US2737889A - Incendiary shell - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1956 M. E. BARKER INCENDIARY SHELL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1941 MAURICE E. BAR KER ATTORNEY March 13, 1956 M. E. BARKER INCENDIARY SHELL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 20, 1941 [NI/M101? MAURICE E. BARKER 2,737,889 Patented Mar. 13, 1956 INCENDIARY SHELL Maurice E. Barker, Washington, D. C., assignor t the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War, trustee Application .iune 20, 1941, Serial No. 388350 1 Claim. (Cl. 10266) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an incendiary shell and to a gun for firing said shell.

Various developments have been made in the art of destroying enemy property and personnel by means of burning masses, sprays, bullets and other media. These means have resulted in a somewhat limited range or a somewhat limited accuracy of fire, or both. Many of these means have necessitated the use of aircraft from which the incendiary media have been dropped.

Modern warfare involves the extensive use of high speed tanks and other armored vehicles which are not vulnerable to rifle and machine gun fire. It has been found that a reasonably large incendiary weapon can effectively disable the operators of such vehicles if the incendiary hits the vehicle and leaves a mixture which burns at a high temperature on the vehicle. Such incendiaries have been thrown by hand, but the range is limited. The present invention contemplates a shell and gun therefor which are superior to prior devices for tank and armored vehicle defense. The gun is aimed and fired from the shoulder or from a port ledge or other support and the shell ruptures on impact without explosion, and leaves an intensely burning mixture which spreads over the surface.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a munition which will be effective to incapacitate tanks and other armored vehicles.

Another object is to provide a rnunition which will be efiective to drive enemy personnel out of closed spaces of all kinds.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for increasing both the range and the accuracy of fire involved in projecting an incendiary medium toward its target.

Another object is to provide an incendiary shell and a gun for said shell.

A further object is to provide a gun which so far as possible can be made out of standard parts.

These and various other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claim, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction herein, which is given by way of illustration only.

Figure 1 is a side view of the gun,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the separated parts of one form of incendiary shell,

Figure 3 is a central section of another formof shell in the form of a fire-ball,

Figure 4 is an end view at the bottom or rear end of the Figure 7 is an end view of the shell of Figure 6, taken at the rear or bottom end thereof,

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section through the cellulose acetate tube and nose portion of the shell according to Figure 6,

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section through the cellulose nitrate cover for the base of said tube and nose portion shown in Figure 8,

Figure 10 is a longitudinal section through the powder grain charges for the shell of Figure 6,

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section through the metal cap for the base of said tube and nose portion shown in Figure 8.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figure 1 the gun according to the invention is designated by the numeral 2. This gun is a shot gun except that the barrel of the normal shot gun is replaced by a barrel 4 of sufficient diameter to accommodate the incendiary shell of this invention. The gun, then, comprises a butt 6, a stock 8, a trigger 10, a trigger guard 12, a hammer 14, a shot gun shell loading breech 16, a breech lock lever 18, and a hinge pin 20 by which the aforesaid stock is pivotally connected to the remaining and forward part of the gun. In these parts the gun according to this invention is an ordinary shot gun.

However, the shot gun barrel terminates a short distance ahead of the shot-gun shell loading breech 16 at an incendiary shell-loading breech 22, said shot gun barrel forming a shot gun shell chamber 24. Attached to said shot gun shell chamber 24 is breech lock lever 26 functioning to lock and unlock breech 22. Said breech 22 forms the rear end of the enlarged barrel 4 of this invention. Said barrel 4 is pivotally connected to the remaining and rearward portion of the gun by means of barrel support 30 and hinge pin 28 passing through said barrel support, so that the breech 22 of barrel 4 is immediately in front of the front end of shot-shell chamber 24. Breech 22 accommodates the incendiary shell of the invention, said shell being positioned directly ahead of the shot gun shell in chamber 24. This gun has all the features of the modern shot gun such as a cartridge ejector and the usual aiming sights. When the gun is to be fired from a port ledge or other support, it may be provided with a pistol grip and a clamp of some sort which permits the port ledge on which it will rest when fired to take the recoil and which at the same time allows some freedom of elevation and traverse. The gun and attendant mechanism should be capable of being put in position on the support to be fired in about 2 seconds, owing to the rapidity of modern warfare. Alternatively the gun may be fired from the shoulder.

The invention has been described in connection with a modified shot gun, using a blank shot gun cartridge. it should be understood, however, that the invention is not thus limited, since other propelling and igniting devices may be modified to have the enlarged barrel, and a blank rifle bullet may be used.

A form of blank shot gun shell used in connection with this gun is shown in Figure 5. This shell comprises a percussion-sensitive firing cap 36, contacting a mass of black powder 38 which fills the shell and is confined within the shell casing 4-2. Embedded within the mass of black powder are one or more individual grains of millimeter black powder 40, two being shown in Figure 5. The mass of black powder thus forms a passage of travel for the flame leading from the firing cap 36 to the grains 49 of 75 millimeter powder. The blank shot gun shell contains no shot, but functions merely by means ofthe propulsive and igniting effect of the hot gases generated by the explosion of this shell, and by the igniting effect of the unconsumed burning powder which is hurled forward by the force of the explosion.

However, the invention is not limited to this particular type of propulsive and igniting means for the incendiary shell of the invention, but includes within its scopeany suitable propulsive and igniting means for the incendiary shell.

One form of an incendiary shell adapted to-be fired from the gun of this invention is shown in Figures 3 and 4 as a fire-ball 46. This fire-ball comprises a combustible filling 48, preferably solidified alcohol and a spontaneously combustible material contacting said solidified alcohol. In Figure 3 the spontaneously combustible material is shown as a plurality of White phosphorus sticks 5i embedded in the solidified alcohol 48. Wherever the term solidified alcohol or solidified is used, the substance may be either a solid or a viscous liquid. The substance may suitably be grease-like in its physical form, and the word solidified is intended to include this physical form.

The fire-ball further comprises a casing 54 of a difiiculty combustible substance, preferably cellulose acetate, said casing completely surrounding the combustible filling. This casing may have any convenient shape and size consistent with the shape and size of the barrel of the gun in which it is to be fired. In the drawings Figures 3 and 4 it is shown as being substantially cylindrical, except that each end thereof is in the form of a portion of a sphere. The rear end of said cellulose acetate casing 54 is supplied with perforations 58 for admitting air to the interior of the fire-ball. Over said perforated rear end of the fire-ball is positioned an easily combustible cover 6%, preferably of nitrocellulose. In order to fit into standard projecting munitions and firing-pieces, as well as into the gun of this invention, the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the fire-ball of this invention is preferably either 2 inches or 60 millimeters.

Although the fire-ball has been described as filled with solidified alcohol with white phosphorus sticks imbedded therein, the invention is not limited thereto, many other combustible fillings being suitable for the purpose. Examples of other suitable fillings are white phosphorus alone or with incendiaries other than solidified alcohol; thermit, mixtures of oxidizing agents (as nitrates, chlorates, peroxides) with carbon, sulfur, sulfides, magnesium, aluminum and organic combustibles; petroleum products; tar products; carbon-disulfide; wood distillation products; solidified gasoline and solid oils. Where liquids are used, the liquids are preferably viscous so that they may slowly flow over the surface of the target as a burning mass.

Where an effect other than or in addition to an incendiary effect is desired, the shell of Figures 3 and 4 may be filled with suitable materials designed to give the result desired. For example, the shell may be filled with materials which, when released from the shell, will yield a smoke. Again, white phosphorus may be used for this purpose, since it both burns and yields a smoke. Examples of other materials which create a smoke are crude oil, white phosphorus, titanium tetrachloride, hexachlorethane with zinc and zinc oxide, and sulfur trioxide with chlorsulfonic acid.

On the other hand, the shell may be filled with materials which, when released from the shell, will yield a toxic vapor. Examples of such materials are the Wellknown chemical warfare agents chlorine, phosgene, chlorpicrin, mustard, lewisite, brombenzylcyanide, chloracetophenone, diphenylchlorarsine, diphenylaminechlorarsine and others.

The operation of firing the fire-ball of Figures 3 and 4 and its behavior on hitting the target will now be described. The blank shot gun shell of Figure 5 or any other suitable igniting and propelling device is loaded into chamber 24. The incendiary shell or fire-ball 46 is loaded through breech 22 into the rearward portion of barrel 4 so that the incendiary shell is adjacent to and in front of the blank shot gun shell. The gun is preferably aimed and fired from the shoulder. Upon pulling the trigger, the hammer 14 strikes the percussion cap 316 in the blank shot gun shell. The shell is exploded and the powder charge and hot gases are suddenly forced against the incendiary shell or fire-ball. This impact causes the incendiary shell to be shot out of the gun. At the same time burning portions of the powder charge together with the hot gases from the shot gun shell ignite and burn the nitrocellulose cover 60, exposing perforations 58 to the atmosphere so as to admit air to the filling material within to initiate and carry on the combustion of said filling material.

Where the filling materials are solidified alcohol and white phosphorus sticks extending from some of the perforations 58 to the interior of the fire-ball, the white phosphorous will be spontaneously ignited upon exposure to the air and will in turn ignite the solidified alcohol. Thus the fire-ball will progress through the air as a slowly burning body, the rate of burning being dependent on the rate of access of air through perforations 58 to the combustible materials inside the fire-ball.

Upon hitting the target the fire-ball and the contents therein will mushroom out to spread out over the surface of the target. The cellulose acetate casing will rupture without explosion, releasing the contents of the shell. These combustible contents such as solidified alcohol together with any pieces of unconsumed phosphorus will thus form an adhering sheet on the target. This sheet will be burning over its entire surface. The heat generated by this burning mass will consume any combustible portions of the target and will incapacitate any enemy personnel subjected to this heat. Furthermore, any enemy personnel directly contacted by the burning mass will be injured or incapacitated.

Where the target is a closed spaced occupied by enemy. personnel the heat generated by the mass spreading over the wall or walls of said enclosure and burning at the surface of said mass will be transmitted first to the Walls of the closed space. Should the walls be of metal, they will rapidly become hot. Where the walls are of concrete, stone, brick and the like, they will become hot more slowly, but if they are hit by several incendiary shells in succession, the temperature of these cement, stone or brick walls will rise sufficiently for the purpose of this invention. Regardless of the specific material of which the walls are made, when the temperature of the wall or walls has become sufficiently high, heat will be transferred by radiation and other means from the wall or walls to the interior of the closed space. The temperature of the interior of the closed space will rise beyond the point where the personnel therein can endure it, and they will either become casualties or will be forced out of the enclosure. Where such personnel are operators of a tank or armored car, the result will be that this tank or armored car, now emptied of effective enemy personnel, is incapacitated for action against friendly personnel.

Where the closed space is a fortified building or other stronghold, the enemy will be driven out of the building to be captured or incapacitated by friendly troops. After sufficient time has elapsed for the stronghold to cool down, it may then be occupield by friendly troops. In general where the closed space is a building, the occupants may be driven out by the excessive heat created inside the building by the material burning on one or more of the walls of the building. Any wooden or other combustible portion of the building may be consumed by the heat. Where the whole building is made of combustible material, it may be completely destroyed.

Generally, though, the most important targets against which the incendiary shell is to be used are armored tanks and other armored vehicles. Thus, this incendiary shell or fire-ball.furnishes a satisfactory munition against tanks and other armored vehicles, where other munitions have failed to stop said vehicles to render them ineffective.

Another form of an incendiary shell adapted to be fired from the gun of this invention is shown in Figure 2. This figure is a longitudinal section showing the various separated parts in position ready for assembly into a unitary completed incendiary shell.

The shell, generally designated as 64 comprises a substantially hemispherical casing 66 defining a nose portion, and a substantially cylindrical casing 68 defining a tube portion. Casings 66 and 68 are preferably of cellulose acetate and enclose a filling of combustible material, preferably solidified gasoline. However, the shell may include as filling material any one or more of the combustible, toxic or smoke-producing substances disclosed for filling the fire-ball described above and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. The shell'further comprises a combustible cover 72, preferably of nitrated cellulose and a cap 74 preferably of metal. Said cap encloses powder charges 76, 76' fitted into holes 78, 78' in the rear of said cap.

The shell further comprises a base portion 80 including a rear or bottom member 82, cylindrical sides 84 and an interior 86 including a propellent powder charge. Located substantially in the center of the bottom member 82 is a percussion cap 90 adapted to receive the impact from an elongated gun hammer to be described later.

In fitting the component parts of this shell together the nose and the tube portions mesh together by means of the halved-joint 92 and are sealed with cellulose nitrate. The remaining portions of the shell merely fit over the rearwardly-extending projections which may be smooth or may be threaded. In the assembled shell the cap 74 compresses the powder charges 76, 76 against the rear of the combustible cover 72. The diameter of the shell is preferably the same as that of the diameter of the fireball of Figures 3 and 4, namely either 2 inches or 60 millimeters.

The portion of the shell enclosed by walls 63 and cover 72 may or may not be provided with a fast burning mixture at the base of the rupturable, difiicultly combustible casing immediately in front of the powder grains 76, 76', and this fast burning mixture may additionally be in the form of a tongue located centrally of the shell and extending up into the burning mixture with which the shell is filled. This fast burning mixture serves to transmit the flame from the powder grains 76, 76' to the combustible filling. Alternatively the shell may be provided with a fast burning mixture located at the base of the rupturable, difficultly combustible casing and immediately in front of the powder grains 76, 76' and comprising a mixture of white phosphorus grains, with grains of smokeless powder interspersed between the grains of white phosphorus, and serving as a transmitter of combustion from the grains of black powder to the main combustible ingredient in the shell.

This form of incendiary shell does not require and is in fact fired without the use of a blank shot gun shell, since the firing pin of a gun, slightly modified, strikes the percussion cap 98 directly.

In operation, the incendiary shell shown in Figure 2 is loaded into the barrel of the gun through the breech and is positioned in the barrel just ahead of said breech. In use, the firing pin will hit directly on the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled, exploding the same, and transmitting the explosive flame generated to the propellent powder charge igniting this powder. This powder defiagrates, igniting powder charges 76 and 76', at the same time giving all parts of the shell in front of the base portion 843 a sudden initial push forward along the barrel of the gun. The base portion 80 remains fixed in its position just ahead of the breech, and does not travel along the barrel. If desired it may be ejected from the barrel by means of a special cartridge ejector not shown.

During the progress of the shell through the barrel of the gun, powder charges 76 and 76' which have been 6 ignited by the heat generated due to the explosion of powder charge 86 generate hot gases which on the one hand push backward against the breech of the gun and on the other hand push forward against the shell travelling forward through the gun barrel.

During the flight of the shell nose first along its trajectory, powder charges 76, 76' continue to burn. Ejection of the products of combustion through apertures 78, 78 creates a rocket eifect. When the shell hits the target the impact will force those burning charges against the nitrocellulose cover 72, causing it to burn and ignite the combustible contents confined within the rupturable, difi cultly combustible wall 68. At the same time, as explained in the behavior of the fire-ball of Figures 3 and 4 on hitting the target, the impact will cause the casing or wall 68 to rupture and the shell to mushroom out, the contents spreading out over the surface of the target as a burning mass. The uses of this form of incendiary shell and the targets against which it may be effective are the same as those enumerated in connection with the description of the fire-ball of Figures 3 and 4, and reference is made thereto.

Figures 6 through 11 show a further form of the incendiary shell according to the invention. The shell in this form is generally designated as 102 and comprises a tube and nose portion 104 which in turn comprises casing M6 made preferably of a rupturable, difficultly combustible material, preferably cellulose acetate, with thickerred portions 108 for added strength, and containing solidified burning material 110. The shell further comprises a cover 132 preferably of cellulose nitrate, powder charges 114, 114', and a cap 116 preferably of metal. Holes 118, 11$ are drilled in the base portion of the metal cap 116 for support of powder charges 114, 114'. There may be any number of holes 118, 118, four being shown in the drawing Figure 7. Similarly there may be any corresponding number of powder charges 114, 114. The shell in this form may be filled with any of the filling materials described above as suitable for filling the shell in the forms illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Examples of satisfactory filling materials have been given in connection with the description of the fire-ball of Figures 3 and 4, and reference is made thereto. Fast burning mixtures at the base of the rupturable, difiicultly combustible casing serving to convey the flame from the powder charges 114, 114' to the main filling material have been described in connection with the description of Figure 2, and reference is made thereto.

In operation the shell in the form disclosed in Figures 6 to 11 is loaded through breech 2 2 (see Figure 1) into the barrel 4 to a position just ahead of breech 22. A blank shot gun shell is then inserted through breech 16 into chamber 24. The gun is aimed and the trigger pulled. The hammer 14 strikes the firing cap 36 of the blank shot gun shell, the shell explodes and transmits the flame directly to the black powder masses 114, 114, firing these masses. As explained in connection with Figure 2, the burning of these powder masses creates back pressure against the breech 22, and forward pressure on the rapidly combustible cover 112 and hence the tube and nose portion 194. At the same time additional forward pressure is being exerted on the whole of the incendiary shell by the explosion of the blank shot gun shell. These two forward pressures add up to give the shell a rapid motion through the barrel. As in the case of the modification of Fig. 2, the continued burning of powder charges 114, iii after leaving the barrel produces a rocket effect and ignites the incendiary material 11%).

The behavior of the shell in this form on hitting the target is substantially that of the fire-ball of Figures 3 and 4 and that of the shell in the form shown in Figure 2. Reference is made to the description above of the behavior of the fire-ball on hitting the target.

Thus a shell has been created which is effective against tanks, other armored cars and other closed spaces wherein nemy personnel are confined, and which functions hrough the intense heat created by the shell on striking he target to drive the enemy personnel out of the proected closed spaces so that the enemy can be easily aptured or destroyed in the open by friendly troops. =urthermore, a shell has been created which increases the litherto range and accuracy of fire involved in projectng an incendiary medium toward its target. Lastly, a gun has been created for firing the shell, which is a simple md inexpensive modification of a shot gun, and which herefore can be made to a large extent out of standard aarts.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited ,0 the details shown herein by way of illustration, since lariations may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention nor :xceeding the scope of the appended claim.

1 claim:

Ashell comprising a casing open at one end, a filler 11 said casing, a deflagrating cover closing said casing, a 20 :losure connected to said casing in spaced relation to said cover, and igniter pellets in said space between said cover and said closure, said closure being apertured and said pellets being partially positioned Within said apertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,175,800 Nixon Mar. 14, 1916 1,374,854 Johnson Apr. 12, 1921 1,376,316 Chilowsky Apr. 26, 1921 1,434,681 Clay et a1. Nov. 7, 1922 1,435,228 Hammond Nov. 14, 1922 1,484,190 Ray Feb. 19, 1924 1,517,554 Fulcher Dec. 2, 1924 1,605,655 DuPont Nov. 2, 1926 1,756,079 Anderson Apr. 29, 1930 2,055,020 'Wadsworth Sept. 22, 1936 2,068,159 Von Frantzius Jan. 19, 1937 2,094,305 Savani Sept. 28, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 298,569 Germany Sept. 26, 1919

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