IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Norton, of Rosherville, in the County of Kent,
late Captain in Her Majesty's 34th Regiment, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 15th February 1859, and dated the 17th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Norton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th August
1858.
I, JOHN NORTON, of Rosherville, in the County of Kent, late Captain in
Her Majesty's 34th Regiment, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES," to be as follows:-
This.. Invention is intended to prevent the leading of the barrels of small
arms, and also to protect the barrels of ordnance. It consists in surrounding
the lead ball or projectile used in small arms, by paper, leather, skin, or other
like suitable material; and this by casting the projectile on to the paper,
leather, &c.
The paper, is first. pressed or placed in the mould, so as to surround those
parts of the finished projectile which would come in contact with the barrel j
the lead is then. poured in. When taken from the mould the projectile has
a protective coating, which will effectually prevent leading of the barrels.
For: ordnance: I form a jacket or: skin of thin copper, or other suitable.
metal, and fill it with artificial tone, cement, or other suitable hard
material.
".

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Norton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th February 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
NORTON, of Rosherville, in, the County of Kent, late Captain in Her Majesty's
34th Regiment, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Norton, Her special licence that I, the said John Norton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Norton, 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 PROJECTILES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Norton, 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 T, the said John Norton, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
This Invention is intended, to prevent the leading of the barrels of small
arms, and also to protect the barrels of ordnance. It consists in. surrounding
the lead ball or projectile used in small arms, by paper, leather, skin, or other
like suitable material, and, this by casting the projectile into the paper, leather,
&c., or by securing the paper, leather, or other coating thereto, by paste or
cement.
The paper may be pressed or placed in the mould so as to surround those
parts of the finished projectile which would come in contact with the barrel;

page_text: and the lead is then poured in. When taken from the mould the projectile
has a protective coating, which will effectually prevent leading of the barrels.
For ordnance I form a jacket or skin of thin copper, or other suitable
metal, and fill it with artificial stone, cement, or other hard material.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings shews in side elevation, and
Figure 2 in section, a bullet with my paper coating applied thereto, and
secured by paste or cement. a is the bullet; 6, the coating of thin tough
paper, pasted on both sides with flour paste; two or three folds are wrapped
round the bullet, the finger and thumb being used to make the folds lie down
close and compact. This bullet is particularly adapted for loading at the
muzzle.
At Figures 3 and 4 I shew, in elevation and section respectively, a bullet
for rifles, where the coating is caused to adhere to the projectile by casting the
metal into it; or the paper may be previously grooved, and then applied and
secured by cement. In some cases, and particularly for breech-loading,
I cover the projectile with many folds of paper, in order that on being forced
through the barrel the "lands" of the rifle shall only cut on the
paper, and
not touch the body of the shot, which may be of iron or any other metal.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the surrounding the lead ball or projectile used in small arms by
paper, leather, skin, or other like suitable material, in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before described.
Second, the improvements in projectiles for ordnance, herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Norton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
JOHN NORTON. (L.B.)