Improvements in Projectiles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug.,
1899
Improvements in Projectiles.
I, ROBERT ABBOTT HADFIELD, of Hecla Works, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Steel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Caps of different forms have been applied to projectiles in order to increase their
efficiency as against hardened steel plates and there have been proposed for fastening
such caps to the projectiles various methods but all those I know of appear open to
objection in practice.
Now my invention has reference to a method of fastening the cap to the projectile
according to which I an able to dispense with grooves such as sometimes proposed
to be turned in the projectiles. I cast or forge in the rough a projectile which as to
its general shape may be of known or other suitable forin, and in finishing up the
ogival or head portion I form on the outside a rib or projection over or upon which I
subsequently press the cap by hydraulic or other pressure. In order to obviate
liability to any turning of the cap, I remove portions of the rib or projection at
suitable distances apart or sometimes it may be one portion only, so as to form nicks,
slits or recesses (or a nick, slit or recess). In some cases there may be more than
one rib or projection. The rib or ribs might be made spiral, and the cap be made to
correspond and screwed on, being subsequently pressed or not.
By my invention I am enabled not only to dispense as aforesaid with the cutting
of grooves into the projectiles but also to more or less strengthen the same where
necessary.
The caps may be of any desired and suitable form and material.
Improvements in Projectiles.
I, ROBERT ABBOTT HADFIELD, of Hecla Works, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Steel Manufacturer, 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 :-
Caps of different forms have been applied to projectiles in order to increase their
efficiency as against hardened steel plates, and there have been proposed for fastening
such caps to the projectiles various methods; but all those I know of appear open to
objection in practice.

page_text: Now my invention has reference to a method of fastening the cap to the projectile
according to which I am able to dispense with grooves such as sometimes proposed to
be turned in the projectiles.
I cast or forge in the rough a projectile which as to its general shape may be of
known or other suitable form, and in finishing up the ogival or head portion I form
on the outside a rib or projection over or upon which I subsequently press the cap by
hydraulic or other pressure. In order to obviate liability to any turning or rotation
of the cap, I remove portions of the rib or projection at suitable distances apart, or
sometimes it may be one portion only, so as to form nicks, slits or recesses (or a nick,
slit or recess); or the rib inay be formed with projecting portions arranged to serve
the same purpose as the nicks, slits or recesses. In some cases there may be more
than one rib or projection. The rib or ribs might be made spiral, and the cap be
made to correspond, and screwed on, being subsequently pressed or not.
By my invention I am enabled not only to dispense as aforesaid with the cutting
of grooves into the projectiles, but also to more or less strengthen the same where
necessary.
The caps may be of any desired and suitable form and material.
In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 inclusive show, by way of example, a
capped projectile embodying my method of attaching the cap by means of an
interrupted annular projecting rib,-Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of the front
end of the projectile and cap and Fig. 2 a front end view thereof with the cap removed―
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1 showing another form of cap with the same method
of attachment to the projectile.
Figs. 4, 4, and 4" illustrate by way of examples how this method of attachment
can be applied to a capped blunt-headed projectile of the kind set forth in the
Specification of my other Application for Letters Patent No. 16901 of 1898. In each
case, 1 is the annular rib 2, 2, are recesses formed therein and 3 is the cap with its
rearward edge 4 formed of suitable thickness.
The arrangement shown in Fig. 4B is similar to that shewn in Fig. 4 except that
the annular rib 1 is further from the head of the projectile and the cap is corre-
spondingly longer.
Fig. 5 sbows an example of a projectile having its head formed with a spiral
rib 5 adapted to receive a cap such as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 but which cap is
provided with a spiral groove corresponding to the said spiral rib 5. In this case
the cap can be made removable and the projectile can be fired either with or without
the cap as desired. For example, in attacking soft armour the cap might be con-
sidered unnecessary and could be left off, whereas if hard faced steel armour were
being attacked, the cap could be readily screwed into place. The screw is of such
direction that the rotation of the shot will not tend to loosen the cap but to tighten
it. At the end of the spiral rib where the coil is largest in diameter across the
projectile, a small hole might be advantageously formed in the cap, and a pin be
rivetted therethrough, to aid in holding the cap in position.
In the case of cast projectiles, the spiral rib might be formed in the casting, though
it is preferably machined, so as to obtain a better fit. It will be obvious that the
spiral rib might be conveniently formed otherwise than semi-circular in cross section
as shown.
Although I have shown examples by way of illustration, it is to be clearly under-
stood that I do not limit myself to the form of the projectile or to the form or
arrangement of the projecting rib or ribs or to the form or number of recesses
represented in the drawing as these may evidently be more or less varied according
to requirement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The method of attaching caps to projectiles by forming the praiestila with a

page_text: pressing or forcing the metal of the cap into place about the rib or ribs, substantially
as set forth.
2. The method of attaching caps to projectiles by forming the projectile with a
projecting rib or ribs cut or nicked or recessed at one or more places, causing the cap
to overlap such annular projecting rib or ribs and pressing or forcing the metal of
the cap into place about the rib or ribs and into the recess or recesses thereof, sub-
stantially as set forth.
3. The method of attaching caps to projectiles by forming upon the projectile a rib
or ribs or spiral shape, providing a corresponding spiral groove or grooves in the cap
and screwing the cap into place; whether or not the cap be pressed upon the projectile,
substantially as set forth.
4. Projectiles having caps attached thereto substantially as described with refer-
ence to and shown in Fig. 1, in Fig. 2, in Fig. 3, in Fig. 4, in Fig. 4, in Fig. 4B
and in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of June 1899.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent,