US1301382A

US1301382A - Incendiary projectile.

Info

Publication number: US1301382A
Application number: US17826617A
Authority: US
Inventors: James Frank Buckingham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1917-07-02
Filing date: 1917-07-02
Publication date: 1919-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 1936-04-22

Description

J. F. BUCKINGHANI. 1 INCENDIARY PROJECTILE. 4 APPLICATION man 1u1Y 2.1917.

' Patented Apr. 22,1919.

JAMES FRANK BUGKINGHAM, F COVENTBY, ENGLAND.

INCENDIABY PaoJEcTrLE.

Speciiication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application led July 2, 1917. Serial No. 178,266.

` To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FRANK BUCK- INGHAM, a subject of the King of England, residing at Coventry, Warwickshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incendiary Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to incendiary bullets, shells and the like, of the kind in which the bullet contains an incendiary substance which is ejected from the bullet when it leaves the barrel. In patent specification No. 178,264 it'is stated that in some cases the outlets from the bullet case may be formed at the side instead of at the rear so that the contents of the bullet case are not exposed to the force of the explosion of the cartridge and cannot escape until the bullet has left the barrel. l

` It is the object of this invention to provide an improved construction embodying this feature, in which the contents are thoroughly protected from the force of the explosion and also cannot come into contact with and damage the interior of the barrel.

According to the present invention, the lateral hole or holes contain a closure which is released by the heat of the explosion but as the closures are in the side of the bullet they cannot be dislodged until the bullet is free of the barrel. The closing substance may be a plug of metal, etc., which melts when the cartridge is ired or it may be a solid lug retained by a fusible solder.

In lhe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a bullet constructed in accordance with this invention just leaving the barrel.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the bullet after it has left the barrel.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a modication.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In both constructions the bullet case A is arranged to contain phosphorus or some other suitable substance which liquelies owing to the heat conducted through the walls from the explosion of the cartridges, and is then ready to be ejected through one or more outlets either in a liaming condition, or to burst into llame directl it comes in contact with the air. The out et B is made in the side of the bullet and is closed by a plug Z I of some easily melted substance such as a solder which will be melted automatically by the heat conducted to it. On firing the cartrldge this solder will melt, but it and the contents of the bullet will not escape until the bullet leaves the barrel C as will be clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. In Fig. 1 it will be noticed that the plug Z is retained by the barrel. In Fig. 2 the melted plu has been dispersed and the bullet is in ight, ejecting the contents through the hole B. The incendiary contents Vselected expand considerably when heated and when used in a rilled barrel the internal pressure due to the heat conducted to them, added to the centrifugal action, causes the contentsto bev violently ejected and finely distributed so thata uniform effect is obtained.

In the alternative construction shown in Fig. 3 the hole B is only indirectly closed by the fusible substance. In each outlet B is placed a non-fusible` plug D or the like and this is held in place by an easily fusible solder.

Thus the rear end of the .bullet can be permanently closed by a plug E and the contents are fullyprotected from the force of explosion of the cartridge, and the barrel protected from Contact with the incendiary substance.

In some cases it may be desirable that the lateral hole be placed near the front of the bullet so that a short time may elapse before the heat is .conducted along' the bullet. The result is that the ilame does not appear until the bullet has traveled a certain distance away from the rie or gun. This is of advantagein some cases as it does not venable the position of the n to be so easily traced.

AConsequently the ocation of the outlet or outlets with regard to the length of the bullet determines the moment at which the ame commences.

The invention is applicable to traders' as well as to incendiary bullets and shells.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A hollow projectile comprising a hollow shell having an opening in the side, a plug for the rear of the shell, easily meltable incendiary substance within the shell and a fusible substance plugging the entrance to the opening, for the purpose specified.

2. A hollow projectile comprising a hollow shell having an opening in the side, a plug for the rear of the shell, easily meltable incendiary substance-within the shell, a plug Within the opening and a, fusible. substance keeping the plug in place, for the purpose specified.

3. A hollow projectile comprising a hollow shell having an opening in the side, a, plug for the rear of the shell, easily meltable incendiary-substance within the shell, a non-fusible plug within the opening and 'a' fusible substance keeping the' plug in place, 1

for the purpose specified.

-Witnessesz ALBERT BROWN ANNm L. WAD

I have signedV my BUOKINGHAM.

1n the presence of