IMPROVEMENTS I!! SHOT AND SHELL
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Hogg, of Charles Street, in the Borough
of Gateshead, in the County of Durham, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS I!! SHOT AND SHELL."
Sealed the 1st May 1855, and dated the 7th November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Hogg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on th
7th November 1854.
I, EDWARD HOGG, of Charles Street, in the Borough of Gateshead, in the
County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOT AND SHELL" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, in the first place, in rifling or forming spiral grooves
on the head or fore part of the shot and shell, so as to give the same a rotary
motion when fired from a gun with a cylindrical bore or barrel, and thereby
obviate the necessity for rifling or forming spiral grooves in the bore or barrel
of the gun.
And my Invention consists, in the second place, in making the base or
hinder part of the shot hollow, thereby giving the preponderance in weight to
the head or fore part, which is solid.

page_text: The spiral grooves extend from the point or front of the shot and shell a
suitable distance towards the base, the remainder of the surface being plain, as
usual. The form of the hollow in the base or hinder part of the shot may be
varied, to suit particular kinds of shot, and an iron plug is screwed into
the back of a cast shot after the core has been extracted therefrom.
percussion cap of suitable form and size is screwed into the head or front of
the shell.
A
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Hogg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HOGG, of Charles Street, in the Borough of Gateshead, in the County of
Durham, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Hogg, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Hogg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Hogg, 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
SHOT AND SHELL," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Hogg, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 Edward Hogg, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):―

page_text: My Invention of "Improvements in Shot and Shell" consists, in the first
place, in rifling or forming spiral grooves on the head or fore part of the shot
and shell, so as to give the same a rotary motion when fired from a gun with
a cylindrical bore or barrel, and thereby obviate the necessity for rifling or
forming spiral grooves in the bore or barrel of the gun.
And my Invention consists, in the second place, in making the base or
hinder part of the shot hollow, thereby giving the preponderance in weight to
the head or fore part, which is solid.
The spiral grooves extend from the point or front of the shot and shell a
suitable distance towards the base, the remainder of the surface. being plain, as
usual. The form of the hollow in the base or hinder part of the shot may be
varied, to suit particular kinds of shot, and an iron plug is screwed into the
back of a cast shot after the core has been extracted therefrom. A percussion
cap of suitable form and size is screwed into the head or front of the shell.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Drawing, in
which my improved shot and shell are represented.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the shell; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, in the
line A, B, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation; and Fig. 4, a plan or horizontal
view of the same; Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the improved shot; Fig. 6 is
a horizontal section, in the line C, D, of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an elevation; and
Fig. 8, a plan or horizontal view of the same. In all these Figures the same
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. a is the percussion cap,
screwed into the head or front of the shell; b, b, are the flutes or grooves
formed on the head or fore part of both the shot and the shell; c is the cavity
formed in the base or hinder part of the shot; d is the plug, which is screwed
into the back of a cast shot after the core has been extracted.
I would here remark, that the shot and shell above described are repre-
sented at the full size for a six-pounder gun; but my Invention is not confined
to any particular size of shot or shell.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not mean or
intend to confine myself to the precise forms and proportions of the parts
represented and described, as the same may be varied without departing from
the principle of my Invention, which consists mainly in adapting shot and
shell to be capable of receiving a rotary motion when discharged from a
gun with a plain or unrifled bore or barrel; but what I do claim as of my
Invention is,

page_text: Firstly, the rifling or forming of spiral grooves on the head or fore part of
the shot and shell, for the purpose described.
And, secondly, the distribution of metal in the shot, so as to give the
preponderance in weight to the head or fore part of the same, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Hogg, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JOHN SHARP,
Gateshead-upn-Tyne.
EDWARD HOGG. (L.S.)