for the Invention of MENTS IN PROJECTILES, IN PROJECTILE INSTRUMENTS, AND IN THE MEANS OF CHARGING THE SAME
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank James Wilson Packman, of Puckeridge, in the
" IMPROVE-
County of Herts, Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of
MENTS IN PROJECTILES, IN PROJECTILE INSTRUMENTS, AND IN THE MEANS OF
CHARGING THE SAME."
"
Sealed the 19th October 1855, and dated the 28th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank James Wilson
Packman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th April 1855.
I, FRANK JAMES WILSON PACKMAN, of Puckeridge, in the County of Herts,
Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES, IN PROJECTILE INSTRUMENTS, AND IN THE MEANS
OP CHARGING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
I form my projectiles of iron or other suitable metal; make them hollow, and
charge them with highly compressed air or gas, or with a combination of air
and gas or gases. They are hermetically sealed at back; and are discharged,
after being placed in a tube or gun barrel, by making an aperture in the
back; or when the projectiles are charged with explosive gases, I fire them
by electricity, or fulminating or other suitable compositions. Where the metal
employed is not sufficiently dense, I apply a coating of ferro-cyanide of

page_text: potassium to the inside thereof, where the air or gases is or are to be
contained.
My improvements in projectile instruments consist in the construction of
air guns with the addition thereto of a hydraulic pump and liquid reservoir, to
maintain the pressure therein to the last discharge. The hydraulic pump
forces a portion of liquid into the air gun receiver equal in volume to the gas
expended in each discharge. I also fit air guns with a feeder, which presents
a fresh projectile after every successive discharge.
My means of charging projectiles and air guns consists in first compressing
air or any gaseous body into a receiver by any of the means now ordinarily
followed for such purpose; I then force in, by lever, screw, or hydraulic pump,
a solid body, such as a piston, or a liquid, into the receiver, and compress the
air or gases to any extent required, and I transfer such highly compressed air
or gases by tap or valvular or other suitable contrivance to the inside of the
projectiles before named, or to the receiver in the air guns.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frank James Wilson Packinan in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANK
JAMES WILSON PACKMAN, of Puckeridge, in the County of Herts, Doctor of
Medicine, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Frank James Wilson Packman, Her special licence that I, the said
Frank James Wilson Packman, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Frank James Wilson Packman, 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 ex-
pressed, 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, IN PROJECTILE
INSTRUMENTS, AND IN THE MEANS OF CHARGING THE SAME," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said. Frank James Wilson Packman, by.an

page_text: instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Frank James Wilson Packman, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
I form my projectiles of iron or other suitable metal, make them hollow, and
charge them with highly compressed air or gas, or with a combination of air
and gas or gases. They are hermetically sealed at back, and are discharged,
after being placed in a tube or gun barrel, by making an aperture in the
back; or when the projectiles are charged with explosive gases I fire them by
electricity, or fulminating or other suitable compositions. When the metal
employed is not sufliciently dense, I apply a coating of ferro-cyanide of
potassium to the inside thereof, where the air. or gases are to be con-
tained.
My improvements in projectile instruments consist in the construction of air
guns with the addition thereto of an hydraulic pump and liquid reservoir, to
maintain the pressure therein to the last discharge. The hydraulic pump
forces a portion of liquid into the air gun receiver equal in volume to the gas
expended in each discharge. I also fit air guns with a feeder, which presents a
fresh projectile after every successive discharge.
air
My means of charging projectiles and air guns consists in first compressing
or any gaseous body into a receiver by any of the means now ordinarily
followed for such purpose. I then force in, by lever, screw, or hydraulic pump;
a solid body, such as a piston, or a liquid, into the receiver, and compress the air
or gases to any extent required, and I transfer such highly compressed air or
gases by tap or valvular. or other suitable contrivance to the inside of the
projectiles before named, or to the receiver in the air guns...
.
Figure 1 of the Drawings annexed is a longitudinal section of a hollow
wrought-iron bullet constructed according to my Invention, and applicable
to cannon as well as to sinall arms. A is the head, which is made. of
iron cast in a mould or wrought in dies; B is the body, which is formed
from a piece of iron tube stamped in dies whilst red hot; C is the tail,
which is composed of common gas tube alloy cast in a mould; D is a leather
washer, cut by stamps and greased; or it may be formed of other suitable

page_text: substance. E is a wire, of iron or brass, cut the requisite length, and of
strength to resist the entrance of C on charging the bullet.
These parts are put together as follows:-The washer D is put on C,
C on E, then B on C, until C appears through the small hole in B; they
are next inverted, placed in a die, and A put into the large end of B; a
second die with countersunk end to fit over A is now used to force the whole
through the under die by the aid of lever, screw, hydraulic, or hammer power,
and this secures both the requisite size of the bullet, and its being hermetically
tight by closing the edge of B. upon A. It is thus prepared for charging.
When one bullet from a given iron tube proves leaky, the rest can be prevented
doing so by the following simple process:-The body B is when stamped
made red hot, and a piece of prussiate of potass (the ferro-cyanide of potassium)
is put inside. it, which melts and decomposes; the pores of B being expanded.
by the heat, the. salt enters them, and leaves a deposit of iron, and on being
suddenly cooled in water, the pores contract upon it, and so become perfectly
closed. Leakage through the leather washer is permanently checked by the
high pressure within and the size of the tail; therefore the larger C is, the
better. Accuracy of traject is obtained either by enclosing the bullet in a
wrapper of paper, leather, or any suitable material, or by rings of the, same
stuck on the breech of the bullet, which, being forced. into the rifled grooves
(when the bullet is discharged from a rifled arm), cause the rotary motion in
its flight.
'
A is the
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the air-compressing machine.
bullet charger B, the condenser; C, the air 'pump; D, the water reservoir;
E, the hydraulic pump; F, the connecting rod, crank handle, and fly wheel;
G, the frame; and H and H2, valves which are raised by D to let out the
water from B into D.; J is the air piston, with the rod forming the valve
inside it; K is the inlet. tube to air pump; and L, the water feeder to the
hydraulic pump.
: The law which regulates the operation of this machine is as follows, viz.
That all gases double their pressure every time their volume is compressed to
one half, and expand to their former volume on being released, their chemical
form and temperature remaining the same. Hence, 1,280 cubic inches of air
compressed to 14 cubic inches will have a pressure of 15.360 lbs. per square
incb, equal to the best gunpowder, and, will charge eight bullets with cavities
1inch by 4 inch. 900 inches of air with 880 of hydrogen compressed to
2 inches will have a pressure of..7,680 lbs. per inch, and fill 16 bullets of
similar capacity. This mixture expands rather more than three times its
volume on explosion, whereby a bullet so charged will, on its contents being

page_text: set free suddenly and exploded instantly, be projected with a force more than
a half stronger than gunpowder.
The proportion of 100 volumes of air to 42 of hydrogen produces a.
stronger effect than any other, and is in atomical ratio. These 1,280 inches.
are compressed into B by 142 strokes of the air pump., B holds 10 inches,.
so that the pressure is 1,920 lbs. per inch, which is as much as one man
can conveniently. exert by the wheel and crank. The connecting rod is then
shifted to the hydraulic. pump, which, forcing inch of water into B at
each stroke, compresses the air or gases to 7,680 lbs. per inch, that is, into.
2 inches, by 60 strokes of the pump, and to 15.360 lbs., and into 1 inches,
by 9 strokes more; thus, to double the pressure becomes an easy process by
means of the hydraulic pump.
A bullet is charged by being shut in the charger tail towards B, and the
charger turned round, by which the valve is opened (the pieces being
screwed together); it is then turned back. and the bullet. removed. Whilst
being charged, the hydraulic pump maintains the pressure by forcing into Ba
quantity of water equal to the capacity of the bullet...Connection between K
and a gasholder is made by a tube. Hydrogen is easily obtained by passing.
street gas through several red-hot tubes. An air bullet is projected from a
gun by cutting open the tail with a cutter driven into the barrel by the hammer.
of the lock. A gas bullet requires a second hammer to explode a cap to fire
the gases in the manner of firing gunpowder.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of an air-bullet gun, loading at the breech,.
and projecting 6 bullets in succession, like a revolver-fire-arm.. A is the rifled
barrel; B, the bullet feeder, which is slotted down to receive the catches C,
attached to the catch bar D; E is the plug which is formed in halves; G is
the cutter; H, the detent; I, the hammer; J, the trigger; K, the motion bar
to D; L, the plug legs; M, the main spring; N are springs to the cutter,.
trigger, detent, plug, catches, and catch bar; and O are straps. for B; P, the
iron frame. Bullets are put in at the end of B; on pulling backwards J
it causes the bullets to advance into A through E one at a time; when
there, D escapes, and J forces E into A. and is caught by 'H; I must be
drawn back previously to release H from E. On touching the trigger J,
as in ordinary guns, H slips from I on to E, and the bullet is discharged on
I striking G.
.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a gas-bullet gun.. This has, in addition.
to the several parts of the air-bullet gun, a second hammer, Q nipple, R.
cap feeder, S' cap 'detent, T-motion bar, U catch bar, V catches, and joint
W. I pulls back Q by the pin X, and drives it as it moves by its pro-

page_text: jection Y acting upon the pin Z in Q. Caps are put into S at its open end,
and moved towards R by each motion of T, which is moved by D striking its
upper end. The weight of either of these guns is less than 6 lbs. The stocks
are made of iron, wood, or any other suitable material. The gases are fired by
caps or electricity from a battery placed in the butt, or by means of sponge
platinum fixed in the plug or elsewhere.
.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a hydraulic air gun.
It consists of
the barrel A, receiver B, hydraulic pump C, water reservoir D, diaphragms E,
valves F, pump handle G, lock H. The air pump and bullet mould, being
separate and of the ordinary kind, need no description. Air is pumped into B
as in an ordinary air gun, and then water, to raise and maintain the pressure
desired by the hydraulic pump C.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a high-pressure air gun. A is the
barrel B, receiver; C, screw and piston with air pump D inside it; E,
bullet mould between F, pump and stock handles; G, shot tubo used as
bullet feeder; H, bullet guide into A, both moved by the trigger I, which also
moves the hammer J with its striker K; L, main spring, strikor, trigger,
valve, bullet guide, and barrel springs; M, quadrant; D, piston; N, leather or
other suitable washers; O, cap, having a valve P within it; Q, set screws; D,
air piston, with rod inside acting as the valve; S, catches attached to A to
move bullets towards the breech; R, escape valve. The screw being with-
drawn, air is pumped into B in the usual way, and then further compressed by
the aid of the screw; bullets put into G are supplied to A by the motion of the
trigger, which causes their discharge also, whereby they can be projected as
quickly as from a revolver. The pressure is maintained after each discharge
by giving a turn to the screw. The gun is complete with every requisite
within itself, and the screw will raise the pressure to equal the power of
gunpowder.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
Invention is,
First, the construction of projectiles charged with highly compressed air
or gas, or with a combination of air and gas or gases, as herein-beforc
described.
Second, the mode of reducing the porosity of iron employed in the manu-a
facture of projectiles by the application of prussiate of potash thereto while in
a heated state, as herein-before described.
Third, the adaptation to air guns of arrangements for maintaining the
pressure therein to the last discharge, as herein-before described.

page_text: Fourth, the adaptation to air guns of a feeder for presenting a succession of
projectiles, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the construction of guns for discharging projectiles charged with highly
compressed air or gas, or with a combination of air and gas or gases, as herein-
before exemplified and described.
Sixth, the mode of charging projectiles and air guns with highly compressed.
air or gas, as herein-before described.
And, seventh, the mode of increasing the pressure of air compressed in the
receiver of an air gun, or in a reservoir for charging projectiles by forcing
in a solid body or water into the said receiver or reservoir, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank James Wilson Packman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
FRANK J. W. PACKMAN. (L.S.)