IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOT OR PROJECTILES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norton, of Cork, in the County of
Cork, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOT OR
PROJECTILES "
Sealed the 13th April 1853, and dated the 2nd December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Norton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd December 1852.
I, JOHN NORTON, of Cork, in the County of Cork, Esquire, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SHOT OR PROJECTILES" to be as follows: _
This Invention relates to the construction of hollow expanding
shot or projectiles, each containing its own cartridge or explosive
charge. The charge is composed of a safe fulminating powder and
common gunpowder in about equal proportions. Various fulminates
may be used, the fulminate being first put into the hollow of the
shot and a circular piece of thin tissue paper is then placed over it.
After this the gunpowder is put in, and over that is fastened a cir-
cular patch or disc of thin linen or calico, greased with a preparation
of bees' wax, spermaceti, and oil. The patch encloses the base of

page_text: the shot, and goes half way up its sides. The shot may be of various
shapes, but it is preferred to make it cylindro-conordal, or clongated
somewhat like an acorn. The entire charge used is within the shot,
and the fire from the percussion cap of the piece penetrates the
centre of the greased patch, and fires the charge. In using this pro-
jectile with the common rifle, a few grains of fine gunpowder are
put into the piece, besides the ball charge, merely to fill the nipple
and ensure firing; but with Norton's improved model rifle cannon,
the nipple being in the centre of the breach, the percussion cap
sends its fire direct into the centre of the retaining patch, and fires
the charge without other assistance. On firing, the explosion
expands the shot to fill up the bore of the piece or the grooves of
the rifle, or for rifle cannon the shot may have rifle projections to
begin with, so that the explosion on firing may entirely fill up
the grooves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said John Norton in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 1st June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN NORTON, of Cork, in the County of Cork, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Norton, Her special license
that I, the said John Norton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Norton, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for

page_text: "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOT OR PROJECTILES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Norton, 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Norton, 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, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
My said Invention relates to the construction of hollow expanding
shot or projectiles, cach containing its own cartridge or explosive
charge, and forming what I term my hollow cylindro-conoidal shot.
The charge is composed of a safe fulminating powder and common
gunpowder in about equal proportions. Various fulminates may be
used, the fulminate being first put into the hollow of the shot, and a
circular piece of thin tissue paper is then placed over it. After this
the gunpowder is put in, and over that is fastened a circular patch
or disc of thin linen or calico, greased with a preparation of bee's
wax, spermaceti, and oil, or instead thereof oxide of zinc and hog's
lard may be used. And the charge may be wholly of gunpowder
instead of a compound of fulminates. The patch encloses the base
of the shot, and goes half way up its sides. The shot may be of
various shapes, but it is preferred to make it cylindro-conoidal, or
elongated somewhat like an acorn. The entire charge used is
within the shot, and the fire from the percussion cap of the piece
penetrates the centre of the greased patch, and fires the charge. In
using this projectile with the common rifle, a few grains of fine gun-
powder are put into the piece, besides the ball charge, merely to fill
the nipple, and ensure firing; but with Norton's improved model
rifle cannon, the nipple being in the centre of the breach, the per-
cussion cap sends its fire direct into the centre of the retaining

page_text: patch, and fires the charge without other assistance. On firing, the
explosion expands the shot, to fill up the bore of the piece, or the
grooves of the rifle, or for rifled cannon the shot may have rifle pro-
jections to begin with, so that the explosion on firing may entirely
fill up the
grooves. Figure 1, on my Sheet of Drawings, is a side
elevation of my improved shot drawn to the full size; Figure 2, is
a longitudinal section of the same to correspond; and Figure 3, is a
transverse section of the emptied shot alone. In this example the
cylindro-conoidal shot A, of wrought iron is formed with a conical
chamber B, to receive the charge, which is represented by the dotted
mass C, E. The part marked C, in the narrow end of the conical
chainber, is the fulminating substance or compound, and this portion
of the charge is then shut in or divided off by the thin partition D,
of thin tissue paper. The gunpowder E, is then filled in over this
partition, and the entire internal charge is finally secured by the
external cover piece of thin linen or calico F. This cover is pre-
pared with a water-proof composition of bec's wax, spermaceti,
and neat's foot oil, or oxide of zinc and hog's lard, and it
forms a secure lid across the mouth of the shot, being made very
considerably larger than the area of the shot's section, so as to
embrace the cylindrical part where it is tied on at G, by a separate
thread the cylindrical part of the shot being slightly recessed or
reduced in diameter at this point, to give a better hold. In this
shot the percussion fire from the nipple of the piece penetrates right
through the fabric of the charge cover, and the consequent internal
explosion expands the shot or containing shell, so as to fill up the
bore of the piece to the greatest nicety. The shot is rifled by being
flattened off at four sides as at H, but it is equally obvious that
the desired effect will be secured as well in smooth-bore shooting.
The base of the shot, being as it were plastic, is not liable to fracture,
but at once fully accommodates itself to the bore of the piece. The
charge within the shot may be level with the base or open end of
the cylinder, or it may project slightly beyond this line, as the
calico covering may be pierced through the touch hole like other
cartridges. These shot or modifications of them may be made of

page_text: malleable cast iron or wrought iron, or for small arms they may be
made of lead by mechanical pressure. And instead of charging each
shot loosely, the charge may be put in in the form of a cartridge
when it is to be fired. The annular groove at I, on the conoidal
part of the shot is intended for the spring tongs to lay hold of, in
drawing the shot. When intended for small arms the shot is made
of lead without any external rifle projections, as the internal explo-
sion causes the soft metal to expand well into and fill up the rifle
grooves of the picce. But for rifled cannon the shot has proper rifle
projections upon it, to fit easily into the rifle grooves, malleable cast
iron being employed, so that the expansion fills up the grooves very
accurately, and instead of carrying the cover piece F, up the sides
of the shot, it may be tied down into an annular groove close to the
base or open end of the shot.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be
used or carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that 1 do
not confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements
which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations
may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles or
main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the system or mode of arranging and constructing hollow
shot or projectiles, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of combining the explosive charge
with the hollow shot as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said John Norton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.