IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE, AND THE MANNER OF LOADING SUCH WITH THE CHARGES AND PROJECTILES SUITABLE THERETO.
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Richards, of No. 2, Caroline St., Bedford
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE, AND THE MANNER OF LOADING SUCH WITH THE
CHARGES AND PROJECTILES SUITABLE THERETO.
Sealed the 25th September 1862, and dated the 25th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Richards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the 25th
April 1862.
1, GEORGE RICHARDS, of No. 2, Caroline St., Bedford Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE, AND THE MANNER OF LOADING SUCH WITH
THE CHARGES AND PROJECTILES SUITABLE THERETO," to be as follows:-
The cannon will be perforated at the breech. The loading and sponging
will be executed by a metal rod, wire, or rope passing through this
perforation and thence to the muzzle. The charge will be entered at the
muzzle, and drawn by the rod, wire, or rope, into the chamber of the gun, and
these disconnected in readiness for firing. The sponge will also be entered at
the muzzle. The breech will be furnished with a revolving disc for closing

page_text: the perforation, and which may also be used as a cutter to sever the wire or
rope, when the latter are used in loading. A plug may also be fitted to
the perforation at the breech, over or outside which the disc can revolve.
The rope or wire will give facility to loading (with circumscribed space
in the rear) "when the gun is run in." The description of cartridge and
projectile now in use may be fitted to this method of loading. The object of
this Invention is to give great strength to the breech of ordnance, with facility
of loading, thereby combining (most, if not all), the merits of both breech and
muzzle loaders without their disadvantages, as the method will admit of the
port or embrasure being closed, (and thus protecting the men at quarters)
during the operation of charging the gun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Richards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
RICHARDS, of No. 2, Caroline Street, Bedford Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, 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 George Richards, Her special licence that I, the said
George Richards, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Richards, 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 ORDNANCE, AND THE MANNER OF LOADING SUCH
WITH THE CHARGES AND PROJECTILES SUITABLE THERETO," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Richards, my executors or ad-
ministrators, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Richards, 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 statement:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in an improved method of rifling guns, in
order to give a greater initial velocity to projectiles than has hitherto been
given by the system of rifling at present in use. This improved rifling
consists of two or more projections or rails (instead of grooves) upon the inner
surface or bore of the piece, the shape of which projections 1 at present prefer
is that resembling an U in cross section; but I do not confine myself to that
particular form, or to their curve, or to their length within the The
gun.
great desideratum is to give increased initial velocity to projectiles, to obtain
which result, the propulsive power must be multiplied, increased, or concen-
trated. In order to effect this result, I use a gun of an increased calibre (to
any required extent) beyond the diameter of the shot or projectile, and a wad,
sabot, or casing (relatively enlarged), to fill up the diameter of the bore.
This wad, sabot, or casing is grooved, so as to correspond with the projections
or rails in the gun, and it may be composed of papier mâchè, wood, or any
other material consistent with strength, and the requisite qualities to bear the
impact of the discharge, and it may be coated with felt, or other suitable
substance, in order to prevent windage, without causing great friction in
passing through the gun, at the muzzle of which it becomes detached from the
projectile, after having imparted to the latter its rotary motion, and a velocity
increased in proportion to the relatively enlarged surface presented by the wad
to the impact of the ignited charge; a metal disc may be applied to the face
of the wad or sabot, for the purpose of strengthening it. This principle of
increasing the initial velocity of projectiles is also applicable to firing hollow
cylinders and other projectiles from rifle or shunt guns, as well as round shot
from smooth bore guns.
Another application of my system of rifling allows of and requires the
contact of the projectile with the interior of the gun at certain points; these
points are the projections, rails, or rifling in the gun, upon which the projectile
runs or slides (as upon rails). In this case the grooves in the projectile
receive the edges or surfaces of the projecting rifling, sufficiently to keep
the projectile in position, and to give it sufficient hold to take the twist
or turn of the said projecting rifling during its flight. The wad or sabot in the

page_text: rear of the projectile being the full size of the bore, and larger than the base
of the projectile, receives a relatively increased amount of impact from the
ignited charge; that is to say, it receives a greater portion of the force of the
explosion than if a similar charge were fired in a gun of equal calibre to the
diameter of the shot; this force or impact is transmitted to the projectile
which passes through the gun, acquiring the necessary rotary motion by
means of the projecting rifling, with but slight friction to check its velocity,
leaving the wad or sabot behind it, after quitting the muzzle. The grooves
in the projectile may be packed or lined with lead, or other soft substance, if
desirable, and the face of the wad or sabot may be furnished with a metal
disc in order to strengthen it, or an expanding cup or flange may be applied
thereto. This system applied to ordnance gives the advantage of con-
centrating the force of an immense charge upon a projectile of a propor-
tionately small weight, this result being one in relation to which the present
system of using elongated shot fails, because by the methods now in usc, too
much of the impact is thrown or expended upon the surface of the bore,
thereby distressing the gun without giving an equivalent effect upon the
projectile. By the adoption of this Invention, greater strength, and more
enduring and lasting qualities will be obtained for ordnance, because the
capacity of the calibre is thereby increased in proportion to the quantity of
powder used in the charge.
My Invention consists, secondly, in improvements in the method of loading
ordnance, as follows:-The cannon is to be perforated or pierced at the breech.
The loading and sponging are to be effected by a metal rod, wire, or rope
passing through the perforation, and thence to the muzzle. The charge is to be
entered at the muzzle, and drawn by the rod, wire, or rope into the chamber
of the gun, and there disconnected, when necessary, in readiness for firing.
The sponge is also to be entered at the muzzle. The breech is furnished with
a revolving disc, segment of disc, or other stopper, for closing the perforation,
when required. The perforation may ultimately be used as a "touch hole,"
and the stopper may be used as a cutter to sever the wire or rope, when either
of the latter is used in loading. I do not confine myself to the number or
position of the perforations in the breech; but I prefer to use one at or about
the centre of the breech. By this method of loading the strength of the
muzzle loader is retained, and all the advantages of the breech loader are
acquired. Facility in loading is afforded, particularly on shipboard, in a
seaway," where more power is required than can be applied by the ordinary
method to send home" the charge with heavy projectiles, for by this
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page_text: improved method the whole of the gun's crew can, if required, "run home" the
same. The ports or embrasures can be closed during the operation of
loading, and the men at quarters would thereby be protected from the enemy's
fire and riflemen.
My Invention refers, thirdly, to the charges and projectiles suitable to this
Invention. I prefer at present to make the cartridges for the improved
method of loading with a central longitudinal perforation, through which the
loading rod passes, and is connected with the face of the shot or sabot; they
may also be made with indentations at the sides to take the rifling. The
method of connecting the loading rod with the shot or sabot at present, is by
means of a screw, and also a slot and stud, similar to a bayonet catch.
The projectiles are fitted to the nature of the gun and rifling as before
described.
The foregoing description of my Invention will be more completely under-
stood by reference to the accompanying Drawings, and to the figures and
letters of reference marked thercon. Figs. 1 and 2 being longitudinal sectional
views of pieces of ordnance, in which A represents the projecting rifling, B
the cartridge, C the sabot, wad, or casing, and D the projectile. Fig. 3 is a
longitudinal sectional view of a piece of ordnance, shewing the manner of
loading by the charge being drawn into the chamber of the gun, in which A
represents the loading rod, B the cartridge, and C the projectile. Fig. 4
represents a perspective view of a section and muzzle of a gun, shewing the
position in which the wad and projectile pass through the bore, supported
and guided by the projecting rifling A; B is the sabot or wad, and C the
projectile.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I do not limit myself to the exact
details and configuration of parts herein expressed and shewn, as the same
may obviously be modified or varied, without departing from the principles on
which my Invention is based. I am aware that the term of "projecting
rifling" has been before applied to "shunt" guns, wherein the projectile fills
the entire space or bore of the gun, and which said "projecting rifling" has no
relation whatever to my Invention, but what I claim is,
Firstly, the improved method of rifling guns by means of projecting rifling
in order to give greater initial velocity to the projectile than the ordinary
modes of rifling afford.
And, secondly, the improved method of loading guns at the muzzle.
And thirdly. the improvements in the charges and the projectiles.

page_text: adapted to the said improved methods of rifling and loading guns, sub-
stantially in the manner herein specified and shewn by the Drawings hereto
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Richards, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
ALEX. C. M. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square.
GEORGE RICHARDS. (L.S.)