IL28154A - Rotating projectile equipped with trajectory correcting means - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to projectiles of the type comprising a remotely controllable detecting device, said projectile being rotated along its trajectory, by its own characteristics or those of its launching means.

The detecting device may be of any suitable type remotely controllable either by electromagnetic waves or by waves emitted from a source of coherent luminous waves (laser) or by infrared waves, e.g. those emitted by a motor exhaust and the like.

These waves may be emitted or reflected by the target or the shooter and generally they may reach the detecting device in any suitable manner.

The objet of the present invention is to cause the suitable intervening of a substantial lateral thrust (hereafter called "Bonk") capable of modifying almost instantaneously the trajectory of the projectile to bring it on the target.

One of the major difficulties encountered heretofore results from the importance of the amplitude of the angular correction being brought to the trajectory of the projectile to ensure a favourable probability of reaching the target within a very large variety of shooting conditions.

It has already been proposed to provide the projectiles with a lateral thrust device expelling at due time and in the intended direction a mass of gases the ejection of which causes a rapid modification of the projectile slant, thereby resulting in a modification of the trajectory.

However this solu i i re r expelled with respect to the projectile mass and consequently the relatively small value of the resulting force system and, on the other hand, the way of applying said force. In fact, it is observed that this lateral thrust is applied in such manner that it results only a torque causing the projectile to slant by rotating about its center of gravity, the resulting slant modifying progressively the trajectory owing to the aerodynamic characteristics of the projectile. Accordingly, the modification of the trajectory requires a relatively long time and the angular value of this modification may not be obtained with a sufficient accuracy.

In addition, in such known devices, the pivoting speed of the projectile about its center of . gravity owing to the ejection of the gas mass must be brought back to zero by another force, thereby giving rise to an additional inaccuracy of the angular correction of the projectile trajectory and a substantial complication of the construction and the operation thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a trajectory correcting device, more particularly for projectiles of the above mentioned type, with which the drawbacks of the known devices are systematically avoided.

Another object of the invention is to make such device from a minimum number of constituting elements readily assembled, thereby allowing to reach relatively low cost prices with respect to the erformances of the ro ectile ¾ ■ ■ to a particular construction of such device offerin a great resistance to lateral stresses when correcting the trajector .

The correcting device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a make-up charge and an auxiliary projectile arranged in such manner that the resultant of the reaction forces created "by the ejection of said auxiliary projectile is lateral, passes through or at close vicinity of the center of gravity of the projectile and is such that it may induce almost instantaneously a correction of the trajectory to "bring the projectile on the target.

Thus, the new trajectory of the main projectile is determined "by the resultant of two orthogonal linear movements the first of which is caused by the propelling force of the main projectile, while. the second movement results from the propelling force of the auxiliary projectile passing through or at close vicinity of the center of gravity of the said main projectile.

It is apparent that the said auxiliary projectile will he injected substantially at the time of the detection and said time itself will correspond to such an angular position of the projectile that the speed vector of the auxiliary projectile is situated within or approximately within a rplane including both the target and the longitudinal axis of the main projectile.

It will be observed that practically the different from that just described above to take account of surrounding factors such as, for instance, the time necessary for ejecting the auxiliary projectile, the shifting of the target from the bonk and the like.

It is important that the speed of the projectile remains constant along its trajectory. For this purpose, the projectile provided with the device according to the invention will be correlatively conditioned by any suitable means providin for such constant speed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the projectile will be provided with a flight motor to define accurately the angular amplitude of the trajectory correction resulting from the combination of said speed with the transverse speed imparted by the bonk.

The flight motor will be such that the thrust with which it actuates the projectile, is approximately equal to the resistance to the advance of the projectile relative to its initial speed.

Without limitation, an example of trajectory . correcting device for a projectile and a so equipped projectile will be described hereafter in their essential elements with reference to the enclosed drawings' wherein: 'figure 1 shows very diagrammatically a longitudinal section of a projectile and the correcting device according to the invention; figure 2 shows a section taken on the line II-II of figure 1; according to the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show as diagrammatically as possible a missile ^ comprising at least a body g, a head and foldable fins In the represented embodiment * the body 2 is formed of a highly resistant tubular element divided into two chambers 6»7 by a cross-piece 8, the longitudinal axis A-A of which is at right angles or substantially at right angles with the longitudinal axis B-B of the rojec i es In that case the chamber 6 houses the charge, generally a hollow charge represented in Chamber 2 houses a suitable device providing for the flight speed of the projectile. In the selected embodiment, this device comprises a flight motor represented in 10» The cross-piece 8 has a blind hole l^ the longitudinal axis of which merges with the said axis Α-Α» Said blind hole houses at least a priming element or device 12, a trajectory correcting propellant charge l^, an auxiliary projectile, namely a ball associated with said charge 13 and a lid JL , the device 12 and charge 13 together formin a firing circuit.

The highly r sistant body Jj5 s preferably reinforced by any suitable means, namely i the plane of the bonk.

In this respect and in a particular embodiment, the tubular element will present from its ends or at a distance from its ends 16-17 and in the direction of the cross-piece 8, an Increasing thickness. Similarly, the bottom of the said blind hole 11 will be conditioned or shaped to present a great resistance* .

The head 2 will comprise namely a detecting device 18 which will be selected in accordance with the used detecting 28154/2 ¾ of the emitter* The above mentioned firing circuit is responsive to the detecting device JL8 since when the latter is energized it fires the priming element or device 12 which in turn fires the trajectory correcting propellant charge 1£ due to which the auxiliary projectile 14. is then ejected* Heretofore, there are known a number ©f. such detecting devices likely to be remotely controlled, even at an important distance, by magnetic, heat and light waves and the like, The said head £ will be generally provided with a co -ventional protecting cap 1°, having a spherical, ogival or simila shape. According to the case, a transparent or opaque material will be selected but, in any case, said material will be permeable to the waves having to reach or operate the detecting device represented in 18, Generally, use will be advantageously made of plastic materials which are well known at the present and which are also used for similar purposes.

The fins 4. will be also shaped and conditioned in any suitable manner.

S e detecting device or the projectile provided therewith will operate substantially as follows: The projectile 1 is brought as accurately as possible to bear on a point adjacent to the target. At a point of the trajectory of the projectile 1, the detecting device 18 is remotely energized by a known means e.g. by directing directly a train or a beam of waves thereto or by reflecting said waves, e.g. from the target or by any other manner. At that time, as diagrammatically represented in f¾ire 3, the projectile 1 is subjected simultaneously to the flight speed before the bonk represented by the vector VI and at a complementary speed indicated by vector V/2 and resulting from the indicated "by vector V2 which must be tangential to a trajectory represented in t passing through the target p_ or at close vicinity of the latter.

For that purpose, it will be observed that the detecting device 18 will be necessarily energized, i.e. that also the charge 13 for propelling the auxiliary projectile 1 will be fired when the vector Wl representing the speed' of the auxiliary projectile lies within or approximately within a plane including both the longitudinal axis B-B of the projectile 1 and the target o. ■ 1 It will be apparent that the tolerances are directly depending upon the shooting conditions and that the auxiliary charge 1. could be also, fired for any other relative position of said vector Wl so that the projectile impacts against the target or at close vicinity thereof.

It. will be observed that, with relatively · simple measures, the projectile according to the invention allows to reach a very great shooting accuracy. In fact, the principal parameters having an influence upon' the' precision may be predetermined with sufficient accuracy,' provided of course that the launching arm has been correctly aimed. In fact, the angle under which the detecting device 8 may see the target is known and the value of said angle allows to determine the angular value of the correction being given to the trajectory of the projectile, the speed of the latter i being constant and known. The value of this correction may be reproduced with sufficient accuracy since the resultant of the reaction forces acting upon the center ejection of the auxiliary projectile 16 is known within sufficient limits, said center of gravity. G being shifted in a very short time. It is also to "be noted that the thrust of the flight motor 12 is selected to he approximately equal to the resistance to advance of the projectile relative to its initial speed. Of course, this allows to maintain the angle of lateral correction (angle of bonk) constant for every flight state. .

It is apparent that the characteristics of this invention will be worked under essentially varying forms in accordance with the means adapted for the detection under the particular conditions disclosed herein to induce the 'later/al' thrus or "bonk" so that the. projectile be kept in rotation at a reduced speed about its axis and the like. Generally, the projectile-will be provided with a single charge and auxiliary projectile. It is apparent that, in particular cases, two or more eharges and make-up projectiles could- be applied provided that they meet the operating require- >■ ments disclosed herein.

In brief, this invention covers any detection projectile using the foregoing characteristics as well as the projectile parts specially conditioned therefor.

Claims (4)

28154/2 - 10 CLAIMS . .

1. A rotating projectile having means for correcting the trajectory thereof, of the type comprising detector means responsive to a target illumination and the firing circuit responsive to said detector means to ignite a trajectory correcting propellant charge, characterized in that said means include an auxiliary projectile associated to said propellant charge, said charge and auxiliary projectile being radially aligned and born within the projectile body at or near to the center of gravity of the projectile, the latter being equipped with motor means to propel at the constant velocity during the main part of its flight and with profiled stabilisation fins to spin the projectile at a desired constant period durin flight.

2. A rotating projectile according to Claim 1, wherein said propellant charge and auxiliary projectile are arranged within a diametral housing of the projectile body so that the vector representing the speed of the auxiliary projectile at the time of the ejection thereof is at right angles or approximately at right angles with the longitudinal axis of the projectile and passes through the center or at close vicinity of the center of gravity thereof.

3. % A rotating projectile according to Claim 1, wherein the thrust of said motor means is substantially equal but opposite to the aerodynamical, drag acting on said projectile during the flight thereof.

4. A rotating projectile according to Claim 1, wherein said body comprises a stress resistant tubular element divided into two chambers by a cross-piece, the longitudinal axis of projectile, one of said chambers housing an exploding charge and the other chamber said motor means, a blind hole extending through said tubular element into said cross-piece, said blind hole housing said propellant charge, auxiliary projectile and a part of said firing circuit. 5f A rotating projectile according to Claim 2, vrtierein the tubular body has an increasing thickness from its ends or at a distance therefrom and in the direction of the central cross-piece, 6i.fr A rotating projectile having means for correcting the trajectory thereof substantially as above described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. For the Applicants DR, REINHOLD COHN AND PARTNERS IS.CB