US2363626A - Art of aerial warfare - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, i944. G. J. UZMANN 2,363,626

ART OF AERIAL WARFARE Filed Aug. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY S NOV. 28, 1944. G, U'ZMANN 2,363,626

ART OF AERIAL WARFARE Filed Aug. 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Gewye JU :zzz

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 28, 1944 .ART F AERIAL WA'RFARE 'George Ll. Uzmann, Rockville Centre, N. Y., as-

sgnor to Aero'vox "Corporation, New Bedford, Mass., a corporation of New York Application August 14, 1941, Serial No. 406,794

12 Claims.

The present invention relates Ito the art of aerial warfare and is concerned particularly with vair defense equipment. l

Defensive barrage balloons require the use of `ground equipment and a suitable ground maintenance crew and are used only in favorable Weather, for they must be grounded during storms, in order to `avoid destruction thereof `and possible damage to the community to be defended. Furthermore such balloons are of Vgreat initial cost, are limited in the protective heights realized and Asince they are mostly hydrogen inated their destruction by the yenemy is relatively easy, and since they are conspicuous and fixed in position hostile craft encounter no Vgreat difficulty in avoiding them.

The usual lmethodsof anti-.aircraft defense involving the use of guns, locaters, directors `and Vsearch lights are also costly and have, asexpeyrience has shown, not proved especially eicacious, since `Vin `practice many shells are Wasted for the relatively few that `reach their target.

:It is an object of the invention to :provide sim- `ple and .reliable means )for launching or laying an `anti-aircraft barrage Where and when desired, which-shall be highly equally effective at all levels between ground and ceiling in day `as well as in night raids, and regardless lof the weather, which cannot be effectively shot down by the enemy, which vis economical `of ammunition, the explosive fshell being detonated only by ldirect contact with fthe fcraft to be destroyed, a large portion of vthe -shel'ls `used in the 4barrage that -do not reachvsuch contact being salvaged intact for re-use.

Another `object is to provide means of the above type, dispensing with the need for accurate marksmanship on the part `of an anti-aircraft gun, but utilizing the -tractive l-force of the hostile vcraft itself as the agency for causing `a bomb unerring-lyto move forward along a `leadfline fouled by the aircraft, until it reaches detonating 'contact yWith such aircraft.

Another object is to provide equipment of the 'above `type which may be manufactured in large scale quantity production `at 4relatively low cost, which requires no specialized launching equipment and `which greatly reduces `.the hazard to life of the defending force fand of the civilian population, incurred inconventional pursuit plane combat over inhabited areas.

.'A 'feature of the invention is the guiding and .propulsion `of an aerial bomb along 1.a floating barrage cable havingoneor more fouling .hooks `to Aintercepthostile aircraft, the bomb havingmeans A:arranged automatically Vto propel it *forward along the :entrained ycable under the tractive force .of the aircraft fouled thereby, for Adetonation Vof the bombonlyrby impact with said craft.'

Accordingto ythe invention in a desirable wembodiment, each barrage cable is suspended, preferably from a parachute, and the bomb includesa sheave Wheel, around which the cable is led, Ysaid sheave -wheel being mounted `on `a .turret Within the bomb, whose axis extends radially `of the bomb, so that the vdirectional `vanos Vof the Ibomb will cause thcaaxis lthereof to point lengthwise of `the cable toward the fouled aircraft target. The bomb includes `a rotor, desirably an air driven rotor propel-led Vin the =air vstream Aof the entraining hostile craft. and includes a suitable .transmission to the sheave Wheel Vfor propulsion of .the bomb along the kcable to the target. Under 4,the rapid .propulsion of the .cable entrained 'by the craft with the parachute at the rear end -thus blown out and serving as a towed Windsock, vthe cable ltrails substantially horizontally and in `taut relation so that .the sheave wheel is propelled therealong as on-a track by the action of said ro* tor and carries ithe bomb -forward therewith until it strikes said craft with the .desired devastating eiect.

In the accompanying drawings in which lis shown one of Various possible `embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. l is a view in longitudinal .cross-section showing the complete bomb `assemblage -in form to be launchedbyan anti-aircraftgun,

Fig. k2`is a view in side elevation of the launched `bomb assemblage prior 'to complete extension of the cable,

Fig. 3 is a view similar .to Fig. .2 of the 'completely extended launched assemblage,

Fig. '4 is a View ,similar to Figs. v2 and `3 ofthe bonibvelement shown kon alargar' scale,

Fig-5 is a fragmentary perspective 'view showing the action of the unit immediately aiterit is fouled 'iby aircraft,

Fig. 6 is a view longitudinal cross-section Vof the explosive bomb, and

'Figflis a viewin transverse cross-section'taken online`1-I of vFig. 6.

Referring now 'to 'the drawings, the complete aerial discharge device or barrage assemblage includes an outer shell T0 with a timed fuse head l I andassociated small .explosive charge i2 'which may be of the same'type used in dare bombs. "The disk or :piston `plate i3 at the inner end of the time fuse rests against the rim of a thin horizontal -liner shell I 4 closed at the rear endof the assembly in conventional xmannerby a capping disk "F5 retained in place by one or more shear pins I6. Within the shell I is the assemblage, which makes up the operative barrage unit shown in Fig. 3. and which is'to be released from the barrage assemblage at the desired level. This vunit comprises two lengths of cable I8 coiled into compact reels I8 and I9' and an intervening explosive bomb B to be more fully described hereinafter, slidably arranged upon the length of cable intervening between the two reels, all in manner to be described hereinafter. The upper end of the reel I8 is attached to a packed parachute 20 within the shell I4. Self-adjusting fouling hooks 2| are anchored to the cable near the opposite ends thereof and are desirably `within the respective reels I8 and I9 in the assembly of Fig. l.

1t will be readily understood that thebarrage assemblage of Fig. 1 lof any desired caliber, such as 3 inch, 4 inch or 5 inch, may be lofted from a corresponding anti-aircraft gun to desired level and upon explosion of the charge I2 under the action of the time fuse, when the unit has reached the desired level, the plate I3 is urged downward along the shell I0 to expel the lining shell I4, causing shearing of the shear pins I6 and'expulsion ofthe contents of inner shell I4. As the released parachute opens up in the position shown in Fig. 2,'the cable is played out from reels I8' and I9 with the fouling hooks 2I exposed as shown in Fig. 3 and the bomb B rests in midposition on thev cable I8 as shown.

Desirably each reel I8', I9' is wound in two, or if desired a greater number of reel segments a and b, desirably oppositely Wound, so that the reel segments a andb will be played out simultaneously, as suggested in Fig. 2 and the barrage assemblage will distend more quickly upon launching thereof, than if the entire length of transverse plates and 3I screwed or otherwise secured thereto. Upon plate 3I there is lodged a turret 32 whose outerv part extends substantially flush with the face of lthe shell for minimum interference with the streamlining thereof. The axis of the turret 32 extends radially. The turret of the shell includes a metal sleeve liner 33 over which is telescoped the'rotary turret capl 34 with the upper race 35 of a ball bearing 36, theb-alls of which are lodged in spacer plate 3|. The lower race 31 is vtelescoped over :the lowerv end of sleeve 33 for supporting the" turret 32. The cable I3 extends over rollers 38 at corresponding ports 39 in the turret cap and is lodged in a correspond.- ing groove in a' sheave Wheel 40 on a shaft 4I transversely across and carried by the turret. To this end a U-brackt y42 issecured by screw 43 to the topfof turret, and shaft 4I is mounted in the arms thereof. y

A driving pinion 46 lodged against the face cap 28 of the transmission case is rigid with a propeller shaft 4'I extending rearward axially of the shell, and desirably enclosed by a protective sleeve The two end caps- 28 and v29 of saidcase are connected by a pair of 48, attached at its forward end to the plate 28, and at its rear end to tail plug 49 on the shell. The shaft 4I protrudes beyond the end of the shell and mounts an air driven fan bladed rotor 50 thereon. l

While any of a variety of driving transmissions might be interposed between the propeller shaft 4l and the sheave wheel 40, .there is shown in the drawingsone desirable lembodiment thereof. This comprises in addition to the driving pinion an idler pinion 5I, .mounted upon the end of a stud LLL) about.

ythe gun lofts the assemblage.

shaft 52 lprotruding from plate 28, which meshes with a gear 53'therebelow upon a transverse shaft 54 mounted at one end in plate 23 and at the other in bracket 35' depending from connecting plate 30. Gear 53 is connected by a sleeve 55 upon shaft 54 with a bevelled gear 56, meshing with bevelled gear 5l mounted on the lower end of Aa Vertical stud shaft 58 through the plate 30. The upper end of shaft 58 mounts a bevelled gear 59, meshing with a fourth bevelled gear 60 on Vthe end of a transverse shaftl which is supported inJ the arms of U-bracket 42 and below shaft 4I. Gear El!A isdesirably counterbalanced by a companion gear 62 at its outer end loosely mounted on shaft 6I and freely rotatable there- Rigid with shaft 6I are a pair of gears 63 which mesh with gears 64 about the shaft 4I that mounts the sheave wheel 40, and rigid with said sheave wheel.

The shells 25 and 25 are filled with explosive 65 -such as trinitrotoluol, as are also a pair of open tubular connectors 66 intervening between the chambers defined by'thetwo cups which make up the shell, as is also the cavity therebelow about enclosure 65 around the drive gearing.

In practical operation the invention'functi substantially as follows:

The complete aerial discharge device or barrage assemblage of Fig. 1 is sent aloft froma ground Ifired standard anti-aircraft gun. The fuse I I may be so timed that its charge I2 is detonated atea predetermined altitude, ordinarily at approximately maximum elevation to which Upon such detonation the inner shell I4 is expelled by the piston platel I3, the pin I5 being shearedV in the process andthe contents become released. The packed parachute 2D promptly becomes inflated, the cable reels I8 and I9 become promptly un- OHS wound to the entire length thereof, which unwinding is assisted by the weightof the bomb B and of the grappling hooks 2|. Thus as shown in Fig. 2 the cable will extend substantially-vertically downwardl from the parachute and the bombwill hang generally about midway of the lengthv thereof. Since they turret is ordinarily so set as to bring vthe axis of the'shell at an acute anglefto the length of the distended cable, the cable is snubbed by the sheave wheel"4ll.ancl vthe -bomb will not slide downward; In this relation tiplicity of fouling projections, including the vari-4 ous appendages thereof such as'motorf nacelles,

radio antennae, struts, Pitot tubesmachine guns, cannons, out-riggers, landing gears and the like. Where the cable is of flat steel it is capableof doing considerable damage to thea. .oncoming plane; `sometimes it wi11 afford :a `means of icutting through portions of wing `covering tto .serve fas La direct anchorage, but should the cable .slip past fan obstruction `on ithe plane it can only .slip as far as its fouling hook '211 which will Isecurelly anchor itin place.

The parachute member npromptly :becomes A'blown `out under the tremendous speed of propulsion of the 'snagged airplane A'and excessive drag is thus eliminated. The trailing blow-n tout parachute together with the associated f-fouling vhook lact -in the manner of a towed windsock and the cable is thus kept :taut in a relatively horilzontal position. The cable must be of nigh tensilestrength and is desirably of wire or strip steel, 'or in some applications Aof ltextile or synthetic fabric.

Under the tremendous acceleration of the -ca- :ble when `it thus becomes snagged by the rapidly Amoving aircraft, `vanes 145 cause the bomb B `promptly 'to become aligned 'axially of the cable 'as 4shown in Fig. ii. 'The air driven rotor 50 `spinning in the air slip stream will rtransmit its 'torque through propeller shaft 41, pinion `IIS, idler 'pinion 5l, gear 53, sleeve 55, gear 56,1gear "51, `shaft I58, gears 59 and :lill to shaft 61 and lgears 63 and gears 64 Ato `the sheave wheel lill. The sheave `wheel `4U accordingly will ride upon the cable I8 forwardly, to cause the bomb rapidly "to advance toward the aircraft. Voperation `the fuse 22 will Tbecome `unarmed by the rotation of its Apropeller 23 to break the silk `thread 214 and to unscrew itself. Accordingly the Abomb will `explode when it strikes the craft at the forward end of the cable.

Alin practice a multiplicity of theunits las shown distended in Fig. 12 might be Tlofted to constitute a truly effective barrage. When sent aloft in |`the `form of a recurring vertical'barrage, the `devices lafford complete anti-aircraft protection -over all vlevels betweenground level Land ceiling, the -units at Veach level affording protection for the length of 'the cable thereof, say 1000 feet. Accordingly both high altitude raiding and dive bombing become equally hazardous as ffar as 'the enemy is concerned. Wave flying formations that have heretofore Vbeen 7difficult to combat are especially vulnerable to the present invention. Thus the invention offers complete protection over rela- -tively large areas, exactly where and when Ldesired. The `device `may 'be sent 4aloftto any ele- `.vation regardless of weather conditions between ground level and ceiling. According to the -invention the .freely suspended light `weight :parafchu-te is so designed as to -drop slowly to 4a lower level, so that under barrage fire `it .will 'be -diicult for enemy bombers to establish proper 4.travel and fdlrift yangles `or `flines of sight to maintain their flying course as required for proper bomb sight operation. Lofting of the barrage requires only the normal anti-aircraft gun battery with its regular personnel and necessitates no new equipment.

Where the invention is applied as an antiaircraft weapon for home defense the use of the completely armed fuse 22 renders such devices as fail to be snagged by aircraft, harmless when they reach the ground. Aside from the deadliness and effectiveness of the units, their economy is thus manifest and innumerable bombs could be used for a lavish barrage with the assurance of considerable salvage. The bomb assemblies are reclaimed and used over again. Where the device is employed over enemy territory a dual type of fuse may be resorted to for Early 2in this :affording Vboth contact and 'time detonati'on to effect Vserious ground damage as a result of lautolmaticdetonation for such bombs as are not `detonated against ying aircraft. The use of the steel suspending cable I8 overenemy territory is advantageous from yet another standpoint. As the Vdrifting unit approaches ground level, a lengthy metal cable will be caused to drag over a considerable distance with consequent damage, lincludingparticularly the short circuiting of electric -p'ower circuits. Much damage and annoyance :can thereby lbe caused until the cables -are cut apart. Where used. over home territory these cables might be of non-metallic character to do little material .ground surface damage in drag- 4 :and his fire.

.Because tof the small dimensions iof the distended unit, high speed aircraft would .have idiiculty in .detecting 'the same, particularly in darkness .or :overcast weather. .In practice the inner and outer parachute surfaces are moreover Asuitably colored, "further to elude detection by :approaching aircraft, whether viewed from above or below parachute level. The cable also :is preferably `sprayed =or finished so as to minimize reflection lof Vlight and yto render :detection more difficult if not impossible. The devices when laid in :a barrage also tend to confuse rhostile aircraft whose .pilots might be led to believe that 'their fire had `so damaged their target :that ipilots and crew had been forced to 'abandon their .craft 'and were 'parachuting to earth. Such illusion would be created vbecause the apparently small, descending parachutes would be assumed vto :be much larger 'and to have stallen a. much greater distance than is 4actually the `case.

As fmany `changes vcould be made in the above iconstructionlandmany apparently widely differ- =.ent=enrbodiments of this iinvention could be 'made without departing from Athe `scope of the claims, it is intended :that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanydrawings :shall be interpreted as illustrative and not rin a :limiting sense.

,Having thus ydescribed 'my invention, what I claim :as new 'and desire to secure by Letters .Patentisr fl. An anti-aircraft device, comprising a hollow shell having a time fuse at its advance end, and an explosive aircraft fouling equipment enclosed therein, including a packed parachute, a length of cable and a bomb slidably mounted upon said cable having` self-directing means and having rotor means actuated under the high speed of propulsion of the cable when fouled by moving aircraft, for advancing the bomb toward the propelling end of the cable.

2. An anti-aircraft device comprising a hollow shell having a time fuse 'at its forward end, a hollow piston-driven lining shell therein to be expelled by the action of said time fuse, releasable means near the opposite end of the shell to permit discharge of the contents by said action of the time fuse, said contents comprising a packed parachute, a length of cable, one or more fouling hooks thereon and a bomb having an armed percussion fuse, lsaid bomb being slidably mounted with respect to said cable and having rotor means set. into action underV the high propulsive speed of the cable when entrained by aircraft fouled thereby for propulsion of such bomb toward the entraining end of the cable.

3. Anti-aircraft equipment comprising a parachute, a cable suspended therefrom, having one or more fouling hooks thereon, a bomb unit having a sheave wheel therein around which said cable extends, said bomb having vanes for automatically directing the same toward a fouled airplane, means for directing said sheave wheel to lie in theY plane of movement of the fouled craft, said bomb including a rotor actuated under the entraining impulse and a transmission on said bomb between said rotor and said sheave wheel for causing the bomb to be propelled forward along the taut entrained cable toward the fouled aircraft to be destroyed.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 in which the bomb has an armed percussion fuse, retained by the cable and automatically released under the impulse upon the cable when itfouls hostile craft.

5. An anti-aircraft bomb comprising ashell .having directional vanes, a turret built into said shell and having a sheavewheel thereon, a cable extending about said sheave wheel, a rotor at the rear of said bomb and a transmission between said rotor and said sheave Wheel.

6. An anti-aircraft bomb comprising a shell, a l

fuse at the advance end thereof, directional vanes at the rear thereof, a turret between the front and rear thereof having an axis radially of the bomb and having a ball bearing mount, and a sheave wheel carried by said turret and adapted for propulsion thereof along a cable about said sheave wheel, an air driven rotor carried by said bomb and a transmission between said rotor and said sheave wheel.

7. An anti-aircraft bomb having a shell, a transmission case within said shell and between the ends thereof, said case including a sheave wheel, a ball bearing mount therefor having its axis radially of said bomb, and directional varies unitary with said bomb for orienting the same with reference to said sheave wheel.

tionto said gearsystem and an air driven rotor vtherefor atthe rear of said bomb.

9. An aerial bomb comprising a shell, an armed fuse at, the forward end thereof, an air driven rotor at the 4rear thereof, directional vanes, a sheave wheel and a turret mount therefor within said bomb; the axis of saidturret being radially of said bomb, said sheavewheel being adapted to have a cable extended therearound,` and a transmission between said rotor and said sheave wheel, said transmission including a propeller rod extending forward from the rotor into vsaid transmission case and transmission gears Within said casel operated from said propeller, for driving said sheave wheel.

10. An aerial bomb comprising a generally cylindrical transmission case 'including a ball bearing mounted turret having its axis radially of said cylindrical case, a sheave wheel carried by said turret, a bomb shell comprising two shell cup elements, telescoped with respect to said transmission case, tubes longitudinally of said transmission case clear of the transmission therein, establishing communication for the explosive chambers in the respective cups, an air driven rotor at the rear end of the shell and a propeller shaft extending axially of said shell into said transmission case for driving connection.

11. An aerial bomb comprising a pair of bomb shell cups, a transmission case over which said 8. An aerial bomb having an armed fuse at the advance end thereof, longitudinal directional vanes at the rear thereof, a transmission case between the front and rear of said bomb, said v case including a pair of plates, a gear system mounted between said plates, a sheave wheel propelled through said gear system, a propeller shaft longitudinally of said bomb and in drivingl relacups are telescoped,..said case having a turret therein with a low friction bearing mount, the axis of which extends radially of said bomb, the top of said turret extending substantially flush with the surface of said bomb, a sheave Wheel carried by said turret,l driving gear teeth rigid therewith, and a gear system within said transmission case including a driving pinion axially of said bomb, a'propeller shaft connected to and extending rearward from said driving pinion and axially of said bomb and an air driven rotor at the rear end of said bomb connected to said propeller shaft.

12. An anti-aircraft device comprising a hollow shell having a time fuse at its advance end, and an explosive aircraft fouling equipment enclosed therein, including a packed parachute, a length of cable .and a bomb slidably mounted upon said cable having self-directing means and having rotor means actuated under the high speed of propulsionof the cable when fouled by moving aircraft, for advancing the bomb toward the Vpropelling end of the cable, the length of cable being Wound in a plurality of reel segments to be played out concurrently for prompt distention of the launched device.

y GEORGE J. UZM ANN.

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