Benjamin Hotchkiss
patented this improvement for the Hotchkiss projectile on May 16, 1865, patent # 47,725.
According to the patent, a wooden disk was inserted between the base cup and the base of the nose to
decrease the risk of premature fracture of the shell during initial firing. The
insufficient burning time of the standard-style 5 1/4-second Bormann time
fuze led to the
development of the 14-second version for rifled ordnance. The protective cover of
the Hotchkiss combination fuze pictured here was not removed prior to firing. Click here for a cross-sectional view. Note the
seven lands and grooves of the 3-inch wrought iron (ordnance) rifle on the lead sabot.
