An Improvement in Compound Projectiles for Small-arms, Guns, and Ordnance.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1669
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Compound Projectiles for Small-arms,
Guns, and Ordnance.
Machine
I, MICHAEL TWEEDIE, Major General, of Wisborough Green, Billingshurst, Sussex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to compound projectiles such as are described in the
Specification to C. D. Abel's (Lorenz's) Patent No. 9577 of 1884, in which an outer
easing of steel or other hard metal contains a filling of a softer inetal united to the
shell by soldering or otherwise.
Such projectiles as heretofore constructed, merely perforate the object aimed at,
without inaterially altering in shape.
My improvement has for its object to cause the head of the projectile to expand to
a greater or less extent on striking whereby it is made to break up or splinter the
object struck, instead of merely perforating it.
I effect this by weakening the front end of the outer casing of the projectile either
over its entire surface or at about the shoulder thereof whereby the head on striking
an object is caused to spread out more or less owing to its weakness as compared with
the rear part of the projectile, but without actually breaking up or splintering.
Such weakening may be effected in various ways; by preference I effect it by
making one, two or more circular grooves round the casing of the projectile at about
the shoulder, or I make the head of the casing of thinner metal than the rear part;
or the weakening inay also be effected by making longitudinal grooves in the head of
the casing, but I prefer the arrangement first described.
Dated this 17th day of January 1889.
ABEL & INRAY,
Agents for the applicant.
Agents for the applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Compound Projectiles for Small-arms, Machine
Guns, and Ordnance.
I, MICHAEL TWEEDIE, Major General, of Wisborough Green, Billingshurst, Sussex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be perforined to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention has reference to compound projectiles in which an outer casing of
steel or other hard metal contains a filling of a softer metal united to the shell by
soldering or otherwise. Such projectiles as heretofore constructed, merely perforate
The object aimed at as they do not materially alter in shape, and such perforation,
more particularly in the case where the fire is directed against cavalry, is in many
cases not found sufficient to disable the horses.
My improvement has for its object to cause the head of the projectile to expand to
a greater or less extent on striking whereby it is made to break up or splinter the
object struck, instead of merely perforating it.
I effect this by weakening the front end of the outer casing of the projectile either
over its entire surface or at about the shoulder thereof, whereby the head, on striking
an object, is caused to spread out more or less owing to its weakness as compared with
the rear part of the projectile, but without actually breaking up or splintering.
Such weakening may be effected in various ways; by preference, I effect it by
5 making one two or more circular grooves round the casing of the projectile at about
the shoulder, or I make the head or shoulder of the casing or both the head and

page_text: shoulder of thinner metal than the rear part; or the weakening may also be effected
by making longitudinal grooves in the head of the casing, but I prefer the arrangement
first described.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews an elevation of a projectile having
grooves a a formed on the outer shell A as described; Fig. 2 shews a longitudinal
section thereof, and Fig. 3 shews the projectile with the head flattened after impact.
The grooves a a are by preference formed by pressing the metal of the shell inwards
as shewn.
Instead of two grooves a single broader one may be used, but I prefer to use two as
shewn. B is the filling of soft metal, which is firmly united to the shell at all parts
by soldering or otherwise, in the known manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In compound projectiles consisting of an outer shell of hard metal with which
is united by soldering or otherwise a core of soft metal, making the head of the shell
weaker, either wholly or partially than the body of the projectile so that it may
expand on striking an object, substantially as herein described.
2. A compound projectile such as is referred to in the preceding claim, having one
or more circular grooves a formed at or about the shoulder, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
Dated this 19th day of September 1889.