IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR ORDNANCE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Palliser of No 6 Charleville Road West
Kensington in the County of Middlesex, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROJECTILES FOR ORDNANCE,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Palliser at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th April 1882.
EDWARD PALLISER of No. 6 Charleville Road West Kensington in the County
of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR ORDNANCE.
"
In the specification to William Pallisers Patent No 3191 of 1880 was described
a method of strengthening chilled projectiles by shrinking upon them a metal ring
or short jacket immediately behind the rear ends of projecting ribs formed on the
ogival head. It has been found however that the impact of the shoulder of the
tightly fixed ring or short jacket against the armour plates as the projectile passes
through, causes in some instances the shot to snap asunder at such point. Now
according to my present improvements I obviate this defect by constructing a
jacket extending along the entire length, or nearly so, of the body of the projectile,
which is made of slightly tapering diameter towards the rear end, while the jacket
is formed with a corresponding taper. By this means, when the shoulder of the
jacket impinges against the armour plate, the jacket will be readily released from
the projectile on account of the taper fit of the two parts, and the projectile will
pass through without becoming fractured by the impact of the jacket.
In some cases the projectile is further strengthened by a second jacket shrunk
on underneath the one above described; or it may be bound with steel ribbon or
wire, over which the outer jacket is shrunk.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Palliser in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th October
1882.
EDWARD PALLISER of No 6 Charleville, Road West Kensington in the County
of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES FOR ORDNANCE
"
In the Specification to William Palliser's Patent No 3101 of 1880 was described
a method of strengthening chilled projectiles by shrinking upon them a metal ring
or short jacket immediately behind the rear ends of projecting ribs formed on the
ogival head. It has been found that the impact of the shoulder of the tightly fixed
ring or short jacket against the armour plates as the projectile passes through,
causes in some instances the shot to snap asunder at such point. Now according
to my present improvements I obviate this defect by constructing a jacket extending
along the entire length, or nearly so, of the body of the projectile, which is made
of slightly tapering diameter towards the rear end, while the jacket is formed with
a corresponding taper: By this means, when the shoulder of the jacket impinges
against the armour plate the jacket will be readily released from the projectile on
account of the taper fit of the two parts, and the projectile will pass through
without becoming fractured by the impact of the jacket.
In some cases the projectile is further strengthened by a second, jacket shrunk
on underneath the one above described; or it may be bound with steel ribbon or
wire, over which the outer jacket is shrunk.
In addition to the above mentioned advantage of my improved construction it
also fulfils the following important function, namely, up to the moment of
impact, or rather until the projectile has penetrated the plate to such an extent as
to make a hole therein equal to the full diameter of the head, the projectile
operates with a force corresponding to the combined vis inertia of the projectile
and its casing, and consequently has greater penetrating power than an ordinary
projectile, inasmuch as the vis inertia of the latter has to perform the work of
making a hole in the plate equal to its full diameter, while the force due to tlie
combined mass of the former only has to make a hole equal to the reduced diameter
of the projectile without its casing, this being stripped off so as to allow the
projectile to pass through as soon as the hole is made.
Fig 1 of the accompanying drawings shews my invention applied to an ordinary
projectile which may be either a solid shot or a shell as indicated. The body C of
the projectile is made to taper from the full diameter at the point C³, where the
curvature of the head A commences, to a smaller diameter at the rear end, and
upon this tapering surfaco is shrunk the casing or jacket E. Thus on the projectile
penetrating a plate with its head up to the point C¹, the shoulder of the jacket in
coming in contact with the plate will readily cause the jacket to be stripped off
the projectile, which will continue its penetration. It will be seen that, as the rear
part of the body of the projectile is of a less diameter than at the point C'. it
will not be so liable to stick in the hole as projectiles of ordinary construction and
there will be proportionately less resistance to its penetration.
Fig. 2.shews the same construction of jacket applied to a projectile the head A
of which has ribs B cast thereon, as described in W. Palliser's Patent No 3191 of
.1880. In place of the gas check shewn in Fig. 1 copper rings E¹ are in this case
inserted in the jacket.
In the construction shewn at Fig. 3 the projectile has an inner jacket D shrunk
with its cylindrical inner surface on the reduced diameter of the body C, while on
the tapering outer surface of D is shrunk the outer jacket E, the diameter of Dut
the point is the same as that of the head A, so that the inner jacket will not be

page_text: stripped off on striking the plate but will continue to strengthen the projectile,
against fracture as it passes through. The meeting surfaces of C and D may be
made rough while those of D and E are smooth. Fig. 4 shews a similar form of
jacket D to that at Fig. 3, but in place of the outer jacket E, bearing rings G G
are fitted on the front and rear parts of the tapering surface of D.
Fig. 5 shews a jacket E fitted with a tapering surface on the reduced and
tapering surface of the body C, the jacket being made with projecting shoulders 80
as to be stripped off on striking the plate. Fig. 6 shews another modification in
which the front end of the jacket E also forms a portion of the curved head A of
the projectile, the curved part at E¹ forming the shoulder by means of which the
jacket is stripped off.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim :
First. The use, in combination with projectiles for ordnance, of a jacket or casing
fitting with an internal surface of tapering diameter upon a correspondingly
tapered surface of the projectile, so that on the projectile striking an armour plate,
a projecting shoulder on the jacket will cause it to be stripped off the projectile
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Second. The use in combination with projectiles for ordnance, of an inner jacket
fitting with a cylindrical surface on the cylindrical surface of the projectile, and
an outer jacket fitting with an inner surface of tapering diameter upon the
correspondingly tapered outer surface of the inner jacket, substantially as herein
described.
In Witness whereof I the said Edward Palliser have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fourth day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
EDWARD PALLISER. (L.S.)