Improvements in and relating to High Explosive Shells or Projectiles for Ordnance.
Year: 1898

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as allowed by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 12th day of January 1899.
'Date of Application, 14th June, 1898-Accepted, 16th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED.)
Improvements in and relating to High Explosive Shells or
Projectiles for Ordnance.
I, THOMAS ROBERT RANEY ASHTON, of "Lauriston," Church Street, Middle
Brighton, near Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Mechanical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
Heretofore it has been found extremely dangerous to discharge shells or
projectiles containing dynamite and similar high explosives from ordnance, and
particularly rifled guns by reason of their tendency to explode in the bore from the
sudden shock of discharge, whilst the impossibility of obtaining accuracy of fire
hitherto with smooth bore guns has rendered them practically obsolete.
This invention has therefore been devised in order to overcome these objections,
and it consists essentially in providing a suitable buffer between the cartridge and
shell for absorbing or relieving the sharpness of the shock of discharge and in
forming a peculiar external rifling or series of spiral tapering rebates on the shell
for smooth bore guns.
Referring to the accompanying drawings whereof
Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the shell buffer and cartridge
in the bore of a gun, whiist,-
Figure 2 is a side elevation.
Figure 4 a transverse section of the shell for smooth bore guns.
A (Figure 1) represents a cylindrical buffer composed of granulated cork in an
envelope of textile or other suitable material, baving at its forward end, that is the
end next the base of the shell, a rubber disc B and at its rear end a disc C of leather
or the like. This buffer as before mentioned effectually absorbs the sharpness of
the shock of discharge especially with rifled guns (which might otherwise cause an
explosion of the bursting charge of dynamite in the shell) by allowing a certain
amount of compression, and this at the same time provides an efficient gas check,
thereby preventing any scoring of the bore by the rush of gas past the shell.
By this means I have found that shells containing dynamite and similar high
explosives may be discharged from ordnance with safety and accuracy.
D represents the external spiral tapering rebates, formed on the shell for smooth,
bore guns and constituting a kind of external rifling, the effect of which when the
shell leaves the muzzle of the gun is to cause it to rotate on its longer axis in the
This rotary
same manner as ordinary projectiles discharged from rifled guns."
motion instead of being due to any rifling in the bore of the gun as at present, is
however caused by the action of the air operating against the spiral tapering
rebates D, during the flight of the shell. By causing the rotation in this manner

page_text: clear of the gun it is obvious that the strain on the latter is greatly reduced, and its
life thereby increased.
The dynamite or other high explosive is passed into the chamber of the shell
through a screwed hole in the nose of said shell, and is preferably enclosed in a thin
india rubber or other bag. Any percussion fuze may be used and any time fuze
which is brought into action by the shock of discharge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is-
1. The cylindrical buffer A composed of granulated cork in an envelope of textile
or other suitable material, and placed between the cartridge and high explosive
shell substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in Figure 1 of
the drawings.
2. A high explosive shell or projectile, having external spiral rebates D for
smooth bore guns substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated
in the drawings.
Dated this Tenth day of May One thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight