US1178516A

US1178516A - Projectile.

Info

Publication number: US1178516A
Application number: US80957313A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Herschel Hardcastle
Original assignee: BRITISH AND COLONIAL AEROPLANE Co Ltd
Current assignee: BRITISH AND COLONIAL AEROPLANE Co Ltd
Priority date: 1913-12-30
Filing date: 1913-12-30
Publication date: 1916-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 1933-04-11

Description

J. H HARiJCASTLE.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.30, 1913.

1,178,516. Patented Apr. 11,1916.-

1 n5 Wm FATE I I JOHN HERSCHEL HARDCASTLE, OIE BRISTOL ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR IO BRITISH AND OFFICE.

COLONIAL AEROPLANE COMPANY LIMITED, 013 BRISTOL, ENGLAND.

PBOJECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed December 30, 1913. Serial No. 809,573.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HERSCHEL HARDCASTLE, a subject of the King of England, residing at Bristol, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of which the following is a specification. This invention has for its object to pro -'vide a new and improved projectile for rifled small-arms or ordnance which, when suiiiciently rotated, offers less resistance to the air and has, under equal circumstances, a greater range than the projectiles at present in use. This projectile will be sufficiently rotated if it be givena spin in accordance with the tables already in'common use for determining this point. It also, in flight, describes a flatter trajectory and requires less wind allowance.

a part of this specification, Figures 1, 2 and 3 are longitudinal sectional views of projectiles embodying my invention. Figs. 4 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9' are views partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section illustrating other embodiments of the invention. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another modification, and Figs. 11 and 12 are views partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation showing two more modifications.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the projectile l is so constructed that its guiding portion 2 (which is preferably cylindrito one-half (see Fig. 2) of the total length of the projectile, and is situated at the rear thereof. The head of the projectile is, in section, ogival, conical, paraboloid, or the :0 like, or the head may be built up of conoid'al sections. The curves of the head L are shown, in Figs. 1 to 4:, as ogival, and are of a radius a of from 9 to 36 calibers c. The

head, whatever its sectional contour, is from three to six calibers in length. In comb1n-' ing a guiding portion and point together to form a projectile so that the dimensions of the two parts lie within the respective limits hereinbefore stated, I-do not intend that the dimensions chosen for the two parts should In the accompanying drawings, formingcal) occupies from one-eighth (see Fig. l)-

jectile, be added, a projectile of twelve calibers length will result which is useless, and I make no claim to such a projectile. On the contrary, in applying the limits to each portion, while I wish the guiding portion to be made as short as is consistent with giving by its means satisfactory spin to the pro ecti e from the rifling, I prefer not to employ a guiding portion greater than two calibers long and in no case are the proportions of the separate parts to be such that the over-all length of the projectile is greater than seven calibers. The tip of a projectile is preferably as sharp as possible. A projectile may also be constructed in accordance with the present invention with its headof a length as above described, but the said head, instead of being curved as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, may be in the form of one or more truncated cones having one coneshaped piece at its tip. illustrated in Fig. 5 there are shown three truncated cones 3, 4 and 5, and one complete cone 6, but I do not limit myself to this or any number of truncated cones, though, whatever their number, the longitudinal section of the series is substantially the same as though a continuous curve (such, for instance, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.) had been employed.

Another modification of the present invention consists in providing a projectile having a head of a length as above described, but wherein the contour of said head is either that of a cone, as shown in Fig. 6, or partially conical andpartially ogival, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, or it may be partially conical and have a tip the curves of which are convex to the longitudinal axis, as shown in Fig. 11, or may be partially ogival and have a tip the curves of which are convex to the longitudinal axis, as shown for example in Fig. 10.

By a still further modification of the present invention, a. projectile may be constructed with a head which is partially conical and partially curved convex to'its longitudinal axis, and with a cone 7 at the tip,

as shown for example in Fig. 12.

A projectile constructed in accordance with any of'the foregoing examples may have its guiding portion tapered for part of its length, as-shown, for example, in Fig. 9,

the said taper being employed for reducing barrel-friction or so adjusting weight as to In the example cause the center of gravity to lie at a predetermined spot, or the like.

' A projectileaccording to my invention is preferably composed of a material strong enough to resist any tendency on the part of the propelling gas to so compress the rear portion as to deform appreciably the curves of the head.

- the tables at present commonly use for The term guiding portion used in the foregoing specification refers, when applied to projectiles for use with small-arms, to that portion thereof which bears rifling marks after having been fired; when applied to projectiles for use for ordnance, it

refers to'that portion thereof which extends from the driving band to where the effective point of the projectile begins.

A projectile constructed in accordance with this invention will be sufiiciently rotated by rifling made in accordance with of the said point of such length that the length :of the point bears to the entire overall length of the bullet a value lying between 0.5 and 0.7 25, the parts being so chosen that the said entire. overall length does not exceed seven calibers. I

'2. In afpointed projectile the combination of a point-portion whosediameter throughout is'less than the caliber of'the rifle it is intended to be used in and whose length times the said caliber and afportion to the rear of the said point of such length that the length of the point bears to the entire overall length of the bullet a value lying between 0.54 and 0.725, the parts being so chosen that the said entire length does not exceed seven calibers.

3. In a pointed projectile the combination of a point-portion whose diameter throughout is less than the caliber of the rifle it is intended to be used in and whose length is between three times and four times the said caliber and a portion" to the rear of the said point of such length that the length of the point bears to the entire overall length of the bullet a value lying between 0.06 and 0.7 25, the parts being so chosen that the said entire overall length does not exceed seven calibers.

4. In a .pointed projectile the combination of'a point-portion whose diameter throughout is less than the caliber of the rifle it is intended to be used in and whose length is between 3.5 times and 3.6 times the said caliber and a portion to the rear of the said point of such length that the length of the point bears to the "entire overall length of the bullet a. value lying between 0.59 and 0.65, the parts being so chosen that the said is between three times and four-and-a-half entire overall length-does not exceed seven k calibers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HERSCHEL HARDOASTLE.

EFFIE J. FUssELL.