Improvements in and relating to Projectiles for Small-arms, and for Machine and other Guns.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1896--4ccepted, 1st Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Projectiles for Small-arms, and for
Machine and other Guns.
I, HARRY ANDREWS, of 31 New Road, Woolwich, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to projectiles for small-arms and for machine and other
guns, and has for its main object the production of a self-lubricating projectile,
that is to say, a projectile containing or adapted to contain a suitable quantity of
lubricating material and so formed that, as it is propelled along the barrel of the
fire-arm, the lubricating material will be pressed or forced outward onto or against
the interior surface of the barrel, which will thus be efficiently lubricated so as to
diminish the friction between it and the projectile.
In my improved projectile, I utilize the inertia of the atmospheric air and of the
lubricating material for pressing or forcing out the latter when the projectile is
driven forward by the explosion of the charge in the gun.
For this purpose,
I make my improved projectile with one or more longitudinal passages extending
from the forward end or point of the projectile and terminating in a series or group
of passages which extend radially to and through the exterior surface of the
projectile either at a right angle or at any other suitable angle to the longitudinal
passage or passages. I fill the said passages with a suitable lubricating material
so that, when the projectile is move forward by the explosion of the powder-
charge. the said lubricating material will be forcibly expelled or squeezed out of
the said radial passages onto the bore or into the rifle-grooves of the gun-barrel.
By making bullets, such for instance as those now used in service-cartridges for
small-arins, with longitudinal and radial passages as above mentioned, I facilitate
the "setting up
of the projectile upon impact. The aforesaid passages also tend
to steady the projectile during its flight.
29
A rifle-bullet can be conveniently manufactured in accordance with my said
invention as follows, viz. :-I make the core in two parts, the forward part having
a longitudinal passage extending completely through it, and the rear end of the
forward part or the forward end of the rear part being so formed that there will be
between the two parts, when placed together, an annular or circumferential groove
or channel and radial channels conn-eting the same with the said longitudinal
passage. Or I make the core in a single piece with a longitudinal passage extending
completely through it and with radial grooves or channels at its rear end connecting
the said passage with a circumferential recess or channel at the base of the core, or
I effect such connection by the intervention of a suitably shaped disc. In both of
these forms of construction, the outer covering or hard sheath of the bullet is made
with a circumferential group of small holes which, when the core is inserted,
coincide in position with the said circumferential channel or recess.
In applying my invention to tubular bullets or projectiles having a removable or
detachable base, 1 sometimes provide the same with radial holes or passages
extending from the interior to the exterior of the tube and we fill the interior of
the tube either wholly or partially with the lubricating material.
It may be advantageous in either case to form a circumferential depression or

page_text: channel in that part of the exterior surface of the projectile where the orifices of
the radial passages are situated.
Dated the 9th day of September 1895.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Projectiles for Small-arms, and for
Machine and other Guns.
1, HARRY ANDREWS, of 31 New Road, Woolwich, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to projectiles for fire-arms and has for its main object the
production of a self-lubricating projectile, that is to say, a projectile containing or
adapted to contain a suitable quantity of lubricating material and so formed that,
as it is propelled along the barrel of the fire-arm, the lubricating material will be
pressed or forced outward onto or against the interior surface of the barrel, which
will thus be efficiently lubricated so as to diminish the friction between it and the
projectile.
In my improved projectile I utilize the inertia of the atmospheric air and of the
lubricating material for pressing or forcing out the latter when the projectile is
driven forward by the explosion of the charge in the gun. For this purpose,
I make my improved projectile with one or more longitudinal passages extending
from the forward end or point of the projectile and terminating in a series or group
of passages which extend radially to and through the exterior surface of the pro-
jectile either at a right angle or at any other suitable angle to the longitudinal
passage or passages. I fill the said passages with a suitable lubricating material
so that, when the projectile is moved forward by the explosion of the powder-charge,
the said lubricating material will be forcibly expelled or squeezed out of the said
radial passages onto the bore of the gun or into the grooves of the rifling.
By making bullets, such, for instance, as those now used in service cartridges for
small-arms, with longitudinal and radial passages as above mentioned, I also
facilitate the "setting up" of the projectile and the flattening of the head or
"mushrooming" of the bullet upon impact. The aforesaid passages also tend to
steady the projectile daring its flight.
A rifle-bullet can be conveniently manufactured in accordance with my said
invention as follows, viz. :-I make the core in two parts, the forward part having
a longitudinal passage extending completely through it, and the rear end of the
forward part, or the forward end of the rear part being so formed that there will
be between the two parts, when placed together, an annular or circumferential
groove, channel or recess and radial channels connecting the same with the said
longitudinal passage. Or I make the core in a single piece with a longitudinal
passage extending completely through it, and with radial grooves or channels at
its rear end connecting the said passage with a circumferential recess or channel at
the base of the core. In both of these forms of construction, the outer covering or
hard sheath of the bullet is made with a circumferential group or groups of small
holes which, when the core is inserted, coincide in position with the said
circumferential channel or recess.
In applying my invention to tubular bullets or projectiles having a removable or
detachable base, I sometimes provide the same with radial holes or passages

page_text: extending from the interior to the exterior of the tube, and I fill the interior of
the tube either wholly or partially with the lubricating material.
It may be advantageous, in either case, to form a circumferential depression or
channel in that part of the exterior surface of the projectile where the orifices of
the radial passages are situated.
My invention is applicable to small-arm projectiles, formed in one solid piece,
and also to cast or forged projectiles of larger size, such, for instance, as those
used in machine and quick-firing guns or ordnance. The channel or channels or
passages for the lubricating material may be formed by drilling or in the process of
forging or casting the projectile.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown, in longitudinal central section,
various forms of my improved projectile which are hereinafter more particularly
described.
C
The projectile shown in Figure 1 is made with a core formed in two parts or
pieces a, a, the forward part a having a passage extending longitudinally through
it and having in its rear end radial grooves or channels e extending from the said
passage to the periphery of the part a. The rear part al is made of cylindrical
form and bears against the rear end of the forward part a, the two parts being
enclosed in the metal sheath or casing d, in which are formed holes e for the
discharge of the lubricating material. Or, if desired, the core shown in Figure 1
can be made in a single piece, the longitudinal passage band the radial channels c
being formed by punching and drilling or in any other convenient manner.
Figures 2 and 3 show projectiles similar to that shown in Figure 1, with the
exception that the point or head is of slightly different shape and the radial
channels c, instead of being at right angles to the longitu linal passage b, are
inclined at an angle of about 45 degrees to the longitudinal passage b, in the
projectile shown in Figure 2, and are curved in the projectile shown in Figure 3.
The core in this case also may be either in a single piece or in two parts or pieces,
which may, if desired, be fitted together or joined longitudinally instead of
transversely.
b
In Figure 4 have shown a projectile in which the core is made in a single
piece a having the passage extending longitudinally through it, and having the
radial grooves or channels c formed in its base. The said radial channels, in this
case, communicate with the group of holes e and el in the sheath or casing d
through longitudinal grooves or chanuels ƒ formed in the exterior surface of
the core.
The core of the projectile shown in Figure 5 is made in a single piece a having
in its forward end or point radial grooves or channels c which communicate with
the holes e in the sheath or casing d through longitudinal grooves or channels f
formed in the periphery of the said core.
In Figure 6 I have shown a tubular projectile a having a detachable base 9, and
having radial channels c extending from its longitudinal passage b to its periphery
about midway between its ends.
Before using the projectiles, any suitable lubricating material is let into the
passages or channels or forced into the passage b at its forward end until all the
passages or channels are filled therewith. When the projectile is discharged from
a fire-arm, the lubricating material will, during the movement of the projectile
along the barrel, be forced out of the channels c by the inertia of the air in the
barrel and by the inertia of the lubricating material itself, on to the interior
surface or bore of the barrel or into the rifle-grooves thereof, and will thus
efficiently lubricate the same and the projectile.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The herein described method of providing for the effective lubrication of a
projectile in its movement along the barrel of a fire-arm, by means of a lubricant

page_text: which is contained in the projectile and is forced therefrom through suitable holes
or channels by the inertia of the air and of the lubricant itself.
2. The improved self-lubricating projectile constructed substantially as herein-
before described and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 8th day of June 1896
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.