IMPROVEMENTS IN THROWING PROJECTILES BY MEANS OF EXPLOSIVE AGENTS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edgar Poynter, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Chemical Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THROWING PROJECTILES BY MEANS OF EXPLOSIVE AGENTS
Sealed the 8th April 1864, and dated the 13th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edgar Poynter
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th October 1863.
J, JOHN EDGAR POINTER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Chemical Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THROWING PROJECTILES BY MEANS OF EXPLOSIVE
AGENTS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the throwing of projectiles by means of explosive
agents such as gunpowder, or gun cotton, and to apparatus therefor, and has
for object the throwing of projectiles and more particularly heavy projectiles
from instruments or apparatus of less difficulty and uncertainty in manufacture
than the hollow ordnance hitherto in use, together with other advantages.
And in carrying out the Invention the projectile instead of being thrown
from the interior of a cannon or large tube in which the explosive agent is
ignited, is itself formed with a cavity to contain the explosive agent, and to fit
and slide upon a mandril or solid cylinder. The mandril, with the parts which
are attached to and carry it, forms the comparatively stationary or resisting part
of the piece of ordnance, and when the charge in the cavity of the projectile is
ignited the reaction of the explosion against the mandril causes the pro-

page_text: jection of the projectile. It will be obvious that many of the appliances
in use with ordinary cannons may be adapted with more or less modification
to the improved ordnance, or as they may be termed mandril guns. Thus
the mandril may be formed with rifle grooves or ridges to give axial
rotation to the projectile, and the sides of the cavity in the latter may be
formed with corresponding ridges or grooves, or the cavity may be lined
with lead or other suitable packing material, or it may be coated with a
lubricant. The charge may be ignited by a vent formed through the side of
the projectile, or through the mandril, or through both projectile and mandril.
It is preferred to form the mandril piece with a shoulder or flange, into contact
with which the projectile is by preference brought when placed upon the
mandril. The projectile may be shaped externally in any convenient way, as
for example with inclined flanges or wings to produce axial rotation by their
oblique resistance to the air. As increased strength may be given to the
projectile at the sides of the portion of the cavity intended to contain the
explosive charge, a hollow or cavity of more or less depth may be formed in
the end of the mandril, such cavity combining with the inner end of
the cavity in the projectile to form the space for receiving the explosive
charge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Edgar Poynter in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EDGAR POYNTER, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Chemical Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Edgar Poynter, Her special license that I, the said
John Edgar Poynter, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Edgar Poynter, my executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an

page_text: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THROWING PROJECTILES BY
MEANS OF
EXPLOSIVE AGENTS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Edgar Poynter, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under
the hand and seal of one of them, 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 Edgar Poynter, 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 in writing, 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 throwing of projectiles by means of
explosive agents, such as gunpowder or gun cotton, and to apparatus therefor,
and has for object the throwing of projectiles and more particularly heavy
projectiles from instruments or apparatus different from and possessing certain
advantages over the ordnance hitherto in use.
And in carrying out my said Invention the projectile, instead of being
placed in and thrown from the interior of a cannon or large tube in which the
explosive charge is ignited, is itself formed with a cavity to fit and slide upon
a mandril or cylinder, which with the parts attached to and carrying it forms
the comparatively stationary or resisting part of the piece of ordnance, and
from the outside of which the projectile is thrown on the explosive charge
being ignited. The mandril may be solid, the explosive charge being in that
case contained entirely in the inner portion of the cavity of the projectile, or a
hollow or cavity may be formed in the mandril of sufficient depth to contain
the entire explosive charge, the inner end of the cavity in the projectile being
in that case shaped to fit close up to the end of the mandril, or a hollow or
cavity of more or less depth may be formed in the mandril so as to combine
with the inner portion of the cavity in the projectile to form the space for
receiving the explosive charge.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood I have hereunto appended an explanatory
Drawing to be herein-after referred to, and representing a modification of my
improved ordnance with its projectile, the projectile and the forward part of
the piece being shown in section.

page_text: The projectile A is formed with a cavity to fit and slide upon a mandril or
cylinder B, the parts fitting together being by preference cylindrical. The
mandril is formed with a shoulder or step C, and it is preferred to make the
projectile A fit close up against this shoulder. The length of the part of the
mandril upon which the projectile fits should be sufficient to give the necessary
direction to the projectile, and I believe the proportion shown on the Drawing
to be ample for this purpose, but the shape of the projectile may be varied in
many ways and different proportions of the fitting and directing part may be
required for different shapes. I may here remark that one feature of my im-
proved ordnance consists in the fact that various forms and sizes of projectiles
can be fired or projected from the same piece provided that each is formed
or fitted with an internal bearing of a size to fit and slide upon the mandril B,
but if the bearing part of the projectile is not as long as the bearing part of the
mandril B, I prefer to put on the mandril a ring of a suitable size to make up
the length, and so that the projectile may have its back edge in contact with
it. In the example shown in the Drawing the space for the explosive charge
consists partly of a hollow or cavity D formed in the the mandril B, and
partly of the inner portion E of the cavity in the projectile A, and as the
cavity D in the mandril extends inwardly further back than the projectile A,
the vent F for igniting the charge is formed directly into it as in an ordinary
cannon. The back part G of the piece is made of sufficient weight for the
recoil, and whilst the mandril and the back part may, if preferred, be cast
or formed in one piece it may generally be more desirable to make the back
part G of cast iron, whilst the front part of the piece with the mandril B
formed upon it may be of a stronger and more expensive material, such as gun
metal or steel. It will be obvious that many of the appliances in use with
ordinary cannons may be adapted with more or less modification to my
improved ordnance or mandril guns. Thus the mandril may be formed with
rifle grooves or ridges to give axial rotation to the projectile, the sides of the
cavity in the latter being formed with corresponding ridges or grooves or
being lined with lead or other suitable packing material. Or axial rotation
of the projectile may be obtained by forming it with external inclined flanges
or wings, or with inclined grooves or passages to act by their obiique resistance
to the air. The inside of the projectile or the outside of the mandril may be
coated with a lubricant and an increased strength may be given to the projectile
at the part round the inner portion of its cavity and subjected to the severest
strain of the explosion. In some cases the explosive charge may be ignited
by a vent formed through the side of the projectile or through both projectile
and mandril.

page_text: An important advantage appertains to my improved ordnance and projectile
in the event of bursting, as from the explosion occurring at the forward part of
the piece those in charge of it will not be so much in danger of injury as in
the case of ordinary cannons.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the throwing of projectiles
by means of explosive agents from the outsides of mandrils or cylinders, and
the constructing of the projectiles and the mandrils or cylinders accordingly
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edgar Poynter have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of April in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
JOHN EDGAR POYNTER. (L.S.)
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.