Improvements in Guns for Firing Torpedoes and other Projectiles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Guns for Firing Torpedoes and other
Projectiles.
I, LOUIS GATHMANN, of 46 Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, in the State of Illinois,
in the United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
It is well known that in order to throw torpedoes or explosive projectiles to a great
range it is necessary to use power enough to give said shell a high muzzle velocity;
it is also known that the greater the speed to be imparted to said torpedo or
explosive projectile, the heavier it is necessary to construct the latter in order that.
there may be no danger of its fracture in undue time; this is principally of
importance where the torpedo or projectile is loaded with large masses of high
explosives.
At present all the known systems have this defect, that the greater part of the
weight of torpedoes or shells consists of metal, thereby leaving but little room for
the high explosive and necessitating the construction of a heavy piece of ordnance
to harmonize with its projectile so that by the present systems such weapon cannot
be adapted for light built cruisers or. torpedo boats.
It is well known that some of the most powerful high explosives, such for
instance as wet gun cotton, will not explode by shock or by any pressure that is
brought to bear on them.
My invention has for its object to overcome the above objections by means of an
improved construction of gun whereby I am enabled to fire with safety a torpedo.
or explosive projectile containing a large quantity of high explosive and constructed
with a lighter shell than can be at present used, and whereby a torpedo or projectile.
of a given diameter is enabled to contain a larger amount of explosive and to be
fired from a lighter gun than under the old systems.
My invention is illustrated in the acccompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Figure 2 is a cross section drawn to a
larger scale than Figure 1 of a gun with a torpedo or explosive projectile in position
therein.
According to my invention I prefer to form the gun a with a charge chamber a¹
of considerable length and having a larger diameter than that of the torpedo or
explosive projectile. The main part a² of the forward portion of the bore is of a
smaller diameter and is unrifled so that the torpedo or projectile 6 shall loosely fit
the same.
The muzzle end of the gun has however a short rifled portion a³, pre-
ferably a ring screwed therein, formed to fit closely the body and wings or ribs b¹ of
the torpedo or projectile b.
The wings or ribs b¹ fit freely the smooth bored part a² of the gun and the
torpedo or projectile 6 is charged with a high explosive tightly packed therein; its
shell is lighter than usual and with a gun formed as shown it extends considerably
into the charge chamber a'.
As a modification the charge chamber a' may terminate at about the rear end of
the torpedo or projectile, in which case the part a² of the bore would be extended
rearwards to meet such charge chamber and if desired the gun may be formed with
longitudinal grooves, twisted or not, to give freer access of the gas to the exterior
of the torpedo or projectile.
With a gun and torpedo or projectile of the character above described, the gas
arising from the gun charge has free access not only to its rear end but also to the
exterior of the torpedo or projectile as far as the rifled ring or part a³; the shell of
the torpedo or projectile is therefore under compression along nearly its entire

page_text: length but its internal charge of tightly compressed explosive supports it against
being crushed.
By these means I avoid the bulging of the shell of the torpedo or projectile,
which sometimes results in its being jammed in the gun and even in the destruction
of the torpedo or projectile and gun, which would be likely to result if the torpedo
or projectile were made with a light shell and were subjected to the pressure of the
gas only at the rear end.
If desired the rear end of the torpedo or projectile may have a small opening
therein so as to permit the gases of the gun charge to have free access thereto,
thereby creating an equilibrium of pressures both inside and outside of the torpedo
or projectile, whereby injury thereto within the gun is avoided.
By using a torpedo or projectile as herein described containing a large body of
high explosive and constructed with a light shell, it is not necessary to give it such
a velocity as to penetrate the object aimed at as on account of its large charge it is
only necessary to cause it to strike said object and to explode against the same to
ensure its destruction or considerable damage thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tiou, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The improved gun constructed substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
2. A gun having a short rifled ring or portion at its muzzle end fitting closely
the ribs or wings and body of the torpedo or projectile and a bore loosely fitting
the outer parts of the said ribs or wings and allowing the gas arising from the
gun charge to have free access to the exterior of the torpedo or projectile,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 9th day of May 1802
Dated this 9th day
May 1802
LOUIS GATHMANN,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.