Improvements in Bullets for Sporting or other purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bullets for Sporting or other purposes.
I, CHARLES SEPTIMUS BERTHON, of The Barracks, Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, Major and Instructor of Gunnery, 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:—
This invention relates to bullets particularly for sporting or other purposes where
great stopping power and limitation of deadly effects after ricochet are desired and
my improvements consist in building of the bullets in specifically shaped segments
held in place provisionally during discharge and flight and until an object is struck
directly by the bullet when a destructive effect immediately ensues giving great
stopping power and limiting its range after ricochet.
To carry my invention into effect I make the head of the bullet in soft iron or
steel with a tail of twice or three times the length of the head and about this tail I
arrange segments having oblique upper faces resting upon the oblique shoulders of
the head and externally inaking up the complete cylindrical periphery of the bullet,
these segments are retained in position during discharge and flight by an external
thin casing say of nickel covering the bottom of the bullet and reaching upwards
above the tops of the segments, or I may make the segments or inner portion of the
bullet entirely of lead or bullet metal with the said casing covering the entire front.
portion and spun over the base of bullet, as the bullet revolves about its axis during
flight at an extreme velocity from a rifled barrel the case is in great tension from the
centrifugal action of the segments. Upon striking an object direct the segments
tend to continue their travel and rising up the oblique shoulders of the head burst.
open the casing and spread outwards. Upon ricochetting the case is thrust rearwards
and the segments escaping deprive the bullet of its further travelling power each
piece becoming unbalanced, the range after ricochet being greatly reduced. And in
order that my invention may be better understood I now proceed to describe the
same in reference to the drawings hereto annexed and to the letters and figures
marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a bullet having a centre shank A composed of a
head, a flat body, and a circular base, with segments B of softer metal fitting one on
each flat surface of shank, the whole enveloped in a thin casing C.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a bullet having a centre shank A composed of a
head or point, a circular or square stem, and a circular base, with two or more
segments B arranged around the stem, the whole in an envelope or casing C.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a bullet having the head A made integral with
one of the segments B, the other segment B fitting on to same direct, both
segments being held together with a thin casing C.
Fig. 6 is a cross section of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a bullet where the base is integral with the
segment B, the other segment fitting on to the same making up the full shape of the
bullet, both segments B B being enveloped in a casing C covering them entirely
except the base over which the casing is spun.
Fio 8 is a cross section of Fig 7.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. A bullet composed of a centre shank on either side of which a segment
of softer metal is fitted, held together by a thin casing substantially
described.
as
2. A bullet composed of a centre shank with segments arranged around
the stem, and held together by a thin casing substantially as described.
3. A bullet composed of a head or point having a segmental tail and on which
tail another segment is fitted the whole enveloped in a thin casing except at the
point substantially as described.
4. A bullet composed of two segments the base being integral with one of the
segments, the other segment fitting on to same making up the complete shape of
the bullet, encased in a thin casing covering the bullet except at the base where the
casing is spun over substantially as described.
5. Bullets of the design herein described composed of two or more
segments.
Dated thin 131 J
1000