IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lieutenant Colonel William Hope, V.C., of the Army and
Navy Club, Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, and Roswell Sabine Ripley,
of the Westminster Palace Hotel, in the County of Middlesex, late Major
General in the Service of the Confederate States, and formerly Major in the
United States Artillery, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hope and Roswell
Sabine Ripley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th
July 1880.
Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM HOPE, V.C., of the Army and Navy Club, Pall
Mall, in the County of Middlesex, and ROSWELL SABINE RIPLEY, of the Westminster
Palace Hotel, in the County of Middlesex, late Major General in the Service of the
Confederate States, and formerly Major in the United States Artillery. "IMPROVE-
MENTS RELATING TO ORDNANCE AND FIRE ARMS AND AMMUNITION FOR THE
SAME."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the form and proportions of
cannon, in the method of resisting the strains in cannon due to fired gunpowder,
for a method of preventing dangerous waves of pressure in cannon, while at the
same time converting the entire charge into gas within the gun, mechanisms of
breech loading cannon, in loading cannon, in rifling and boring cannon and small
arms, and in the cartridges, wads, and means of lubrication and self cleaning of
cannon, and in the ejecting of empty cartridge-cases from cannon, and in the
making up ignition and combustion of gunpowder pellets, and of the powder
charges of cannon, and in the methods and processes of manufacturing cannon,
jackets for cannon, steel tubes for cannon, and projectiles.
These improvements, which are illustrated by Drawings annexed, are made in
the attempt to produce an ideally, perfect, ballistic weapon of war.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, on Sheet 1, represent a gun constructed according to our

page_text: Invention; Figure 5 on the same Sheet is an elevation on the same scale of n
Woolwich gun (the 38-ton gun) of slightly inferior power to our gun, as shown, and
which will weigh about 6'% tons.
It will be seen that we very greatly alter the form and proportions of cannon
with a view to increasing the velocity of the projectiles fired therefrom, and there-
fore the range, penetration, accuracy and flatness of trajectory of the guns. These
things together form the effective power of the gun for armour piercing and
battering purposes, and that power depends directly upon the amount of powder
converted into gas before the shot leaves the bore, and its proportion to the
sectional area and weight of the shot; therefore the first thing to do is to very
largely augment the feeble charges of powder at present used with all existing
guns in every country in the world. Consequently instead of increasing the length
of the gun in front of the shot to enable a small and feeble charge of slow burning
powder to be converted into gas, as has recently been done, we increase, and very
largely, the length of the gun to the rear of the shot so as to enable the powder
chamber to hold many times more powder than the chambers of any existing guns.
We also double or more than double the usual length of the projectile, using a
projectile of about 5 calibres more or less in length for armour piercing instead of
the short light projectiles of 2%, calibres in length adopted for that purpose at
Woolwich. The length of the gun in front of the projectile we do not alter, that
is to say, many existing guns are as long or even longer in that part, but we
recommend the length of the powder chamber to be increased to the rear to such
an extent that in an armour piercing gun the total volume of that part of the bore
of which the calibre should be increased should equal or even exceed the volume
of the whole of the rest of the bore. In this way an unprecedently high pressure
is maintained on the rear of the projectile up to the time that it leaves the bore.
In guns, of which the now abandoned Woolwich gun is the type, the feeble charge
of powder occupies only about one eighth of the total length of the bore, which
feeble proportion is still further reduced by the recent system of chambering the
guns to introduce "air space" and diminish the pressure to suit the structural
weakness of the gun; consequently, taking the full pressure due to the complete
conversion of gunpowder into gas at 42 tons per square inch, the pressure on the
projectile as it leaves the gun cannot exceed a possible maximum of 5 tons, but
as the grains of "P" powder used for all large Woolwich guns can be seen flying
through the air still blazing, the actual pressure at the muzzle of the gun must be
much less. By filling our unprecedently large powder chamber with quick burning
powder, the whole of which is converted into gas within the gun, we prevent the
pressure inside the gun, at the moment that the projectile leaves it, falling below,
say 25 tons per square inch.
To the unscientific system of igniting the powder in a gun at only one point is
due the fact that the charge cannot be increased beyond the present feeble limits
without bursting the gun, and to the same causo is due the excessive recoil of both
cannon and small arms. The reason is that the powder at the point of ignition is
converted into gas, having a pressure approaching 42 tons per square inch, which
cannot act directly on the projectile because the unconverted portion of the charge
is between the two. The gas in other words which can only find room to expand
by pushing out the projectile can only push it by first pushing the unconverted
powder against it, therefore the effect is to compress that portion of the charge
very severely, and powder, which in its normal condition would occupy one cubic
inch, is compressed into only half a cubic inch or a quarter of a cubic inch or less,
so that the eventual ignition converts it into gas at double or quadruple tho
pressure or more, and a wave of pressure of, say 84, 168, or more tons to the inch
is set up, the exact amount of depression taking place depending on the position of
the point at which the charge is ignited, the length of the charge, the weight of
the projectile, the tightness with which the projectile fits the bore, and some minor
causes; whereas if the entire charge were ignited at the same instant no such wave
of pressure could be set up, and the circumferential pressure would be absolutely

page_text: uniform at all points, in other words, the circumferential tension would be no
greater whether the charge of powder were 1 inch or 100 inches in length.
To accomplish this last essential result, and to be able to construct guns to hold
any desired quantity of powder, we secure the simultaneous ignition, speaking
practically, of the entire charge by the use of a peculiar cartridge, which is seen in
its place in Figure 2, and is represented to a larger scale at Figure 6. The case is
made of metal, by preference bronze or brass, or any other suitable material, such as
prepared non-combustible paper, or of any combination of such materials similar
to existing small arm cartridge cases, but in every case with a firmly attached
metal rear or breech, which may be clastic but must be gas proof, and may be
attached as shown in the Drawing (Figure 6), or in any other effective manner.
Along the whole length of the cartridge-case runs a laterally perforated central tube,
supplied at the rear end with any desired igniting arrangement to secure the
simultaneous (speaking practically) ignition and subsequent complete combustion
within the gun of the whole of the powder in even the longest cartridge. The
projectile may or may not be fixed to the cartridge before loading. The calibre of
the tube should be from 0.1 to 0.25 of the calibre of the gun.
The tube should not be perforated with holes in the portion occupied by the
"ignitor" hereinafter described, and must be thick enough to stand the firing of the
ignitor. The holes should be so placed and proportioned as to assist in the simul-
taneousness of the igniting, that is to say, they should be round and rather farther
apart from edge to edge in the rear portion of the tube, and should become longer
and longer towards the projectile in order to let out the flaine better. Similarly the
cartridge should be filled with different qualities of powder. In the case for instance
of an armour piercing gun the extreme rear of the cartridge should be composed
of "L. G." or even "F. G." powder, the remainder of the part outside the ignitor
where the tube has no holes should be "R. L. G.," which will not burn quite so
fast on the one hand, and will let the flame through its interstices faster on the
other. Then should follow several calibres in length of "P₁," followed by
"R. L. G." and "L. G." or "F. G." nearer the projectile. Or the cartridge may be
fitted up with any other differential qualities of powder which will accomplish
the result above explained. A suitable total length of powder for armour piercing
guns would be 15 calibres, but the chamber should be of a diameter exceeding
that of the projectile by, say, 0·15 or 0-20, in order to get still more powder into
the cartridge.
With this cartridge for large cannon an "ignitor" is used for grent power, being
like a blank cartridge of the construction already described, and of a size to fit
the central tube of the cannon-cartridge, and having in its turn a central per-
forated tube of its own supplied with a powerful "primer," which should always
contain as much fine rifle powder as possible to throw a strong flame along the
tube of the ignitor. In a heavy gun this ignitor may be, say, 10 to 15 of its own
calibres in length, and of a calibre of, say, from 0-10 to 0-20 of the calibre of the
cannon cartridge, and it may be either wholly or partially filled with powder
(either ordinary small arm powder, or "L. G.," or a mixture of the two). The
tube of the ignitor should be slightly shorter than the outside case to admit of the
latter, being securely closed by a substantial wad and the whole be covered with
varnished paper. If the grains of the powder used are smaller than the holes in
the respective central tubes, as will usually be the case, the outside of the tubes
must be covered with very open tulle, gauze, or muslin with all "dressing" washed
out, or worsted work, "canvas
or similar material, or thin paper, and the tubes
must be fixed in the rear of the respective cartridges in such a way that they can
be easily taken out, recovered, and replaced when the cartridges are returned to
the magazine or arsenal to be refilled. The use of the ignitor is two fold-First,
o send an intense and very strong flame as rapidly as possible along the central
ube of the big cartridge, so as to make sure of the practically simultaneous ignition
and the subsequent combustion within the gun of the whole of the powder,
hereby preventing waves of pressure exceeding 42 tons to the inch on the one

page_text: hand, and getting the maximum of useful energy out of it on the other; secondly,
to assist in overcoming or even, if desired, actually to overcome the vis inertia of
the projectile prior to the combustion of the big cartridge, which would then act
on a body either actually started into motion, or whose equilibrium is on the point
of being overcome, so that on the one hand a greater initial velocity would be
imparted to the projectile in the gun by the commencement of the combustion of
the big cartridge, and on the other the strain on the gun would be correspondingly
diminished. In loading, the tube of the cartridge acts as a ramrod for sending
home the projectile, so that one operation is saved as compared with existing
breechloading guns.
The powder is arranged in the big cartridge in any way that will best secure the
practically speaking simultaneous ignition of the whole inner surface next the
perforated central tube, and also the subsequent gradual but accelerating combus-
tion of the entire charge within the gun. The slowest burning pellets may have
other smaller ones, protected by paper or other material. and filled either with
compressed powder, or loose fine grain or R. L. G. powder inside them, and the
quickest part of the charge should be at the rear of the cartridge, as that can only
be reached by the powder of the cartridge burning backwards. These slow pellets
should extend a little way to the rear of the first holes in the central tube. Next
to them rearwards should be placed smaller and quicker pellets; in rear of these
should be a disc of hydraulic-compressed powder to act us a wad, or, if desired, a
thin fibrous wad or piece of paper, and in rear of this, again kept in its place by the
powder disc, or fibrous wad, or piece of paper, should be a charge of, say, from half
a calibre to a calibre in length of "R. L. G." powder, in rear of which again should
be "L. G.," or even "F. G." Immediately in rear of the wad hereinafter described,
at the front of the cartridge, should be a charge of, say, 0·10 to 0.30 of a calibre
in length of "L. G." or "F. G." powder: In rear of this should be a powder disc
as a wad, or a thin fibrous wad, or piece of paper, and the whole space intervening
between the two powder discs may be filled with the larger slow burning pellets
containing the smaller protected pellets of compressed fine grain rifle or R. L. G.
powder; or the large pellets may be made hollow, and the cavity may simply be
filled with fine powder, or they may be built up in succession, as previously
described. The objects of this arrangement are to get a pressure diagram as far as
possible parallel to the axis of the gun. The little charge of fine powder in front
is to flatten out and eject from the cartridge case the wad, making it and the
mould hereinafter mentioned follow up the projectile already started by the ignitor,
and giving time for the conversion of the main charge into gas, and for the slow
burning pellets to develope their increasing pressure, which is intended to drive the
projectile through the rifled part of the bore, when the protected quick-burning
pellets should be timed to ignite, as also the charge of fine powder in rear, when a
maximum pressure would be developed to drive the projectile with accelerating
velocity and with friction diminishing to absence of contact through the enlarged
part of the bore towards the muzzle, hereinafter described. This principle of
cartridge should be followed as far as possible in all guns, even in small arms,
where the diminution of recoil would be as great an advantage as higher muzzle
velocity. The ignitor is not inserted in its place until the cartridge has entered
the gun, or even until it is actually home, its place being occupied by a minature
tampeon or screw plug. The front end of the central tube of the cannon cartridge
should be closed with an elastic wad highly compressed circumferentially, which on
being driven out will expand and fill up the hole in the centre of the main wad
through which the end of the tube is brought; thus the central tube being closed
at both ends may be varnished, and made thoroughly water tight, and a tight
fitting waterproof cover should be placed on the open end of the cartridge, the
junction being also covered and varnished.
These cartridges are completely waterproof, so that in exposed situations they
can be stored under water, from which they need only be removed when actually
required for use in the gun.

page_text: By our breech system the rear of the barrel is closed and secured against the
discharge of the gun by a swinging breech block of a very novel construction,
hinged by a double T piece from a projection in rear of the gun, and forming a
portion of a circle. It may be made to swing either upwards, downwards, or
sideways, as may be preferred, and either with or without balanco weight. Wo
recommend the side action, and with no balance weight. This system is shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, of the accompanying Drawings.
The breech block may be locked in its place when home by a screw or lever, but
the best and simplest arrangement is a steel wedge dropped into a hole in the
prolongation of the breech block beyond the gun, and driven out and in by a mallet
or hammer. It should be attached to the gun by a chain. The front face of the
breech block should be square in section, and the rear face semi-circular.
This system, which we call the "Hope" breech loading system, is equally
adapted for both small and large guns, but in small guns the breech block or bolt
should be pivotted below, and in large guns above the bore. In order that the
open slot in rear of the breech block may be above the bore in small guns, and
below it in large guns for facility in loading, as in all guns loaded by hand it is
easier to drop the charge into the slot from above while in large guns loaded by
mechanism it is easier to raise the charge into the slot from below, an arrangement
which will also keep the men more under cover.
An improved "ejector" is used to eject the empty cartridge caso from the
chamber of the gun after it has been fired, and this is actuated by the breech block
when the latter is opened. Two are recommended, one at the top and the other at
the bottom of the cartridge. Their construction will be understood by a reference
to the accompanying Drawings, Figure 2. They consist of two arms, one a long
arm reaching in front of the rim of the cartridge case, and the other a short arın
projecting into a slot or groove in the breech block, and they are pivotted in the
gun at the junction of the arins. Slots or grooves are cut in the breech block, so
that it may be swung a certain distance without interfering with the short arms
of the ejectors, and then the ends of the slots (which are cut at such an angle to
the radius of their circles that their rear parts or heels shall first strike the points
of the projecting short arms of the ejectors, whose faces are cut at angles similar to
those of the ends of the slots, only reversed) strike a sharp accelerating blow on the
short arms of the ejectors, which jerk out the cartridge case.
The cartridge case and the interior of the gun where the cartridge lies are
both very slightly tapered to facilitate the withdrawal of the fuse after firing.
Suitable means are provided in the case of heavy guns mounted in confined
spaces, as in turrets on board ship, for elevating the charge to the breech, such as a
hydraulic piston or lift," and any such lift must have on its top a narrow
elongated platform of the breadth of the calibre of the cartridge case, with pivot
adjustment to follow the angle of elevation or depression of the gun (so that this
latter may not require alteration for loading), with trucks on wheels running on
rails to receive the ammunition and run it forward, the breach block itself in some
cases finally pressing it home, and a big gun, especially on board ship, is recom-
mended to be mounted with the breech slot underneath so as to allow the charge
to be brought right up to the breech from below, and for twin guns in ships'
turrets or similar confined spaces one should be constructed to swing the breach to
the right and the other to the left, so that they may be placed as close together as
the carriages will allow. Between the rails at a lower level may be for very big
guns a hydraulic rammer, which rises when the cartridge has been run forward as
far as the trucks will permit, when these latter and their rails sink. The rammer
then pushes the cartridge home, but this would only be required in the case of very
large guns.
The gun is fired through a vent cut in the breech block in the axis of the gun,
and therefore in no case can the gun be fired until the breech block is home.
Ignition may be effected by the ordinary friction tube, and the lanyard being
passed over or under the side of the slot in the gun in rear of the breech block the

page_text: pull will always be at right angles, and the tube will never be jerked out, or the
gun may be fired by electricity.
In heavy guns the means that are in ordinary use are retained for the purpose
of elevating, depressing, and "trailing" the gun, and by means of either hydraulic
buffers or steel coil springs, the recoil is used for "running up "the gun again at
once into its original position (in which it is loaded) on any of the existing systems
or their modifications.
In all classes of cannon it is recommended that the rifling should commence at
the end of the cartridge case, that is, at the rear of the cylindrical part of the
projectile, but that the rear end of the rifling should be so reduced as to allow
the projectile to enter as a close but not tight fit, the "lands" rising to their full
height by a very gentle gradient; and it is recommended that in both cannon and
small arms the rifling should cease by a similarly gentle gradient commencing at a
distance of, say, about 6 to 9 times the length of that part of the projectile which
takes the rifling, and that thereafter the gun should either be a smooth bore, or, if
preferred, the rifling may be continued, but of an increased calibre. The object of
this is to increase the muzzle velocity by reducing the friction of the projectile
against the gun either absolutely or almost to absence of contact, and yet still to
confine the powder gas by the expanding wad, so that it will still be driving
forward the projectile; and in the case of heavy guns it is intended that the
retarded combustion of the protected small pellets or loose powder inside the larger
ones if either of these are used, and of the "L. G." or "F. G" powder in rear
should take place when or just before the enlarged bore is reached by the projectile,
and thus should still further accelerate the velocity of the projectile in its passage
through this larger part of the bore, so that a muzzle velocity may he gradually
acquired so high as hitherto to have been unattained by the service projectiles
of any nation, and yet that the-soldiers. or sailors working the guns shall have
no trouble in the matter, the whole of the arrangements being carried-out-at-leisure
in the arsenal.
The kind of rifling recommended is polygroove of uniform twist, and the mode
recommended of making the projectile take the rifling is the well known Vavasseur
system of introducing two copper or other soft metal rings of suitable thickness,
and as far apart as the form of the projectile will permit of, that is, at the front
and rear of the cylindrical part. In front of these rings may be placed hardened
grease properly protected by a stocking or bands of silk cotton or other cloth.
Instead of rings of soft metal for taking the rifling, rather broader rings of
compressed papier mâché may be substituted, as being less severe on the gun.
With a view to diminish the strain on the carriage by distributing the recoil
over a larger surface, we make the trunnions the full size of the gun, less only the
small shoulder necessary to ensure free elevation and depression of the gun; but
in order to lighten the gun the trunnions should be bored out. In order to
prevent any tendency in the gun to jump, and also to transmit the recoil more
smoothly, we place the trunnion holes, as indicated in Figure 1, at an angle, say,
of 40°, rising to the rear instead of horizontal, as is usually done.
For field pieces, where extreme velocity is not required, we may reduce the
length of the cartridge by one half or even three quarters of that which the
Drawing represents. At the same time we should reduce the projectile by forming
it with an hemispherical in place of a conoidal rear.
The form of projectile recommended for armour piercing or siege battering is a
Palliser ogival-headed cylinder with a diminishing conoidal tail resembling Sir
Isaac Newton's and Piobert's forms of least resistance, the whole about 5 calibres
in length, propelled by cartridges containing as much as 15 calibres of powder or
more, such a projectile is represented in section at Figure 7. This projectile is
intended to fit into the cartridge case or to receive the cartridge case over it as
far or nearly so as the rearmost Vavasseur ring, the gun being slightly chambered
for that purpose.

page_text: A good proportion of projectile is, length of head 1'/, calibres, length of cylindrical
body 2 calibres, and length of canoidal tail 13%, calibres.
To receive the tail of these projectiles there will be fitted into the cartridge case
n papier mâché mould, through which either the end of the central tube or of the
projectile is carried (by preference the latter) to enable the powder in the ignitor
to deliver a blow directly upon the rear of the projectile, and this mould may
usefully be divided longitudinally into, say, four equal sections, to prevent adherence
to the shot on leaving the gun.
In rear of this mould is a wad of papier mâché, leather, or felt, of say a quarter
of a calibre thick, and the opposing surfaces of the mould and the wad while
touching towards the centre are hollowed out towards the gun, or the wad may bo
dished as in the Drawing to receive a large quantity of grease, so that on the gun
being fired and the wad being propelled against the mould the grease squeezed
out and the wad thus effectually lubricates and cleans the gun.
The edges of the wad may also be usefully roughened, as in wads for sporting
smooth-bore guns. Similar arrangements are made for all smaller guns. The wad
should be slightly "dished" and of a diameter slightly greater than that of the
interior of the cartridge case, the convex side towards the projectile, the concave
side towards the powder. It will be seen that the mould and the wad, the latter
being of a calibre rather larger than that of the cartridge and also larger than the
calibre of the grooves of the gun, form when assisted by the grease an absolutely
gas tight obstruction, and are very superior to any metal "gas check."
All siege or armour piercing guns are recommended to be not less than 40 cabibres
in total length to allow for burning such long cartridges (see Figure 6), and this we
term the "Hope" gun. If slightly chambered the gun should be not less than
41 calibres in length, but where space permits two or three calibres might be
usefully added on to the muzzle beyond these limits.
The interior diameter or calibre of the cartridge must not largely exceed that of.
the grooves of the gun for "chambering" a gun in order mysteriously to impart a
very high velocity to its projectile is one of the many fallacies of modern gunnery.
It is the column of gas directly in rear of the projectile that chiefly gives it this
excessive velocity. For a long slow sustained push a large chamber to hold a large
reserve of gas would be an advantage, but where the motion sought to be imparted
is so sudden and violent no advantage is gained by increasing the chamber beyond
a very moderate limit, and no effect at all is obtained unless the additional area be
filled with powder. The increased effect obtained by cbambering the muzzle-
loading Woolwich and Armstrong guns is due to more perfect ignition and
combustion which we secure with greater certainty and uniformity.
The "Hope" gun as drawn to scale with the particular size of cartridge and
pattern of projectile shown will develope an energy of not less than 342 ft. tons per
inch of circumference of projectile, consequently it is slightly superior in effect to
the Woolwich gun of 38 tons drawn to the same scale, which with the maximum
charge laid down in the Manual of Artillery Exercise sanctioned by His Royal
Highness the Field Marshal Commanding in Chief on the 1st September 1879,
namely, 160 lbs. of powder and a projectile with gas check of 818 lbs. only
develops an energy of 311 foot tons per inch of circumference of projectiles.
The real energy of the "Hope" will be superior to that now given, but there are
no data yet in existence to enable a more exact calculation to be given.
For firing at troops it is recommended to go back to the principle of construction
of the canister shell invented and made by Lt. Col. Hope in 1856, deposited by
him and still now or recently in the model room of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,
and which slightly altered in detail of construction though not in principle was
introduced into Her Majesty's Service in 1868 and termed the "Boxer Shrapnel."
In substitution for the wooden head of the service shell, which is too light
for accuracy, and containing nothing but solid wood is therefore not effective
against an enemy, it is proposed to revert to Col. Hope's iron hend, either of the

page_text: original conoidal or of a hemispherical or ogival form, & the head should be
attached either by the original screw attachment or some modification of it. The
rear may be either flat, hemispherical, or with a diminishing conoidal tail, as
preferred. For the original felt wad or division may be substituted a metallic or
other rigid wad perforated with as many holes as possible to let through the gas
from the bursting charge into the head of the shell; between this rigid wad and
the bullets should be a soft elastic wad, and a similar soft ring-wad should be on
the other side of the rigid wad between it and the shoulder of the powder chamber.
The bullets should have no resin or other matters run in among them, as the
powder gas should be encouraged to enter and assist in "spattering" the bullets all
over the object aimed at, an effect which is partially counteracted by any cohesive
substance which tends to make them after bursting continue to gyrate round the
prolongation in parabola of the former axis of the shell, as in the case of "segments"
out of a "segment" shell. Or a concussion fuze, an inverted Pettman G. S. of the
service, may be inserted in the powder chamber. in rear, covered and protected by a
screw plug with a conoidal or mushroom shaped head forming the pointed tail-of the
projectile, and the whole of the head of the shell may be filled with bullets. This
shell would of course require to be burst on graze. The two parts would be
separated by the same partition and screwed together as before.
This arrangement of fuze and screw plug, only substituting a delayed action fuze,
would be the best for common shell, especially for battering earthworks or buildings,
as also for petroleum or other incendiary shells. But the Shrapnell or canister
shell may be varied in construction as follows:-The shell may be cast in one picco
with a partition, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9, and after the bullets are introduced
into the bullet chamber a wooden plug may be driven or a metal plug may be
screwed into the aperture communicating between the two. This plug however of
whatover substance it is made should-have as large a hole as practicable through
its centre to admit of the shattering action of the powder. The bursting-chargo.
should be put in a bag.
The armour-piercing projectiles if of large calibre should be cast point downwards
and rotated of one of the metals, and in the manner described in our previous
Specification. They can be tempered if desired by being plunged into cold water
or oil, either before they are cold or after they have been releated, experiment
determining the most suitable temperature.
In the case of armour-piercing shells we force the bursting charge into the shell
under heavy pressure. We employ gunpowder in a slightly moistened state. The
moisture is then afterwards expelled by drying in a heated chamber. Small holes
may be bored in the charge to facilitate the escape of the moisture, or one larger
central hole may be made or left.
In the case of heavy guns in a ship's turret or in a casemate on the opening of
the breech-block after firing, a jet of very highly compressed air should be
instantaneously fired through the gun to drive out the smoke, and this may be
followed if desired by a jet of water, or the latter may be used alone. The
required reservoirs may be stowed in the angle or curve between the wall and
roof of the turret or casemate, and their hoses should be sufficiently long and
flexible to allow for acting easily in any possible position of the gun.
A novel metallurgical process is provided by our previous Specification for
making whole guns, or the jackets of guns, gun tubes, and projectiles of iron, steel,
"chrome steel," or any other metal or alloy that may be selected, by which, on the
liquid metal being run out of the furnace, the casting, of whatever size, retains all
the natural malleability of the metal, whether much or little, and if a still greater
density and strength are desired the metal is compressed by being rotated at a
bigh velocity and slowly cooled down to the solidifying point from the circum-
ference, and then, in the case of guns (which may be cast hollow), the metal may
be further cooled down to the temperature of the atmosphere froin the centre. In
this latter part of the process two well known forces of nature-centrifugal force

page_text: and reduction of temperature are thus made use of, and aro made to work at first
together in the same direction, namely, towards the outside, and thus a sound
casting of any size is obtained with scientific certainty and precision, entirely
freo froin slag, flaws, blow-holes, and other imperfections, and the atoms or
molecules of the metal are arranged by centrifugal force whilo liquid, and under
that immense pressure are then fixed successively inwards in their proper places
and made rigid by the gradual abstraction of caloric from the circumference, and
aro afterwards drawn in and further condensed by the abstraction of caloric from
the centre, and the result is the production of a circular wall of metal of an
amorphous character whose molecules are all in a state of chemical union, as in a
"cast" gun, and yet are arranged in a circular manner, as in the "fibre" of a
wrought iron coiled gun, and the metal is also of differential densities and strengths
proportioned or approximately so to the differential strains to which ignition of
gunpowder in their chambers subjects homogeneous and elastic guns, and to which
impact subjects projectiles. In all cases however where the casting is rotated it is
recommended to have both a "core" and a sufficient shrinking head, but it will
be unnecessary to form a solid core, as this will be effected by centrifugal force.
A rigid incompressible cylinder, as, for instance, a cast iron gun made of hot
blast iron containing a quantity of silicon bursts from the centre outwards, because
the exterior cannot be brought into play before the interior gives, and then the
fissures thus formed in the interior rapidly extend to the exterior until the gun
flies into a thousand pieces. An elastic cylinder bursts on the other hand in just
the opposite way. It all expands, consequently the greatest strain, when the gun
bursts, is placed upon the outside layer of metal, because it is of the largest
diameter. This gives first, and the fissures, or rather tears thus formed, extend
inwards. All modern built up guns, of which the "Woolwich" and Armstrong
guns are the worst and most exaggerated types, are built on the same faulty
principle, which ignores the above fact. Their successive layers of metal, variously
termed coils, rings, or bands, are subjected to the commencement of a bursting
strain when "shrunk" into their places, and consequently as each successive ring
gets larger and larger so it is ipso facto weaker and weaker. This evil is still
further aggravated in the Woolwich and Armstrong guns by selecting a metal,
wrought iron, for the exterior coils of only half the strength of the interior metal,
steel, in deliberate defiance of the laws of nature and the teaching of science.
The authors of this system boast, and with truth, that they thereby "equalize the
tension" throughout the wall of the gun. They do in fact accomplish this to a
great extent, and consequently they succeed in bursting guns of maximum thickness
with minimum charges of powder. Our object is the exact reverse, and instead of
secking to carry the tension through to the outside of the wall of our gun, we seek
to absorb the strain and dissipate it in its transmission from the inside to the
outside, so that if possible the outside layer of metal may feel nothing at all.
This result we effect by rotating our liquid gun, and this result may be still
further increased if the rotated casting is surrounded on the outside by steel wiro,
and lined in the inside by a tube. In this case the rotated gun should be of a
quality of steel showing a normal tensile strength of 50 to 60 tons to the square
inch; the outside wire should have a strength of, say, 80 tons, or even more, and
the tube a strength of not more than 35 tons with a very high elastic limit. The
tube may either fit tight, or inserted from the rear and slightly tapered in front of
the powder chamber it may fit tight in the rifled part of the bore, and have a clear
space all round the outside of the powder chamber, fitting tight again outside the
solid portion of the rear of the cartridge, and being confined in its position by a
coarse thread at that point. Then if the tube at the powder chamber is made of
a thickness of not less than 1/ of a calibre, it will oppose so great a resistance to
the powder that the main force of the powder will be absorbed in expanding it,
and the gun proper will have comparatively little to do, and by the time that the
exterior of the tube reaches the interior of the gun, the projectile will be nearly

page_text: out of the gun, and after the discharge the tubo, if properly tempered, will return
like a spring to its original dimensions. The empty space round the tube should
be very small, only equal to an expansion of the latter not exceeding, sny, 5 per
cent. A gun made of elastic metal is exposed to two different strains, compression
of the internal layers of metal radially outwards, and circumferential expansion.
It will be seen that the above construction will specially resist these two strains,
the latter of which is the bursting strain proper.
The above are the systems of gunnery, gun making, and guns, which we recom-
mend as a whole for the purpose of producing our ideally perfect ballistic weapon
of war, and we believe that they cannot be much improved upon, but it is obvious
that many parts of them may be used separately, and worked in with other
systems if desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and
of an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said William Hope and
Roswell Sabine Riploy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th October
1881.
Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM HOPE, V.C., of the Army and Navy Club, Pall
Mall, in the County of Middlesex, and ROSWELL SABINE RIPLEY, of the Westminster
Palace Hotel, in the County of Middlesex, late Major General in the Service of the
Confederate States, and formerly Major in the United States Artillery. " IMPROVE-
MENTS RELATING TO ORDNANCE AND FIRE ARMS, AND AMMUNITION FOR THE
SAME."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the form and proportions of
cannon, in the method of resisting the strains in cannon due to fired gunpowder, for
a method of preventing dangerous waves of pressure in cannon, whilst at the same
time converting the entire charge into gas within the gun mechanisms of breech
loading cannon, in loading cannon, in rifling and boring cannon and small arms,
and in the cartridges, wads, and means of lubrication and self cleaning of cannon,
and in the ejecting of empty cartridge cases from cannon; and in the making up,
ignition, and combustion of gunpowder pellets, and of the powder charges of cannon,
and in the methods and processes of manufacturing cannon jackets for cannon
tubes for cannon and projectiles.
These improvements, which are illustrated by Drawings annexed, are made in
the attempt to produce an ideally perfect ballistic weapon of war.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, on Sheet 1, represent a gun constructed according to our
Invention and weighing about 61% tons; Figure 5 on the same Sheet is an elevation
on the same scale of a Woolwich gun (the 38 ton gun) of slightly inferior power to
our gun, as shown.
It will be seen that we very greatly alter the form and proportions of cannon
with a view to increasing the velocity of the projectiles fired therefrom, and
therefore the range, penetration, accuracy, and flatness of trajectory of the guns.
These things together form the effective power of the gun for armour piercing and
battering purposes, and that power depends directly upon the amount of powder
converted into gas before the shot leaves the bore, and its proportion to the sectional
area and weight of the shot. Therefore the first thing to do is to very largely
augment the feeble charges of powder at present used, with all existing guns in
every country in the world. Consequently instead of increasing the length of the
gun in front of the shot to enable a small and feeble charge of slow burning powder
to be converted into gas as has recently been done, wo increase, and very largely,
the length of the gun to the rear of the shot, so as to enable the powder chamber
to hold many times more powder than the chambers of any existing guns. We also
double or more than double the usual length of the projectile, using a projectile of
about 5 calibres, more or less, in length for armour piercing, instead of the short
light projectiles of 2 calibres in length adopted for that purpose at Woolwich.
The length of the gun in front of the projectile we do not alter, that is to say,
many existing guns are as long or even longer in that part. But we recommend
the length of the powder chamber to be increased to the rear to such an extent
that in an armour piercing gun the total volume of that part of the bore (of which
the calibre should be increased) should nearly equal or even exceed the volume of
the whole of the rest of the bore. In this way an unprecedently high pressure is
maintained on the rear of the projectile up to the time that it leaves the bore.
In guns of which the now abandoned "Woolwich" gun is the type, the feeble
charge of powder occupies only about one eighth of the total length of the bore,

page_text: which feeble proportion is still further reduced by the recent system of chambering
the guns, to introduce "air space" and diminish the pressure to suit the structural
weakness of the gun. Consequently taking the full pressure due to the complete
conversion of gunpowder into gas at 42 tons per square inch, the pressure on tho
projectile as it leaves the gun cannot exceed a possible maximum of 5 tons. But
as the grains of "P2" powder used for all large Woolwich guns can be seen flying
through the air still blazing, the actual pressure at the muzzle of the gun must be
much less. By filling our unprecedently large powder chamber with quick burning
powder, the whole of which is converted into gas within the gun, we prevent the
pressure inside the gun at the moment that the projectile leaves it falling below,
say, 15 to 25 tons per square inch.
To the unscientific system of igniting the powder in a gun at only one point is
due the fact that the charge cannot be increased beyond the present feeble limits
without bursting the gun, and to the same cause is due the excessive recoil of both
cannon and small arms. The reason is that the powder.at the point of ignition is
converted into gas having a pressure approaching 42 tons per square inch which
cannot act directly on the projectile because the unconverted portion of the charge
is between the two. The gas, in other words, which can only find room to expand
by pushing out the projectile, can only push it by first pushing the unconverted
powder against it. Therefore the effect is to compress that portion of the charge
very severely, and powder which in its normal condition would occupy one cubic
inch is compressed into only half a cubic inch or a quarter of a cubic inch or less,
so that the eventual ignition converts it into gas at double or quadruple the pressure
or more, and a wave of pressure of, say, 84-168 or more tons to the inch is set up,
the exact amount of compression taking place depending on the position of the
point at which the charge is ignited, the length of the charge, the weight of the
projectile, the tightness with which the projectile fits the bore, and some minor
causes. Whereas if the entire charge were ignited at the samo instant no such
wave of pressure could be set up, and the circumferential pressure would be
absolutely uniform at all points; in other words, the circumferential tension would
bo no greater whether the charge of powder were 1 inch or 100 inches in length.
To accomplish this last essential result, and to be able to construct guns to hold
any desired quantity of powder, we secure the simultaneous ignition, speaking
practically, of the entire charge by the use of a peculiar cartridge, which is seen in
its place in Figure 2, and is represented to a larger scale at Figure 6. The case is
made of metal, by preference bronze or brass or any other suitable material, such
as prepared non-combustible paper or of any combination of such materials similar
to existing small arm cartridge cases, but in every case with a firmly attached
metal rear or breech, which may be elastic but must be gas proof, and may be
attached as shewn in the Drawing (Figure 6), or in any other effective manner.
Along the whole length of the cartridge case runs a perforated central tube a,
supplied at the rear end with a suitable igniting arrangement to secure the uniform
ignition and subsequent complete combustion within the gun of the whole of the
powder in even the longest cartridge. The projectile may or may not be fixed to
the cartridge before loading. The calibre of the tube should be from 0.1 to 0-25 of
the calibre of the gun.
The tube, which may be screwed into the metal base of the cartridgo case, should
not be perforated with holes in the portion a occupied by the "igniter " herein-
after described, and its rear end, that is to say, the unperforated portion, must be of
sufficient thickness and strength to stand the firing of the igniter. The holes
should be so placed and proportioned as to assist in the simultaneousness of the
ignition, that is to say, they should be round and rather farther apart from edge to
edge in the rear portion of the tube, and should become longer and longer towards
the projectile in order to let out the flame better. Similarly the cartridge should
be filled with different qualities of powder. In the case, for instance, of a large
armour piercing gun, the extreme rear of the cartridge should be composed of
L. G." or even "F. G." powder, the remainder of the part outside the igniter
GE

page_text: 15
where the tube has no holes should be "R. L. G.," which will not burn quite so
fast on the one hand, and will let the flame through its interstices faster on the
other;
then should follow several calibres in length of "P. 1." followed by
R. L. G." and "L. G." or "F. G.," nearer the projectile. Or the cartridge may
be fitted up with any other differential qualities of powder which will accomplish
the result above explained. A suitable total length of powder for armour piercing
guns would be 15 calibres, but the chamber would be of a diameter exceeding that
of the projectile by, say, 0·15 or 0.20, in order to get still more powder into the
cartridge.
With this cartridge for large cannon an igniter is used of great power, boing
like a blank cartridge of the construction already described, and of a size to fit the
central tube of the cannon cartridge, and having in its turn a central perforated
tube of its own supplied with a powerful "primer," which should always contain as
much mealed or fine rifle powder as possible to throw a strong flame along the
tube of the igniter. In a heavy gun this igniter may be, say, 10 to 15 of its own
calibres in length, and of a calibre of, say, from 0-10 to 0.20 of the calibre of the
cannon cartridge, and it may be either wholly or partially filled with powder
(either ordinary sinall arm powder or "L. G.," or a mixture of the two). The tube
of the igniter should be slightly shorter than the outside case, to admit of the latter
being securely closed by a substantial wad, and the whole should be covered with
varnished paper. If the grains of the powder used are smaller than the holes in
the respective central tubes, as will usually be the case, the outside of the tubes
must be covered with very open tulle, gauze, or muslin with all "dressing" washed
out, or worsted work, "canvas," or similar material or thin paper, and the tubes
must be fixed in the rear of the respective cartridges in such a way that they can
be easily taken out, recovered, and replaced when the cartridges are returned to
the magazine or arsenal to be refilled. The use of the igniter is two fold. First,
to send an intense and very strong flame as rapidly as possible along the central
tubo of the big cartridge, so as to make sure of the uniform ignition and the
subsequent complete combustion within the gun of the whole of the powder,
thereby preventing waves of pressure exceeding 42 tons to the inch on the one
hand, and getting the maximum of useful energy out of it on the other. Secondly,
to assist in overcoming or even if desired actually to overcome the inertia of the
projectile prior to the combustion of the big cartridge, which would then act on a
body either actually started into motion or whose equilibrium is on the point of
being overcome, so that on the one hand a greater initial velocity would be
imparted to the projectile in the gun by the commencement of the combustion of
the big cartridge, and on the other the strain on the gun would be correspondingly
diminished. In loading the tube of the cartridge acts as a ramrod for sending
home the projectile, so that one operation is saved as compared with existing breech
loading guns.
The powder is arranged in the big cartridge in any way that will best secure the,
practically speaking, simultaneous ignition of the whole inner surface next the
perforated central tube, and also the subsequent gradual but accelerating com-
bustion of the entire charge within the gun. The slowest burning pellets may
have other smaller ones protected by paper or other material, and filled either with
compressed powder or loose fine grain or R. L. G. powder inside them, and the
quickest part of the charge should be at the rear of the cartridge, as that can only
be reached by the powder of the cartridge burning backwards. These slow pellets
should extend a little way to the rear of the first holes in the central tube, next to
them rearwards should be placed smaller and quicker pellets; in rear of these should
be a disc of hydraulic compressed powder to act as a wad, or, if desired, a thin
fibrous wad or piece of paper, and in rear of this again kept in its place by the
powder disc or fibrous wad or piece of paper should be a charge of, say, from half a
calibre to a calibre in length of "R. L. G." powder, in rear of which again should
be "L. G." or even "F. G."
Immediately in rear of the wad hereinafter described at the front of the

page_text: cartridge should be a charge of 0.10 to 0-30 of a calibre in length of "L. G." or
"F. G." powder. In rear of this should be a powder disc as a wad, or a thin
fibrous wad or piece of paper, and the whole space intervening between the two
powder discs may be filled with the larger slow burning pellets containing the
smaller protected pellets of compressed fine grain rifle or R. L. G. powder, or the
large pellets may be made hollow and the cavity may simply be filled with fine
powder, or they may be built up in succession, as previously described.
The objects of this arrangement are to get a pressure diagram as far as possible
parallel to the axis of the gun. The little charge of fine powder in front is to
flatten out and eject from the cartridge case the wad, making it and the mould
hereinafter mentioned follow up the projectile already started by the igniter, and
giving time for the conversion of the main charge into gas and for the slow
burning pellets to develope their increasing pressure, which is intended to drive the
projectile through, the rifled part of the bore, when the protected quick burning
pellets should be timed to ignite, as also the charge of fine powder in rear, when a
maximum pressure would be developed to drive the projectile with accelerating
velocity and with friction diminishing to absence of contact through the enlarged
part of the bore towards the muzzle hereinafter described. This principle of
cartridge should be followed as far as possible in all guns, even in small arms,
where the diminution of recoil would be as great an advantage as higher muzzle
velocity. The igniter is not inserted in its place until the cartridge has entered
the gun, or even until it is actually home, its place being occupied by a minature
tampeon or screw plug. The front end of the central tube of the cannon cartridge
should be closed with an elastic wad highly compressed circumferentially, which
on being driven out will expand and fill up the bole in the centre of the main wad,
through which the end of the tube is brought. Thus the central tube being closed
at both ends may be varnished and made thoroughly water tight, and a tight fitting
water proof cover should be placed on the open end of the cartridge, the junction
being also covered and varnished.
These cartridges are completely waterproof, so that in exposed situations they can
be stored under water, from which they need only be removed when actually
required for use in the gun.
By our breech system the rear of the barrel is closed and secured against the
discharge of the gun by a swinging breech block b hinged by a double T piece c
from a projection d in rear of the gun, and forming a portion of the circle but in.
different planes. It may be made to swing either upwards, downwards, or side-
ways, as may be preferred, and either with or without a balance weight. We
recommend the side action, and with no balance weight. This system is shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
The breech block bis locked in its place when home by a screw or lever, but
the best and simplest arrangement is a steel wedge dropped into a hole in the
prolongation of the breech block beyond the gun or through the side wall of the
gun, and driven out and in by a mallet or hammer. It should be attached to the
gun by a chain. The front face of the breech block should be rectangular in section,
and the rear face semi-circular.
This system which we call the "Hope" breech loading system is equally adapted
for both small and large guns, but in small guns the breech block or bolt should
be pivoted below, and in large guns above the bore; in order that the open slot in
rear of the breech block may be above the bore in small guns and below it in large
guns, for facility in loading, as in all small guns loaded by hand it is easier to
drop the charge into the slot from above, while in large guns, whether loaded
by hand or by mechanism, it is easier to raise the charge into the slot from below,
an arrangement which will also keep the men more under cover.
An improved "ejector" is used to eject the empty cartridge case from the
chamber of the gun after it has been fired, and this is actuated by the breech
block when the latter is opened. Two are recommended, one at the top and the
other at the bottom of the cartridge. Their construction will be understood by a

page_text: reference to the accompanying Drawings, Figure 2. They consist of two arms, one
a long arm reaching in front of the rim of the cartridge case, and the other a short
arm projecting into a slot or groove in the breech block, and they are pivotted in
the gun at the junction of the arms; slots or grooves are cut in the breech block,
so that it may be swung a certain distance without interfering with the short arms
of the ejectors, and then the ends of the slots (which are cut at such an angle to
the radius of their circles that their rear parts or heels shall first strike the points
of the projecting short arms of the ejectors whose faces are cut at angles similar
to those of the ends of the slots only reversed) strike a sharp accelerating blow on
the short arms of the ejectors which jerk out the cartridge case.
The cartridge case and the interior of the gun where the cartridge lies are both
very slightly tapered to facilitate the withdrawal of the empty case after firing.
Suitable means are provided in the case of heavy guns mounted in confined
spaces as in turrets on board ship for elevating the charge to the breech, such as a
hydraulic piston or "lift," and any such lift must have on its top a narrow
elongated platform of the breadth of the calibre of the cartridge case with pivot
adjustment to follow the angle of elevation or depression of the gun (so that this
latter may not require alteration for loading) with trucks on wheels running on
rails to receive the ammunition and run it forward, the breech block itself in some
cases finally pressing it home, and a big gun, especially on board ship, is recom-
mended to be mounted with the breech slot underneath so as to allow the charge
to be brought right up to the breech from below, and for twin guns in ship's
turrets or similar confined spaces one should be constructed to swing the breech to
the right and the other to the left, so that they may be placed as close together as
the carriages will allow. Between the rails at a lower level may be for very big
guns a hydraulic rammer which rises when the cartridge has been run forward as
far as the trucks will permit when these latter and their rails sink. The rammer
then pushes the cartridge home; but this would only be required in the case of
very large guns.
The gun is fired through a vent cut in the breech block in the axis of the gun,
and therefore in no case can the gun be fired until the breech block is home.
Ignition may be effected by the ordinary friction tube, and the lanyard being
passed over or under the side of the slot in the gun in rear of the breech block,
the pull will always be at right angles, and the tube will never be jerked out, or
the gun may be fired by electricity.
In heavy guns the means that are in ordinary use are retained for the purpose
of elevating, depressing, and "trailing" the gun, and by means of either hydraulic
buffers or steel coil springs the recoil is used for "running up" the gun again at
once into its original position (in which it is loaded) on any of the existing systems
or their modifications.
In all classes of cannon it is recommended that the rifling should commence at
the end of the cartridge case that is at the rear of the cylindrical part of the
projectile, but that the rear end of the rifling should be so reduced as to allow the
projectile to enter as a close, but not tight fit, "the lands" rising to their full
height by a very gentle gradient, and it is recommended that in both cannon and
small arms the rifling should cease by a similarly gentle gradient commencing at a
distance of, say, about 6 to 9 times the length of that part of the projectile which
takes the rifling, and that thereafter the gun should either be a smooth bore, or, if
preferred, the rifling may be continued, but of an increased calibre. The object of
this is to increase the muzzle velocity by reducing the friction of the projectile
against the gun either absolutely or almost to absence of contact, and yet still to
confine the powder gas by the expanding wad, so that it will still be driving
forward the projectile, and in the case of heavy guns it is intended that the
retarded combustion of the protected small pellets or loose powder inside the larger
ones, if either of these are used, and of the "L. G." or "F. G." powder in rear
should take place when or just before the enlarged bore is reached by the projectile,
and thus should still further accelerate the velocity of the projectile in its passage

page_text: through this larger part of the bore, so that a muzzle velocity may be gradually
acquired so high as hitherto to have been unattained by the service projectiles of
any nation, and yet that the soldiers or sailors working the guns shall have no
trouble in the matter, the whole of the arrangements being carried out at leisure in
the arsenal.
The kind of rifling recommended is polygroove of uniform twist, and the mode
recommended of making the projectile take the rifling is the well known
Vavasseur system of introducing two copper or other soft inetal rings of suitablo
thickness, and as far apart as the form of the projectile will permit of, that is,
at the front and rear of the cylindrical part. In front of these rings may be 1
placed hardened grease properly protected by a stocking or bands of silk, cotton, or
other cloth. Instead of rings of soft metal for taking the rifling rather broader
rings of compressed papier maché may be substituted as being less severe on the
gun
With a view to diminish the strain on the carriage by distributing the recoil 1
over a larger surface we make the trunnions the full size of the gun, less only the
small shoulder necessary to ensure free elevation and depression of the gun; but
in order to lighten the gun the trunnions should be bored out. In order to prevent
any tendency in the gun to jump and also to transmit the recoil more smoothly,
we place the trunnion holes, as indicated in Figuro 1, at an angle, say, of 40°,
rising to the rear instead of horizontal as is usually done.
For field pieces where extreme velocity is not required, we may reduce the
length of the cartridge by one half or even three quarters of that which the
Drawing represents. At the same time we should reduce the projectile by forming
it with an hemispherical in place of a conoidal rear.
The form of projectile recommended for armour piercing or siege battering is a
Palliser ogival headed cylinder, with a diminishing conoidal tail resembling
Sir Isaac Newton's and Piobert's forms of least resistance, the whole about 5
calibres in length, propelled by cartridges containing as much as 15 calibres of
powder or more; such a projectile is represented in section at Figure 7. This
projectile is intended to fit into the cartridge case or to receive the cartridge
case over it as far, or nearly so, as the rearmost Vavasseur ring, the gun being
slightly chambered for that purpose.
A good proportion of projectile is, length of head 1 calibres, length of
cylindrical body 2 calibres, and length of conoidal tail 13%, calibres.
To receive the tail of these projectiles there will be fitted into the cartridge case
a papier mâché mould, through which either the end of the central tube or of the
projectile is carried (by preference the latter), to enable the powder in the ignitor
to deliver a blow directly upon the rear of projectile, and this mould may usefully
be divided longitudinally into, say, four equal sections to prevent adherence to the
shot on leaving the gun.
In rear of this mould is a wad of papier mâché, leather, or felt of, say, a quarter
of a calibro thick, and the opposing surfaces of the mould and the wad while
touching toward the centre are hollowed out towards the gun, or the wad may be
dished, as in the Drawing, to receivo a large quantity of grease, so that on the gun
being fired and the wad being propelled against the mould the grease is squeezed
out, and the wad thus effectually lubricates and cleans the gun.
The edges of the wad may also be usefully roughened, as in wads for sporting
smooth bore guns. Similar arrangements are made for all smaller guns. The wad
should be slightly "dished" and of a diameter slightly greater than that of the
interior of the cartridge case, the convex side towards the projectile, the concave
side towards the powder. It will be seen that the mould and the wad, latter
being of a calibre rather larger than that of the cartridge, and also larger than
the calibre of the grooves of the gun, form when assisted by the grease an absolutely
gas tight obstruction, and are very superior to any metal "gas check."
All siege or armour piercing guns are recommended to be not less than 40
calibres in total length to allow for burning such long cartridges (see Figure 6),

page_text: and this we term the "Hope" gun. If slightly chambered the gun should be not
less than 41 calibres in length, but where space permits two or three calibres might
be usefully added on to the muzzle beyond these limits.
The interior diameter or calibre of the cartridge must not largely exceed that of
the grooves of the gun, for "chambering" a gun, in order mysteriously to impart a
very high velocity to its projectile, is one of the many fallacies of modern gunnery.
It is the column of gas directly in rear of the projectile that chiefly gives it this
excessive velocity. For a long, slow, sustained push, a largo chamber to hold a large
reserve of gas would be an advantage, but where the motion sought to be imparted
is so sudden and violent, no advantage is gained by increasing the diameter of tho
chamber beyond a very moderate limit, and no effect at all is obtained unless the
additional area be filled with powder. The increased effect obtained by chambering
the muzzle loading Woolwich and Armstrong guns is due to more perfect ignition
and combustion, a result which we secure with greater certainty and uniformity,
while at the same time substituting percussive for static pressure, so to say.
The "Hope" gun as drawn to scale with the particular size of cartridge and
pattern of projectile shown, will develope an energy of not less than 320 foot tons
per inch of circumference of projectile, consequently it is slightly superior in effect
to the Woolwich gun of 38 tons drawn to the same scale, which with 160 pounds
of powder, and a projectile with gas check of 818 pounds only, developes an energy
of 311 foot tons per inch of circumference of projectile.
The real energy of the "Hope" will be superior to that now given, but there
are no data yet in existance to enable a more exact calculation to bo given.
For firing at troops it is recommended to go back to the principle of construction
of the canister shell invented and made by Lieutenant Colonel Hope, in 1856,
deposited by him and still now or recently in the model room of the Royal Arsenal,
Woolwich, and which slightly altered in detail of construction though not in
principle was introduced into Her Majesty's service in 1868. In substitution for
the wooden bead of the service shell, which is too light for accuracy, and containing
nothing but solid wood, is therefore not effectivo against an enemy, it is proposed
to revert to Colonel Hope's iron head, either of the original conoidal or of a
hemispherical or ogival form, and the head should be attached either by the
original screw attachment or some modification of it. The rear may be either flat,
hemispherical, or with a diminishing conoidal tail as preferred. For the original
felt wad or division may be substituted a metallic or other rigid wad, perforated
with as many holes as possible to let through the gas from the bursting charge into
the head of the shell; between this rigid wad and the bullets should be a soft
elastic wad, and a similar soft ring wad should be on the other side of the rigid
wad between it and the shoulder of the powder chamber. The bullets should have
no resin or other matters run in among them, as the powder gas should be
encouraged to enter and assist in "spattering" the bullets all over the object aimed
at, an effect which is partially counteracted by any cohesive substance which tends
to make them after bursting continue to gyrate round the prolongation in parabola
of the former axis of the shell, as in the case of "segments" out of a "segment"
shell. Or a concussion fuze, an inverted Pettman G.S. of the service, may bo
inserted in the powder chamber in the rear, covered and protected by a screw plug
with a conoidal or mushroom shaped head forming the pointed tail of the projectile,
and the whole of the head of the shell may be filled with bullets. This shell would
of course require to be burst on graze. The two parts would be separated by tho
same partition and screwed together as before.
This arrangement of fuze and screw plug, only substituting a delayed action fuze,
would be the best for common shell, especially for battering earthworks or buildings,
as also for petroleum or other incendiary shells. But the shrapnel or canister shell
may be varied in construction as follows:- -The shell may with advantage be cast
in one piece, with a partition as shown in Figures 8 and 9, and after the bullets are
introduced into the bullet chamber, a wooden plug may be driven, or a metal plug
may be screwed into the aperture communicating between the tube. This plug

page_text: however of whatever substance it is made, should have as large a hole as practicable
through its centre to admit of the shattering action of the powder. The bursting
charge should be put in a bag.
The armour piercing projectiles if of large calibre should be cast point down-
wards, and rotated of one of the metals, and in the manner described in our
previous Specification, No. 142179. They can be tempered if desired by being
plunged into cold water or oil, either before they are cold or after they have been
reheated, experiment determining the most suitable temperature.
In the case of armour piercing shells we force the bursting charge into the shell
under heavy pressure. We employ gunpowder in a slightly moistened state; the
moisture is then afterwards expelled by drying in a heated chamber. Sinall holes
may be bored in the charge to facilitate the escape of the moisture, or one larger
central hole may be made or left.
In the case of heavy guns in a ship's turret or in a casemate on the opening of
the breech block after firing a jet of very highly compressed air should be
instantaneously fired through the gun to drive out the smoke, and this may be
followed if desired by a jot of water, or the latter may be used alone. The required
reservoirs may be stowed in the angle or curve between the wall and roof of the
turret or casemate, and their hoses should be sufficiently long and flexible to allow
for acting easily in any possible position of the gun.
A novel metallurgical process is provided by our previous Specification,
No. 142170, for making whole guns, or the jackets of guns, gun tubes, and pro-
jectiles of iron, steel, "chrome" steel, or any other metal or alloy that may be
selected, by which on the liquid metal being run out of the furnace the casting, of
whatever size, retains all the natural malleability of the metal, whether much or
little, and if a still greater density and strength are desired the metal is compressed
by being rotated at a high velocity and slowly cooled down to the solidifying
point from the circumference, and then in the case of guns (which may be cast
hollow) the metal may be further cooled down to the temperature of the atmo-
sphere from the centre. In this latter part of the process two well known forces
of nature, centrifugal force and reduction of temperature, are thus made use of,
and are made to work at first together in the same direction, namely, towards the
outside, and thus a sound casting of any size is obtained with scientific certainty
and precision, entirely free from slag, flaws, blow holes, and other imperfections,
and the atoms or molecules of the inetal are arranged by centrifugal force while
liquid, and under that immense pressure are then fixed successively inwards in
their proper places, and made rigid by the gradual abstraction of caloric from the
circumference, and are afterwards drawn in and further condensed by the
abstraction of caloric from the centre, and the result is the production of a circular
wall of metal of an amorphous character, whose molecules are all in a state of
chemical union, as in a "cast" gun, and yet are arranged in a circular manner, as
in the fibre of a wrought iron coil gun, and the metal is also of differential densities
and strengths, proportioned or approximately so to the differential strains to
which ignition of gunpowder in their chambers subjects homogeneous and elastic
guns, and to which impact subjects projectiles. In all cases however where the
casting is rotated it is recommended to have both a "core" and a sufficient
shrinking head; but it will be unnecessary to form a solid core, as this will be
effected by centrifugal force.
A rigid incompressiblo cylinder, as, for instance, a cast iron gun made of hot
blast iron containing a quantity of silicon bursts from the centre outwards, because
the exterior cannot be brought into play before the interior gives, and then tho
fissures thus forined in the interior rapidly extend to the exterior until the gun
flies into a thousand pieces. An elastic cylinder bursts on the other hand in just
the opposite way. It all expands, and consequently the greatest strain when the
gun bursts is placed upon the outside layer of metal, because it is of the largest
diameter and there is nothing outside it to support it. This gives first, and the
fissures or rather tears thus formed extend inwards. All modern built up guns of

page_text: which the "Woolwich" and Armstrong guns are the worst and most exaggerated
types, are built on the same faulty principle which ignores the above fact. Their
successive layers of metal, variously termed coils, rings, or bands, are subjected to
the commencement of a bursting strain when "shrunk" into their places, and
consequently as each successivo ring gets larger and larger, so it is ipso facto,
weaker and weaker.. This ovil is still further aggravated in the "Woolwich" and
Armstrong guns by selecting a metal wrought iron for the exterior coils of only
half the strength of the interior metal, steel, in deliberate defiance of the laws of
nature and the teaching of science. The authors of this system boast, and with
truth, that they thereby "equalize the tension" throughout the wall of the gun.
They do in fact accomplish this to a great extent, and consequently they succeed
in bursting guns of maximum thickness with minimum charges of powder. Our
object is the exact reverse, and instead of secking to carry the tension through to
the outside of the wall of our gun, we seek to absorb the strain and dissipate it in
its transmission from the inside to the outside, so that if possible the outside layer
of metal may feel nothing at all. This result wo effect by rotating our liquid gun,
and this result may be still further increased if the rotated casting is surrounded on
the outside by steel wire, and lined in the inside by a tube. In this case the
rotated gun should be of a quality of steel showing a normal tensile strength of
40 to 60 tons to the square inch; the outside wire should have a strength of, say,
80 tons, or even more, and the tube a strength of not more than 35 tons with
very high elastic limit. The tube may either fit tight or inserted from the rear
and slightly tapered in front of the powder chamber; it may fit tight in the rifled
part of the bore, and have a clear space all round the outside of the powder
chamber fitting tight again outside the solid portion of the rear of the cartridge,
and being confined in its position by a coarse thread at that point. Then if the
tube at the powder chamber is made of a thickness of not less than 1/3 of a
calibre, it will oppose so great a resistance to the powder that the main force of the
powder will be absorbed in expanding it, and the gun proper will have com-
paratively little to do, and by the time that the exterior of the tube reaches the
interior of the gun, the projectile will be nearly out of the gun, and after the
discharge the tube if properly tempered will return like a spring to its original
dimensions. The empty space round the tube should be very small, only equal to
an expansion of the latter, not exceeding, say, 5 per cent. A gun made of elastic
metal is exposed to two different strains, compression of the internal layers of
inetal radially outwards, and circumferential expansion. It will be seen that the
above construction will specially resist these two strains, the latter of which is the
bursting strain proper.
rd
The above are the systems of gunnery, gun making, and guns, which arc
recommended as a whole. It is obvious that many parts of thein may be used
separately and worked in with other systems if desired.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not include in our
Specification and claims any of the Figures or combinations shown on the Sheets
of Drawings referred to in an Order in the matter of this Patent made by the Lord
Chancellor, and dated 13th August 1881, as the said Figures or combinations
respectively are actually drawn without being corrected or altered, but what
subject to this Disclaimer we do claim is,-
First. The means for securing radial ignition of the whole of the cartridge
and of overcoming the inertia of the projectile, substantially as herein described
and as shown in Figure 6 of the annexed Drawing.
Second. The use in cartridges, such as are herein referred to, of a tube
strengthened in the unperforated part a', so that it will resist the discharge of
the ignitor, as described.
Third. The gun made with a considerably elongated powder chamber of from
about 10 to 20 calibres long and intended to be fired with long charges,
substantially as described.

page_text: Fourth. The use in projectiles of perforated diaphragms, substantially as
described and as shown by the Figure 8.
Fifth. The combination of parts forming our improved breech loading mechanism,
as shown by the Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said Roswell Sabine Ripley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty onc.