IMPROVEMENTS IN " PROJECTILES
Year: 1885

page_text: We CHARLES WALDREN HAYES, and CHARLES COLTMAN DUNCANSON, residing
at 812, 13th Street N.W. and 909 H. Street, N.W. respectively, in the City of
Washington, District of Columbia, and United States, of America, gentlemen, do
hereby declare the nature of the invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN " PROJECTILES"
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention pertains to a system or mode of charging and discharging
explosive shells and similar projectiles and it consists essentially in providing the
shell or other projectile with two or more compartments or receptacles, in which
are contained the elements or parts of an explosive compound or mixture, and a
device or mechanism for automatically liberating the said elements or parts,
permitting or causing the latter to mix or combine to form the explosive, said
device or mechanism being preferably arranged to operate or be set in action by or
during the flight of the projectile the explosive compound or mixture thus formed
to be ignited or fired by impact or percussion. By thus charging the projectile
with the elements of an explosive compound and retaining them in separate com-
partments or receptacles until after the projectile has been fired the liability of
premature explosion is greatly diminished and the shells can be readily charged
and handled, without danger to the operator, as no explosive compound other than
the detonating material, if such be employed, is placed or formed within the shell
until the several ingredients are liberated or mingled either by manipulation or
automatically as by the flight of the projectile.
A further advantage incident to the use of this invention, is the absence of
danger not only in handling but in firing such a shell, as for example, when the
explosive compound or mixture constituting the bursting charge consists of nitro-
glycerine, the elements whereof nitric and sulphuric acids and glycerine are
non-explosive and so long as they are uncombined can be subjected to the impact
of the firing charge without danger of exploding as would be the case were the
ingredients combined before firing.
For the purpose merely of illustrating the manner of applying and using my said
nvention, we have shown in the accompanying drawings, a form of shell designed

page_text: to accomplish the said purpose but we wish it distinctly understood that the form,
preparation and relative arrangement of the parts can be changed and modified at
will without departing from the spirit of the said invention so long as the principle
and mode of operation as herein set forth is retained.
In said drawings:
Fig. 1'is a longitudinal sectional view of a shell illustrating one mode of applying
the invention and
Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views of modifications.
Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate like parts.
The letter A indicates a shell of iron or other suitable material made hollow and 1
for convenience in charging in two or more sections a, a¹, a². The interior of the
shell A is divided into two or more compartments A' A' A³ lined with a suitable
non-corrosive material, or provided with separate receptacles shown in dotted lines,
composed of a material that will not be acted upon by the element which it is
designed to retain.
In the illustrations given, the explosive to be formed is nitro-glycerine and the
compartment A' Figs. 1 and 2, is designed to contain the nitric aud sulphuric acids
combined in proper proportion and the compartment A' the glycerine or one acid
may be charged in the compartment A¹ and the other in the compartment A', while
the glycerine is charged in the mixing chamber A³.
The compartments A¹ and A³ are formed and provided with passages a³ com-
municating with the mixing chamber A³, said passages being closed and sealed by
suitable stoppers, the removal of which will permit the material to combine or flow
into the mixing chamber A*.
As shown, the stoppers a are arranged to be actuated or withdrawn from the
passages a³ by a longitudinal threaded spindle B, acting upon a threaded nut B¹,
which latter is connected to the stoppers by a cross-piece b or levers b¹ Figs. 1
and 2, or said nut may itself form part of the stoppers as shown at B¹, Fig. 3.
The spindle B is protected by a suitable coating or covering to prevent the acid
from attacking it or it may be passed through a sleeve b Figs. 1 and 2, forming
part of the division wall between the two compartments A¹ and A²
The rotation of the spindle effects the withdrawal of the stoppers a* and permits
the contents of the chambers or receptacles A¹ and A2 to mingle in the chamber A³
where they are thoroughly mixed, this operation being facilitated by the action of
the stirrers c applied to the spindle if desired and in order that the stoppers may be
automatically withdrawn during the flight of the projectile, and not before,
(unless manipulated for that purpose) the spindle is continued beyond the point of
the projectile and provided with a device such as the propellor C, which will be
set in operation by the resistance encountered through the atmosphere. The
propellor blades may be constructed separate from the spindle and with a screw
threaded extension fitting into the end thereof, so that they may be removed and
thus lessen the liability of the spindle being revolved and the materials mixed
before the projectile is fired from the gun. In this way the flight of the projectile
is caused to inaugurate the formation of the explosive by opening the passages and
permitting or effecting the mixture of the ingredients contained within the shell.
The shell shown in Fig. 2 is formed in two compartments A¹ and A² each con-
taining one or more of materials which go to make up the explosive compound the
admixture being accomplished in the rear chamber A³.
If nitro-glycerine is the explosive to be formed it may be fired by any of the
known means for exploding such material by the impact of the projectile against
the object fired at. When the spindle B is employed for effecting the admixture
of the elements, it may be sustained in position by a collar 65 which, when the end
of the spindle meets a sufficient resistance, will be broken or displaced, thereby
permitting the inner end of the spindle to be brought violently in contact with the
interior surface of the shell and explode the charge, a suitable detonator, D, being
located within the shell in proximity to the end of the spindle if desired.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination in a shell or projectile, such as described, of separate com-
partments or receptacles containing the elements of an explosive compound, a
spindle for liberating the contents of said receptacles and permitting them to
mingle, said spindle extending outside of the body of the shell and carrying the
stirring or mixing device substantially as described.
2. In combination with a shell provided with receptacles or compartments
charged with the elements of an explosive compound, as described, a spindle for
releasing the contents of said receptacles, and a detonator arranged for cooperation
with said spindle, substantially as described.
3. In combination with the shell provided with compartments or receptacles,
provided with the removable propellor, located outside the body of the shell,
substantially as described.
4. A shell or similar projectile formed with separate compartments or receptacles
to contain the elements of an explosive compound, and provided with communi-
cating passages extending through the walls of the chambers, valves or stoppers for
closing said passages, and a device substantially such as indicated for operating said
valves or stoppers from the exterior of the shell, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. In combination with a shell or similar projectile provided with separate
compartments for the elements of the explosive compound or mixture, and passages
leading from said compartments to a mixing chamber, of valves for closing said
passages, and a device such as a spindle extending through the wall of the shell
and devices for connecting said spindle to said valves for simultaneously opening
the passages and permitting the elements contained therein to mingle, substantially
as described.
6. The combination with a shell formed with separate compartments or
receptacles with communicating passages, valves or stoppers for closing said
passages, a spindle connected to said valves, and provided with devices exterior to
the shell, for actuating said spindle, whereby the contents of the chambers or
receptacles are released and caused to mingle, substantially as described.
7. The combination with the shell provided with separate compartments con-
taining the elements of an explosive compound, or mixture, a spindle for liberating
the contents of said compartments and permitting them to mingle, said spindle
extending outside and towards the forward end of the shell, and provided with a
pneumatic motor, whereby the flight of the shell will automatically effect the
release of the elements contained in separate compartments, and their mixture to
form the explosive compound, substantially as described.
8. The combination with a shell having separate compartments or receptacles
containing the elements of an explosive compound, of a pneumatic device or motor
located in advance or upon the forward end of the shell, and a spindle connected to
said motor, and operating to release the elements of the explosive contained within
the shell, whereby the mixture or mingling of the said elements is effected by
pressure upon the atmosphere, by and during the flight of the projectile, substan-
tially as described,