Improvements in Projectiles for Fire-arms and Ordnance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jar., 1891-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Projectiles for Fire-arms and Ordnance.
I, DANIEL BAIRD WESSON, of 132, High Street, in the City of Springfield, in
the County of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROJECTILES FOR FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to projectiles for ordnance and for small arms, pistols, &c.,
the object being to provide improved projectiles for the above-mentioned uses in
respect to means for fubricating the same, whereby the movement of the projectiles
in the barrels of the guns or arms is attended with reduced frictional resistance,
and injury to the interior of said barrels by the movement of the projectiles there-
through, is in a great measure, if not wholly, prevented.
Heretofore, projectiles for fire-arms have been lubricated by applying lubricating
material in various ways to the surface thereof, or by putting said material into
the shells of metallic cartridges directly behind the ball thereof, but said ways of
applying the lubricant have proved unsatisfactory from the fact that rarely, if ever,
do they effect the thorough lubrication of the surfaces of ball and barrel during
the entire movement of the ball from breech to muzzle of the latter, but the
improved means of lubrication herein described, insures the effectual lubrication of
the abrading parts of barrel and projectile during the entire movement of the latter
in the barrel.
The above-mentioned improvement in projectiles consists in forming a chamber,
or reservoir, for containing a lubricating material in the base of the bullet or pro-
jectile, of any suitable form, but preferably cylindrical, said reservoir being adapted
to contain a sufficient quantity of lubricating material, preferably tallow, or
similar substance, to lubricate the surface of the ball during its entire passage
through the barrel.
The ball is made preferably with an annular groove, or recess, in its surface
between its base and tip.
i. One or more ducts are formed in the projectile or bullet, extending from said
reservoir to the surface of the ball, or to the base of said annular groove, for the
purpose of conducting the lubricant from said reservoir to the surface of the
projectile.
After having filled said reservoir with lubricating material, and preferably said
ducts also, a movable cap or plate is placed in the rear open end of said reservoir,
whereby the lubricant is retained therein until such time as the projectile shall be
fired from the cartridge or from a gun.
The said cap or plate is made of any suitable metal and any desired form, a
simple, flat disk answering very well the purpose. Said cap acts, when subjected
to the force of an ignited charge of powder in a cartridge, or gun, as a piston to
force the lubricant from the reservoir through said ducts, and to discharge the
same,outwardly against the adjoining inner surface of the barrel of the fire-arm, or
cannon.
The said cap may be, under some circumstances, omitted from the projectile,
letting the force of the firing-charge act directly against the lubricant to drive it
out of the ball, as aforesaid."
The ducts which lead from the reservoir may extend therefrom directly to
the surface of the projectile, or one or more ducts may be made therein extending :
transversely through the projectile from side to side and communication formed.

page_text: therebetween and the reservoir by a single duct leading from the latter into said
transverse duct.
Dated this 17th day of October 1890.
DANIEL BAIRD WESSON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Projectiles for Fire-arms and Ordnance.
I, DANIEL BAIRD WESSON, of 132, High Street, in the City of Springfield,
Hampden County, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROJECTILES FOR FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :―
This invention relates to projectiles for ordnance and for small arms, pistols, &c.,
the object being to provide improved projectiles for the above-mentioned uses in
respect to means for lubricating the same, whereby the movement of the projectiles
in the barrels of the gums or arms is attended with reduced frictional resistance, and
injury to the interior of said barrels by the movement of the projectiles, there-
through, is in a great measure, if not wholly, prevented.
In the drawing forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a metallic cartridge, containing
a projectile constructed according to my invention, there being embraced in this
figure a rear end view of said projectile.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a solid projectile or shot for
cannon, and a rear end view of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a shell for cannon, and a rear
end clevation of the same.
Figures 4, and 6, are side elevations, partly in section, of various descriptions
of cartridges, these cartridges, as well as the shot and shell shown in Figures 2
and 3, illustrating the manner of applying my improvements to different projectiles,
all as hereinafter fully described.
Figure 7 is a sectional view of a cartridge projectile, having an arrangement of
ducts or conduits, as below described, differing slightly from those shown in the
preceding figures.
Figure 8 shows a projectile in which the reservoir-cap is omitted.
Heretofore, projectiles for fire-arms have been lubricated by applying lubricating
material in various ways to the surface thereof, or by putting said material into
the shells of metallic cartridges directly behind the ball thereof, but said ways of
applying the lubricant have proved unsatisfactory from the fact that rarely, if ever,
do they effect the thorough lubrication of the surfaces of ball and barrel during
the entire movement of the ball from breech to muzzle of the latter, but the
improved means of lubrication hercin described, insures the effectual lubrication of
the abrading parts of barrel and projectile during the entire movement of the
latter in the barrel.
In the drawing, referring now to Figure 1, which illustrates (somewhat enlarged)
a metallic cartridge, b is the shell thereof of usual form and construction, and A. is
the bullet, made preferably of lead as usual, but in detail constructed as follows:
In the base of the bullet A., is formed a chamber or lubricant reservoir, 3, of any
suitable form, but preferably cylindrical, said reservoir being adapted to contain a
sufficient quantity of lubricating material, preferably tallow or similar substance, to
lubricate the surface of the ball during its entire passage through the barrel. The
ball is made preferably with an annular groove or recess, 4, in its surface between
its base and tip.

page_text: .
One or more lubricant-ducts, 5, are formed in the ball A, extending from sam
eservoir to the surface of the ball or to the base of said groove or recess, as
hown in the several figures, said ducts being adapted to convey the lubricant
rom said reservoir to the surface of the ball, as below described.
The said reservoir, 3, having been filled with lubricating material D, and
preferably filling the ducts 5 at the same time, (as shown in the drawing) a
movable cap or plate 6, is placed in the open end of said reservoir, thereby
enclosing and retaining the lubricant therein, until such time as the projectile shall
be fired from the cartridge, or from a gun.
The said cap or plate 6, is made, preferably, of the forms shown in Figures 2
and 3, that is to say, circular, and having a pending border or brim c, but said cap
may consist simply of a flat disk, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, if desired. Sail
cap 6, acts, when subjected to the force of an ignited charge of powder or other
explosive, in a cartridge or in a gun, as a piston to force the lubricant D, through
the ducts, 5, in the projectile and to discharge said lubricant outwardly against the
adjoining inner surface of the barrel of the gun or fire-arın.
It is obviously desirable that the cap, 6, shall fit tightly within the walls of the
reservoir, 3, to prevent the escape of any of the lubricant rearwardly when said
pressure acts on the cap to force it through the ducts, 5, and hence the said form of
cap shown in Figures 2 and 3, and placed in the projectile as there shown, is
preferable, for the pressure acts directly against the outer surface of the cap to drive
it inward, and more or less laterally against the pending brim c, thereby forcing
the latter so closely against the walls of the reservoir as to prevent undue leakage.
The action of the pressure against the outer side of the cap, 6, shown in Figure 1,
when said cap is placed in the reservoir with its border c, extending inwardly, is, to
crowd the extremity of said border tightly against the walls of the reservoir.
action tends more or less to prevent leakage around the border of the cap, but this
arrangement of the latter is objectionable for the reason that the edge of the border
is apt to cut into the walls of the reservoir and hinder the proper movement of the
cap inwardly.
This
The cap shown in Figure 3, is substantially like that shown in Figure 2, but
varies somewhat from the latter, in that its central portion within the brim, or
border, c, is strengthened by making it of convex form to prevent any inward defler-
tion under great pressure, and this convex form of cap is particularly adapted to be
used in large projectiles, in which the cap may be from 2 to 3 inches in diameter,
this preventing central deflection which would tend to draw the lower edge of the
brim e, away from the walls of the reservoir, and thus permit leakage around the
border of the cap. Said convex form of cap may, if desired, be used in the cap
of the description shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, which has no brim or border, c,
extending at right angles to the plane of the cap.
The above referred to annular groove or recess, +, in the surface of the projectile
in which the outer ends of the ducts, 5, terminate, beneath the surface proper
thereof, prevents the closing of any of the said outer ends of the ducts by the usual
formation of "land marks or grooves on the projectile, caused by the rifling of
the barrel when the latter passes through it. When, however, the projectile is .
constructed without said groove or recess 4, and with several ducts communicating
with the lubricant reservoir, it is seldom, if ever, that such a number of ducts are
interfered with from the above cause as to seriously interfere with the lubrication of
the barrel as above described.
Figure 4, illustrates the application of the within-described lubricating improve-
ments to a cartridge-projectile adapted to be fired in a barrel of very small
calibre.
Figure 5, similarly illustrates the application of said improvements to a cart-
ridge of 45 calibre, and
Figure 6, similarly illustrates the application of the same improvements to an
ordinary Smith & Wesson pistol-cartridge.
.
In all of the..above .referred. to. applications of said improvements,, whether to

page_text: -
projectiles for small arms or for cannon, it is preferable to so arrange the lubricant
ducts 5, that their outer ends shall, as shown in the drawing, terminate at, or about
..at the forward end of the cylindrical portion of the projectile, in order that the
lubricant may be discharged at such a point thereon (and also against the adjoining
inner surface of the barrel) as shall insure its distribution over the entire surface
of the projectile from the outer ends of said ducts to the rear end thereof, during
its passage through the barrel.
And to this end, the capacity of the reservoir, the supply of lubricant therein, and
the diameter of the ducts 5, are properly adjusted to meet the conditions required
for each description of projectile, so that the lubricant shall be continuously delivered
from the sides of the projectile from the instant of the first effect of the force of the
ignited charge of the arm upon the cap, 6, to the escape of the projectile from the
muzzle of the barrel, thereby effecting complete and continuous lubrication,
coinciding with the movement of the projectile, as aforesaid.
Ordinarily, when the length of the ball will permit, it is preferable (as shown in
Figures 1, 5 and 6) that the upper end of the shell of a cartridge shall extend more
or less over the outer ends of the ducts 5, in order to preserve them in good
condition for the delivery of the lubricant, and also to keep any of the latter that
may be present at or in the outer end of the ducts from becoming dry and hard by
exposure to the air.
The projectile, Figure 7, illustrates an arrangement of the ducts, between the
reservoir, 3, and the surface of projectile, which may be adopted if desired, instead
of that shown in the preceding figures of the drawing, which consists in forming a
transverse duct, through the projectile from side to side, having communication
with the reservoir, 3, by means of a duct z, forming conununication between the
reservoir and said transverse duct.
The useful purposes of the cap, 6, are above set forth to a considerable extent,
but it further serves to prevent the escape of any of the explosive force of the
charge through the ducts, 5, after the lubricant may have been fully discharged
from the reservoir.
But by the exercise of care as to such an excess of lubricant as will not be
wholly exhausted from the reservoir and the ducts during the passage of the
projectile through the barrel of the arm, said cap may be omitted, as shown in
Figure 8, if desired, especially when the projectile is to be used soon after it
shall have been charged with lubricant, but in order to best answer all the
requirements of service, it is preferable to invariably provide the projectile with
a cap.
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. A projectile having a reservoir for a lubricant in its rear portion, and a duct
leading from said reservoir to the outer surface of the projectile and opening near
the front of that part of the projectile which has a bearing on the walls of the
gun, whereby pressure on the rear of the projectile may expel the lubricant.
during the passage of the projectile along the gun barrel, substantially as 4
described.
2. A projectile having in its rear portion a reservoir containing a lubricant and
one or more ducts communicating with said reservoir and with the exterior of the
projectile and provided with a cap fitting and movable forwardly in the rear of said .
reservoir and adapted to receive the impact of the firing charge, for the purpose 50
set forth.
3. A projectile having a lubricant-reservoir therein and one or more ducts
communicating with said reservoir and extending thence to the base of a recess in
the surface of the projectile, combined with a movable cap closing the open end of ⠀
said reservoir, substantially as set forth.
4. A projectile having a lubricant-reservoir therein and one or more ducts
55

page_text: communicating with said reservoir and extending thence to the surface of the
projectile, combined with a movable cap closing the open end of said reservoir
having a border extending at right angles to the plane of the cap, substantially as
set forth.
5. A projectile having a lubricant-reservoir therein and one or more ducts
communicating with said reservoir and extending thence to the surface of the
projectile, combined with a movable cap closing the open end of said reservoir
having its central portion of convex form and a border extending at right angles
to the plane of the cap, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 17th dex of October 1900
DANIEL BAIRD WESSON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.