Improvements in Projectiles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 19th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1900
Improvements in Projectiles.
I, HENRY VALENTINE SIMPSON, of 15, Auckland Road, Norwood, Surrey,
Lieutenant, R.N., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
My invention relates to an improved form of projectile for ordnance.
Considerable success has been attained by the use of a cap, placed over the
point or nose of a projectile, enhancing considerably its penetrative power
especially against armour plate.
Now it has been found that there is considerable difficulty in attaching these
caps so that they will not become detached during flight or on graze, and this
part of my invention relates to a method whereby the cap can be rigidly and
securely attached to the projectile even on graze, and also by my invention
the cap can be attached just before the gun is fired, thus allowing a fuze to be
inserted if necessary at the last moment which is very important especially in
the case where time fuzes are employed.
In order to carry out my invention I proceed as follows.
In the case of cast shot or shell, I cause, when the projectile is being cast,
to be cast on it around the point a tubular cylindrical piece or ring of metal
having one end cast on the head of the projectile and the other end open
towards the point, the axis of the tube or ring being parallel to the axis of the
projectile.
the nose.
This tube or ring should be attached to the head of the projectile about where
the base of the ordinary cap abuts, or in the case of a G" shot 2 to 3 inches from
The open end should not project quite as far as the point of the
projectile.
The ring or tube thus made forms a cup open towards the head of the projectile
and this cup has a cone within it formed by the point of the projectile within it.
This part of my invention consists in affixing or attaching the cap to the
tubular cylindrical piece or ring. In the case of wrought projectiles this ring
or cup can be attached either by working, brazing or rivetting or any other
known method of attaching metal to metal.
I find that this cup owing to the area of grip afforded by the walls of the ring
gives a very strong support to the cap, causing a practically rigid attachment.
I may fix the cap, which is recessed at base to take point of projectile, to
the cup or ring by screwing it into the cup, threads being cut on the inner wall
of cup or by a bayonet joint, or by screws through the ring and cap, or in
he case of armour piercing projectiles it may be fixed by brazing or hydraulic
pressure: in the latter event the cup may be made slightly larger at the bottom
han at the top and the cap which is of softer metal pressed in, and since this
an be performed at the place of manufacture, the cap forms a complete pro-
ection to the brittle points of the projectile during transport and handling.
One of the chief advantages of this form of attachment is that the cap can
e inserted in the ring just before the projectile is entered into the gun, in a
ew seconds and by anyone of ordinary intelligence, this is of great importance
.

page_text: when nose fuzes are used, since in the caps. hitherto employed the attachment
has to be carried out either with special machinery at the depot or on board
ship which necessitates the work being done some time before the projectile is
fired.
The cap I employ is made of softer metal than the projectile, such as mild
steel, or copper or the like, preferably of a cylindrical shape, solid but recessed
at the bottom to take the point of the projectile and if necessary the projecting
part of the nose fuze when used; and it should project about 1 inches beyond
the point of the projectile. When the cap is fixed to the walls of the ring by
means of screw threads on it, screwing into threads on the inner wall of the
ring, I may cause these threads to be cut in the opposite direction to the twist
of the projectile when in flight, which will tend to still further screw the cap
home.
The characteristic feature of my invention is the attaching of the cap to a
ring or cylindrical tube which is already securely attached to the projectile
and by this means a far greater area of support is afforded, preventing any
possibility of the cap becoming detached, and it can be performed in a very
short space of time..
Doted this 17th day of M 1800.
I, HENRY VALENTINE SIMPSON, of 15, Auckland Road, Norwood, Surrey,
Lieutenant, R.N., 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:-
Considerable success has been attained by the use of a cap placed, over the
point or nose of a projectile and thereby enhancing considerably the penetrative
power of the latter especially against armour plate.
It has been found however that there is considerable difficulty in attaching
these caps so that they will not become detached during flight or on graze. Now
my invention has for object to provide means whereby the cap can be rigidly
and securely attached to the projectile so as to remain thereon during flight
and even on graze, and also whereby the cap can be attached just before the
gun is fired, thus allowing a nose fuze to be inserted if necessary at the last
moment which is very important especially in cases where time fuzes are
employed as it allows the use of a cap with shell, the use of a cap being hitherto
restricted to use with armour piercing shot.
In order to carry out my invention I proceed as follows:
In the case of cast shot or shell, I cause, when the projectile is being cast,
to be cast on it around the point a tubular cylindrical piece or ring of metal
having, one end cast on the head of the projectile and the other end open
towards the point, the axis of the tube or ring being in line with the axis of
the projectile. In the case of wrought projectiles this ring may be forged with
the projectile forming an integral part of it.
This tube or ring should be attached to the head of the projectile about where
the base of the ordinary cap abuts, or in the case of a 6" shot 2 to 3 inches from
The open end, should not project quite as far as the point of the
the nose.
projectile.

page_text: The tube or ring, hereinafter called the ring, forms a cup open towards the
head of the projectile and having within it a cone formed by the point of the
projectile.
I now affix or attach the cap to the ring and I find that this ring, owing to
the area of grip afforded by its walls, gives a very strong support to the cap,
causing a practically rigid attachment of the cap to the projectile.
I may fix the cap, which is recessed at its base to take the point of the projec-
tile, to the ring by screwing it into the ring, screw threads being cut in the
inner wall of the ring, or by means of a bayonet joint, or by means of screws
passing through the ring and the cap, or in the case of armour-piercing pro-
jectiles, where there is no necessity to remove the cap since no fuze is used,
the cap may be fixed to the ring by brazing or by hydraulic pressure at place
of manufacture, and it then affords a complete protection to the brittle point of
the projectile during transport and handling.
One of the chief advantages of this form of attachment is that the cap can
be attached to the ring just before the projectile is entered into the gun, in a
few seconds, and by any one of ordinary intelligence. This is of great importance
when nose fuzes are used, since in the caps hitherto employed the attaching has
to be carried out either with special machinery at the depot or on board ship
which necessitates the work being done some time before the projectile is fired
and restricts the use of a cap to armour piercing projectiles.
The cap which I prefer to employ is made of softer metal than the projectile,
such as mild steel, or copper or the like, preferably of a cylindrical shape, solid
but recessed at the bottom to take the point of the projectile and if necessary
also the projecting part of the nose fuze when used. The top or outer end of
the cap should project about 1 inches beyond the point of the projectile or
of the head of the nose fuze where such is employed. When the cap is fixed
to the walls of the ring by means of screw threads on it screwing into threads
on the inner wall of the ring, I may cause these threads to be cut in the
opposite direction to the twist of the projectile when in flight, which will tend
to still further screw the cap home and so lock the same in position. Under
certain conditions in actual practice, such as firing at masonry, boats, bodies
of men, etc., the use of a cap is not necessary, in which case the ring if an
integral part of the projectile might affect its flight. To meet this, the ring
may be separate to the projectile, and attached to it, when required, by rivetting,
brazing or by screws or other known means.
The characteristic feature of my invention is the attaching of the cap to a ring
or cylindrical tube which is already securely attached to the projectile. By
this means a far greater area of support is afforded, preventing any possibility
of the cap becoming detached from the projectile either during flight or on
graze, whilst the attaching can be performed in a very short space of time and
also allows a cap to be used with shell as well as with shot.
In order that my invention may be better understood I have illustrated the
same by the accompanying drawings which show by way of example several
methods of carrying out my invention.
In Figure 1 which represents a projectile and its cap before attachment, A is
a projectile in which the ring B is formed as an integral part of the projectile.
The ring B has cut on its inner wall screw threads C which are adapted to
engage with screw threads 1 cut on the lower portion of the cap E. The cap E
is recessed at its bottom as shown at F to take the point G of the projectile.
To attach the cap E to the projectile A, the cap is screwed into the ring B
until the shoulder H of the cap bears home on the top I of the ring B and
the recessed portion of cap rests on shoulders of projectile as shown in Figure 2
which represents the projectile with the cap attached.
In Figures 3 and 4, the ring B₁ (shown separately in Figure 3) is made
separate from the projectile A' which is formed with a shouldered bearing K
to receive the lower end J of the ring. The ring B₁ is made with a smooth

page_text: inner bearing surface L to fit the bearing K on the projectile and is fixed in
place on the projectile by means of screws M which pass through holes M¹ in
the ring and screw into the projectile. The ring B₁ is also screw threaded inter-
nally at C¹ to receive the screw threads D of the cap E when the latter is screwed
home into the ring as shown in Figure 4.
In Figures 5 and 6, the ring B2 is screw threaded internally at C2 throughout
its whole depth to engage with screw threads N cut on the projectile A2 which
is formed with a bearing K¹ to receive the lower end of the ring B2. The cap
(not shown) is intended to be screwed into the ring B².
By this invention it is possible to use caps in combination with shells (as
distinguished from armour piercing shot) provided with nose fuses and I have
shown (by way of example only) in Figure 3 the head of the fuse of the shell.
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:-
-
1. The improved projectile consisting of the combination of a cap with a shell
having a nose fuse.
2. A projectile having a ring or cylindrical tube forming part of the projectile
itself for the purpose of attaching a cap, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
3. A projectile having a detachable ring or cylindrical tube for the purpose
of attaching a cap, substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In capped projectiles the attaching of the cap to the projectile through the
medium of a ring or cylindrical tube which is already securely attached to or
which forms part of the projectile, substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. The improved capped projectiles as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
Da 10 1
P 17. 1
1000
aWI}-1909.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.