Improvements in Guns for Army and Naval Purposes, and Construction of Projectiles adapted to Guns of Modern Construction.CTI ADAPTED TO
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Guns for Army and Naval Purposes, and
Construction of Projectiles adapted to Guns of Modern
Construction.
We, THOMAS JUDGE LOVEGROVE, Engineer, of New Egypt, New Jersey,
United States of America, and WILLIAM GAWTHROP HUEY, Banker, Drexel
Building, Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS FOR
ARMY AND NAVAL PURPOSES AND CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECTILES ADAPTED
TO GUNS OF MODERN CONSTRUCTION," and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
Our invention has reference to guns and projectiles for naval and army purposes,
and also to the construction of projectiles adapted to guns of any construction, and
consists of certain improvements hereinafter fully described.
The object of our invention is to utilize the enormous expansive force of highly
heated liquid in a closed receptacle or vessel permitted to continually expand
until exhaust, changing from the liquid to the vapour form.
In carrying out our invention we provide a gun with suitable devices for heating
water or other suitable liquid to a high degree, and maintain the same in a liquid
condition with provision for supplying said highly heated liquid to the breech of
the gun. The projectile is also charged with the same highly heated or other
liquid, and in practice may be charged exterior to the gun or simultaneously with
the charging of the gun. The passage of the liquid into the projectile may take
place while the projectile is in motion, and during its passage through the gun.
After leaving the gun, plugs in the projectile are automatically removed,
allowing a rapid expansion of the liquid, causing the projectile to be carried through
the air on the rocket principle.
The trajectory of the projectile after it leaves the gun may be shaped as desired
by the proper escape of the liquid and its vaporization. The time of escape of the
liquid from the projectile may be governed in the construction of the projectile
itself, and may be permitted to escape at any time during the passage of the pro-
jectile through the air. The projectile can be the length of the gun, or any part
of the length of the gun.
In the drawings :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a gun forming part of our invention, and shows the
charging apparatus in section ;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the projectile; and
Fig. 3 is a detailed view of a modified construction of projectile.
A is the gun, and may be made of wrought iron in sections, and is supported
upon a base or carriage B, and adjusted by means of handwheel and screw C.
D is the boiler and is heated by means of a furnace of any suitable construction.
This boiler contains the liquid to be heated. E is a measuring reservoir, and
F is the charging
is provided with a glass gauge e to show when it is full.
vessel, and is provided with a float G operating a valve H which controls the
outlet to a pipe M leading to the breech of the gun through a valve N. The
liquid from the boiler D may be passed by a pipe I into the measuring
reservoir E and thence to the charging vessel. The valve K controls the flow of
the liquid to or from the measuring reservoir E. A valve L' may shut the liquid
from the boiler D off with respect to the reservoir E and vessel F. The valve L
is closed when filling the measuring reservoir E and opened when the reservoir E
is discharging into the vessel F. When charging the reservoir E the valves L¹

page_text: and K are opened and the valve L closed. When charging the vessel F the
valve L is closed and the valves K and L opened. In place of using the
measuring reservoir E for various quantities of charge the liquid may run directly
from the boiler D into the vessel F. When the valve N is opened and the valve L
closed the pressure of the vapour through pipe J forces all liquid in the vessel F
through the valve H, pipe M, and valve N into the breech of the gun A.
being charged, the valve N may be closed, and the expansive force of the liquid
relied upon to cause the projectile to be ejected from the gun. Any liquid
within the gun after firing may be run off by a valve N'.
After
When the liquid from the charging vessel F is forced into the gun the float
valve G is lowered and the valve H closed thereby preventing an excessive
charge being delivered to the gun, and also preventing the vapours from the
boiler D finding a ready passage into the gun. This valve H is thus auto-
matically operated.
Referring more particularly to the projectile shown in Fig. 2, we have a long
cylindrical casing 0 having at one end the point containing a chamber i which
is charged with the dynamite or explosive compound. The cylinder O is divided
by means of a diaphragm m into compartments S and s. The diaphragm mis
provided with check valves n which open into the chamber S. The centre of
the diaphragm is provided with an aperture which is fitted with a screwed
rod p having at its rear end a turbine or propeller P arranged within a head f
secured to the rear end of the cylinder (). If this projectile is inserted into the
gun A, the liquid passes through the chambers and check valves into the
chamber S until the entire projectile is charged. When fully charged the pro-
jectile commences to travel through the gun, and as the expansive force of the
liquid in the chamber s decreases the check valves n are forced tightly against
their seats by means of the pressure of the liquid in the chamber S. As the
projectile leaves the gun the liquid in the chambers rushes through the head,
causing the turbine or propeller P and its plug p to rotate, thereby unscrewing
the said plug from the hole b. When this is done the said plug and turbine
leave the projectile and the liquid in the chamber S forces its way rapidly
through the orifice b, causing the projectile to be carried through the air on the
rocket principle.
It is evident that in place of making the explosive point of the projectile
integral with the case O as shown in Fig. 2 the said point might be made separate
and suspended in front of the muzzle of the gun on a ring piece a supported
upon arms A', and received upon the front of the projectile as it leaves the
gun. As shown in Fig. 3 the end of the projectile is made with a cup shaped
part in which clay or other plastic material V is placed, in which the part i
embeds itself as the said projectile leaves the gun.
In cases where the projectile is to be ejected from the gun by explosive it is
necessary to charge the projectile outside of the gun, and then insert it within
the gun either through the breech or through the muzzle. The left hand
portion of Fig. 2 shows the improvements employed for accomplishing this.
Fitted to the rear end of the head is a head T, and interposed between them
is a soft packing c. The head T is secured to the head f by means of catches t
which are held in position by means of rings T". The head T is fitted with a
pipe d and valve U, which pipe is coupled by means of a detachable coupling W
with the pipe M having the valve N which communicates with the charging
apparatus shown in Fig. 1. The pipe M in this case would be provided with a
discharge or drain pipe g having a valve . The charge of liquid would pass
through the pipe M, coupling W, pipe d into the projectile, and when the said
projectile is charged the valve N is closed, the valve U is closed, and the
valve is opened. The liquid between the valves N and U is thereby drained,
and the coupling W is then opened. The projectile is then put into the gun
either through the breech or through the muzzle, which action pushes off the
rings T¹ and the gun itself acts as the rings for holding the catches t in place.

page_text: When the projectile leaves the gun the catches t release their hold upon the pro-
jectile, and the head T drops away from the projectile proper and the liquid from
the chambers and S escapes as previously described, causing the projectile to be
forced through the air.
It is evident that the details might be modified in various ways without
departing from the principles of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim, is-
•
1st. The combination of a gun, a boiler for containing a liquid heated to a high
temperature, a pipe or passage leading from the boiler to the breech of the gun,
and valves to control the passage of the highly heated liquid to said gun.
2nd. The combination of a gun, a boiler for containing a liquid heated to a high
temperature, a pipe or passage leading from the boiler to the breech of the gun, a
charging vessel arranged in said pipe or passage, a pipe connecting the upper part
of the boiler with the charging vessel, and valves to control the passage of the
highly heated liquid to said gun.
3rd. The combination of a gun, a boiler to heat liquid to a high degree of
temperature, a charging vessel, a pipe to supply liquid from the upper part of the
boiler with the charging chamber, a pipe or passage way from the charging vessel
to the breech of the gun, and one or more valves for controlling the flow of the
highly heated liquid to the breech of the gun.
4th. The combination of a gun, a boiler to heat a liquid to a high degree of
temperature, a charging vessel, a pipe to supply liquid from the boiler to the
charging vessel, a pipe connecting the upper part of the boiler with the charging
vessel, a pipe or passage way from the charging vessel to the breech of the gun,
a float valve to control the passage from the charging vessel to the breech of the
gun, and a valve to control the passage of the liquid from the charging vessel to the
gun independent of said float valve.
5th. The combination of a gun, means substantially as set out for supplying a
highly heated liquid to the breech of the gun, and a projectile adapted to fit said
gun having a compartment for containing highly heated liquid having mechanically
operated removable plug at its rear whereby the plug is automatically removed
during the passage of the projectile from the gun.
6th. The combination of a gun, means substantially as set out for supplying
highly heated liquid to the breech of the gun, a projectile adapted to fit said gun
having a compartment for containing highly heated or other liquid having check
valves to permit the liquid to pass from the gun to the interior of said compartment
but not out of said compartment, and a mechanically operated movable plug in the
projectile whereby the plug is automatically removed during the passage of the
projectile through the air.
7th. A projectile consisting of a shell having a compartment in the projectile
which is provided on its rear with a check valve through which highly heated
liquid may be passed into the compartment but not permitted to escape therefrom,
a plug and a mechanically operated device for removing the plug during the
passage of the projectile through the air for the purpose of allowing the highly
heated or other liquid to escape.
8th. A projectile consisting of a shell having a compartment provided with a
check valve through which highly heated or other liquid may be passed into the
compartment but not permitted to escape therefrom, a screw plug, and a propeller
for removing the plug during the passage of the projectile through the air for the
purpose of allowing the highly heated or other liquid to escape.
9th. A projectile consisting of a shell having a compartment formed with an
opening upon the rear and also with a charging opening provided with a valve,
combined with mechanically operated plug for said opening in the rear of said

page_text: compartment, whereby said plug is automatically removed during the travel of the
projectile through the air.
10th. The combination of a gun, a boiler to heat a liquid to a high degree of
temperature, a charging vessel, a pipe to supply liquid from the boiler to the
charging vessel, a pipe connecting the upper part of the boiler with the charging
vessel, a pipe or passage way from the charging vessel to the breech of the gun, a
float valve to control the passage from the charging vessel to the breech of the
gun, a valve to control the passage of the liquid from the charging vessel to
the gun independent of said float valve, and a measuring reservoir for receiving the
liquid from the boiler and delivering it into the charging vessel in fixed quantities.
11th. A projectile consisting of a cylinder having an inner and outer compartment
separated by means of check valves, a plug closing an orifice between said
compartments, a turbine or screw acting upon said plug by the escape of the liquid
from the rear or other compartment to cause its removal during the fly of the
projectile, a rear head to enclose the rear end of the projectile, detachable clamps
for holding said head to the rear end of the projectile, and a valved orifice through
which liquid may be forced into the projectile to fill the two chambers and be held
there until the projectile leaves the gun.
12th. The combination of a gun, a support for an explosive receptacle in front of
the muzzle of the gun and a projectile having a recessed end filled with a soft
plastic or cushioning substance adapted to receive the explosive receptacle upon
the flight of the projectile from the gun.
13th. The art of firing a projectile through the air, consisting in the employment
of the explosive force of highly heated or other liquid allowed to escape from the
rear end of the projectile during its flight.
Dated this 5th day of November 1890.
THOMAS JUDGE LOVEGROVE.
WILLIAM GAWTHROP HUEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.