Shells for Distributing Oil on Water.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1893-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Shells for Distributing Oil on Water.
We, JOHN CHARLES SIMMONDS, Jeweler, of Linden Avenue, Greenville,
Jersey City and ALONZO PENISTON, Publisher, of Linden Avenue, Greenville,
Jersey City, State of New Jersey, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in an automatic shell or receptacle for
conveying oil.
The object of our invention is to construct a shell or receptacle which may be
used on board vessels or at life-saving stations; the shell or receptacle to be filled
with oil or other substance, and discharged from an air gun or cannon on the
waters of a heavy sea for the purpose of calming, tranquilizing and allaying the
same. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which―
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the same in operation.
Fig. 2 is a side view of shell or receptacle in a cartridge to be used in a machine
or breech loading gun.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the shell or receptacle with the
attachment to insure the direct transit of the shell.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a shell or receptacle partly open.
Fig. 5 is a side view of a shell or receptacle with a feather attached.
Fig. 6 is an end view of the feather and one of the cylinder heads.
Fig. 7 is a side view of a shell or receptacle discharging as it comes in contact
with the water.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.
In the drawings, Fig. 3, the shell or receptacle, A, is constructed with a glass
cylinder, a, which is enveloped in a paper or pasteboard cover, b. At one end of
the glass cylinder, a, is a metal head, c, preferably of lead: between the metal
At the other end
head, c, and the glass cylinder, a, is a rubber band or girdle, f.
of said glass cylinder, a, is another metal head, d, which has a shoulder which
projects above the opening in the glass cylinder, a: between the inner portion of
The body
the head, d, and the glass cylinder, a, is a rubber band or girdle, g.
of the glass cylinder a, is filled with oil, and the two heads, c, and d, are
connected by means of a rod or shaft, e. The metal head, d. is further provided
with a feather, h, to give the shell or receptacle a rotary motion when fired from
a smooth bore gun as shown in Fig. 5 or it may be constructed as shown in
Fig. 3 with grooves or impression K to catch the air and thus insure a more
direct transit. It will be observed that the head, c, Fig. 3, in the forward end of
the said shell or receptacle is much heavier than the head, d, the object of this
being to give it a downward tendency and to strike the water in such a manner as
to cause it to open as shown in Fig. 7.
We do not limit ourselves to the size of the shell or receptacle or materials
mentioned in the Specification as the inner cylinder, a, Fig. 3, may be made of
celluloid or other smooth substance, and the outer cylinder or covering, b, may
be made of cloth, felt or other substance. The heads, c and d, may be made of
metal or other compound.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
The hereindescribed shell or receptacle having open ends closed by connected

page_text: movable sections, adapted to be unseated by the weight of the water as the shell
strikes its surface, substantially as described.
2. The hereindescribed shell or receptacle having open ends, connected movable
sections for closing said ends, and a steering device for guiding said shell,
substantially as described.
3. The hereindescribed shell or receptacle having open ends and adapted to be
sealed by removable connected sections, one of said sections being of less diameter
than the shell, and provided with a washer for sealing said shell substantially as
set forth.
4. The hereindescribed shell or receptacle having open ends, removable
connected sections for closing said openings one of said sections being of greater
weight and of less diameter than the other whereby when said section strikes the
water, it will be forced into the shell, thus opening the opposite end and allowing
the contents of the shell to spread upon the water, substantially as described.
Signed, at the City of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of New
York, this 21st day of April A.D. 1893.
Witnesses:
ROBERT HESS,
WM. POWELL.
JOHN CHARLES SIMMONDS.
ALONZO PENISTON.