Improvements in Ordnance and in Projectiles for the same.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 13th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ordnance and in Projectiles for the same.
I GEORGE FELLOWS HARRINGTON, of Hurdholme, Binstead Road, Ryde, Isle of
Wight, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Having obtained Letters Patent for "Improvements in Fire-arms and in Projectiles
for the same," dated November 11th 1886, No. 14605, which improvements consist
of making ordnance much shorter than usual, with hores to diminish in diameter
towards their muzzle ends, in the form of cones, to receive steel tubes, hardened and
tempered, and made outside to fit the cones in the guns, and inside with parallel bores
which may be rifled or left smooth.
And my improvements in steel projectiles consist of making them in two parts, one
part made with pliable flections, and hollow, with a hole at the end thereof, tapped.
The other part made as a thrust bolt, with one end to form the base of the projectile,
the other end tapped to allow the two parts to be screwed together, leaving spaces
between the two parts, under the pliable flections, to receive the steel thereof while
they are compressed into and forced through the tubes in the guns.
This application for a patent is for further improvements upon those described
above, and more particularly specified in my aforesaid patent, and in ordnance consist
of making their hardened and tempered steel tubes in two parts instead of one, the
bore of the one part, which the shots are forced into, being left smooth, and the bore
of the other part, which the shots are afterwards forced into, being rifled.
making such tubes in two parts or two lengths not only the better keep the shots gas-
tight while in the guns, but also lessen the risk of cracking and warping during the
process of hardening and tempering them which is of great importance.
The
And my further improvements in elongated projectiles consist of making them in
one instead of two parts, with flections, ridges, or protuberances formed round them,
the which are rendered pliable by under cut spaces formed to receive the steel of the
said flections as they are forced through the tubes in the guns. The objects of the
pliable flections are not only to take the rifling and give spiral motions to the shots,
but also to detain them in the guns until the powder explodes and drives them-the
shots with all its available force from their muzzles, the which improvements also
simplify the construction of the shots and considerably lessen the cost of their
production.
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ordnance and in Projectiles for the same.
GEORGE FELLOWS HARRINGTON, Hurdholme, Binstead Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight,
Gentleman, 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 :-
My improvements in guns consist of making them with cone-shaped bores,
decreasing in diameter from their breech-plugs to their muzzle ends, to receive two
steel tubes, made outside to fit the cone-shaped bores in the guns. One tube is
made inside with a smooth bore to receive the charge or cartridge. The other tube is
made with a parallel bore, rifled, except the end into which the projectile enters, the
which end is made larger in diameter than the rifled part, and sinooth to ensure the

page_text: projectile becoming gas-tight before it is compressed into the rifled part, to take
the rifling; and to continue gas-tight while it is being forced through the rifled tube.
The tube which receives the charge or cartridge is made of steel and left without
being bardened.
The tube which is rifled, except the large end, is hardened by being heated red-hot
and while in that state immersed in either oil or water: after which its hardness is
tempered by heating it to about 480° F. (which is about the same tempered-hardness
as is given to taps and dies for cutting screws).
I am aware that the steel surface rifled bores of the guns in common use is said to
be hardened probably mechanically hardened. But although such hardness answers
for rifling the copper-bands which are inserted in the projectiles in common use, it
would not answer for the rifled tubes in my guns, because the firing a few of my steel
projectiles would destroy the acuteness of the rifling. Again, the degree of
hardness of the rifled steel in the guns in common use, admits of the steel being cut
by filing or scraping, whereas the tempered hardness of the steel tubes in my guns
does not admit of their being cut by being either filed or scraped. Again, when
rifled tubes are inserted in the guns in common use, to reline them: such tubes are.
made parallel outside, to correspond with the holes that are formed in the guns. And
after the guns have been heated to about 700° F.-a dull-red heat-the tubes are
inserted and shrunk in the guns, which process would communicate so much heat to
my hardened and tempered tubes as would render them useless for rifling my
projectiles. To obviate this, I make the bores in my guns cone-shaped, as already
described, and the outside of my tubes cone-shaped to fit the bores in the guns.
And, after inserting them, they are driven tight in the guns: or if heat should be
used, either when putting them in, or taking them out, it would be under 480° F.,
which would not lessen the tempered hardness of my tubes.
"And instead of making my projectiles in two parts, as specified in my patent, dated
the 11th of November, 1886, No. 14605, or with copper bands inserted round them
to take the rifling, as in the projectiles in common use, my improvements in projectiles
consist of forming rims of the steel of the projectiles, and recesses, round them, the
which rims are made from about to of an inch larger in diameter than the rifled
bores in my tubes, the which steel rims are compressed into and through the tubes to
take the rifling, by the force of the exploded powder. And as such rims, being of
steel, require much more force to compress them into the rifled tubes than copper
bands would, they allow time for more powder to explode before my projectiles begin
to move; and as the quantity of powder, left to explode during their passage through
the tubes is thereby lessened, my guns are made shorter than the guns in common
use, in proportion.
"When the detention of my projectiles in my guns, and the length of the guns,
have been adjusted, the whole of the powder explodes and all its available force-is
communicated to the projectiles before they leave the guns.
From experiments made, I believe it will be found that guns, made upon my
principle, half the length of those in common use, will be equally if not more
efficient: the which shortening of guns will be of great advantage in ships of war,
and in boats used for war purposes.
I also harden the pointed ends of my projectiles for piercing armour plates.
And because as much metal will be in my short guns as is in the long guns in
common use, such extra thickness of metal will bear the extra strain which the
detention of the projectiles in my guns will occasion.
The accompanying drawings will assist in further explaining my aforesaid
improvements.
A represents my gun. B represents the steel tube which receives the charge or
cartridge. C represents the hardened and tempered, rifled, steel tube, with its smooth
end made larger to receive the projectile and render it gas-tight. D represents my
projectile.
I do not bind myself to the details herein given so long as my improvements
are retained.
1

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim as new, is,
The exclusive right to make guns with cone-shaped bores, and tubes to fit such
bores: the tubes to receive the charges to have smooth bores. The rifled tubes to be
hardened and tempered so that they cannot be cut away by filing with an ordinary
steel file, combined with steel projectiles, made with a steel rim or rims, about
fromto of an inch larger in diameter than the rifled bores in the tubes, to take
the rifling, and detain them in the guns to allow time for the charges of powder to
explode and communicate their full available forces to them while they are in the
guns, as explained above.
1000
G. F. HARRINGTON.