IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR RIFLES AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hookham, of Summertown House, Summer-
town, in the County of Oxford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROJECTILES FOR RIFLES AND ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 13th September 1867, and dated the 26th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hookham at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th March 1867.
I, GEORGE HOOкHAM, of Summertown House, Summertown, in the County
of Oxford, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR RIFLES AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in projectiles for rifles. In order
to reduce the weight of rifle ammunition and to obtain a lower trajectory at
ordinary ranges I construct projectiles in the following manner:-I take a piece
of thin iron or other hard metal tube of the length of the required projectile, and
I cast thereon a coating of lead or soft metal so as to form a cylinder of the
diameter required to suit the bore of the piece from which the projectile is to
be fired; this coated tube is tapered in front to reduce the resistance of the
air upon it during its flight as a projectile. The projectile receives a loosely
fitting stopper or plug of metal at its base to prevent the gases formed by
the explosion of the powder passing through its central passage. The hard
.

page_text: metal tube supports the plug and prevents it being driven in by the explosion,
and as soon as the projectile gets free of the barrel the plug falls out so as to
offer no impediment to the free passage of the air through the projectile.
Also, in order to reduce the friction of the projectile in the barrel and to cause
it the better to take the lubrication, it has fine rings cut upon it; these rings
are close together and extend from end to end of the cylindrical part of the
projectile, they resemble a fine screw thread cut upon it, and the lands of the
rifling of the barrel cutting only into the ridges, between these grooves obtain
a firm hold of the ball with less friction than when the surface of the projectile
is plain. In place of casting the lead or soft metal on to lengths of hard metal
tube the soft metal may be drawn on to the tube and afterwards cut to length,
or similar projectiles may be otherwise produced.
Projectiles of large size suitable for cannon may be similarly made, but in
this case it is desirable that the central passage should not be cylindrical but
should open out towards the base.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Hookham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HOOKHAM, of Summertown House, Summertown, in the County of Oxford, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Hookham, Her special. licence that I, the said George Hookham, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Hookham, 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 for Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES
FOR RIFLES AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that
1, the said George Hookham, 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,

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Hookham, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in 'what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statenient:
This Invention has for its object improvements in projectiles for rifles
and ordnance. In order to reduce the weight of rifle ammunition and
to obtain greater accuracy at all and especially at long ranges I construct
projectiles in the following manner :-I take a piece of thin iron or other
hard metal tubing of the length of the required projectile, and I cast a
coating of lead or soft metal thereon, and thus form a cylinder of a diameter
sufficient for the bore of the piece from which the projectile is to be fired. The
front of the said coated tube I taper so as to reduce the resistance of the air upon
it during its flight as a projectile, and I apply a loosely fitting stopper or plug
of metal at its base to prevent the gases formed by the explosion of the powder
passing through its central passage; this plug being supported by the hard
metal tube is thereby prevented from being driven in by the explosion, but as
soon as the projectile gets free of the barrel the plug falls out so as to offer no
impediment to the free passage of the projectile. In the case of projectiles
of large size, such as those suitable for cannon, I construct them in a
similar manner, but I consider it desirable that the
central passage
in such projectiles should not be cylindrical but should open out towards
the base. To reduce the friction of the projectile in the barrel and to
facilitate the lubrication fine rings or ridges are raised upon it, so that the
diameter of the bullet is made greater than that of the bore of the rifle by
about the depth of these ridges or rings, which are close together and extend
from end to end of the cylindrical part of the projectile, resembling a line
screw thread cut upon it, and as the rifling of the barrel will have the effect
of cutting only into the ridges between these grooves, a firm hold of the ball
is obtained with less friction than when the surface of the projectile is plain.
Instead of casting the lead or soft metal on to lengths of hard metal tube the
soft metal may be drawn or pressed on to the tube and afterwards cut to the
required length, or similar projectiles may be otherwise produced.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

page_text: showing the fine rings or ridges thereon; Fig. 2, section thereof; Fig. 3,
detached view of the plug; Fig. 4, view in perspective.
A, the rings or ridges and grooves between them; B, plug; C, cylindrical
passage through the bullet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as required by
the aforesaid condition in the said Letters Patent contained, I hereby declare
that I claim the Invention of improvements in projectiles for rifles and ordnance
constructed as herein-before described, it being understood that I do not
claim the use of any of the constituent parts when not adopted and used for
the purposes and objects of my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hookham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our
· Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
GEORGE HOOKHAM. (L.S.)
Witness,
J. W. McGAULEY,
Managing Director of the Inventors' Patent Right
Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross,
. London.