch, being elevated by the action; of a portion of the back
fire of the rocket, escaping, through an opening or openings formed through the
barrel in front of the transverse protecting curtain. The interior of the barrel
is provided with a spring or springs to grip a hook on the rocket staff, to
prevent it falling out of the gun. Immediately in front of the groove, in the
bottom of the, barrel, a provision is made for placing or holding a suitable
link or eye, to which is connected the harpoon line.
The improvements in the shell rocket harpoon consist in the application of
the harpoon to the front of the shell of the rocket, and forming the harpoon
independent of the shell, so that when the shell explodes the harpoon is not
materially injured. The harpoon may be connected to the staff by a con-
necting bar, traverse ring, and so forth; or the harpoon staff may pass through
a cylindrical or other suitable opening formed longitudinally through the centre
of the head of the explosive shell rocket, and be connected to or form the
rocket staff, which is provided near the rear end with a hook, the opening of
which is closed by a spring catch, which opens backwards to receive the link
attached to the harpoon line...
or eye
14.
The mode of using these improved shell rocket harpoons is as follows (that

page_text: is to say)
They may be fired in any of the ordinary ways, but it is much.
preferred to fire them from the improved rocket gun herein-before described...
When one of the shell rocket harpoons is introduced into the gun barrel, the-
link attached to the end of the harpoon line is placed in its position in front:
of the groove at the bottom of the barrel, so that on the harpoon rocket being:
fired, the point of the hook on the rear of the rocket or harpoon staff takes
into the link, into which it is locked by. the spring paul described. On the
shell exploding in, say, a whale, the harpoon on the front of the rocket is
still connected with the harpoon line, thereby securing a hold of the whale.. :
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Walker in the. Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WALKER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-third. year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me
the said William Walker, Her special licence that I, the said William Walker,,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Walker, 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. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCKET GUNS
AND ROCKET HARPOONS, AND APPENDAGES TO BE USED. THEREWITH," a communication
to me from abroad by Thomas Welcome Roys, of Paterson, New Jersey, one
of the United States of America, Master Mariner, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Walker, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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.

page_text: :
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said William Walker, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements on an Invention of the said Thomas
Welcome Roys, for improvements in rocket guns used for discharging rockets
from the shoulder, for which Provisional Protection was obtained, dated
16th April, 1859, and to shell rocket, harpoons, and the appendages to be used
therewith, intended chiefly for the capture of.. whales... The improved rocket
gun consists of a tube or hollow barrel for receiving the rocket harpoon and
staff, and the Inventor now forms the lower part of the bore of the barrel with
a longitudinal slot or furrow to receive a hook on the harpoon or rocket staff,
which will be hereafter described.
The harpoon rocket is introduced into the barrel of the gun from the rear
end, which is then closed by a port or curtain piece to prevent the back fire of
the rocket escaping :backwards. In the former Invention herein-before
alluded to, the back fire was allowed to escape through an opening in the top
of the hinder part of the barrel, but it having been found that the resistance
of the air to the escape of the back fire caused the rear of the gun, which is
in rear of the operator's shoulder, to deflect, and consequently to elevate the
muzzle, thereby destroying the aim. The Inventor obviates this defect by
allowing the back fire to escape from two or more lateral holes formed in the
rear of the barrel, so that the resistance of the air to the escape of the back
fire will be equalised.
In the description of the gun herein-before alluded to the folding jointed
curtain or transverse, protecting flanch on the muzzle or fore part of the gun
having been found inconvenient in practise, the Inventor now places it on the
barrel, a short distance in front of the lock used for firing the rocket, the
folding flap of the transverse flanch being elevated, by the action of a portion
of the back fire of the rocket escaping through an opening or openings
formed through the barrel in front of the transverse protecting curtain. The
interior of the barrel is provided with a spring or springs to, grip a hook on
the rocket staff to prevent it falling out of the gun. It is preferred in most
cases to form the protecting. curtain by jointing to the exterior of the barrel a
number of short arms or ribs, to which is attached a disk of leather or other
suitable material, which expands and opens out like an umbrella on being
acted upon by the back fire of the rocket, which escapes through two or more
holes formed laterally through the barrel a little in front of the position where

page_text: the ribs are jointed. Immediately in front of the groove, in the bottom of the
barrel, a provision is made for placing or holding: a suitable link or eye, to
which is connected the harpoon line.
..!
The improvements in the shell rocket harpoon consist in the application of
the harpoon to the front of the shell of the rocket and forming the harpoon
independent of the shell, so that when the shell explodes the harpoon is not
materially injured. The harpoon may be connected to the staff by a con-
necting. bar, transverse ring, and so forth; or the harpoon shaft may pass
through a cylindrical or other suitable opening formed longitudinally through
the centre of the head of the explosive shell rocket, and be connected to or
form the rocket staff, which is provided near the rear end with a hook, the
opening of which is closed by a spring catch which opens backwards to receive
the link or eye attached to the harpoon line.
"
T
The mode of. using these improved shell rocket harpoons is as follows (that
is to say): They may be fired in any of the ordinary ways, but it is much
preferred to fire them from the improved rocket gun herein-before described:
When one of the shell rocket harpoons is introduced into the gun barrel
the link attached to the end of the harpoon line is placed in its position in
front of the groove at the bottom of the barrel, so that on the harpoon rocket
being fired the point of the hook on the rear of the rocket or harpoon staff
takės into the link, into which it is locked by the spring. paul described. On
the shell exploding in, say a whale, the harpoon on the front of the rocket is
still connected with the harpoon line, thereby securing a hold of the whale.
That this the said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood
I have hereunto. annexed Drawings showing the mode of constructing the
improved shell rocket harpoon and gun, with the expanding.curtain for pro-
tecting the operator from the back fire of the rocket. Like letters and figures
marked thereon have reference to similar parts.
'
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the rocket gun and shell rocket har-
poon, and Figure 2 is a front view of the gun, showing the protecting curtain
expanded.
A, the gun tube or barrel; B, a jointed flap or curtain piece for closing the
rear end of the tube A when the rocket harpoon is inserted therein, and which
is kept closed by C, a spring catch; D, a groove formed in the bottom of the
barrel for receiving the lower end of the hook on the rear of the harpoon
rocket staff; E, the expanding protecting curtain, which is here shown formed
by f, a number of short arms attached by rule joints to f¹, collar surrounding
the barrel; and to which is attached: G; a disk of leather or other suitable

page_text: flexible material secured to the expanding arms E; H, the hammer of the
lock;, I, transverse slot for receiving K, a link on the end of L, the harpoon
line; M, lateral holes in the side of the barrel to allow the back fire of the
rocket to escape; N, the head of the harpoon, shown with jointed barbs;
P, the harpoon and rocket staff, which is formed with a hook on the rear end,
into which the link K on the end of the harpoon line takes, and where it is
securely confined by Q a spring catch; R, the shell rocket, the fore compart-
ment of which forms the shell containing, S, the explosive charge and,
T, the rocket propelling charge contained in the hinder chamber; U, the
dotted line show the position of the quick match which, ignited by the back
fire of the propelling charge, fires the explosive shell; W, aspring-jaw
catch for preventing the explosive shell rocket harpoon from falling out of
the tube.
:
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this the said
Invention for improvements in rocket guns, and rocket harpoons, and append-
ages to be used therewith, and how I beleive the same may be best carried
into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details or relative proportions, as it will be readily seen that the
same may be considerably varied without departing from the Invention; but
what I do claim is,―
First, the peculiar mode of constructing harpoon rockets with a hook on
the rear end of the rocket staff or harpoon shaft for connecting a line there-
with, as herein-before described, or any mere modification of the same.
Secondly, forming the lower part of the bore of the barrel with a longi-
tudinal slot or furrow to receive the lower part of the hook on the rear end of
the harpoon or rocket staff, or any mere modification thereof..
Thirdly; forming rocket guns with two or more lateral holes in the rear end
of the barrel to equalise the resistance of the air to the escape of the back
fire, as herein-before described and set forth, or any mere modification of the
same.
Fourthly, placing the folding protecting curtain a short distance in front of
the lock, as herein-before described."
Fifthly, the spring or springs for preventing rocket harpoons from falling
accidentally out of the gun, as herein-before described, or any mere modifica-
tion of the same.
Sixthly, placing the link on the end of the harpoon line in front of the
groove at the bottom of the barrel of the gun in such a way that the hook on
the rear end of the rocket or harpoon. staff will take into it on leaving the

page_text: gun, as hercin-before described and set forth, or any mere modification
thereof.
And, lastly, the general arrangement and combination of the various parts of
the apparatus and the mode of operating the same, substantially and in the
manner herein-before described and set forth, or any mere modification of the
same.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and affixed my seal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
0
Witness,
JOHN C. JONES,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
WILLIAM (L.s.) WALKER.