US1008198A - Armor-plate. - Google Patents

Description

R. RIDOLFI.

ARMOR PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1908.

1,008,198, Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

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RIDOLFO RIDOLFI, OF FLORENCE, ITALY.

ARMOR-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 16, 1908.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

Serial No. 453,373.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, RIDoLro RIDoLrI, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Florence, Italy, gentleman, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Armor-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

Having made practical tests with the invention for which I have applied for patent under date of April 28th, 1908, Ser. No. 429,791, I have found that the best results are obtained by making the outer plate of a steel having great resistance to fracture and great toughness. This object is attained by using nickel steel or other alloys having more or less the following resistance: point of fracture 100 kilos per square millimeter, and of elongation 14%.

In the annexed drawing which serves to illustrate how my said invention can be put in practice,Figure l is a vertical crosssection, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of my said compound armor plate.

In the said figures, a is the outer steel plate, b the intermediate cushion of wood, c the case-hardened armor plate, d a second cushioning layer, and -ethe framing of the vessel. It has also been found desirable to render the wooden pad between the two metal plates fire proof by treating it with a solution of salts of boron or by any other known fire proofing process. The wood may also be substituted by other suitable nonmetallic material.

The result obtained by the use of a tough outer plate is that of lessening the perforating power of the projectile, with or without cap, and producing a deviation of the projectile increasing its inclination with respect to the surface of the target. The use of tough steel also produces, on the passage of the projectile, the formation of an encircling line or ring around the point or neck of the projectile. By effect of the resistance 0pposed by the cushion of nonmetallic material the ring formed around the point or neck of the projectile cannot follow for any distance the projectile and the danger of a protecting cap being formed by the metal of the front plate on the point of the projectile is thus avoided. Said ring has the following efiect upon the direction of the projectile: The projectile will perforate the front plate, and before coming in contact with the cemented or back plate, it will find itself seized by an inclined section located some centimeters under the point, with its free end (the cushion acting only as a sufficient resistance for preventing the movement of the point of the projectile) at about a right angle to the surface of the target. Under these conditions, owing to its gyro scopic properties, the projectile will tend to deviate from said angle.

The necessity of rendering the wooden pad fire proof is because the front plate, besides removing the cap from the projectile raises to a high degree the temperature of the point of the projectile while perforating or breaking up the cap and perforating the front plate. Said elevation of temperature in addition to modifying the temper of the point of the projectile, may in certain cases cause same to melt thus further diminishing the perforating power of the projectile.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is The combination with the hull of a vessel, of a compound armor plate comprising an inner cushioning layer of wood placed against the hull of a vessel, a case-hardened steel armor-plate placed against the outer face of the inner cushioning layer, an intermediate cushioning layer of wood placed against said armor plate, an outer steel plate placed against the intermediate layer, and means for holding the layers and plates to gether, said means consisting of headed bolts passed entirely through the plates and layers, for holding the same together, and also of headed bolts passing through overlapping ends of the outer plate, said ends being undercut.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RIDOLFO, RIDOLFI. [n s.]

WVitnesses:

JOHN VAL. J AOKSON, J osnrn GIANI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

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