IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FIRING OR IGNITING EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William George Armstrong, of Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, Civil Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FIRING OR IGNITING EXPLOSIVE
PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 10th September 1858, and dated the 10th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Armstrong
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th April 1858.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE ARMSTRONG, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County
of Northumberland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FIRING OR IGNITING EXPLOSIVE
PROJECTILES," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist of a time fuze, in which the fuze composition
is lodged in an annular groove, the continuity being broken by a stop, on one
side of which the fuze has its commencement, and on the other its termination,'
the duration of the burning of the fuze being regulated by causing it to be
ignited either at its commencement or at some intermediate point between its
commencement and its termination; this is effected by means of a revolving
cover fitted with a tightening screw to fix it at any particular point, and con-
taining a passage through, which a jet of flame is directed upon the place
where the burning of the fuze composition is intended to commence; this jet
of flame is produced by the flash of á detonating compound which is contained
in the body of the fuze, and is fired by the penetration of a point actuated by
the force exerted on the projectile at the instant of firing the gun. The
arrangement also embraces a method of causing the shell to burst upon
-

page_text: striking an object, in case such striking take place before the time the fuze
has operated. This method consists of a small weight or striker contained in
a cylinder within the shell. In this cylinder the striker is fixed by a pin
which passes through it and the sides of the cylinder, and which is cut or
broken by the shock which the projectile receives in the gun at the instant of
firing. The striker being thus liberated by the act of firing the gun, advances
in its containing cylinder when the shell strikes an object, and causes a patch
of detonating composition to be carried against a fixed point, which fires the
composition and ignites the bursting charge in the shell.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William George Armstrong in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GEORGE ARMSTRONG, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County of Northumber-
land, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William George Armstrong, Her special licence that I, the said William
George Armstrong, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William George Armstrong, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF FIRING OR IGNITING EXPLOSIVE
PROJECTILES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
George Armstrong, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William George Armstrong, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:
These improvements consist of a time fuze in which the fuze composition is
lodged in an annular groove, the continuity being broken by a stop, on one
side of which the fuze has its commencement and on the other its termination,
the duration of the burning of the fuze being regulated by causing it to be
ignited either at its commencement or at some intermediate point between
its commencement and its termination; this is effected by means of a revolving
cover fitted with a tightening screw to fix it at any particular point, and
containing a passage through which a jet of flame is directed upon the place
where the burning of the fuze composition is intended to commence; this jet
of flame is produced by the flash of a detonating composition which is
contained in the body of the fuze, and is fired by the penetration of a point
actuated by the force exerted on the projectile at the instant of firing the gun.
The arrangement also embraces a method of causing the shell to burst upon
striking an object, in case such striking take place before the time fuze
has operated. This method consists of a weight or striker contained in a
cylindrical case placed within the shell; in this cylindrical case the striker
is fixed by a pin, which passes through it and the sides of the case, and which
is cut or broken by the shock which the projectile receives in the gun at the
instant of firing. The striker being thus liberated by the act of firing the gun,
recedes to the bottom of the case and there remains until the velocity of the
shell is checked by coming in contact with an object; when this takes place,
the striker not participating in the retardation of the shell advances in the
case and causes a patch of detonating composition to be carried against a
fixed point, which fires the composition and ignites the bursting charge in the
shell. This method of causing the shell to burst on striking an object is
designed for explosive projectiles having a constant or nearly constant axial
direction in their flight, and it may be applied either with or without a

page_text: continuity being interrupted by the stop C. The fuze composition is applied
as a powder, and is consolidated in the groove by pressure. The composition
thus compressed is covered with paper on its external circumference as well as
upon it's upper surface. D is the circular cover, arranged to revolve on the
body of the fuze; this cover may be made of wood or metal; E is the cap or
tightening screw for fixing the circular cover in any desired position; Fis
the detonating composition contained in a cavity in the body of the fuze G is
a pellet or striker armed with a point; this striker is secured in its position
until the shell is fired from the gun by the pin H.
;
On the firing of the gun the striker exerts by its inertia a resistance to the
motion imparted to the projectile, and the pin being of inadequate strength to
overcome this resistance, is cut or broken, when the striker, being thereby
freed, penetrates with its point and ignites the detonating compound. Tlie
flame produced by this ignition fills the chamber containing the striker,
and passing thence by two apertures I, I, into the annular space K, within
the circular cover, is finally directed through the passage L on to the fuze
composition, which it ignites through the covering paper.
From the point of ignition the composition burns in opposite directions
towards the stop C. In one direction no effect is produced, the burning being
terminated by the stop; but in the other direction the flame on reaching the
stop communicates by means of the passage M, filled with gunpowder, with
the chamber N, also containing powder, the explosion of which fires the
bursting charge in the shell. The chamber N may be closed by a plug or by
any other suitable means. The body of the fuze is surrounded by a graduated
scale for guidance in regulating the length of fuze, which scale has for its zero
the termination of the fuze composition at the passage M. In order to regu-
late the fuze the tightening screw or cap is slackened, and the circular cover-
then turned until the passage L coincides with the point indicated by the scale.
for the required range, at which point it is fixed by the retightening of the
screw cap. The method of causing the shell to burst on striking an object is
exhibited in Figures 5, 6, and 7. For the sake of convenience, this method is.
herein-after termed the percussion fuze. Figure 5 is an elevation of the
percussion fuze complete; Figure 6 is a vertical section through the centre ;
and Figure 7 is a plan of the same. O is a cylindrical case; P, the cover of
the same, having a point projecting inwards fixed in its centre; Q is a weight
or striker fitting the case, and maintained in its position by the pin R passing
through it and the sides of the case; S is a cavity in the striker, containing a
detonating composition. This fuze is to be placed with the cover end in advance
within the projectile parallel to its axis. On the firing of the gun the striker exerts.

page_text: by its inertia, as in the case of the time fuze, a resistance to the motion of the
projectile, and the pin being in this case also of inadequate strength to over-
come this resistance, is cut or broken, whereupon the striker being liberated
recedes to the back of the cylindrical case, and there remains until tho.
projectile is checked in its flight by coming in contact with some object. The
striker being then free to move in the cylindrical case, and preserving its
velocity, while that of the projectile is diminished, moves forward and carries
the denotating composition against the point fixed in the cover, thereby igniting
the composition, the flame of which passing through the two holes shewn in
the cover fires the bursting charge of the shell.
It is not essential that the striker, either in the time fuze or percussion fuze,
should be held by a pin, as any other mode of fastening which shall give way
under the force exerted on the projectile in firing the gun will answer the same
purpose; neither is it necessary that the ignition of the detonating composi-
tion should be effected by the penetration of a point, as the same effect may be
produced by the blow or pressure of the striker without the intervention of a
point, if the composition be properly prepared and arranged for such a modified
action.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as the
Invention intended to be secured by the said Letters Patent is as follows:―
First, a time fuze with the fuze composition lodged in a groove round the
body of the fuze, and having a revolving cover perforated with a passage, by
which a jet of flame is directed upon the fuze composition at any point where
its ignition is desired to take place.
Second, the firing of a time fuze by means of a detonating substance ignited
by the stroke or action of a weight, which, by means of its inertia, becomes
liberated from a fastening when the projectile receives its impulse in the gun.
Third, the firing the bursting charge of an explosive projectile when it strikes
an object after being fired from the gun by means of the stroke or action of a
weight liberated when the projectile receives its impulse in the gun.
In witness whereof, I, the said William George Armstrong, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
W. GARMSTRONG. (L.S.)