Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Sept., 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct.,
1896
HENRY STANBRIDGE of 136 Wellesley Road Chiswick London W. Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In
My invention relates to shrapnel shells and to the class of shells having bursting
chambers in the rear of the said shrapnel shells. The object of my invention is
to produce a shell so arranged that when the burst takes place the whole of the
shell shall be blown apart in such manner, as to leave none or very few large
pieces to impede the exact dispersion of the lead pellets with which it is intended
to fill the body of the projectile. A further object I have in view is to produce
such a shell with few parts and in such a manner that it can be forged under a
hydraulic press and then finished with a very few operations in the lathe.
order to carry my invention into effect I forge from a block of metal cast or other-
wise obtained the cylindrical body of the shell, a punch having ribs on its surface
is then imbedded in the final draw, so as to form grooves internally in the cylinder
right up into the head of the shell. At some distance from the base of the shell,
about one third or one fourth of the length more or less, a shoulder is then formed
by forging or boring out. A circular disc, known as a diaphragm is then inserted
and also a cup shaped stamping, the diaphragm and such cup forming the powder
chamber in the base. The outside edges of the shell are then crimped or drawn
in upon the cup, retaining the same as also the diaphragm firmly against the
shoulders in the shell.
The head of the shell is fitted with a gun metal fuse socket and a flash tube
communicates through this to the powder chamber of the shell.
Before the insertion of the fuse socket, the space between the powder chamber
and head of shell is filled with lead pellets held in place by cement or sulphur, or
other suitable mixture.
On the shell being burst the pressure is thrown on the walls which rupture
longitudinally, it being impossible for any pressure to bear on the lead pellets, as
the shoulders on the inside of the shell hold the diaphragm.in its place. To
ensure efficient rupture I reduce if necessary the elastic limit of the material
of shell by suitable hardening.
An efficient burst is thus ensured with all the advantages of a shrapnel shell
having a bursting chamber in the head of shell, whilst at the same time obviating
such disadvantages of arresting the velocity of pellets.
Dated this Twenty-third day of December 1895.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Projectiles.
HENRY STANBRIDGE of 136 Wellesley Road Chiswick London, W. Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
10 be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to shrapnel shells and to the class of shells, having bursting

page_text: chambers in the rear of the said shrapnel shells. The object of my invention is to
produce a shell so arranged that when the burst takes place the whole of the shell
shall be blown apart in such manner, as to leave none or very few large pieces to
impede the exact dispersion of the lead pellets with which it is intended to fill the
body of the projectile. A further object I have in view is to produce such a shell
with few parts and in such manner that it can be forged under a hydraulic press
and then finished with a very few operations in the lathe.
In order to carry my invention into effect I forge from a block of metal, cast
or otherwise obtained the cylindrical body of the shell, a punch having ribs on its
surface is then imbedded in the final draw, so as to form grooves internally in the
cylinder right up into the head of the shell. At some distance from the base of
the shell, about one third or one fourth of the length, more or less, a shoulder is
then formed by forging or boring out. A circular disc, known as a diaphragm is
then inserted and also a cup shaped stamping, the diaphragm and such cup forming
the powder chamber in the base. The outside edges of the shell are then crimped
or drawn in
пpon the cup, retaining the same as also the diaphragm firmly against
the shoulders in the shell.
The head of the shell is fitted with a gun metal fuse socket and a flash tube
communicates through this to the powder chamber of the shell.
Before the insertion of the fuse socket the space between the powder chamber
and head of shell is filled with lead pellets held in place by cement or sulphur, or
other suitable mixture.
On the shell being burst, the pressure is thrown on the walls which rupture
longitudinally it being impossible for any pressure to bear on the lead pellets, as
the shoulders on the inside of the shell hold the diaphragm in its place. To
ensure efficient rupture I reduce if necessary the elastic limit of the material of
the shell by suitable hardening.
An efficient "burst" is thus ensured with all the advantages of a shrapnel
shell having a bursting chamber in the head of shell whilst at the same time
obviating such disadvantages of arresting the velocity of pellets.
My invention is illustrated by the following drawings.
"1
Fig. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5, illustrate how the main body part of the shell is formed up,
successively with dies and punches.
Fig. 6. shews the shoulder " a which is formed up, by heating only the end of
the cylinder and placing same in a suitable die, a cylindrical punch is then intro-
duced, having a slightly larger diameter and the metal so displaced forms the
shoulder "a at any point desired. This shoulder whose object is stated here-
after can also be formed by boring out some of the metal or as an equivalent of
the shoulder a number of pins or screws can be inserted at the required distance
all round the cylinder.
Fig. 7. shews the shell with the diaphragm "6" and the powder chamber "c"
inserted and the walls "d" of the cylinder, closed in at "e" thus retaining
the powder chamber "c" in its place, as also the diaphragm "b" which is pressed
up against the shoulder " a
Fig. 8. 9. shew side and plan view of the diaphragm “b.”
Fig. 10 is section of powder chamber "c."
"
Fig. 11. is section of the completed shell, shewing the fuse socket "f" the flash
tube "g
the lead pellets "h" embedded in sulphur, cement or finely powdered
charcoal as used formerly in the spherical American shrapnel.
Fig. 12. 13. is section of cylinder and shew the grooves "i."
I am aware that previous to my invention shrapnel shell having bursting chambers
in the rear have been designed, said chambers being inserted similarly to the
method 1 adopt, these designs of shell however differ from mine in so far that no
shoulders have been provided to prevent the pressure of the explosion acting
directly on the lead pellets.
In some instances the lead pellets have been enclosed partly or wholly in
segments of cast iron, thereby complicating the manufacture and also deteriorating

page_text: the value of the projectile and its capability of on explosion producing successively
similar results. None of these designs of projectiles shew their being made of an
entire outside skin, so formed in the forging process, to facilitate the regular
breaking up on "burst" taking place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A shrapnel shell, designed with the outside skin of one piece with a powder
chamber in the rear and having a shoulder or its equivalent inside to retain the
diaphragm in its place, the said shoulders also preventing the pressure thrown on
the diaphragm on explosion of the shell from compressing or injuring the lead
pellets.
2. The shrapnel shell complete as illustrated Fig. 11. whereby great regularity
of bursting with a good pattern is secured.
Dated this Twenty-third day of September 1896.