US2402552A

US2402552A - Explosive device

Info

Publication number: US2402552A
Application number: US433816A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymonde B Hopkins
Original assignee: MURRAY T QUIGG; RAYMONDE BRIGGS HOPKINS
Current assignee: MURRAY T QUIGG; RAYMONDE BRIGGS HOPKINS
Priority date: 1942-03-07
Filing date: 1942-03-07
Publication date: 1946-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 1963-06-25

Description

` June 25, 1946. i N. M. HOPKINS EXPLOSIVE DEVICE Filed March 7, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Julie 25, 1946.

N. M. HOPKINS EXPLOSIVE DEVICE Filed March '7, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u n n --1-I-I-.i---lilik, m ..I

June 25, 1946. N. M. HOPKINS I EXPLosIvE DEVICE Filed March 7, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV ENTOR Patented June 25, 1946 ExrLosivE DEVICE Nevil Monroe Hopkins, New York, N. Y.; Raymonde B. Hopkins, executor of said Nevil Monroe Hopkins deceased, assigner, by mesne assignments, t'o Raymonde Briggs Hopkins,

Samuel Lloyd, and Murray trustees T. Quigg, as

Application March 7, 1942, Serial No. 433,816 I 8 Claims. l

This invention pertains to explosive devices such as artillery shells and the like for military and naval purposes and in improvements in explosive fillers therefor.

Itis anobject of this invention to produce new military and naval weapons, using safer, more quickly produced, cheaper, and yet more powerful explosive iillersthan TNT.

It is a particular object of this invention to produce a liquid high explosive, just prior toY or Y at theA instant of use, through the correct admixture with proper time factor of suitable liquid component parts of said liquid high explosive.

It is a particular object also of this invention to produce safely, and to safely use, in both summer and winter temperatures, a high explosive in liquid form, which is more powerful than the solid explosives now in use.

Withthe foregoing enumerated objects-in view as well as certain other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds and the illustrations arel studied, the invention consists in the novel parts, combinations of parts and admixtures, solutions and. mutual solutions of substances in association'therewith, scientific principles and methods, all as hereinafter set forth and particularly covered by the claims..

Referring to the accompanying diagrams forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views,

Fig, l represents a view in partial section through a conventional design of high explosive shell containing a solid high. explosive ller;

Fig. 2 represents a View in partial section through one design of applicants high explosive shell comprising relatively thicker walls than those disclosed in Fig. 1, and containing a liquid high explosive filler;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating another design of applicants high explosive shell with liquid high explosive ller therein;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken as on the line a-b of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of one design of the inner chamber shownA in Fig. 3, with the opposite ends of said chamber in opened position;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the chamber shown in Fig, 5 but with the opposite ends in closed position;

Fig. 7 represents in section another design of one of'applicants high explosive shells with liquid filler;

Fig. 8.is a view similar to Fig. '7 but illustrating a modication thereof.

It is understoody o f course that the foregoing enumerated illustrations are not by any means precisely proportioned, and therefore they are not working drawings. They do, however, illustrate the principles involved, leaving the practical designs open to modification and/or `elaboration in certain of the. dimensions, particularly with regard to the relative proportions or volumes of the inner chambersr containing the liquid ingredients of the high explosive ultimate admixture, the such ingredients being for example nitrogen peroxide in one chamber and a liquid hydrocarbonV in the other chamber. The precise relative volume of the liquid nitrogen peroxide to the liquid hydrocarbon is to be determined by sensitivity requirements which may vary con- Sider-ably. These sensitivity requirements may be met by impact or percussion tests.

Referring to Fig. 1v there is shown at l5 the cylindrical Wall of an artillery shell fashioned to give proper density and stability in flight when the shell is iilled with a solid or cast-in explosive indicated at I6 and such as tri-nitrotoluene (TNT), ll beingthe head of the shell and containing. a conventional contact or time fuse and safety arming device I8 representing` a cavity containing a booster charge I9 held in position by the partition 20.

In Fig.. 2 there is illustrated a shell similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but 2l is the cylindrical wall of this device which may be for example an artillery shell adapted for use with muzzle velocities below 2500 feet per second, and fashioned to give proper density and stability in flight when filled with a liquid poured-in explosive designated by the numeral 22 and such as an admixture of liquid nitrogen peroxide and benzene in suitable proportions to withstand the force of set back at a muzzle velocity of 2500 feet per second. It is specifically pointed out in this connection, that the wall 2| of this shell has been increased in thickness over the Wall I5 of the shell shown in Fig. 1', and has been carefully calculated to compensate not only for the lighter weight of the liquid iiller over solid TNT but also for the lack of gyroscopic force of a liquid filler, as compared with a solid or cast-in explosive such as TNT. This new shell, therefore, may be adjusted to have at least the same density and stability in flight as a shell containing a solid filler, notwithstanding a diierence in the specific -gravities of the solid explosive filler and the liquid explosive ller, respectively. Technicians versed in the aerodynamics of a spinning shell in. night will fully appreciate that one of applicants shells may be so adjusted mechanically, i. e. designed and/or fabricated, with its liquid explosive as to be interchangeably used and/or fired, from the same gun and under the established range table for that gun, with respect to asimilar shell of the usual construction and having a solid or castin explosive filler. left unfilled so as to serve as an expansion chamber, and the partition 20 is perforated to'receive, with a gas and liquid tight t, the detonator tube 23.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated an artillery shell such as used with anti-aircraft' guns, fashioned to be fired with a. higher muzzle velocity than given to the shell shown in Fig. 2, a muzzle velocity for example of from 2500 to `3500 feet per second or over, Where a completely mixed liquid explosive, using liquid nitrogen peroxide and benzene in the most sensitive and powerful proportions, would not stand the force of set back at firing without danger of detonation in the gun. `In the present case for not vonly using admixtures or mutual solutions of liquid nitrogen peroxide and benzene, but for certain other liquids conducive to producing high explosives when brought together, I elect tointroduce an inner chamber 43 of metal such as aluminum or steel for example, the lower, portion 44 of suchl chamber being enlarged in diameter and having lateral openings 41, the extreme lower end of the chamber being provided with a semi-ball-bearing member `or knob 45 fashioned to center and t support the inner chamber by `resting with .a minimum of friction in the semispherical bearing46 provided in the .bottom wall of the shell.

Centrally positioned within the enlarged lower portion of this tubular chamber 43, is the bevelled.v

disk orclosure member V48 carrying the upwardly projecting ears 49 and a boss 5B, said bossdrilled and threaded (as with a right hand thread) to receive .alike threaded'end of the metal rod or shaft l which carries a rigidly attached impellerv device 52.

The other end of this metal rodor shaft 5iy is oppositely threaded (asY with a Vleft hand thread)A to engage a like threaded opening through the boss 53 of another and somewhat similar bevelled disk or closure ,member 54 carryingV similar rupwardly projecting ears 55, the

ears

49 and 55 of these two closure members beingr relatively thin and radially positioned on .said closures, thereby cooperating with the liquid explosive ingredients to thwart rotary or turning movement of the closures except when said liquid ingredients have circular motion imparted thereto. Rigidly attachedjto the outside of the`inner chamber 43 is the spacing collar 56 carrying downwardly projecting and radially positioned ears 51 also cooperating in a similar manner with the liquid ingredient inthe outer chamber. After passing through the threaded boss 53, the shaft 5I is screwed into and soldered or otherwise rigidly fixed to the member 58 and thereby prevented from turning independently thereof. Surround ing the member 58 is a slotted collar 59 free to revolve through a limited number of angular degrees, as controlled by the pin 65 securely screwed into and soldered to Vthe member 58, the ends ofr the vslotway Bl in said collar colliding with said pin as an arrest of circular movement. The collarV 59 is firmly attached by pins,.as indicated, to the partition 20, and said partition is so close fitting as to be substantially fixed to the shell head' I 1. A recess shown by dotted lines in the member 58 receives 1an end of the detonator casing The cavity I8 is retained but with a loose nt, thereby acting as a centering pivot for said member.

Within the inner chamber 43 is a component Y dient B6 of a liquid explosive, at least one of these components being relatively insensitive to explof sion but the admixture of these two liquid com ponents forming a highly sensitive explosive mixture. Y Y

.When this design and construction of shell, Withthe component liquids as illustrated, is red from a rifled gun barrel, the rotation of the shell suddenly communicates rotation to the shaft 5| by virtue of its rigid attachment to the slotted collar 55 and this rotation of the shaft by virtue of the left and right hand threaded shaftends causes the bevelled disks or

closure membersV

48 and 54 to open the opposite ends of the inner chamber 43, the upwardly extending ears of these closure disks acting hydraulically Vwith the re. spective liquid component parts of the potential 1 liquid explosive mixture and tending to prevent the turning of the disks, 4and in similar manner the downwardly projecting ears 51 of the spacer collar rigidly attached to the outside of said member, tend to prevent rotation of said chamber..

Because of the hydrostatic action of the column t Coming now to Fig. 7, there is illustrated a' somewhat diiierent design of artillery shell with expansion chamber and detonator, the thickness of the cylindrical wall being adjusted for a liquid explosive ller 10, said filler being sufficiently insensitive as to explosion to safely withstand the forces of acceleration Without detonation at the muzzle velocities contemplated. In this modification of construction, 1| is a metal chamberV closed at one end by the plug 12 of the shell head '16, and closed at its opposite end by the bottomV wall 1.3 of said chamber, the side Walls being provided with lateral openings such as 1 4. The detonator generally identified by the numeral 15 is surrounded completelyas shown, and is connected in any suitable manner to a conventional fuse mechanism in the shell head 16 not illustrated since these elements of a shell are well understood. By providing the lateral openings. 14, the outer chamber or shell proper may be completely filled or substantially completely iilled with the liquid explosive filler4 10, and then the higher muzzle velocities where the setback shockk upon firing the projectile from a gun, isV greater,

and is particularly adapted where the admixture of liquid compo-nent parts. of a liquid explosive is desirable after the departure of the shell from thev gun and prior' to impact of the shell upon the target, thereby combining somewhat the features of the construction shown in Fig, 3'. In other words an impelier device 'il is carried by and externally of the chamber "il, and fashioned to force a circulation of the liquid contents of the shell by the rapid revolution o spinning shell about its major axis in flight. Another inner chamber F8 is fashioned and centrally supported in very much the same manner as that 'shown in Fig. 3, with a collar 55 cut so as to provide bendable radially extending venes 5E asv clearly shown, the purpose of this construction of collar and vanes being so that the vanes can be bent outwardly into radial positions from the tubular body portion of the collar, after the insertion of the chamber '8 in the shell. Otherwise the inner chamber 'la and its associated parts, is a substantial duplicate of the inner chamber 63 of Fig. 3'.

The present inventor has devoted many years to the study of liquid nitrogen per-oxide in connection with one or more combustible bodies and has fashioned innumerable containers therefor' in the form of missiles and other naval and military devices such as submarine mines and earth mines, as well as in the form of industrial containers, and has tested in the laboratory on a large scale in the lield the correctness thc principles involved.

Many of these devices depend upon the applicants teaching of converting a relatively insensitive and relatively low power liquid explosive or explosive ingredient into a relatively sensitive and relatively high power liquid explosive on the one hand, and several oi them on the other hand lend themselves to making a mixture of liquid nitrogen peroxide with a liquid combi: :le body, such as benzol, just prior to or at the time oi use.

The fundamental principle as illustrated and described herein resides in the novel plan and teaching of completely surrounding a chamber containing liquid nitrogen peroxide with either a liquid combustible body or a mixture of one or more liquid combustible bodies with nitrogen peroxide. rihis arrangement is of vital importance in many instances since it allows of fashioning a 'scientically designed leak-proof system. This leak-proof system according to such structure embodies a liquid hydrocarbon completely surrounding the chamber containing the liquid nitrogen peroxide, said liquid hydrocarbon possessing a higher vapor pressure than the said liquid nitrogen peroxide. With this vapor, and consequently this hydrostatic system, it im possible for the liquid nitrogen peroxide to leak outwardly into the liquidhydrocarbon. If the vapor pressure of the liquid hydrocarbon is so adjusted as to be only silghtly greater than that of the liquid nitrogen peroxide, then only a negligible quantity of the liquid hydrocarbon could enter into the inner chamber because a hydrostatic balance would quickly be attained therein.

The teachings in this application furthermore cover the practical use in a satisfactory manner of a liquid explosive filler in an artillery shell, said shell fashioned to be red spinning from a riiied gun and having the thickness of its cylindrical Wall increased with respect to the thickness of the wall of a comparable shel1 provided with a solid or cast-in filler. It is desired emphasized that this invention provides a missile or 6 explosive device which is considerably safer to handle and store yet more powerful in detonation, than those heretofore devised'. That is to say, this invention covers the use of a liquidy mixture which is highly sensitive to explosion and exceedingly powerful, more powerful than T. N. T., said mixture comprising a proper proportion of nitrogen peroxide and a hydrocarbon such as benzene. However, upto the time of actual use, this proper proportiony is non-existent. In other words, the proper and ultimate mixture of these ingredients is brought about at the time of use, by supplying and mixing a certain quantity of the one relatively insensitive ingredient to an incomplete (and therefore relatively insensitive) mixture of the two ingredients, the such admixture adding the necessary quantity of the one ingredient to make the ultimate mixture highly sensitive to explosion.

Emphasis is directed to the fact that the foregoing illustrations are not actual working drauings wherefore it is possible to vary the dimensions, proportions, distributions of masses and materials as dictated by actual sensitivity requirements and tests. The foundations, however, have been laid for the fabrication of highly practical missiles. Whereas, the invention has been illustrated by diagram and description and there has been described novel methods as well as novel ways and means of fashioning the various devices, it is possible that those skilled in the arts and in the sciences involved, may further vary the methods, ways and means as well as develop new devices without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is therefore desired not to be limited to the foregoing disclosure and' teachings except as may be calledlor by the claims.

What is claimed is:

l.. A shell adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis in night, and comparable substantially equally as to dimensions and trajectory to the present-day similar missile containing a solid explosive, said shell having two chambers therein, one chamber movable with respect to the other chamber, a liquid explosive ingredient in each chamber, one ingredient having a relatively low sensitivity to explosion but the admixture of the two ingredients having a relatively high sensitivity to explosion, means carried by one of said chambers and immobile with respect thereto for opening the other relatively movable chamber and causing the two ingredients to admix, means for exploding the admixture, the outer wall of said shell having a thickness diierent from the thickness of the corresponding wall of such missile and in compensating proportion to the difference in weight between the mass of explosive admixture and the mass of solid explosive.

2'. A shell adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis in night, and comparable substantially equally as to dimensions and trajectory to the present-day similar missile containing a solid explosive, said shell comprising a casing and a liquid therein, a closed chamber containing a second liquid and disposed within the liquid in said casing, the two liquids when admixed forming a highly sensitive explosive mixture, chamberopening means actuated during the flight of said shell, said means provided with an impeller establishing an admixing circuit through said chamber and said casing of the two liquids upon opening of said chamber, said shell having the thickness of its wall increased over that of the corresponding wall of such missile thereby to provide additional weight of metal to Vcompensate for the difference in Weight between the mass of liquid explosive and the mass of solid explosive.

3. A shell adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis in night, and comparable substantially equally as to dimensions and trajectory to the present-day similar missile containing a solid explosive, said shell comprising a casing anda liquid therein, a closed chamber containing a second liquid and disposed within the liquid in said casing, the two liquids when' admixed forming a highlysensitive explosive mixture, chamberopening means actuated solely by the rotary motion of the shell in flight, said means provided with an impeller establishing an admixing circuit through said chamber and said casing of the two liquids upon opening of said chamber, said shell having the thickness of its wall increased over that of the corresponding wall of such missile thereby to provide additional weight of metal to compensate for the difference in weight between the mass of liquid explosive and the mass of solid explosive.

4. A shell adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis in flight, and comparable substantially equally as to dimensions and trajectory to the present-day similar missile containing a solid explosive, said shell comprising an outer metallic casing and a closed inner chamber, the walls of said chamber being in spaced relation to the walls of said casing, one liquid in said casing and a different liquid in said chamber, the two liquids when admixed forming a highly sensitive explosive mixture, means actuated during the iiight of said shell for opening said chamber, said means provided with an impeller establishing an admixing circuit of the two liquids through the space between the walls of said casing and said chamber upon opening of said chamber, said shell having the thickness of its wall increased over that of the corresponding wall of such missile thereby to provide additional weight of metal to compensate for the difference in weight between the mass of liquid explosive and the mass of solid explosive.

5. A shell adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis in flight, and comparable substantially equally as to dimensions and trajectory to the present-day similar missile containing a solid explosive, said shell comprising a casing and a liquid therein, a closed chamber containing a second liquid and disposed within the liquid in said casing, the two liquids when admixed forming a highly sensitive explosive mixture, chamberopening means actuated during the flight of said shell, said means extending through said chamber and provided with an impeller establishing, together with the walls of said chamber, an admixing circuit through said chamber and said casing of the two liquids upon opening of said chamber, said shell having the thickness of its wall increased over that of the corresponding-wall of such missile thereby to provide additional weight of metal to Ycompensate for the difference in weight between the mass of liquid explosive and the mass of solid explosive.

6. A shell adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis in iiight, and comparable substantially equally as to dimensions and trajectory to the present-day similar missile containing a solid explosive, said shell comprising a casing and a liquid therein, a container within said casing and provided at opposite ends with movable closures normally in closed position, a diierent liquid within the closed container, the two liquids when admixed forming a highly sensitive explosive, and means carried by said casing causing movement of said closures into container-opening positions, said means extending into said container and provided with a member producing circulation and admixture of the two liquids through said container and said casing upon opening of said container, said'shell having the thickness of its wall increased over that of the corresponding wall of such missile thereby to provide additional weight of metal to compensate for the dierence in weight between the mass of liquid explosive and the mass of solid explosive.

7. A shell adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis in flight, and comparable substantially equally as to dimensions and trajectory to the present-day similar missile containing a solid explosive, said shellV comprising a casing and a liquid explosive ingredient therein, a container within said casing and provided at opposite ends with movable closures normally in closed position, a diierent liquid explosive ingredient Within the closed container, and means carried by said casing and immobile with respect thereto causing movement of saidclosures into container-opening positions, said means extending into said container and provided with a member producing circulation ofthe two liquids through said container and said casing upon opening of said container thereby to produce an explosive admixture, said shell having the thickness of its wall in-V creased over that of theV corresponding wall of such missile thereby to provide additional weight of metal to compensate for the diierence in weight between the mass of liquid explosive and the mass of solid explosive.

8. A shell adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis in ight, and comparable substan-V tially equally as t0 dimensions and trajectory to the' present-day similarV missile containing a solid explosive, said shell comprising a casing and a liquid therein, a closed chamber containing a second liquid and disposed within the liquid in said casing, the two liquids when admixed forming a highly sensitive explosive mixture, chamber opening means actuated by a rotary motion imparted to said casing, said shell having the thickness of its wall increased over that oi?A the corresponding wall of such missile thereby to provide additional weight of metal to compensate for the difference in weight between the mass of liquid explosive -and the mass of solid explosive.

NEVIL MONROE HOPKINS.