Improvements in Projectiles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1889
COMI LEID DE MOLTIVATION
Improvements in Projectiles.
We, WILLIAM ALexander MatthEWS, of No. 20, Ariel Road, West Hampstead,
Carpenter, and EDWARD LONG, of Lindore Villa, Messina Avenue, also of West
Hampstead, late Captain 77th Regiment of the Line, both in the County of Middlesex,
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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in projectiles, and is applicable to the pro-
jectiles of ordnance which deliver their fire at an object separated by a stretch of
water, as in a naval engagement or an attack on a sea-board fort from the sea.
It is well known to marine artillerists that the effect of many a projectile is marred
by a ricochet off the surface of the sea, and it is the special object of our invention
to prevent a projectile being diverted from its normal trajectory by contact with the
said surface.
We accomplish our said object by fitting to the conical nose of the projectile a
pair of screw-shaped blades, the function of which is to take hold of the water when
the projectile strikes it, and thereby prevent the ricochet.
In order that our invention, and the manner by which the same is to he carried
into practical effect, may be thoroughly understood, we will now describe them in
detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as part
of this specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a front and
Fig. 2 a longitudinal elevation.
A is the projectile; and a, its conical nose.
B, B are a pair of screw-shaped blades. They are fixed in any convenient way, e.g.,
by screws 6 passing through extensions & into the nose of the projectile. It will be
noticed that these blades are nearly, but not quite, parallel with the nose, the eccen-
tricity being in the direction of increasing the distance between blade and nose from
the extension b¹ to the leading edge b².
The maximum diameter of the blades when fixed is, of course, safely less than that
of the gun.
The operation of our invention is as follows. When the nose touches the water,
the revolving blades enter the latter and hold it, before its diverting influence upon
the projectile can produce a ricochet, the water close to the point of contact being
received between nose and blade, held there, and expelled spirally behind the blades
during the contact.
We do not confine ourselves to the exact number of blades illustrated, and may
make them of any suitable material combining strength with lightness, e.g., steel,
Muntz metal, or aluminium-bronze.
The method of attaching the blades to the projectile may be modified as circum-
stances may require. The one illustrated is one which would answer when it is
desired to apply our invention to projectiles already in store.
The drawing represents a projectile revolving from the right hand over to the left.
It is to be distinctly understood that the blades are to be right or left handed
according to the direction of the rifling of the gun, that is to say, the edges 6³ always
lead.
The contour and shape of the blades and extensions may be modified within limits
without departing from the substance of our invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is :.
Applying a screw shaped blade, or blades, to the nose of a projectile, as and for the
LO
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.