US1231388A - Projectile-loading apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

G. W. LAKE.

l PROJECTILE LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. I916 1,231,388. Patented June 26, 1917.

2 $HEETS-SHEET 1- TE J 'ifsTaTES P E @F cnoaen w. am, or RUMFORD, anions ISLAND, assrcnon or own-nature I w. SMITH, or PROVIDENCE, nHonE ISLAND.

- PBOJECTILE LOADING APPARATUS.

. Patented June 2rd, 191?,

Application filed December 30, 1916. "Serial-F0. 139,773.

T all whom it may concern:

Be itknown-that 'I, GEoncE W. LAKE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the town of Rumford, in the county of Provi- 'dence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectile-Loading Apparatus, of

which'the following is a specification.

This invention relates toapparatus for paratus for loading the larger size shells, a

loading projectiles, more particularly those of the larger sizes, with high explosives, and

. the invention has for onev of its-objects to provide means for forcing the charge into a heated shell, and to cool the shell while the charge and its surplus of loading material remains under the loading pressure, whereby this surplus is forced into the shell to c0mpensate for the shrinkage or contraction of thematerial while cooling, thus insuring an absolutely solid charge of-uniform density without pores or air spaces therein, as it is found in practice that uneven loading will throw the shell out of balance, rendering the shot inaccurate and in most cases ineffective.

A 'further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the cooling medium is caused, to begin. the cooling operation at the bottom of the shell and then work upward so as to permit the surplus filling, which may be either in granular, plastic or liquid form to be forced in at the top to compensate for the shrinkage thereby insuring a complete filling of the shell. A still further object of the invention- 15 o ro vide means for locking together the she 1 support, and the power applying mechanism during the shell filling operation.

The invention further consists in the pro-,

vision of means for removing the power applying mechanism from alinement with the shell support, whereby the loaded shell may be readily removed and another shell positioned to-be filled.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an elongated neck portion which is connected to the shell and in which a surplus' portion of the charge is stored and adapted to be forced into the shell to compensate for shrinkage-when the charge is' melted or liquefied, and also when it is cooled and -solidified. i I

A. still further objectof the invention is from a point remote from the shell thereby the provision of meansilwhereby the applh j cation of pressure to the charge is controlled reducing to the minimum the hazard of loading shells with high explosives.

By the employment of my improved apnumber of important advantages are obtained. Amongothers being, first, by first liquefying and then solidifying the charge while under pressure an absolutely perfect charge of uniform density with no pores or airholes 18 obtained; second, one inan can operate this machine to load a shell complete in but a few minutes thus greatly increasing the production over present methods'; third, by operating the loading mechanism'from a distance, the danger of loading is reduced to the mimimum. I

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain n0vel-features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation showing I my improved loading apparatus as located Fig. 3 ma sectional plan view through i the bulkhead or pit backing; also showing the arrangement of the pipes controlling the operation of the loading mechanism,

Fig. 4- is a sectional elevation showing the'shell loading mechanism in section and illustrating the iston as forcing the charge into the shell w ich latter is immersed in a heat controlling medium.

Fig. 5- 's a plan view of reduced size shpwing a section on line 55 of Fig; 4c-

. 5 which fits into the T slot in the base plate.

Fig. 7- is an edge view of the base plate showing the T slot therein. I Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the funnel by means of which the filling material is m first conducted through the filling neck into the shell.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the valve for controlling the pressure to and discharge from the operating cylinder.

In myfimptpved method for filling large slrells or'projectiles with high explosives, I 'use a material which may be obtained commercially in granular or powdered form, or in a liquid or semi-plastic state, but. for convenience in handling, I preferably. employ the granular form of material.

My improved apparatus consists essentially of a base plate 10 having T-shaped slots 11 and 12 in its side edges in which fit the heads 13 of the tie rodsor bolts 14. On this base plate is supported a water tank or receptacle 15 which is provided with a pipe 16 near its lowerendfor admitting hot water thereto, and a pipe 17 also near the bottom of the tank for admitting cold water thereto.

This tank is provided near its top with an plunger 32, which passes therethrough to exert a pressure on the charge while first,

liquefying and then solidifying the same.

valve 20 is connected to the bottom of the 23 is screwed, but the base 24 of this shell is in some cases supplied with an opening through which the filling is passed instead of through the nose as herein shown.

' A feature of this invention is the rovision of the elongated supply neck23 w ich has a screw threaded boss 25' at its lower end, said boss being provided with an enlarged filling opening 26 and a small vent opening 27 through Which-the air from the shell is discharged by wayZof the pipe 28 and valve 29. This supply neck is also pro- -vided with an elongatedcentral chamber 30 for storing an extra quantity of the filling material, over and above that poured into the shell, to be forced into the shell and compensate for the shrinkage therein due to the melting of the'grains and contraction "due'to the cooling of the charge.

This neck is provided with a U-shaped This piston rod or plunger extends upward through the packing 37 in the yoke 33, through the cylinder 34 and out through the packing box 35 at the upper end thereof and to it is connected the piston 36 which is designed to move in this cylinder 34 to cause the plunger to 'exert pressure on the charge. a

Any suitable medium may be employed for acting on this piston, but. I preferably employ water under pressure, which is admitted thereto through the pipe 38, which pipe extends back through the bulkhead 39 and is provided with a pressure gage 4O and a valve 4 1., whereby'the operator at the rear may admit-pressure to the cylinder and observe by the gage the amount of pressure appiled. The yoke 33 is tied to the base 10 by means of the tie rods or bolts 14 so'as to render effective the force of the piston upon the charge.

The operation of loading the shells or projectiles with high explosives by my improved process is performed as follows Firsta number of the shells are pre-heated .in the oven 52 shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and oneof these heated shells is. removed and the supply neck 23 is screwed thereinto. This shell thus equipped is engaged by the chain hoist 48 and lifted over into the empty tank 15, from above which the cylinder 34 has been previously removed by its individual hoist 44. The funnel 49,shown in Fig. 8, is now placed in the supply neck,

and the explosive material in granular form is poured through the funnel down into the shell until the same is filled and the supply neck is also filled upto the packing 31 and .the funnel is then removed. The material may be poured. into the shell after being. taken from the oven and before it is positionedin the tank if desired.

The chain hoist 4.8 is now rolled back at 1 The operator now closes the discharge valve 20- leading from the tank, he then leaves the loading pit and passes around back of the bulkhead 39. Here he first opens valve 51 permitting the'hot Water to flow through pipe 16 and fill the tank, thereby melting and liquefying the charge in the shell. He then operates the three-way valve 41 to permit the water pressure to flow through pipe 38 into the cylinder 34 thereby.

driving downits piston 36 and causing the I to a liquid state. After heat and pressure have been applied to the shell for a predetermined length of time, the valve 51 is closed and valve 52 is opened permitting the cold water to enter at the bottom-of the tank 15, thereby forcing the hot Water out through-the overflow 1'8 and acting upon the shell and its contents to cool the same at its bottom first, and then gradually upward to its top.

Y The cooling action liquid material in the shell at once serves to harden the same into a solid mass. During .this hardening process the mass is bound to shrink somewhat reducing the 'bulk slightly, -Which reduction is. at once compensated for by the force of the piston acting upon the charge so that when thefilling operation is finished the charge in the shell is absolutely a solid mass of uniform density Without any possibility of a blowv hole or air space being formed therein, which is of v 80 utmost importance to the successful loading of an explosive prOJectile. After the shell has been completely filled and its filling material hardened by cooling, which takes a predetermined number of minutes to accomplish, theoperator back of the bulkhead now shuts ofl. his supply of cold Water to the tank, and the pressure to the cylinder 341 and opens the discharge therefrom, after which he enters the pit and 40 opens the valve 20, permitting the cold water to be quickly discharged from the tankv 15; .During this time he unscrews the 'nuts 42 from the bolts 14 and attaches the chain hoist; to the end of the plunger 32.

45 Then by setting up this hoisthe first raises the plunger withdrawing it from the supply neck 23, which act on also forces the water fromthe upper-end. of the cylinder A-out through the pipe 38thro1lgh which it entered, which action is made possible by the employment ofv the three-way valve 41, see Fig. 9, which is connected to this pipe 38. The coupling 54 ong'ithe pipe 38 is now broken and the-yoke an cylinder are 55 lifted from the rods and the same is then moved to one'side by meaps of the carria e47. .m r fresh shell now engaged by the chain i hoist 48 and the loading operation is repeated as described.- I have described my apparatus more particularly as using the charging material in granular form, but this material may be upon this, plastic or.

used in a liquid, plastic or other convenient form if desired. I have also described the means whereby the shell is heated during the time the material is being forced thereinto, but in some cases it may be found that 'by simply heating the shell to a predetermined temperature just prior to the filling, and before the applicatidn of; pressure thereto will sufficiently lique'fy the charge to permit the pressure to, satisfactorily act upon the same. If it is desired to use the material in a, liquid or'plastic form instead of in a dry or granular form, I attach a pipe or hose.

.to the inlet pipe 55'illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and force the liquidmaterial into the neck therethrough by a pump or other -means. After the shell has become filled and before the'pressure is applied, I close the valve 56 to prevent the liquid-from [being forced out the'rethrough when the plunger 32 descends.

Having thus described one illustrative em hopliment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a genericsense and not for the purpose of limitation, I therefore desire itto be understood that I reserve the privilege ofresorting to all mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

I claim: r

1. In a shell loading apparatus, means for heating the shell, means for forcing the explosive material into the shell While heated, and means for applying a cooling medium to the shell While the contents are under pressure.

2. An improved method of loading shells with explosives consisting of heating the shell, forcing the explosive material into 5 the shell while heated, and applying a cooling medium to the shell while the contents are under pressure.

3. An improved method of loading shells with explosives consisting of heating the shell, for'cing the explosive material into the shell while heated, and permitting the shell to cool while its contents are still under pressure.

4:. In a shell loading apparatus, means for 1 applying heat to the shell during a portion only of the filling operation, means for forcing the explosive material into the shell, and subsequently permitting the shell to cool.

5. An improved method of loading shells 0 with explosives consisting of applying heat to the shell during a portion only of the fillmaterial into the shell during such heating 25 and cooling operations.

v 6. In a shell loading apparatus, means for forcing the explosive material intothe shell,

and means for both heating and co ling the shell during such filling operation.

pressure to force the explosive material into.

the heated shell, and means for subsequently cooling the shell beginning at the end oposite'to that through which the charge is eing forced. 9. In "a-shell loading apparatus, means i for heating the shell, means for applying pressure to force the explosive material into the heated shell, and means for subsequently cooling the shell during a portion of the filling operation beginning at the end oppositeto that through which the charge is being forced. v

10. In a. shell loading apparatus, means for heating the shell, a pressure plunger for forcing the explosive intothe shell, While heated, and means forcooling the shell While the contents are still under pressure;

11. A shell loading apparatus comprising a casing in which the shell to-be loaded is placed, a pressure operated plunger for forcing the charge into said shell, means for admitting a heating and cooling medium alternately 'to said casing to heat the shell before the charge is admitted and to cool the same While the charge is still under pres- .sure.-

12. In ashell loading apparatus, means for heating the shell, a pressure plunger forforcing the explosive into the shell While heated, means for cool'ng the shell While its contents are still unde pressure, and means .for carryingan extra .upply of fillin'g ma: terial under pressure 0 be forced into the shell to compensate fo the contracting and shrinkage of the charge. I a

13. In a shell loading apparatus, means for heating the shell, a pressure. plunger -or forcing the'explosive into the shell While heated, and a supply neck connected to" the shell in Which is stored the filling material under pressure ofsaid plunger to be forced into the shell to compensate for the shrink age of the charge. vand means for cooling the shell while its contents and supplyal'e still under pressure. l

14. In a shell loading apparatus, a poweroperated plunger for forcing the charge into the shell, a-shell support} and bars for detachablysecuring together the, power ap plying mechanism and said shell support A and means for removing the power applyin mechanism from a'linem'ent with the shell support. p 16.-In.'a shell loading apparatus, means for heating the shell, means for forcing the explosive intolthevsh'ell whileiheated, and means for controlling saidforcing means from a point remote from the-shell.

17. Inan apparatus for applying explorsives to shells, means for forcing the charge into the shell, and means for alternately heating and coolingthe shell While being loaded, andmeans for controlling the temperaturesof the shell from a point remote therefrom.

18. In a shell loading apparatus, means for heating the shell, a pressure plunger for forcing the explosive mto the shell while heated, means for'cooling the shell While the supply thereto is still under pressure,

and means for controlling said pressure plunger from a point remote from the shell.

19. In a shell loading apparatus, means for heating the shell, means for applying pressure .to' force the explosive material into the heatedf'shell, means for subsequently cooling the 'shell gbe g inning at the end opposite to that'th'i'ough which the charge is being forced, and means for controlling the operating mechanism from a point remote from the shell during the pressure applying operation. l

- In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of a witness. g GEORGE W. LA'KE.

Witness:

HOWARD E BARLow'.

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