US1371207A - Projectile - Google Patents

Description

TIS. WILKINSON.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-'4, 1912.

' 1,371,207. Patented Mar. 8,1921.

V FM b INVENTOR.

TS-mfg.

umrsn sr res THEODORE s'. WILKINSON, or wasrnncrr oiv," msrnrcr or COLUMBIA.

T 0 all whom it may co'naern: r V Be it known that I, THEODORE S. WILKIN- soN, a citizen of the United States residing at Washington, in the District of olumbia, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.v I This invention relates to improvements in projectiles and in its more intense aspect to projectiles particularly adapted for use in combating submarines and the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a projectile or shell of the above character adapted to enter the water at a low-angle flight withoutricocheting.

A further object is to provide a shell of the above character which willmaintainits flight when striking thewater and'continue its true trajectory underwater. V

A further object is to provide a simple and practical shell having the above char- 7 acter'istics' adapted to explode ata predetermined time with respect to the moment at I which it strikes the water, that is;'either by impact with the water or after having traversed a certain distance under water or after having reached a predetermined depth- 7 projectile of the above general character having relatively few-parts which will be inexpensiveto manufacture and whichwill 'be' reliable and efficient in use and operation.

Other obj ectswill 'be part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part'indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of'this invention.

partsand in the unique relations of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully been annexed as a part of this disclosure and in such drawings, like characters of refer- V Specification of Letters Patent." Application filed September 4, 1917 S er'ialNo. 189,661;

This invention accordingly consists in the I features of construction, combmatlon of.

ted Mar. 8, 1921;

-ence denote'corresponding parts throughout allthe views, of which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional'view of the complete shell. r I

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof.

1 Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View.

It may-have been attempted to" make a non-ricochetlng shell by eliminating the ogival point or truncating the same to re-f duce the tangential contact at the forward end of the shell with the surface ofqthe water.

The truncated ogival point, however, is

not satisfactory in that-it will not-continue" its trajectory after the moment of the, impact with thewater,andthe shell will probably ricochet if it strikes the water at'an angle less than ten degrees.

It 's found by experience that shell or ashell of substantially plain cylindrical contour will overcome-these and other objections and will'not ricochet at an, angle above three degrees; It has been; demonstrated that shells of this characterhave" given a non-ricochet action at two degrees and less in nearly half of the experiments tried.

Other types of shells may have been detory 1n use.

vised adapted to avoid ricochetin'g and continue their trajectory after striking the ;wa-

-A'high explosive shell ofgeneral cylin-ii,

drical contour may also have'been devised but not with the purpose 'of' maintaining-its true trajectory'Iafter striking the water. Neither were they equipped with anexplo' the Wa signed to overcome these and'other' objections'and produce a simple, non-ricocheting and practical shell of general cylindrical contour adapted to explode at a predeter- V sive device adapted to. explode; the shell at a-' predetermined and desired instant-with respect to the moment of the impact with 1 The present invention is therefore dewith a screw plug 7 closing the explosive chamber 8. The centralpart of the screw plug is provided with a removable. exploding device or detonator 90f any desired type adapted to set ed a priming charge within a tube 10 axially disposed within the shell. V The detonator is preferably of the delayed action type, that is; it .is so constructed as to'explo'de the charge at a certain definite time after the moment of impact and while the projectile is still maintaining its trajectory, as distinguished from that type adapt ed to' explode the shell after the same has sunk a predetermined depth below the surface. Although it is understood that either of these types may be'used, an impact type of detonator may be substituted adapted to explode the charge on impact with" the water.

It has been, found by experience that 'shells'ofthis character will maintain-their I trajectory for a 'distanceof 100 to 200 feet under water and as above stated will not ricochet at an angle above three degrees. Thus, projectiles of this type are found advantageous in use against submarines in whichthe shell striking the water at a low angle will continueits flight and explode in 7 close proximity to the boat while the ordinary pointed or semi-ogival' shell would ricochet out'of the water, or, if continuing under the water would trend to one side or the other without injury to the boat attacked.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated diagrammatically'the effect of an ogival shell striking the water, as well as a shell of the type embodying the subject of this invention. The ogival shell 11 having a curvature at its forward end may be assumed to strike the water at'a tangent to the curvature, pressing the water slightly ahead thereof forward of the point -of tangency therebytoraise the nose or point of the shell upwardly and usually to one side, resulting in ricochet from the water! In the flat-nose shell 12, the water isengaged by the forward flat end so that its lower edge would theoretically form a turning point. The'loc-ation of the center of gravity of the shell and its momentum in i the normal direction of its trajectory will,

however, counterbalance this turning effect and cause'the shell to enter the water witha V out ricocheting and to continue in its true 7 trajectory under water, as indicated by the dotted line. v 7

It is thus seen that the present invention is simple, practical, reliable and particularly adapted for use in combating submarines in that it primarily maintains its trajectory after striking the water and explodes at a predetermined time with relation to the moment of impact without ricocheting.

"'VVithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others canbyap'plying current knowledge readily adapt it for the various applications without omitting certaln features that, from the standpoint of the prior art,

fairly constituteessential characteristics of surface so as to prevent ricocheting on strikin the water at a low an de and to maintainthe projectile in its true trajectory under Water. I

1 2. A projectile having a body portion of general cylindrical shape, and a rigid noncompressible plug at the forward end of said body portion, the end 0% said cylindrical 'body portion and thc' face of said plug forming a flat unbroken surface so as to prevent ricocheting on striking the water ata low angle, and to maintain the projectile in its true trajectory under water.

3A fiat=nose projectile having a body 7 portion of general cylindrical shape throughout its, length and provided with an exploslve chamber, a rigid plug at the forward end of the body portion having aflat substantially unbroken surface forming a right angle with the walls of said body portion, and an explosive devicelocated within said "plug, adapted to'explode the charge after the shell has traveled a predetermined distancein its true trajectory under water.

t- Signed at Washington, D. C., this 9th day of August, 1917. i

T. s. WILKINSON,

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