IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR RIFLED ORDNANCE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bashley Britten, of Barrington Road, Brixton, in the
County of Surry, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROJECTILES FOR RIFLED ORDNANCE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bashley Britten at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th March 1861.
I. BASHLEY BRITTEN, of Barrington Road, Brixton, in the County of Surry,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PROJECTILES POR RIFLED ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My improvements apply to the construction of shells suitable for rifled
guns, which shells may be either made up internally of separate pieces, or
constructed with a chamber capable of containing molten iron or other metal.
In making the shells intended to explode, I form a core of numerous metal
pieces put together round an inner core of loam or sand. The external iron
shell of suitable form, with an aperture, is then cast round the built-up core.
The inner core of loam or sand is removed, leaving a-chamber for the bursting
charge, which is ignited as usual with a time or concussion. füże. At the base
of the shells or that part intended to be placed towards the charge in the gun,
I apply a coating of lead formed in such a manner that on the gun being fired
the lead expands into the rifle grooves, and is acted upon by the rifling so as

page_text: to produce a rotatory motion in the shell. I unite the lead to the iron shell
by means of solder, zinc, or tin. The shells intended to be charged with molten
metal are lined internally with loam, clay, or such like material, which is a bad
conductor of heat. The thickness of the loam or clay lining is increased
towards the base of the shells. Round the base of these shells I also attach
lead outside in the same manner and for the same purpose as is described
above.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Bashley Britten in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BASHLEY
BRITTEN, of Barrington Road, Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
tho said Bashley Britten, Her special licence that I, the said Bashley
Britten, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Bashley Britten, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR RIFLED ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst s
others) that I, the said Bashley Britten, my executors or administrators, 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 within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bashley Britten, 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 state-
ment, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, with the letters 9
and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―

page_text: the shell I attach a coating or sabot of lead e, e; this is done by first removing
the impurities on the cast surface of the shell either by tools or by subjecting
the iron to the action of a strong pickle of sulphuric or other acid. This por-
tion of the shell is then immersed in a bath of melted zinc, tin, or solder, to
become coated with such metal. The shell is then taken out, and as quickly
as possible placed in a mould of the required form containing melted lead,
which on cooling becomes firmly attached to the projectile.
For causing the explosion of the bursting charge of such shells, the ordinary
time or concussion fuzes may be used, or the arrangement of which a longi-
tudinal section is shewn in Figure 3 can be employed. f.is a cylindrical case
of suitable material (metal preferred) open at one end, and having a somewhat
contracted aperture at the other. This outer case has a screw thread exter-
nally. g is a moveable piece or striker, one end of which is formed with a
nipple to receive-a-percussion cap at h; k is a metallic cap or cover screwed
on to the case f; l is a ring of lead or other material tightly driven into the
space between the outer case and the striker so as to retain the latter in its
place till released by the concussion at the discharge of the gun. This ring of
lead may be sometimes dispensed with, and the striker left quite free. When
the shell has been charged with powder, this outer case with the other parts
described (Figure 3) is screwed into the aperture of the shell, and thus the
charged shell may be retained without danger of explosion. At any moment
before being inserted in the gun, the outer cover f can be readily unscrewed
with the hand, and an ordinary percussion cap placed on the nipple h. The
outer cover being replaced, the shell may be rammed into the gun and fired.
When the flight of the shell is retarded by striking an object, the momentum
of the striker causes the percussion cap to strike against the outer cover and
explode, and the flame ignites the bursting charge of the shell through the
aperture.
Figure 4 shews a longitudinal section of a shell for holding molten metal,
suitable for being fired from rifled cannon. m, m, is the outer iron shell;
n, n, the coating or sabot of lead applied in the manner before described
with reference to Figure 1; o, o, is an inner lining of hard loam, clay, or other
suitable material, made so that it shall adhere to the interior of the shell; this
is effected in the manner usually employed in constructing what are known as
molten iron shells. I take care to have this earthen lining of increased thick-
ness towards the base of the shell, so that the heat of the molten iron when
the interior of the shell p is charged with it, shall not readily affect the lead
coating or sabot.
Having now described the nature of my said improvements, and in what

page_text: manner the same are to be performed, I would have it to be understood that
I do not confine myself to the shape or proportions of the projectiles I have
described, or to the shape or mode of arrangement of internal pieces forming
the metallic core described, or any other matter merely of detail in the con-
struction of the said projectiles. What I claim as my improvements in con-
struction of projectiles are,―
First, the method explained of constructing shells with detached metallic
pieces inside of them; the detached pieces being so arranged and prepared
that the outer shell may be cast round them without its adhering to them,
and provision being made to allow of the outer shell shrinking as it cools
without being strained by the metallic core.
Second, the mode described of constructing the pieces of cast metal to be
placed in the interior of shells, with plates or cores of suitable material, par-
tially dividing them, so as to form breaking places.
Third, the application of the case or sabot of lead as described to projec-
tiles constructed with internal detached pieces, or to projectiles constructed
with an inner lining of suitable material, which will allow of their being
charged and fired with molten iron in them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bashley Britten, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JOHN IMRAY.
BASHLEY BRITTEN. (L.S.)