Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1887
Complete Left, 28th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 4th May, 1888
BRYAN WILLIAM STEVENS, Merchant 15 Whittall Street Birmingham do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of this gun or rifle is to carry a line over a ship or other object, it can
be made small size to shoot from the shoulder for use between boat & ship &c., or it
can be made in larger size to work on swivel for use on land to communicate with a
ship at longer distances.
The gun may be either breech or muzzle loading, with smooth or rifled barrels.
1st. A rod is used headed top & bottom between heads a swivel works, to which the
line is connected, the rod may be either tubular or solid, and part may be leaded to
fit the barrel and if used in the rifle barrel would cause the rod to spin in its flight,
line may also be fixed to top of rod & no swivel used.
2nd. A bullet may be used with a tube up the centre to prevent the bullet crushing,
the rod when placed in the barrel should fit the tube easy, when discharged the bullet
would run up the rod to the top, making the top of rod the heaviest, so cause a better &
more direct flight, the string would be fixed at the top, but a spin being given to the
bullet & rod (if shot out of a rifled barrel) the string would wrap round the rod, the
pull would then be central from the tail of the rod.
3rd. The rod may be made of tube with a slot part or all the way up, in this would
work a runner to which the string would be attached, in its flight the runner would
drag to the end of slot, the top of rod can be weighted for the heaviest part to take
the lead in flight, part of the tube may be leaded to fit the barrel.
Dated this 6th day of Decembar 1887

page_text: I, BRYAN WILLIAM STEVENS, of 15 Whittall Street Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists of an improvement or improvements in appliances used in
connection with line throwing, by means of shoulder and other guns and rifles as
herein-after described, whereby line throwing is greatly simplified, and the fewness of
parts employed, minimised.
By my invention, more than ordinary advantages are obtained at little cost, as it is
superior in efficiency, to those of the ordinary kind, and is free from the liability to
derangement, and entanglement as often happens, in line throwing.
My said invention cousists first, in the construction or formation of the projectile.
Secondly, in the formation of the rear part of the projectile, so that the bullet is
carried with it. Thirdly, in a line stop. Fourthly, in a ready means of connecting
the fore part of the line to the projectile, which when thrown, relieves the first
snatch. Fifthly, in an apparatus, for holding the line, which is suspended from the
barrel and fore part of the arm or shoulder gun, by a clip.
Figure 1 represents partly in elevation, and partly in longitudinal vertical section,
a breech loading small-arm, provided with line-throwing and line holding appliance,
constructed and arranged according to my invention. It will be seen that the projectile
is in the position which it assumes in respect to both the line and bullet, before the
arm is fired, and it will be also seen that the line proper is wound into a ball, and is
uncoiled from its middle.
Figure 2 represents the rear or tail end of the projectile and bullet within the
barrel of the arm, upon a larger scale, thus exhibiting the said tail end, which is
angular, coming in juxta position, or in front of, a rear axial hole in the bullet.
Figure 3 represents the said rear end of the projectile, and with the bullet attached,,
after the projectile has been thrown.
Figure 4 represents a cross section of the projectile rod, on the dotted lines A B
figure 1 exhibiting the loop, which forms the connection between line and projectile.
Figure 5 represents a modification of the rear or tail end of the projectile. In this
said modification, the bullet is driven into an axial hole in the end of the stop, or in the
end of the projectile rod.
The same letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
a is a breech loading small arm, with a rifled barrel, b is a line throwing projectile,
with a conical shaped head 63, rod or spindle 63, line stop 6, in the form of an elongated
collar or boss, at the tail end of the projectile, and 6 is an angular and rear extension

page_text: of the said rod b³, upon the end of which, the bullet b fixedly attaches itself, on the
said bullet being expelled from the arm, by the explosion of an ordinary cartridge.
The bullet c is sunken at its rear end, and has provided at the said end, a hole c², for
facilitating the bullet, in drawing itself over, or on to the end of the projectile.
The stop collar 4, is of a little less diameter than the bore of the arm; so that on
the powder or cartridge d being exploded; the soft metal of the bullet is driven both
upon the angular tail end as aforesaid, but around the stop collar, thereby making the
projectile partake of the motion of the bullet, which is made to rotate about its own
axis, by being forced through the riflings of the barrel.
t
By this means, the projectile in its parabolic flight, is made to turn upon its own
axis, and correct any faults resulting from windage or untruth in the formations of the
appliances.
e is the line, with a supplementary thicker fore part e², to resist the snatch, on the
firing of the arm. The connection between the fore part e of the said line e, and the
projectile, is made by a loop e³, which is threaded over the head, and then drawn
around the forepart of the rod, next to the head, as represented.
fis a box like carrier; wherein the line made up into a ball is enclosed, and which
said carrier, is suspended from the barrel and fore part of the arm, by a clip ƒ³, which
may be jointed or threaded thereon.
The line carrier has an opening f³, at its fore part, and a smaller opening, at its
rear part. Through the latter, the end of the line e³ passes, which is preferably wound
around the hand of a person using the arm.
In figure 5, 63 is the rod or spindle, 64 the line stop, with a hol 6 within it, open
at its rear.
In throwing a line over a ship or craft, from the shore, or from a boat, give the arm
the necessary elevation, so that the projectile should clear the ship, then pull the
trigger, when the explosion of the cartridge forces the bullet outwardly, and upon the
tail end, and around the line stop, as represented in figure 3, and thence through
the riflings in the barrel, thus carrying forward the projectile, which comes in common,
and partakes of the motion of the flight of the bullet.
The driving forward of the projectile, by aid of the bullet as aforesaid, the line
loop e, which is now next to the head, slips down the rod or spindle, until it arrives
at the stop 6, when the line is continuously paid out from the interior of the ball,
until the whole line therein contained, is expended, with the back end secured, to
which a towing line or rope is attached, and then drawn inwards, by the occupants of
the ship or craft.
The projectile rear end, may be made without a stop. In this case, the bullet can
be made to thread itself forward upon the rod, and the line slidingly attached to the
projectile shank.
I wish it to be observed, that the wrap of the line may be varied to that as
represented, and that the projectile rod may be made tubular or split, instead of
solid.
When made tubular, the inner end of the line is attached to a runner, working
through a longitudinal slot in the said tubular rod.
The bullet may if necessary, be fixedly attached to the rear of the projectile, prior
to it being introduced into the barrel of an arm.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
--
First A projectile for line throwing, consisting of a weighted and headed front
end, a rod middle part, and a line stop collar, with an angular extension at its rear
end, substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly-Making the bullet sunken with a hole and recess at its front part, to
facilitate the fixedly securing of the said bullet upon the projectiles rear end,
substantially as set forth.
Thirdly The means herein described, of making the bullet fixedly secure itself to
:

page_text: the rear of the projectile, whereby the said bullet is made to take the same path,
flight and motion as the projectile, substantially as set forth.
Fourthly Combining with a projectile, with a head fore end and line stop rear
end, with a rod between them, of a running knot loop, made at the fore end of a
throwing line, substantially as set forth.
Lastly Combining with a line throwing projectile, and small arm, of a semi-
circular jointed, and depending line holding carrier, with openings preferably front
and rear, and suspended by a barrel, or barrel and fore end embracing strap,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this Ninteenth day of March 1888.