Sports Posive Projectiеs, and in Apparatus or means Employed therefor or therewith.
Year: 1885

page_text: Sports Posive Projectiеs, and in Apparatus or means
Employed therefor or therewith.
I, JOSEPH STOKES WILLIAMS of Riverton, New Jersey, United States of
America, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
"
MENTS IN METHODS OR MEANS OF CONSTRUCTING AND OPERATING EXPLOSIVE
PROJECTILES AND IN APPARATUS OR MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR OR THEREWITH
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to methods and means of utilizing bigh explosives for
military and marine purposes.
In carrying my invention into practice I employ projectiles charged with
ingredients capable of being united within the chambers of the projectile subse-
quent to the concussion developed by the firing or projecting charge or the
propelling force. The projectile can be provided with compound chambers or
one or more chambers or parts separated from each other by a diaphragm or
otherwise so that the ingredients designed to form the high explosive compound
are harmless until they are united or thrown into combination through the medium
of any suitable means brought into operation at or subsequent to the projectile
leaving the muzzle of the cannon or gun or by or subsequent to the concussion
produced by the firing or propelling charge. The ingredients can be caused to
mingle with each other by chemical action or time mechanisın or electric or
mechanical action (or by a combination of such means) in the transit or movement
of the projectile so that the projectile when it strikes the object will be rendered
operative by concussion or otherwise.
Under another arrangement the ingredients can be carried in the projectile to
the object of attack and mingled by concussive action or otherwise and exploded.
In order to minimize the risk of handling and transport of such projectiles one
or more of the ingredients requisite for forming the explosive compound can be
inserted into the magazine or explosive chamber of the projectile just prior to or
at the time of loading the gun or cannon with the projectile that is to say one or
more of such ingredients can be encased or enclosed by a suitable material so as to
form a sort of a cartridge which can be inserted into the magazine chamber of the

page_text: projectile through a suitable opening which becomes closed by such insertion
through the medium of a screwed or properly fitted plug provided with means for
holding the same (for instance a spring clutch) so that such portion will be flush
with the outer surface of the projectile. The separating walls or chambers between
the ingredients can be broken or destroyed by the action of a piston or plunger
forced lengthwise through the magazine chamber containing the ingredients or the
diaphragms or walls of such chamber or chambers can be broken or destroyed in
any other suitable manner as set forth so that the ingredients are intermingled to
be adapted for explosive action either by concussion or otherwise.
The diaphragms or linings of these chambers or the tubes or cases by which the
ingredients are separated from each other can be composed of material unaffected
thereby dependent upon the ingredients employed for forming the explosive
compounds. Or the material of which one or more of the separating diaphragms
or casings for one or more of the ingredients can be composed of light material
which will be acted upon by the ingredient contained therein or acted upon so
that such diaphragm or separating medium will be destroyed decomposed or eaten
away in a definite period of time or mechanically acted upon through the medium
of plungers or levers set in operation by the concussion caused by firing or by the
movement of the projectile from the muzzle of the gun or through the air water or
medium through which the projectile is forced after leaving the gun or cannon
rifled or not.
By such means the ingredients of mercury fulminate nitro glycerine gun cotton
dynamite or other high explosive compounds can with safety be discharged from
ordinary guns or cannons without the employment of elastic cushions or means for
providing an elastic resistance at the back of the projectile containing the explosive
charge and without affecting the centre of gravity of the projectile.
In some cases I employ in combination with projectiles of the class herein
described means to provide an elastic or yielding medium or cushion as a working
resistance between the explosive charge of the projectile and the firing charge or
the firing charge can operate without or in combination with an elastic or yielding
cushion between the firing charge or working resistance of gun and the explosive
charge in the projectile.
In other words the improvements herein described are applicable for discharging
materials which when combined constitute high explosives with or without the
interposition of an elastic or yielding medium detachable from or integral with the
projectile or forming part of the gun or cannon or the supports therefor as described
in my applications for Letters Patent of this date No 6184-6185-and 6182-
of 1885.
The arrangements for operating such projectiles in rifled tubes chambers or
ordnance can be practically the same as those described in my application for
Letters Patent of this date No 6182-6184 and 6185--the details thereof being
suited to the construction of the projectile that is to say the packing and
projections for the rifling arrangements can be provided at the base or outer
portion of the projectile with or without the employment of the elastic cushion or
medium interposed between the firing and explosive charge.

page_text: Employed therefor or therewith.
I JOSEPH STOKES WILLIAMS of Riverton New Jersey United States of America
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
-
This invention relates to methods and means of utilizing high explosives for
military and marine purposes.
(a) In carrying my invention into practice I employ projectiles charged with
ingredients capable of being mixed within the chambers of the projectile subsequent
to the concussion developed by the firing or projecting charge or the propelling
force. The projectile can be provided with compound chambers or one or more
chambers or parts separated from each other by a diaphragm or otherwise so that
the ingredients designed to forin the high explosive compound are harmless until
they are united or thrown into combination through the medium of any suitable
means brought into operation at or subsequent to the projectile leaving the muzzle
of the cannon or gun or by or subsequent to the concussion produced by the firing
or propelling charge. The ingredients can be caused to mingle with each other by
chemical action for instance by the decomposition or destruction of the walls of
the chamber or chambers with or without explosion or by time mechanism or
electric or mechanical action (or by a combination of such means) in the transit
or movement of the projectile so that the projectile when it strikes the object will
be rendered operative by concussion or otherwise.
(b) Under another arrangement the ingredients can be carried in the projectile
to the object of attack and mingled by concussive action or otherwise and exploded
in any preferred manner thereafter.
(c) In the construction or use of such projectiles or firing charges in order to
minimise the risk of handling and transport of such projectiles one or more of the
ingredients requisite for forming the explosive compound can be inserted into the
magazine or explosive chamber of the projectile just prior to or at the time of
loading the gun or cannon with the projectile that is to say one or more of such
ingredients can be encased or enclosed by a suitable material so as to form a sort
of a cartridge which can be inserted into the magazine chamber of the projectile.
through a suitable opening which becomes closed by or subsequent to such insertion
through the medium of a screwed or properly fitted plug provided with means for.
holding the same (for instance a spring clutch) so that such portion will be flush or
otherwise with the outer surface of the projectile. The separating walls or
chambers between the ingredients can be broken or destroyed by the action of a

page_text: piston or plunger forced lengthwise through the magazine chamber containing the
ingredients or the diaphragms or walls of such chamber or chambers can be broken
or destroyed in any other suitable manner as set forth so that the ingredients are
intermingled to be adapted for explosive action either by concussion or otherwise.
(d) The diaphragms or linings of these chambers or the tubes or cases by which
the ingredients are separated from each other can be composed of material
unaffected thereby dependent upon the ingredients employed for forming the
explosive compounds. Or the material of which one or more of the separating
diaphragms or casings for one or more of the ingredients can be composed of light
material which will be acted upon by the ingredient contained therein or acted
upon so that such diaphragm or separating medium will be destroyed decomposed
or eaten away in a definite period of time or mechanically acted upon through the
medium of plungers or levers set in operation by the concussion caused by firing or
by the movement of the projectile from the muzzle of the gun or through the air
water or medium through which the projectile is forced after leaving the gun or
cannon rifled or not.
(e) In the construction of such projectiles I can employ ingredients of mercury
fulminate nitro glycerine contained in their respective chambers in their proper
proportions which can with safety be discharged from ordinary guns or cannons
without the employment of elastic cushions or means for providing an elastic
resistance at the back of the projectile containing the explosive charge or I can
charge such projectile with the ingredients for either high explosive compounds
for instance picric acid crystals can be arranged in the chamber of the projectile so
as to leave a space for the insertion of the tube containing the other ingredients
nitric acid just prior to the loading of the projectile as here described or the reverse
process may be employed-care being taken to have the materials in their proper
proportions the means for destroying mixing the material can be of the characters
set forth herein or if desired the ingredients may be mixed just prior to introduction
of the shell into the gun.
(f) In some places I employ in combination with projectiles of the class herein
described means to provide an elastic or yielding medium or cushion as a working
resistance between the explosive charge of the projectile and the firing charge or
the firing charge can operate without or in combination with an elastic or yielding
cusbion between the firing charge or working resistance of gun and the explosive
charge in the projectile.
(g) The improvements in projectiles herein described are applicable for dis-
charging materials which when combined constitute high explosives with or
without the interposition of an elastic or yielding medium detachable from or
integral with the projectile or forming part of the gun or cannon or the supports
therefor as described in my applications for Letters patent of this date Numbered
6182, 6184 and 6185.
The arrangements for operating such projectiles in rifled tubes chambers or
ordnance can be practically the same as those described in my application for
Letters Patent of this date the details thereof being suited to the construction of
the projectile that is to say the packing and projections for the rifling arrangements
can be provided at the base or outer portion of the projectile charged as herein
described with or without the employment of the elastic cushion or medium
interposed between the firing and explosive charge.
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 ;-
1st In the construction or use of projectiles of the class herein described the
employment of means to provide for introducing one or more of the ingredient for
forming the explosive compound prior to use thereof substantially as and for the
purposes specified herein.

page_text: 2nd In the construction or use of projectiles of the class herein described the
employment of ingredients for forming the explosive charge therefor other than
nitro glycerine substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
3rd In the construction or operation of projectiles of the class herein described
the employment of means to avoid or lessen the concussion upon the projectile
caused by the action of firing as substantially set forth.
4th The employment of means as described in the respective paragraphs hereof
or a combination of such in combination with projectiles charged with ingredients
adapted to form an explosive or explosives compound other than nitro glycerine.
Dated this 12th day of February 1886.
THOS DAVIES,
For the Applicant.