Improvements in the Method of Keeping Ordnance Cool during Firing.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Keeping Ordnance Cool during
Firing.
I, CLAUDE KENNEDY MILLS, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a com-
munication to me from abroad by Louis Gathmann, of 246, West Lake Street,
Chicago, State of Illinois, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, to
be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to methods of loading ordnance with the object in view of
keeping the cannon cool, during firing, it being well known from experience that
with firing a heavy gun its inner portions are heated very rapidly, expanding the
metal proportionately to the degree of heat produced, and thereby increasing the
strain upon the outer metal to the utmost and often beyond the elastic limit
thereof.
The bursting of heavy ordnance, whether cast, forged or built up, must be
attributed more to the irregular expansion of the metal than to the pressure excited
by the powder explosion.
This expansion from heat will take place in a longitudinal as well as in a
transverse direction, and thus a heavy gun, becoming heated around its bore while
the exterior portions thereof are only slowly heated, will produce such an enormous
tensile strain upon the outer portion that if the metal is hard and does not possess
the required degree of elasticity for elongation, it will fracture, even without the
assistance of the pressure from the powder explosion.
Metal thus strained beyond its clastic limit will not contract against its former
dimensions and therefore with each expansion, the diameter, as well as the length
of the gun will be increased and a gun thus weakened from frequent strain beyond
the elastic limits of the metal by unequal expansion cannot withstand the powder
pressure.
It is also a well known fact that the erosive action of the powder gases on the
heated metal is much greater than when the metal is kept cool.
I have already described in my Specification for Letters Patent of Great Britain
dated September 27, 1889, No. 15221, the use of carbonic acid gas under high
pressure, interposed between the powder chamber and projectile, such gas, by its
sudden expansion will counteract the heat generated from the powder explosion,
with the object of keeping cool the projectile, while the object of my present
invention is to keep cool, the ordnance itself, during continuous firing, and with this
object in view, my invention consists in inserting behind the powder cartridge one
or more vessels or shells containing compressed carbonic acid gas, that with firing
will be liberated to expand, and by its expansion will cool the bore of the gun in its
entire length, all as will be more fully hereinafter described.
The ordnance may be of any usual construction and provided with a breech-block,
and the touch-hole may be through the centre of the breech-block, or through the
body of the gun. In the rear of the powder chamber or between the powder
cartridge and breech-block, shells or cases filled with highly compressed or liquified
carbonic acid gas are placed.
In firing such ordnance, said carbonic acid gas will be released as soon as the
powder pressure will allow it, as said retainers of the gas will burst by the powder.
pressure, and also from the recoil of the compressed interior gas, setting the gases
free to expand into the bore of the gun and producing by its sudden expansion an
ntense cold that will counteract and neutralize the heat transmitted to the interior
of the gun by the powder explosion and friction of the projectile.

page_text: It will thus be readily seen that with the bursting of the shells or cases which
contain highly compressed or liquified carbonic acid gas the interior of the
ordnance is kept cool even during continuous firing.
Dated May 27th 1890
CLAUDE K. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Keeping Ordnance Cool during
Firing.
I, CLAUDE KENNEDY MILLS, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a com-
munication to me from Louis Gathmann, of 246, West Lake Street, Chicago, in
the State of Illinois, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the Specification of Letters Patent dated Sep. 27, 1889, No. 15221, is
described the use of carbonic acid gas under high pressure interposed between the
powder chamber and projectile.
Now, according to the present invention, instead of placing the highly compressed
non-combustible gas, such as carbonic acid gas, between the powder chamber and
projectile, said compressed gas is placed in spherical or other shaped shells within
the powder chamber itself, in the rear of the powder charge or chamber.
The object of the present invention is to keep cool the ordnance itself during
firing. This highly compressed or liquefied carbonic acid gas, contained in a
suitable shell, is placed in the powder chamber, preferably in the rear of powder
charge; said shells will break or burst by the discharging of said ordnance, or
otherwise plugs will be opened and said carbonic acid gas will then be released
from its high pressure and will expand and thereby produce, by its sudden
expansion, an intense cold that will counteract and neutralize the heat transmitted
to the interior of the gun by the powder explosion and friction from the
projectile.
It being well known from experience that with firing a heavy gun its inner
portions are heated very rapidly, expanding the metal proportionately to the degree
of heat produced, and thereby increasing the strain upon the outer metal to the
utmost and often beyond the clastic limit thereof." The bursting of heavy
ordnance, whether cast, forged, or built up of rings, must be attributed more to
the irregular expansion of the metal than to the pressure excited by the powder
explosion.
This expansion from heat will take place in a longitudinal, as well as in a
transverse, direction, and thus a heavy gun becoming heated around its bore while
the exterior portions thereof are only slowly heated, will produce such an enormous
tensile strain upon the outer portion that it will fracture even without the assistance
of the pressure from the powder explosion.
Metal thus strained beyond its elastic limit will not contract again to its former
dimensions and therefore with each expansion the diameter of the gun will be
increased, and a gun thus weakened from frequent strains beyond the elastic limits
of the metal by unequal expansion cannot withstand the powder pressure. It is a
well known fact that the erosive action of the powder gases on the heated metal is
much greater than when the metal is kept cool.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of
breech-loading gun arranged with the touch-hole through the breech-block, and
Figure 2 a similar section of a gun with the touch-hole through the body of the
gun, both showing my improved method of loading.

page_text: Corresponding letters of reference in the several figures of the drawings designate
like parts.
A denotes the gun which may be of any usual construction and provided with
breech block B. The touch-hole b may be through the centre of breech block B,
as in Figure 1, or a touch-hole a may be bored through the body of the gun, as in
Figure 2, C is the powder cartridge, and D a hermetic shell filled with compressed
or liquified gas placed between this cartridge C and the breech block B. When
the touch-hole b is in the breech block as in Figure 1, a ring shaped shell D, or a
series of shells, may be inserted that will provide an opening through the centre as
a continuation of the touch-hole b, towards the cartridge C. E is the projectile,
and between this projectile and the powder cartridge is inserted another shell F,
containing compressed gas. These shells D and F may be spherical or any other
desirable shape.
When firing the gun, the powder, with being exploded to shoot off the projectile,
will first further compress the shell D, which when as soon as released from the
powder pressure, will burst by the recoil from the compressed interior gases, setting
these gases free to expand into the bore of the gun, and producing by its sudden
expansion an intense cold that will counteract and neutralize the heat transmitted
to the interior of the gun by the powder explosion. It will thus be readily seen
that with the bursting of shell or shells D, the powder chamber is cooled as well as
the bore of the gun.
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 I
claim is:
1. The method of loading cannon by interposing a body of compressed gas,
principally in the rear of powder chamber, substantially for the purpose as set
forth.
2. The method of loading cannon by interposing between the powder cartridge
and breech-block, and between the powder cartridge and projectile, a body of
compressed gases, substantially as set forth.
Bated t
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1001
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KONTAKT In HexT CITI Non
CLAUDE K. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.