US1313926A

US1313926A - Frederick wilfrid scott stokes

Info

Publication number: US1313926A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1936-08-26

Description

' F. w. s. Smm.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED IMYI3. |916.

Patented Alig. 26, 1919.

. passage therethrough of walls of the cartridge case to insure a 4with one or both ends integral with the body 'UNTTED sTATEs PATENT ortica.

FREDERICK`WIL1E'BID SCOTT vSTOKES, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 'IO WILLIAM S. PEIRCE, TRUSTEE, ACTING CHIEF 0F ORDINANCE, UNITED STATES ARMY.

PROJECTILE.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application mea May 13, 1916. sen'al No. 97,389.

1,313,926, Specification of Letters Patent.

in consequence of the partial failureof the pro-pelle'nt charge.

The fusewhetherof the time or percussiontype may be disposed in a head ofA suitable shape constructed of aluminium or other material and mounted on or formed in o-ne with the plate or end which constitutes the forepart of the projectile.

The `propellent charge disposed as described in a separate vcartridge is` not inserted in the chamber on the projectile base until the projectile is to be used. The gun with which the improved projectile is mainly intended to be employed is pro' vided with a smooth bore and of such diameter with relation 'to that of the projectile that the latter `is an easy fit in the bore and will readily slide -down into the breech of the gun when it is to be discharged, the gun barrel being mounted for the purpose w-'th its axis at aconsiderable angular elevation. The propellent charge carried on the base or rear end of the projectile is tired by impiact with a striker mounted in the'breech of the gun. It. may, 80 however, be fired by inserting the `projecv tile in the breech chamber and operating a movable striker.

In the accompanying To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Winrar SCOTT S'roincs, a subject of the King of England, residing at London, in England,' have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

rIlhis invention relates has for its object to produce a projectile of simple construction which can be cheaply made and is more especially intended for use in guns of the howitzer type such as trench montars and the like.

According to this invention the projectile has a hollow body on the rear end of which is formed lor mounted a tubular open ended extension of less diameter than the body which constitu-tes a chamberv adapted to contain an explosive propellentfcartridge. The wall of the tubular cartridge chamber is perforated with holes of such dimensions and sufficient number to permit o-f the the `products of combustion When the charge is fired after providing for a suliicient pressure inside the to proj eotiles and good and regular combustion of the propellent charge. The projectile may be formed drawings .which but a preferred arrangement is to construct illu-strate by way of examlple projectiles a hollow cylindrical body and separat/eend constructed in accordance with this-invenplates or members each of which is secured tion j in place at the end of the cylindrical body Figure is a longitudinal sectional elevaby forcing the plate on or into the open end ti-on of one of .the improvedprojectiles proof the latter with a comparatively soft vided with la time fuse;. 90

,fired either by Fig. 2 is a similar view of the fore end of an improved projectile provided with a percussion fuse;

Fig. 3. 's vQa longitudinal sectional elevation of a modilied form of the improved projectile provided with a time fuse;

Fig. L is van elevation of the rear end-of the projectile shown in Fig. 3.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1 the projectile comprises a hollow cylindrical body A with open ends adapted to be closed by end pieces. T he rear end piece B has a boss B provided with a screw-threaded hole into which is screwed a tubular member C with open end. The wall of this tubular exten-- sion C is perforated as at C and the internal diameter of the tubular chamber is such as to enable a cartridge, as indicated 110 metal ferrlile interposed.

The cartridge which is to be placed in the tubular chamber is. conveniently similar to the cartridges ordinarily employed with sporting-shot guns having a metallic head which carries a percussion cap. The cartridge is charged, however, with an eX- plosive suitable to the purpose set forth, for example such as that known as ballistite.

rPhe body of the projectile is illed with some high explosive material adapted to be a time or by a percussion The construction and arrangement of this fuse may vary but preferably it is controlled by a safety ldevice of such a nature that the arming of the fuse will not take pl'ace and the fuse-be changed from a state of safety if the yprojectile is thrown only a short distance from the muzzle of the gun` fuse;

in dotted lines at D, to be inserted therein. This cartridge is similar -to those ordinarily employe'd withsporting shot guns, being composed of a metallic head with flange and percussion cap, which head lies in the open end of the tuibular chamber C. The body of the cartridge D is composed of brass, cardboardcr other similiar material not easily torn when the cartridge is exploded. The dimensions and number of the holes C in the wall of the cartridge chamber C .are such as to permit fthe gases of explosion to pass therethrough with fair freedom w'hile at the same time suflicient support is given'to the wall of the cartridge itself before perforation to insure an etlic-ient an-d regular explosion of the charge. Such charge may conveniently be composed of ballis-tite or other like composition. v

0n the face of the end piece B opposite to that which carries the cartridge chamber C is formed a projecting flange B2 of such dimensions as will easily enter the end of the hollow projectile body A. A ferrule E of suitable comparatively soft metal, such as lead, is placed over the face of the end piece l and fiange B2 and the end piece is then pressed into the end ofthe body A where it is held by friction. y

The fore end of the projectile body A is closed in a similar manner to the rear end by an end piece F provided with a flange F between which and the end of the body A is interposed a soft metal thimble E so that this fore end piece when pressed into place is `frictionally held there.

The fore-end piece 'F carries a suitably shaped head in which is disposed either a time fuse or a percussion fuse for the purpose of firing the charge of high explosive with which the hollow body A is filled. rlhe time fuse illustrated in Fig. l is constructed on known lines as Vto its principal features but the device for arming the fuse is novel and will 'be presented in another application. In the head G is formed a central longitudinal passage G in which is a lhamm'er H which when released can slide under the action of a spring H and strike a percussion pellet J. The latter is carried by a screw threaded nipple K which serves to connect the head G to the end piece, F. In this nipple is a passage K containing a short piece of Bickford fuse Q which is ignited by the percussion cap J, which in tu ru ignites the detonator Q which explodes the contents of the shell body. The passage K communicates with the, interior of the hollow projectile body A through the detonator tube F4. The. hammer Il is held inoperative bya two-armed lever L L- pivotally mounted at L2 on the 'head and having its short end L shaped to engage the end H2 of the hammer. The long arm L of Jrhe lever has its end bent inward and formed so as to be engaged by the end of a sliding pin M mounted in a hole formed in the head e is to say outward an-d keep its end in engagement with the end of the lever L. A safety pin N which lies in a hole bored through the head H engages an annular recess M2 formed in the sliding pin M and prevents movement of the latter until the safety pin N is withdrawn., I

In operation when the projectile is .to be fired the safety pin N is withdrawn and a cartridge is inserted in the chamber C. The projectile is now vinserted in the gun and the cartridge fired, preferably by allowing the projectile to slide down the smooth bore of the gun which is arranged at a considerable inclination to the horizontal so that .the cap of thecartridge is detonated by a striker mounted in the breech of the gun. If the shock of discharge is of full force it is suflicient to cause the pin M by reason of its inertia to move rearward against the action of the spring M when the end of the lever L is released. On leaving the gun this lever immediately turns about its pivot L2 owing to the action of the spring H and the hammer H is then released and fby the action of the samev spring caused to strike the percussion pellet J with the result that the Bickford fuse composition is ignited and' the charge within the projectile is' then in due course exploded by the detonation. If from any cause, such for example as the complete or partial failure of the charge in the cartridge D the shock of discharge is either insufficient to throw the projectile a safe distance from t-he muzzle of the gun or even not eject it at all, then such shock will not sufce to cause the inertia of the pin M to overcome the action of the spring M, to the extent necessary to effect the release of the lever L. When this occurs the projectile is harmless and will not explode as it falls.

The projectile is intended to be fired from a smooth bore gun within which it is an easy fit.

The percussion fuse illustrated in Fig. Q is so constructed that it will 'be armed in the same `manner by the rearward movement of spring pins M as the time fuse. In the construction of-this percussion fuse the end piece F `is made of sufficient dimensions as to permit of its having. formed in it a hollow F2 which is closed by a partiallyv hollowed cap Faheld .in place by set screws or otherwise as found convenient. The hollow F2 is preferably spherical or approximately so and adapted to receive an approximately spherical bodyv O which constitutes the hammer of the fuse.

The body O is hollowed out as at and from this 'central cavity lead a number of radial passages C)2 at the outer end of each of which is mounted a percussion cap O3. In .a larger radial passage llies one end of a strip of instantaneous fuse material Q, the other end of which is carried down into a v detonator Q disposed in the inner end of a 4end an annular tube F* mounted centrally in the end piece F. The end of the tube F4 with the detona tor Q lies within the hollow shell body A and in contiguity with the explosive charge therein. Running right through the spherical hammer body O on a diameter thereof which is preferably at right angles to the direction vin which the fuse strip Q is led, is a passage in which is disposed a coiled spring R each of whose ends bears against the inner end of a safety bolt S. Each of these bolts has formed in i it toward its outer recess S adapted to be engaged by the end of one of the spring pins M in the manner shown in Fig. 2. These 'outer ends of the safety bolts Slie in open ended passages formed in the end piece F so that when the spring pins M set back ondischarge of the projectile and are disengaged from the safety pins S, the latter are free to move outwardly under the influence of the spring R and be thrown out or moved sufliciently to release the hammer body O. The latter is then left free within the cavity F2. When now the projectile makes impact with an object, the hammer bodv O is thrown against the wall of the cavity F2 and one or more of the caps O3 is detonated. This detonation passing through the radial passage O2 into the central'cavity O ignites the fuse Q and so res the detonator Q and explodes the charge within the shell.

It will be seen that here also if the shock of discharge from the gun is not of full force the pins M will not set back sufficiently torelease the Safety bolts S and the hammer bodv will then continue to be held rigidly j by these bolts and explosion of the shell will not occur on impact.

It is to be noted that the time and percussion fuses more particularly described above. are only set forth as examples of constructions in conjunction with which the spring pms M may be employed. This spring pin devicel may be utilized in other ways to effect the armingof fuses of other type.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified constructiony of projectile in accordance with this invention and provided with a simple type of time fuse. In this case the shell body A is cast hollow with its base A integral as also the head A2. `In the latte-r is formed a hole through which the explosive charge can be illed into the body of the shell, this hole being subsequently closed by a screw lug A3. In the base A is formed an annu ar recessv A4 from which a passage and in and screw-threaded as at G2, this .T and screwed into 'ready described. The flash A:l leads into the interior of the shell. In the recess A4 is placed a length of Bickis held in place by the tubular cartridge chamber C, whose forward end is reduced part being passed through a. central opening in the disk l the base plate A. A hole T is formed in the time disk T at such a radial distance from the centerof the disk that this hole will lie over the recess A4. The periphery of the disk T is graduated so that it can be rotated and set in a known relation to a mark on the base A. vConveniently the hole T is covei'ed by some material which can be torn away or perfo'- rated.

When the projectile is to be discharged the covering over the hole Tv is destroyed and the Bickford fuse is pierced by inserting a suitable pointed instrument through the hole T. The disk T is set by the graduations in acordance with the time that it is intended to elapse betwen the discharge of the projectile and its explosion. The projectile is now placed in the gun and fired in some convenient manner such as that alfrom the explosion of the vcartridge in the chamber C passes out of this chamber through the holes C and ignites the fuse in the recess A4 through the puncture opposite the hole T. The fus'e now burns around the annulus and in due course firesthe detonator or directly brings about the explosion of the shell.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A projectile having a cylindrical body and a base having a receptacle ling charge, said receptacle being rigid with the base, of less diameter than the projectile, and extending rearwardly therefrom and having its outer end open to receive a propelling charge and its lateral wall perforated to permit of the escape of the propelling gases into the space surrounding the receptacle in rear of the projectile.

2. A projectile haviiiga cylindrical body soff for a propeland a base havingA a receptacle for a propelceptacle,Y the lateral Wall of said cartridge bein adapted to yield on firing to permit 'the "gf-ases to expand through said lateral openings.

3. A projectile having a cylindrical body and a base having a rearwardly projecting' receptacle for a cartridge, the said receptacle being rigid with the base and of substantially less diameter than the projectile and having its outer end open to receive a cartridge, and its lateral Wall perforated to permit of the passage of the gases from the FREDERICK WILFRID SCOTT STORES.

Witnesses:

EUSTACE HENRY BURKE, HARRY PETER VENN.