Improvements in the Construction of Priming Tubes for Projectiles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th. Aug., 1895
Complete Snacification Loft 14th May 1896-Accepted. 20th June, 1896
PROVIDIUNAL DIBUIT L
[Communicated from abroad by ALFRED. NOBEL, of 59 Avenue Malakoff, Paris,
in the Republic of France, Chemist.]
Improvements in the Construction of Priming Tubes for Projectiles.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of The Office for Patents, Bream's Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention is designed to provide a safe and effective means for
priming explosive charges in projectiles.
In using high explosives, such as wet gun cotton, picric acid, etc., it has hitherto
been necessary to employ either a strong priming of fulminate, or an intermediate
detonating charge of a comparatively sensitive nature, enclosed in a tube, and
primed by the fulminate. The one, as well as the other, constitutes a source of
danger, on account of the possibility of premature explosion from the shock in
firing the cannon, or from any uneven motion in the grooves.
In the improved priming system to be presently explained, this deficiency is
overcome by causing the striking impulse of a piston or hammer (to which is
imparted: a great velocity, through the action of powder gases of high pressure),
to set off detonatively a powerful, but safe priming charge.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shews, in section, a form of the improved priming tube, adapted for
armour-piercing projectiles.
A is the usual percussion fuse, where a is the detonating pellet, provided with a
cylindrical recess for reception of the fulminate; bis a split ring; ca retarding
spring, and d the detonating needle. B is a tube containing two chambers, h
and p, separated by the piston k. The chamber contains a charge of ordinary
black powder, or smokeless powder, the kind of powder and the size of the grains
being chosen in accordance with the desired amount of retardation in the action of
the priming.
The chamber p contains a strong charge of comparatively insensitive explosive,
such as picric acid, or perchlorate of ammonium, or nitrate of ammonium, mixed
with some hydrocarbon or other suitable combustible substance.
The piston k has a recess communicating with the chamber p 'through the
holes m m, and closed by the end of the rod o, which is provided with a shoulder n,
to prevent the piston from moving forward on impact. The small chamber or
recess contains a charge not over sensitive, such as nitromannite or picric acid.
The piston k is also provided in rear with an annular groover, which may be
charged with a quick powder, to act laterally on the piston, and expand it, to
form a gas check, thereby preventing the entrance of powder gases from the
chamber into the chamber p. The whole tube is screwed into the bottom of the
projectile C.
The aforesaid mechanism operates as follows:-On striking an 'armour plate or
a resisting surface, the fuse, in the usual way, communicates fire through the
passage, which contains mealed gun-powder, to the powder charge in the
chamber. The pressure developed by the ignition of the powder in the chamber h,
acts as a propeller of the piston k, causes it to shear off the shoulder n on the rod o,
and strike it with great force.

page_text: This advance of the piston will cause the charge in the chamber / to detonate,
and fire the explosive in the chamber p, which, bursting the tube B, explodes the
main charge of the projectile.
The time between the firing of the fuse and the bursting of the tube, may be
varied by modifying the quickness of the powder charge in h, as well as by com-
pressing, more or less, the mealed powder in the passage f, which operates as a
fuse. Preliminary trials have given a retardation between the firing of the
aforesaid fuse and the explosion of the main charge, amply sufficient for preventing
the danger of a shell exploding prematurely in the bore of the gun, as well as
allowing time for its penetrating or passing through an armour plate.
Fig. 2 shews the application of the improved priming tube to a common shell.
a is the body of the projectile; b is the tube, screwed into the fore end of the
shell; c the outside of the common time or percussion fuse; d the piston, which is
kept from moving backwards, on firing the projectile, by the shoulder i on the
rod g. The cylinder h prevents any forward motion of the piston on impact.
e is the powder chamber; the chamber contains the priming composition
afore-mentioned, and the chamber k the small charge set off by blow, as before
described.
The action of the tube is the same as in the previous case.
The advantages possessed by this improved system of priming, are:-
1. Safety from premature explosion inside the cannon, and on striking.
2. The possibility of using very insensitive explosive charges, without the
employment of strong primers of fulminate or similar dangerous substance.
3. Retarding, at will, the explosion of the main charge in a projectile, which is
of great importance, especially for projectiles of the armour piercing class.
Dated this 14th day of August 1895.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Construction of Priming Tubes for Projectiles.
I ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON of The Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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 present invention is designed to provide a safe and effective means for
priming explosive charges in projectiles.
In using high explosives, such as wet gun cotton, picric acid, etc., it has hitherto
been necessary to employ either a strong priming of fulminate, or an intermediate
detonating charge of a comparatively sensitive nature, enclosed in a tube, and
primed by the fulminate. The one, as well as the other, constitutes a source of
danger, on account of the possibility of premature explosion from the shock in
firing the cannon, or from any uneven motion in the rifle grooves.
In the improved priming system to be presently explained, this deficiency is
overcome by causing the striking impulse of a piston or hammer (to which is
imparted a great velocity, through the action of powder gases of high pressure) to
set off detonatively a powerful, but safe, priming charge.
In the drawings filed with the Provisional Specification,
Fig. 1 shews, in section, a form of the improved priming tube, adapted for
armour piercing projectiles.
A is the usual percussion fuse, where a is the detonating pellet, provided with a
cylindrical recess for the reception of the fulminate; b is a split ring; c a retarding
spring and d the detonating needle. B is a tube containing two chambers, hand p,

page_text: separated by the piston k. The chamber h contains a charge of ordinary black
powder, or smokeless powder, the kind of powder and the size of the grains being
chosen in accordance with the desired amount of retardation in the action of the
priming.
The chamber p contains a strong charge of comparatively insensitive explosive,
such as picric acid, or perchlorate of ammonium, or nitrate of ammonium, mixed
with some hydro-carbon or other suitable combustible substanca.
The piston has a central recess 1, communicating with the chamber p through
the lateral holes m m. This recess is closed by the end of the central rod o,.
which is screwed into the front end of the tube B. The rod o is provided with a
shoulder n, to prevent the piston k from moving forward on impact. The small
chamber or recess / contains a charge not over sensitive, such as nitro-mannite or
picric acid.
The piston & is also provided, in rear, with an annular groover, which may bo
charged with a quick powder, to act laterally on the piston, and expand it, to form
a gas check, thereby preventing the entrance of powder gases from the chamber h
into the chamber p. The tube B, fitted and charged as above described, is screwed
into the bottom of the projectile C.
The aforesaid mechanism operates as follows:- -On the projectile fitted with the
improved primary tube striking an armour plate or other resisting surface, the fuse
in the usual way communicates fire through the passage f, which contains mealed
gunpowder, to the powder charge in the chamber h. The pressure developed by
the ignition of the powder in the chamber h acts as a propeller of the piston k, and
causes it to shear off the shoulder n on the rod o, and strike the rod with great
force.
This advance of the piston will cause the charge in the chamber to detonate
and fire the explosive in the chamber p, which, bursting the tube B, explodes the
main charge of the projectile.
The time between the firing of the fuze and the bursting of the tube may be
varied by modifying the quickness of the powder charge in the chamber h, as well
as by compressing more or less the mealed powder in the passage f, which operates
as a fuse. Preliminary trials have given a retardation between the firing of the
aforesaid fuse and the explosion of the main charge, sufficient not on or
preventing the danger of a shell exploding prematurely in the bore of the g" but
allowing time for the shell to penetrate or pass through an armour plate.
Fig. 2 shews the application of the improved priming tube to a common shell.
a is the body of the projectile; b is the tube, screwed into the fore end of the
shell; c the outside of the common time or percussion fuse; d the piston which is
kept from moving backwards on firing the projectile by the shoulder i on the rod g.
The cylinder prevents any forward motion of the piston on impact. e is the
powder chamber, corresponding with the chamber h of the first described arrange-
ment. The chamber f, corresponding with the chamber p of the first arrangement,
contains the priming composition aforementioned, and the chamber k the small
central charge in the piston, set off by a blow, as before described.
The action of the tube is the same as in the previous case.
The advantages possessed by this improved system of priming are:-
1. Safety from premature explosion inside the cannon, and on striking.
2. The possibility of using very insensitive explosive charges, without the
employment of strong primers of fulminate or similar dangerous substance.
3. Retarding, at will, the explosion of the main charge in a projectile, which is
of great importance, especially for projectiles of the armour-piercing class.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me from
abroad, I declare that what I claim is :-
The improved construction of priming tube as herein described with reference
to the drawings, whereby premature explosion of the charge in the projectile to

page_text: which the priming tube is attached is avoided, and the time of ignition of the
charge is determined.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.