IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, THOMAS STEAD, of Langham Hotel, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTILES, a communication to
me from abroad by Daniel Moore of 436 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn, New York,
United States, to be as follows:-
My invention relates to projectiles in which, are contained dynamite, or like
powerful and sensitive explosive substances.
The improvements consist in a cannon, or fire arm, of the combination of a gun,
a projectile, containing dynamite, or like explosive substance, and a compressed air
cushion, located between the base of the projectile, and the powder charge of the
gun, also in constructing the compressed air cushion, at the lower section of a case,
the upper portion of which case serves as a receptacle, for a projectile, the base of
which rests upon the movable disc, or head, of the air chamber, also in forming an
air cushion by compressed air within a chamber constructed with a movable piston,
the head of which is fitted to the air chamber, and the upper end of which is
formed to receive upon it the base of a projectile.
The improvements are performed by making a cylindrical case of any suitable
material, provided with an inner annular projection; this projection is perforated
at its centre, equal in diameter, with the diameter of the lower section of the
projectile. A disk is fitted into the case, below the projection, and a base piece
then screwed into the bottom of the case, thus forming the air chamber, this base
piece is perforated, and is also provided with a headed pin passing through it, the
inner end of this pin, carries a fly piece that may be turned by means of the head
of the pin.
The ignition of the fulminate, for exploding the dynamite, is effected by means
of a rod, or plunger, this rod is provided with a collar to prevent its movement
forward; and its end projecting beyond the solid head of the projectile, is covered
with a hood, the lower end of this rod, sets in a recess, formed in a thin metallic
dome, directly over the fulminate, which it ignites when the projectile strikes by
breaking the dome.

page_text: The air chamber, may be charged at any time, to any required degree of pressure,
by turning the pin, so as to carry away from the aperture, the fly piece-the air
tube, of an air pump is then attached to the outer end of the opening, the air
forced into the chamber, by means of the air pump, and the fly, then turned over
the aperture, after which the air tube of the air pump may be detached. The case,
thus at its lower end, is, an air cushion; and the projectile, which is reduced in
diameter at its rear end so as to pass through the projection within the case, and
rests upon the disc, and thus connected, is ready for firing.
The construction of the air cushion, and of the projectile, may be modified so
that the movable disk forms the solid head of a movable piston, the upper end of
which is provided with a disk (fastened thereto by means of a screw) which forms
a base on which rests the projectile. This modification obviates the necessity of
reducing the rear end of the projectile.

page_text: I, THOMAS STEAD of Langham Hotel, London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by Daniel Moore of
436 Gates Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, United States, and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My invention relates to projectiles, in which, are contained dynamite, or like
powerful and sensitive explosive substances, discharged from cannons, or fire arms,
by ignition of a charge of gun-powder; and consists of certain devices hereinafter
fully described, whereby, a shell, or projectile, of any size, or weight containing a
required quantity of dynamite, may, with a proper quantity of ordinary gun-
powder, be discharged or fired from a gun, or fire arm, without danger of igniting
or exploding the dynamite within the bore of the gua, by action of the exploded
gun-powder; the dynamite remaining intact, and unaffected, within the projectile,
until it shall have passed out of the gun, and reached the desired point.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a longitudinal central section of a gun,
charged with gun powder, and my improved air cushion, and projectile; A is the
gun, B the powder, C the air cushion, D the case, E the projectile, F the igniting
rod, G the dynamite; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view. of the projectile, case, and air
cushion; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central view of the case, and air cushion; Fig. 4
is a similar view of the projectile proper. Fig. 5 illustrates a construction of the
air cushion, differing from that of Fig. 3 and which is used in conjunction with
a projectile constructed as shown at Fig. 6 similar letters refer to similar parts
throughout the several views.
The cylindrical case D, Fig. 3 may be made of any suitable material, and is
provided at h with an inner annular projection; this projection h, is perforated at
its centre, equal in diameter, with the diameter of the lower section of the projectile,
as shown at i Fig. 4; the disk j, is fitted into the case D, below the projection h;
and the base piece k, then screwed into the bottom of the case D, as shown; thus
forming the air chamber C, this base piece k is perforated at 7, and is also provided
with a headed pin m, passing through it, as shown at n, the inner end of this pin m,
carries a fly piece o, that may be turned by means of the head of the pin m.
The ignition of the fulminate, shown at p, Figs. 1 and 4 for exploding the
dynamite, is effected by means of the rod, or plunger, F, Figs. 1 and 4, this rod F,
is provided with a collar q, Figs. 1 and 4 to prevent its movement.forward; and its
end projecting beyond the solid head of the projectile, is covered with a hood r, the
lower end of this rod F, sets in a recess, formed in a thin metallic dome 8, Figs. 1
and 4 directly over the fulminate p, which it ignites when the projectile strikes by
breaking the dome, s.
The air chamber C, may be charged at any time, to any required degree of
pressure, by turning the pin m, so as to carry away from the aperture 1, the fly
piece (or arm) o, the air tube, of an air pump is then attached to the outer end of
the opening 1, the air forced into the chamber C, by means of the air pump, and
the fly o, then turned over the aperture l, after which the air tube of the air pump
may be detached. The case D, thus at its lower end, is, an air cushion; and the

page_text: .
projectile E, which is reduced in diameter at its rear end (see Fig. 4) so as to pass
through the projection h within the case D, and rests upon the disk j, and thus
connected, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is ready for firing.
•
On firing the gun, the case D, with its air chamber moves forward, before the
inertia of the projectile is overcome, thus causing the disk, or piston head j, on
which rests the base of the projectile to compress the air within the chamber C, to
a sufficient degree as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2, to carry forward the projectile,
with the case; the action of the air cushion, preventing the explosion of the
dynamite within the gun.
The modified construction of the air cushion, and of the projectile, as shown at
Figs. 5 and 6 may be preferable, and the manner of their construction is so clearly
shown in said Figs. 5 and 6 as to require no extended description. By this mode
of construction (Fig. 5) it will be observed that the movable disk j, as shown at
Fig. 3 forms the solid head of a movable piston t the upper end of which is
provided with a disk u (fastened thereto by means of a screw) which forms a base
on which rests the projectile constructed as shown in Fig. 6. This modification
obviates the necessity of reducing the rear end of the projectile as shown at i
Fig. 4.
Several well known devices, have heretofore been used to discharge projectiles
containing dynamite, without exploding the same within the gun, but such, has
been the nature of the devices, as to either limit the amount of propelling force,
weight, range, and effect of the shell or projectile, or that the appliances for
charging the gun, were inconvenient, cumbersome, and requiring too much time.
By the use of my device of a compressed air cushion, all the above mentioned
objections are removed, so that a projectile, or shell of any desirable weight, and
size, containing any desirable quantity of dynamite with a sufficient quantity of
gun powder, to give the required range, to the projectile, may be fired from any
ordinary smooth bore, or rifled gun, without danger of exploding the dynamite, of
the projectile within the gun.
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
1st In a cannon, or fire arm, the combination of a gun, a projectile, containing
dynamite, or like explosive substance, and a compressed air cushion, located
between the base of the projectile, and the powder charge of the gun, substantially
as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.
2nd The compressed air cushion, formed at the lower section of a case, the upper
portion of which case serves as a receptacle, for a projectile, the base of which rests
upon the movable disk, or head, of the air chamber, arranged, constructed, and
operating substantially as shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
3rd An air cushion formed by compressed air within a chamber constructed
with a movable piston, the head of which is fitted to the air chamber, and the upper
end of which is formed to receive upon it the base of a projectile, substantially, as
shown in Fig. 5.