An Improvement in or Addition to Projectiles.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. .
An Improvement in or Addition to Projectiles.
I, PHILIP HENRY HOLMES of Gardiner Kennebec County and State of Maine
U.S.A. Mechanical 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide a projectile with means whereby it will
be readily turned on its longitudinal axis as it is forced through the rifled bore of
the gun,
the material of which the guidė is made being such that the rifling will
form ways or grooves therein, but the guide will have sufficient strength to act as a
medium by which the projectile will be turned by the rifling. This object I attain
in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in
which
.
Figure 1 is a side view of a projectile illustrating my improvement;
Figure 2 is a similar view shewing the guiding ring in section.
Figure 3 is a front view showing the projectile and ring previous to their passage
through the gun; and
Figure 4 is a rear end view shewing the projectile and ring as they leave
the gun.
I illustrate and describe my invention as applicable to the guiding ring of a
projectile, but it will be understood that where circumstances require, a different
form of guide may be used (such as for instance a segmental guide, which will be
formed or grooved by the rifling, as the projectile passes through the gun) without
departing from the nature of my invention.
In making my improved guide for projectiles I thoroughly mix fibre, preferably
wood fibre, or equivalent vegetable fibre, in water, or other liquid, until it is a
plastic or semi-plastic mass. The mass is then placed in a mould preferably of the
shape required for the projectile or of the part thereof to which the ring is applied.
If it be a ring such as shewn in the drawing the mould is made to correspond to
the ring, and has perforations to allow for the escape of the water or other liquid.
The mass of fibre is then subjected to a powerful pressure for the purpose of
expelling the water or liquid from the mass and compacting it into a solid
homogeneous body.
The compressed mass is then dried and subjected to a bath in a liquid binder,
preferably drying oil, or semi-drying oil, such for instance, as linseed oil or cotton
seed oil, preferably hot, and after the mass is thoroughly impregnated it is dried,
and in order to hasten this drying process, and to obtain the best possible results in
the shortest time, the article is dried by artificial heat in an oven or retort, the
degree of heat being sufficient to harden, set and solidify the mass by developing a
resinous film throughout it.
The guide or ring thus formed can be readily grooved or shaped by the rifling of
the gun and will have sufficient strength to withstand without disintegration the
pressure or strain to which it is subjected.
Where an oil such as linseed oil is used as the binder the guide or ring may be
lubricated either with lubricating oils or fats or mineral lubricants, as circumstances
require.
A guide made in accordance with my invention, will not wear away the rifling of
the gun so rapidly as do the metallic guides now in use, and will therefore, prolong
the life of the gun, while at the same time it is a satisfactory medium through
which the rifling is caused to turn the projectile, as the latter is fired from-
the gun.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
i. A projectile having a guiding portion adapted to fit the breech of a gun, said
guiding portion consisting of finely divided and compressed wood fibre, and a
binding ingredient incorporated therewith, thereby, forming a hard homogeneous
mass, which as the projectile is fired, is shaped by the rifling of the gun and serves
to rotate the said projectile substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. A projectile guiding ring consisting of finely divided wood fibre, compressed
into a homogeneous mass, and bound together by resinified oil substantially as
hereinbefore described.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.