Improvements in and connected with Bullets and Projectiles for Use in Fire-arms..
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Bullets and Projectiles for Use
in Fire-arms..
I EVERARD HOME MORGAN of 15 High View Road, Norwood in the County
of Surrey, Gentleman, 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 :-
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved "gas check" for
preventing the gases of the exploded charges from escaping, or forcing their way
past the bullet or projectile being propelled from the rifle or gun, even when the
latter has become a little worn.
The invention is applicable to projectiles used either in small arms or in larger
weapons, and is particularly suitable for use in connection with the bullets of
quick-firing machine guns of the-modern type.
My invention, shortly, consists in securing around the bullet or projectile, at a
part grooved or recessed to receive it, a packing of incombustible fibrous material,
such as asbestos dressed with black lead, or other substance of a greasy nature, this
packing being so applied that it shall, when the explosion of the charge occurs,
expand into the rifling, and fill the bore of the barrel.
For ensuring the expansion of the packing, I propose to screw with a quick
thread, the recess wherein the packing is placed, so that rotary movement of the
packing upon the projectile, or of the projectile within the packing, will cause the
packing to follow the screw thread, and pile up and expand, under endway
compression, to the full capacity of the bore of the gun.
The direction of the screw thread must be determined according to circum-
stances.
In the case of a projectile for large guns, where the projectile itself is not
intended to take the rifling, but receives its rotation thro' the agency of the
gas, check attached thereto, the thread will be in a direction which will
advance the packing, or bring it forward on the projectile, as the packing
comes into engagement with the rifling. In the case of the rifle bullet, which
engages with, and receives its rotation from, the riflings direct, the packing
preferably has a retiring or backward movement, so as to pile up near the base.
That is to say, in both large guns and rifles, the screw thread will be in the same
direction as the rifling of the barrel.
As an alternative method of ensuring expansion of the packing by endway
compression, the recess on which the packing is secured may be inclined, or made
conical, so as to expand the packing, to fill the bore as the bullet advances.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shown, at
Figs. 1 and 2, sectional side views of rifle cartridges to which my invention is
applied.
Fig. 1 is an outside view of a rifle bullet without the packing, showing a right-
handed thread in the recess.
Fig. 3 is a side view of a shell projectile, with packing in position to be used in
breech-loading ordnance.
Fig. 4 is a partial view of a shell without the packing, shewing the screw thread
right-handed.
a is the bullet or projectile, having around it a recess a', near the base, into which
is wrapped packing b, of the material before named. The recess is screw-threaded,
as shewn at Figs. 14 and 4, or may be conical, as at Fig. 2.
Po77

page_text: c is the metallic cartridge case, seen at Figs. 1 and 2, embracing that part of the
rifle bullet which carries the asbestos packing compressed into the recess a¹.
The packing, which is bound in position by wire strands or other suitable binding,
should be of sufficient bulk adequately to fill the rifling of the barrel, when
expanded after the firing of the charge. The adjustment of the bulk can be
arranged to a nicety, owing to the nature of the packing employed, which can be
wound on to any desired thickness.
By the use of this automatically expanding packing, the shooting accuracy of
even worn fire-arms is ensured, and, moreover, the rifling is preserved from the
cutting effects of the escaping gases, which cannot fail, after some time of
continuous firing has heated the barrel, to force their way past the charred wads
now used in the rear of the bullet. Moreover, the passage of the asbestos packing,
well provided with lubricant, does not mechanically injure the rifling, as must the
metallic devices now used for communicating rotation to heavy projectiles.
The fibrous packing which I employ has no tendency to "strip" in passing the
rifling, as is the case with lead, which is sometimes used as a "gas-check."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
The employment, in conjunction with bullets and projectiles, of a packing of
incombustible fibrous material, such packing being secured in a recess or groove,
which is so formed as to expand the packing to fill the bore of the gun, when the
charge is fired, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawing, and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 9th day of February 1894.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.