Improvements in Armouring or Protecting Surfaces against the Action of Projectiles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Armouring or Protecting Surfaces against the
Action of Projectiles.
I, FREDERICK RICHARD SIMMS, of Amberley House, 12, Norfolk Street,
Strand, in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:―
This invention relates to novel means for armouring or protecting the hulls
and turrets of war vessels and any other surface liable to be exposed to the action
of projectiles.
According to my invention I protect such surfaces by what may be termed
elastic or pneumatic armour, the elasticity being given to the armour by a fluid
preferably elastic such as air or any other suitable gas, so as to obtain a surface
which yields when subjected to a predetermined pressure. By these means, when
the armour is struck by a projectile, the surface struck yields under the pressure
of the impact and thereby distributes the said pressure over a considerable area,
thus diminishing the intensity of the force at the point of impact and thereby
reducing the destructive force of the projectile. By employing armour of my
novel construction it is thus obvious that the thickness, and therefore the weight, of
the actual resistant covering or armour can be made considerably less than that
of the armour plates now generally used.
In a suitable way of carrying out my invention as applied to the hulls of war
vessels, I advantageously form my novel armour of a belt composed of a number
of cells or compartments designed to be filled with fluid at a certain pressure,
and the outer or protective surface of which is so constructed and fitted to the
body of the armour that it can be moved when subjected to pressure so as to
compress or displace the fluid contained in the armour belt. The pressure in
such compound or pneumatic armour compartments may be maintained by
separate compressors worked off the main-engines or otherwise, and may be
varied according to circumstances. The compartments of the armour may also
serve to increase the buoyancy and steadiness of the vessel.
In the case of turrets, armoured cars, shields and the like, I advantageously
enclose the fluid forming the cushion of the armour in a chamber or chambers
of india-rubber or other similar suitable material the outer face of the armour
being provided with a relatively light protective covering of wood, steel, chain-
armour or any other suitable material. The said armour may be fixed or sus-
pended in position.
Dated the 28th day of January 1898
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Armouring or Protecting Surfaces against the
Action of Projectiles.
I, FREDERICK RICHARD SIMMS, of Amberley House, 12, Norfolk Street,
Strand, in the County of London, 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; -
This invention relates to novel means for armouring or protecting the hulls
and turrets of war vessels and any other surface liable to be exposed to the action
of projectiles.
According to my invention I protect such surfaces by what may be termed
elastic or pneumatic armour, the elasticity being given to the armour by a fluid,
preferably elastic, such as air or any other suitable gas, so as to obtain a surface
which yields when subjected to a predetermined pressure. By these means, when
the armour is struck by a projectile, the surface struck yields under the pressure
of the impact and thereby distributes the said pressure over a considerable area,
thus diminishing the intensity of the force at the point of impact and thereby
reducing the destructive force of the projectile. By employing armour of my
novel construction it is thus obvious that the thickness, and therefore the weight, of
the actual resistant covering or armour can be made considerably less than that
of the armour plates now generally used.
In a suitable way of carrying out my invention as applied to the hulls of war
vessels, I advantageously form my novel armour of a belt composed of a number
of cells or compartments designed to be filled with fluid at a certain pressure,
and the outer or protective surface of which is so constructed and fitted to the
body of the armour that it can be moved when subjected to pressure so as to
compress or displace the fluid contained in the armour belt. The pressure in
such compound or pneumatic armour compartments may be maintained by:
separate compressors worked off the main-engines or otherwise, and may be
varied according to circumstances. The compartiments of the armour may also
serve to increase the buoyancy and steadiness of the vessel.
Or, instead of the pneumatic compartments I may arrange between the surface
to be protected and the outer protective surface or armour plate a number of
cylinders having pistons, the said cylinders containing a suitable fluid adapted
to be compressed or displaced when the protective surface is struck by a projectile.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe several ways of
carrying it into effect by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating one method of armouring a surface
according to the invention:
Figure 2 is a similar view of a slight modification:
Figure 3 is a similar view shewing the arrangement wherein cylinders and
pistons are employed:
Figure 4 is a rear elevation thereof:
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrating armour made by
a combination of the arrangements illustrated in Figures 2 and 3:
Figure 6 is a view illustrating a detail.
Referring to all the figures, a is the inner surface which may be the surface
to be protected against the action of projectiles or which may be separate there- 4
from, b is the outer or protective surface of armour plate and c is the pneumatic
or yielding cushion which is provided between the surfaces a and b.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 1 this said cushion c is formed of a

page_text: chamber d of suitable material enclosed in a protective cover e. f is a non-return
valve by means of which the chamber d can be filled with compressed air or other
suitable fluid for forming the cushion c.
The arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 is similar to that above described with
the exception that the cushion c is formed of a number of chambers d, & instead
of one as shewn in Figure 1.
.
Figure 3 illustrates the construction wherein the cushion is formed by means
of one or more cylinders 9 secured to the armour plate 6 and in each of which
works a piston h, the said piston h being held in a cup-shaped bearing h¹ formed
upon a plate or cover h² covering a hole a¹ in the surface and being secured by
means of stirrups h³ and bolts h similarly to a man-hole cover. With this
arrangement access can be had to any one of the pistons and cylinders by unbolting
and removing the bearing h¹, h in which the piston is supported.
f is a valve for introducing the fluid into the space c through the pipe f. By
supporting the piston h in a cup-shaped bearing h¹ the armour plate 6 is allowed
slight movement should it be struck by a projectile in such a position as to tend
to cause it to yield at one point more than another.
In Figure 5 I have shewn a method of armouring which is a combination of
the air-chamber and piston and cylinder methods above described. The con-
struction of this will be understood from the foregoing description although it
may be mentioned that the cylinders g are here shewn secured to the surface a
and the pistons held in bearings h¹, secured to the armour plate b. The air
chambers d, d forming the air cushion c in this combination armour may be of the
construction shewn in Figure 6, that is to say, they may be formed of a number
of chambers enclosed in a strong flexible canvas or other suitable covering e and
all being connected to a single main air-inlet tube d', which is provided at one
end with a safety valve arranged to open under a given pressure and with an
inlet non-return valve at the mouth of each chamber d.
The armour plate b is held in position with respect to the surface ȧ by any
suitable means, such for example as by the arrangement shewn in Figure 5 and
which consists of a number of bolts i hinged to the armour plate 6 and loosely
passing through the surface a so as to allow of the movement of the said armour
plate relatively with the surface a. j is a spring which is fitted between the head
of each bolt i and the surface a, whereby a certain degree of resiliency is imparted
to the armour.
As above mentioned the pressure in the chamber or chambers forming the
cushion c may be maintained by suitable means such as by compressors worked
off the main engines.
In the case of turrets, armoured cars, shields and the like, I advantageously
enclose the fluid forming the cushion of the armour in a chamber or chambers of
india-rubber or other similar suitable material, the outer face of the armour being
provided with a relatively light protective covering of wood, steel, chain-armour
or any other suitable material. The said armour may be fixed or suspended in
position.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. Armouring or protecting surfaces against the action of projectiles by
means of elastic or pneumatic armour, the elasticity being obtained by a fluid,
preferably elastic, such as air or other suitable gas, so as to obtain a surface which
yields under the impact of projectiles, substantially as, and for the purpose, herein-
before described.
2. Armour comprising an outer surface of armour plate and a cushion con-
sisting of a suitable air or other fluid chamber arranged between the said armour
plate and an inner surface which may be the surface to be protected, substantially
as herein before described.

page_text: 3. Armour consisting of an outer surface of armour plate and of a cushion
comprising a number of cylinders having pistons and containing a suitable fluid,
the said cushion being arranged between the outer surface and an inner surface
which may be the surface to be protected, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The improved armour hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1; 5
2; 3 and 4; and 5 and respectively of the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 2nd day of September 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.