US27147A - Edward o - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. 'E. 0. C. ORD.

Projectile.

-Patented Feb. 14, 1860.

Inl/'enfer 5.16 l@\ s shetsf-,sheet fs.

E. 0. G. ORD.

Projec e Pafentea Feb." 14, s60'.-

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UNHED -STATES PATENT Uri-reno EDWARD U. ORD, OF THF. UNITED STAT )S ARMY.

APPLICATiON 0F QUNPOWDER T0 FLAT PROJECTiLES,'G|VlNG THEM ROTATION.

.sneeiiieation thrilling part of Leiters-Patent \'o. 27. 47, dated l-ebruaijy H, lHt'U.

T0 aZZ whom, it may 0012.001111,.- y

Be it known that I, E. O. (l. ORD, of the United States Army, have invented a new description of Fire-Arms and Projectiles; `and I do hereby declare that, as nearly as may be, the following is an accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in giv-A woods now'used for artillery and small-arms. j

The principle is to give the same, ora sin1i" lar motion as that given to the scythein mow-J. ing to dat and sharp-,edged and pointed -pro-v jectiles of greatest spread-t1l e., holding or detaining one part or point of the projectile or projectiles while the mass-is swung forward and around that point 0r part, and when the two moti-ons areI communicated letv (To. a Figure 1, Plate 1, is a horizontal orlateral section of a model showing the principle as applied to projectiles like the Australian boomerang.l The gun is seen in section E F G G, and Fig. 2, Plate 1, in projection E F G G, and in perspective in Figs. 3 and 4. A number of these flat and sharp pointed and edged projectiles are seen, P l P, horizontal section, Fig. l, Plate 2, and vertical projection, or looking into the muzzle of the mortar, Fig. 2, Plate 2, in j; p p p.. Upon the ignition of the powder in the chamber O T, the arms are swung around on the point B, held, if necessary, by the slide or-screw-head a: whiehis made to project more or less over said point, as in the figure, 'andj' is the fulcrum.

It is evident that numerous applications of this principle of fiat projectiles moving forward and rotating edge first can be made, in which various forms can be given the projectiles, the shape, weight, size,'^and solidity of the projectiledepending upon the end in view, and the nature and form of the gun and chamber also. For instance, the i'ulerumj' can be changed, and.when double knives, as PP P, are usedtheprongs or arms can be increased or, diminished, as in Fig. l, Plate il, (regard being had to the charge.) Should ashower of flat 4and sharp projectiles be desired, a seriesof concentric rings cut from plates, as P P P, Fig. 3, Plate 3, can be laid, one series upon another, and all put ina cylindrical box'with flat topv and bottom, and the whole fired from a mortar whose interior -is projected horizontallyr in R S F, Fig. 3, Plate 3,- F G H K being a section (vertical) ofthe box at theniuzzla O is the chamber, and fthe i'ulcrum, madeI by a projection from the gun or box into a corresponding notch otbox or gun. llollow or solid disks with sharp edges, as P, Fig. 4,

.-Plare can be tired from long barrels LR L ,B bysetting them in sabots or culots, as S S, the four walls ot' the barrel being planes, A. BCD being a cross-section cut by a plane perpendicular t-o general direction of the barrel. The rotary motion is given as the pro` jectile leaves the mouth of the piece by a proA jection, f, on one side ofthe muzzle.

Flat and sharp semieircular rings or other armed projectiles can be fired from guns olsmall caliber. and weight (the rings or arms beingof great speed) by inserting one extremity 'ot' the ring or arm into the iiat and curved chamber, as 1t R, Plate 2, Fig. 2, and ,f rivinfe; the impulse tothat end by the powder in t?, the center .of first rotation being at L or at the other extremity of the projectile, as S S. A section ot' the gun R R is (on the inside) aparallelograin, the cutting-plane passing through the axis at L. rlhe form of the interior varies with thataof theprojectile and of the axis ol' rotation. 'Should the extremity of the arm receiving the impulse describe arcs, (with the other end as a center of rotation,) as M L',

these arcs might be projections of the walls ol' the gun and show part of the projectile there- Eplanatz'onof the trajectory or cui-oe dcscri/d by ajiat circular disk 'mutiny/formativi and 'rotat-I t'ng'.-Suppose we start the projectile with. its fiat sides horizontal. in planes parallel to their ilut sides, (andhaving motion el' translation in a unil'orin resisting medium, as the atmosphere, and having Flat projectiles rotating` the c ntfer of gravity and mass the same,) will have three forces opposed to their continuing both otions unchanged. The first is the resistance of the atmosphere due to the motion of translation alone, the rotary motion not now :being considered. If the projectile is homogeneous and symmetrical with regard to the n lane of fire, this iirst force will not deflect nr that plane. The secondopposing force 1s th r. nodication of the resistance of the atrota 1y motion is considered. If we consider rojectile with reference to its right and alves (as divided-by the vertical plane of 1,' planes parallel thereto) while it is in n, we will find that the rotary force s with the projectile (in its motio`n 4of Ration) on thc one side, and is opposed to the other, and therefore the sum of this y force and atmospheric resistance due to fo ce of translation is opposed to motion on ne side, and then difference on the other sid f this vertical plane -of iire, or the projec e is most retarded on the side where the mo ,i a n of rota-tion and translation accord. The

` thi-o force acting on the projectile, (its weight,)

l f, one side being more 'retarded, the side th s l etarded sinks, and supposing the plane' oil ro ation to have been a horizontal plane at the b ginning, it becomes an inclined pla'ne, t ie iclination or falling being` on the side l'her the motion of rotation is forward. If any ody s moving forward in a resistingme'dium,

nd a 1 obstacle on the one side is made to oplpose ts motion more than on the other, (asv turning the rudder of a boat orthe 'tail of a bird t' the right,) the body turns .to that side in its motion forward, and describes a curve,the atmosphere acting as a fulcrnm; hence the fiat projectile retarded by rotation forward on the,

one side turns or is deflected toward that side. The inclination of its plane of rotation on the side retarded thenbegins, owin g to its W'eight, and this deflects it still more toward that side, and the bodyr then slides toward 'the ground in the direction of this increasing-inclination; hence, to counteract this inclination or dedeci tion of the projectile from the plane of ire, it' is necessary to give it an inclination t-o the side u re to motion of, translation when the' opposite to that (in which the' rotary motion is forward) and from the horizontal plane. Anotherv cause of deflection of ordinary projectiles is the non-'accordance of the center of gravity and'center'of' This can also'be arranged inzflat rotary projectiles to produce or counteract deflection from the vertical plane ofre. A V

The advantages of-.my projectiles are in their great spread or sweep horizontally, their great penetration in. resisting media, as water, (through-which loaded flat shells can be ired,) in the Very small charges and light pieces ot' artillery, and in the light projectiles, (sincetbeing-fired edge and pointvviirstlwooden projectiles, by my plan, can be now discharged from fire-arms and do great 'execution and at'- tain great range,) andin the ease of turning them iI their course., To assure those not familiar with the subject how such have succeeded, I can state that I fired from a small brass mortar, similar to the one shown in section, Plate 3, Fig. 3, at the same time or discharge twelve at steel half-rings or; knives, .each about iive inches across, and'with an elevation of the plane of rotation of iive4 degrees and an inclination of seven degrees from the horizontal, and a charge 'of powder equal to one-half the charge of a United States musket, I obtained, with accuracy', a penetrationl ot' one 'inchat thirt'y feet, of one-half an inch at ninety-feet in wood, and a range of over .one hundred yards, the projectiles spreading horizontally and moving with flat sides toward the ground, and this with Vthe first gun cast for kniie-shooting, the gun or mortar weighing twenty; one pounds, and the twelve steel knives abonttw-thirds of a pound, the gun resting.

on the' level ground..

:What I- claim in, my invention is lhe use and control of iiat projectiles discharged from'ire-arms,` or not by hand, and .rotating in their flight, substantially as described.'

Efo; C. ORD;

Witnesses:

I. SV. lA'rToN, ALEX'. Birne.

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