Lines and for other Purposes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Lines and for other Purposes.
We, NATHAN C. POND, MARSHALL O. WEST and ERNEST SIMONS citizens of the
United States of America, residing at Port Chester, in the county of Westchester
and State of New York, U.S.A., manufacturers of machinery, do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND PROJECTILES FOR
THROWING LIFE-SAVING LINES, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Ships are often stranded upon breakers where life boats cannot reach them.
Persons are often in peril in the upper stories or upon the roofs of burning
houses. If in either of these cases a light line can be thrown from a point of
safety to the persons in peril, they may be enabled to draw over a strong rope on
which a life car my travel; or a rope ladder whereby persons may descend. The
object of the invention is to throw to a great distance with precision of aim, the
light line referred to, which is here termed a life-saving line. To this end the
invention consists in a projectile operating on the rocket principle for carrying
the line; and a gun fitting within the projectile peculiarly adapted to direct and
throw the projectile, all being constructed and operated as hereinafter described
and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gun and projectile.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the projectile showing a cartridge in position
for service.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a modification of the projectile and
cartridge.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, part in longitudinal section, of the gun provided
with a standard breech to be stood upon the ground or driven into it for firing
heavy projectiles; showing also a modified form of projectile and cartridge, and
Figure 5 shows another important modification of both the gun and projectile.
A represents the body or barrel of the projectile. B is a cap to be firmly
screwed into the body, as shown in figure 2, or upon the body, as shown in figure 3.
C represents the cartridge seat or chamber consisting of an aperture shaped to fit
the cartridge; the said aperture or chamber being formed in the rear end of the
cap, B, without any outlet forward, and having a shoulder at D for the cartridge
flange to rest upon. In order that the cartridge, E, may readily enter the chamber
when dropped into the barrel of the projectile, the mouth of the cap is made

page_text: conical around the shoulder, D. This will guide the forward end of the cartridge
into the chamber, however great the difference may be between the size of the bore
and the cartridge. The first force of the explosion is sustained by the cap which
may be made as heavy as required for safety, while the rest of the barrel of
the projectile may be relatively light. There being no joint or outlet forward
to the cartridge chamber, gas cannot escape, except to the rear, which is the manner
desired. The projectile is provided with a bail, G, pivoted to its sides near its rear
end, whereby the life-saving line, F, is attached. The bail swinging over the rear
end of the projectile when the latter is in flight allows the line to trail in the
wake of the projectile, thereby rather helping than preventing its accuracy of
flight. The gun consists of a rod of iron or steel, H, easily fitting within the barrel
of the projectile and provided with any suitable breech and lock. Figure 1 shows
a breech suitable to be held at a person's shoulder, and figure 4 shows a breech
consisting of a standard to rest upon the ground or to be driven into the ground
to support the gun in firing heavy projectiles. The rod, H, serves as a breech pin
against which the cartridge rests, and it is bored through lengthways, forming
a tube to receive a firing pin, I, which communicates percussive force from the
hammer, J, to the cartridge, E, to explode the latter. The cartridge may be in the
form of a thick disk, as shown in figure 4, completely filling the bore of the
projectile, and especially made therefor; but we prefer the cartridge shown in
figure 3, because it may be readily procured, being a regular rifle or pistol cart-
ridge. This projectile operates on the rocket principle, it being driven forward by
discharging to the rear air and the products of explosion of the cartridge. To
provide a large volume of air to be expelled, and yet to use a cartridge so small
that it may be fired with safety from a person's shoulder, the bore of the projec-
tile is made very much larger than the cartridge chamber, and the entrance to the
charge chamber is conical, as before described. In the forms of gun shown at
figures 1 and 4 the rod or tube, H, is not a gun barrel in any other sense than that
it gives direction to the projectile. The barrel is in the projectile and the rod, H,
is its breech pin. When the cartridge is exploded, the projectile is thrown forward
off from the gun while the cartridge shell remains pressed against the said breech
pin, H, until free from pressure, when it falls to the ground. If the ball cart-
ridge shown in figure 3 be used, the ball will travel with the projectile, and it may
be shaken out if the latter is required for use again. The cartridge may be
wadded and used without a ball, as in figure 2. In figure 3 the body, A, may be
common gas pipe, the cap, B, fitting outside. Figure 5 shows the manner in which
this principle of throwing life-saving lines has been adapted for use with common
fire-arms. The forward portion of the gun is made externally straight, either
cylindrical or many-sided, and the projectile is shaped internally throughout its
length to fit thereon. Then a common charge of powder or cartridge fired in the
gun throws the projectile by compressing air within it. The large volume of air
within the projectiles of either style shown serving as a cushion prevents the
projectile from starting so suddenly as to break the line attached to it, and it
enables a small charge of powder to throw a projectile to a great distance. Were
it not for this enlarged barrel and the cushion of air obtained thereby, the sudden
explosion of a rifle cartridge would be likely to burst the projectile before its
inertia could be overcome, it being many times heavier than a rifle ball designed
for the same charge, and by means of this large volume of air in the projectile the
latter is thrown to a great distance by the rocket action of the gas after the sudden
impact of the explosion ceases to act. By this means life-saving lines may be
thrown over burning houses or into any particular window thereof with accuracy,
however high it may be. They may also be thrown from the coast to vessels in
peril; or from a vessel be thrown ashore. The projectile may also be armed with
a harpoon for whaling; with explosive shells and other missiles in warfare; and
with messages to be sent to inaccessible points. The principle of construction
herein described may be adapted for a great variety of uses by exercising mere
mechanical judgment.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim as our invention is:
1. In a gun and projectile for throwing life-saving lines, &c., the combination of
a tube; a projectile fitted to slip on over the tube; a cartridge fitted to the interior
of the projectile and a firing pin within the tube adapted to be driven against the
cartridge to explode it, as described.
2. In a device for throwing life lines, a tube; a firing pin within it; a projectile
fitted to slip on over it, and a bail attached to the projectile to swing past the rear
end thereof, whereby a line may be attached, as described.
3. The combination of a gun comprising a breech; a tube; a firing pin therein,
and a lock, and a projectile adapted to fit upon the tube and to receive a cartridge
in front of the tube; the latter serving as a breech pin, as described.
4. The combination of a tubular projectile closed at its forward end and shaped
with a cartridge seat within its forward end, and a gun having a lock and firing
pin and fitted to enter the rear end of the projectile, as described.
5. The combination, in a projectile, of a tubular body and a cap secured to its
forward end, the said cap having a cartridge chamber in it opening rearward into
the said tubular body, as described.
6. The combination, in a projectile, of a tubular body and a cap removably
secured thereto, the said cap having within it a cartridge chamber and a shoulder
fitted to seat the flanged head of a cartridge, as described.
7. The combination of a tubular body and a cap secured to one end thereof, the
said cap being provided with a shouldered cartridge chamber and a conical mouth
surrounding the said shoulder, as described.
8. A projectile having a tubular body and provided with a cartridge chamber
wholly within a single piece of metal, the said chamber having a rearward opening
only, as described.
9. The combination of a cylindrical, tubular projectile closed at its sides and
forward end, forming an elongated air chamber and provided with a bail at its rear
end, and a gun baving a barrel externally cylindrical and fitted to the interior of
the said projectile and adapted to fire ammunition within the said barrel substan-
tially as shown and described, whereby the said projectile is adapted to be thrown
by the action of the air within it resisting the expansion of gas within the gun at
the time of firing.
10. The combination of a tubular projectile internally straight throughout its
length and closed at its sides and forward end, and provided with a bail, and a
gun having a barrel externally straight fitted to the interior of the projectile and
adapted to fire ammunition within the gun, substantially as shown and described,
th: 10LL
ST 1004
NATHAN C. POND.
MARSHALL O. WEST.
ERNEST SIMONS.