Improvements in Armour-piercing Projectiles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left 15th Dec. 1897-Accepted. 5th Feb., 1898
Improvements in Armour-piercing Projectiles.
I, JOSIAH VAVASSEUR, a Companion of the Bath, of 8, Great George Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
These projectiles are usually made of hardened steel and it has been found that
their penetrating power is increased by furnishing them with a nose-piece of
wrought iron. There is however considerable difficulty in fixing this nose piece
in a satisfactory manner and serious injury to the gun is liable to occur when it
becomes detached in firing.
According to my invention I provide the hard projectile with a jacket of iron or
mild steel which fits it accurately from end to end.
The hard projectile is somewhat contracted near its rear end and the jacket is
closed in upon it, and engages with a series of grooves which are here formed in
the hard projectile-these grooves serve to prevent rotation of one part upon the
other. The jacket is provided with a copper ring or with studs to take the rifling
of the gun. Sometimes I apply a gas check to prevent the powder gases from find-
ing their way between the hard projectile and its jacket. Sometimes in place of
making the jacket of iron or soft steel I make it of copper and form the surfaces
to take the rifling as part of the jacket. I also make the jacket somewhat to
overlap the base of the hard projectile so as both to secure the jacket in its place
and to serve as a gas check to prevent the penetration of powder gases.
100%
Improvements in Armour-piercing Projectiles.
I, JOSIAH VAVASSEUR, a Companion of the Bath, of 8, Great George Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
-
These projectiles are usually made of hardened steel and it has been found that
their penetrating power is increased by furnishing them with a nose-piece of
wrought iron. There is however considerable difficulty in fixing this nose piece

page_text: in a satisfactory manner and serious injury to the gun is liable to occur when it
becomes detached in firing.
According to my invention I provide the hard projectile with a jacket of iron or
mild steel which fits it accurately from end to end.
The hard projectile is somewhat contracted near its rear end and the jacket
is closed in upon it, and engages with a series of grooves which are here formed
in the hard projectile-these grooves serve to prevent rotation of one part upon
the other. The jacket is provided with a copper ring or with studs to take the
rifling of the gun. Sometimes I apply a gas check to prevent the powder gases
from finding their way between the hard projectile, and its jacket. Sometimes
in place of making the jacket of iron or soft steel I make it of copper and form
the surfaces to take the rifling as part of the jacket. I also make the jacket some-
what to overlap the base of the hard projectile so as both to secure the jacket in
its place and to serve as a gas check to prevent the penetration of powder gases.
The annexed drawings show armour piercing projectiles jacketted in accordance
with my invention:
T
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the jacketted projectile.
Figure 2 shows the base or rear end of the same."
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show other forms.
'
In Figures 1 and 2 a is the hard shot, b the jacket of wrought iron or very mild
steel, c c are grooves at the rear end of the shot which the jacket is made to
penetrate to prevent the rotation of the jacket upon the shot, d is a copper ring
to take the rifling grooves of the gun, e is a gas check ring of soft metal to prevent
the penetration of the powder gases between the shot and its jacket: this ring is
omitted from Figs. 1 and 2, the groove only being shown.
The jacket is applied to the shot in the following manner:-
The hard shot having been fashioned to the form indicated by the drawing the
jacket is machined on the inside to such dimensions as admit of the shot being
forced into it when heated to a dull red heat; then the projectile is forced through
a'die with pinch enough to close in the jacket against the rear part of the shot;
so it is made a tight fit at all parts of the outside of the shot. Then the jacket
is finished externally and the ring d and gas check e in rear are fitted and secured.
Figure 3 shows that the hard shot may have a flat nose whilst the jacket is
continued to a point.
Figure 4 shows another form in which the hard shot has a pointed nose and the
jacket has a flat surface of impact; the same figure shows another method of
forming the grooves c upon the shot to prevent the rotation of the jacket.
Figure 5 shows the rear end of the jacket closed in behind the base of the shot
into a recess provided for the purpose.
Figure 6 shows another form which is more especially suitable where the jacket
is made of copper.
In this case no separate ring to take the rifling is needed the jacket itself being
of such a form as to fulfil this office. Copper jackets are applied in the same
manner as jackets of iron or mild steel except that they are applied cold.
:
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:
...
1. An armour piercing shot jacketted with wrought iron or with mild steel or
with copper substantially as described.
'
2. An armour piercing shot jacketted with wrought iron or mild steel and the
jacket provided with a copper ring or studs to take the rifling of the gun.
3. An armour piercing jacketted shot provided with a gas check to prevent the
penetration of the powder gases between, the shot and the jacket.
4. An armour piercing shot jacketted with wrought iron or mild steel and with
the jacket closed in against the base of the shot as indicated in Figure 5.

page_text: 5. Jacketting an armour piercing shot by forcing it into a jacket of wrought
iron mild steel or copper previously prepared to fit it.
6. The combination with an armour piercing shot of a copper jacket so formed
at its rear end as to adapt itself to the rifling of the gun.
Dated this 15th day of December 1897.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.