IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOT OR PROJECTILES
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Kennedy at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th April
1855.
I, THOMAS KENNEDY, of Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,
Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOT OR PROJECTILES " to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates principally to the arrangement and construction of
cylindro-conoidal shot or projectiles in such manner that great accuracy of
flight and certainty of effect are secured.
In carrying out this Invention with cylindro-conoidal shot, the cylindrical
portion forming the after part or base of the projectile is made hollow, for the
purpose of receiving a series of moveable feather pieces, which are arranged
to be pressed through or into longitudinal slots in the cylindrical portion of the
projectile by a piece of caoutchouc or other elastic material, also contained in
the hollow of the projectile.
It is preferred to use four such longitudinal feather pieces, the shell portion
of the shot being cut through with four slots to correspond at equal distances
apart; each feather piece has upon it a narrow longitudinal flange turned
inwards when the feather is in position, and of such a size as to prevent the
feather from passing through the slot entirely. When the pieces are inserted
in their longitudinal radial position, a piece of caoutchouc is inserted into the

page_text: hollow of the shot, so as to press against all the four flanged sides, and thus
tend to keep the feathers fully projected outwards. The flat base of the shot
is covered with a disc cap piece, screwed or otherwise attached to the shot to
keep all solid; a piece of cloth or other suitable material is then cut to the
form of a Maltese cross, and the solid central portion of this cloth being
disposed to correspond to the capped base, the four arms pieces of the cloth are
turned over, so as to embrace the cylindrical part of the slot. In this condition
a metal ring of an external diameter, somewhat larger than the bore of the
gun in which the shot is to be fired, is passed upon the base of the shot, and
entered upon the cylindrical portion thereof in such manner as to embrace the
cloth, and force the longitudinal feathers down into their slots, bringing the
external edges of the feather pieces flush with the external contour of the shot;
when the shot is placed in the gun, the base being entered first, the external
ring is pressed off the shot by the action of charging, the shot with the whole
of the parts connected with it being then forced down into the gun. The
embracing ring is only pushed off the shot as the latter enters base first; hence
the ring keeps the feather pieces flush with the cylinder of the shot until
fairly embraced by the gun. The shot thus passes easily down the bore, the
external cloth being greased, after the manner of the usual "patch." When
the discharge takes place and the shot leaves the gun, the reaction of the
elastic centre piece forces out the the feather pieces, which are no longer
restrained by the gun's bore, and these feather pieces at once become projecting
guides for the shot's flight.
If the shot or projectile is intended to fly without rotating upon its centre,
these feather pieces are placed perfectly parallel with the shot's axis; but if
rotation is intended, as in a rifle ball, the feathers are more or less inclined to
the axial line of the ball, when rotation will take place during the flight, on the
principle of the feathered arrow. By the adoption of this Invention the
common smooth bore pieces may be made to act with the best effect of rifled
arms. Various forms of projectile may be used, but the cylindro-conoidal shape
possesses very obvious advantages for the purpose.
Instead of this particular arrangement of shot, a similar result may be
obtained by contriving a helical or other spring to force out jointed or hinged
guide wings. In this form of shot a longitudinal bolt or spindle is passed
directly through the axial line of the shot from end to end, being screwed or
bolted in its place.
At the front end of the hollow of the shot a helical
spring is placed, so as to encircle the central spindle, one end of the spring
abutting against the shell of the shot or the spindle end shoulder, whilst the
other reacts upon a traversing. piece loose upon the spindle. This traversing

page_text: piece is formed with joint eyes, corresponding to the number of guide wings of
the shot, and each wing is jointed by its forward end to an eye of the traversing
piece. The hollow after end of the shot is covered in by a slightly convex
disc plate, having its circumference checked into the rim or edge of the
shot, whilst it is held in position by the central spindle. The shell of the shot
is slotted through longitudinally for the passage through of the guide wings,
and the slots are continued, if necessary, into the circumferential portion of the
base cap, the terminal portions of these slots answering as stops for the action
of the wings in expanding. The after free end of each wing is inclined on its
inner edge, and this incline rests against the end of the slot; hence, when the
shot escapes from the gun, the reactionary pressure of the spring causes the
traverse piece to move upon the spindle, forcing the wings towards the after
end of the shot, and at the same time causing the necessary divergence of the
wings, by reason of the action of the inclines against their stop surfaces. The
after end of each wing is widened out, so that a side wind during the shot's
flight will thus have a greater pressure area towards the after part of of
the shot, and all lateral action of this nature will therefore tend to keep the
front end of the shot towards the wind's eye, and add to the accuracy of
flight.