US3457862A - Noisemaking device - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1969 A. F. MARDARELLO ET AL NOISEMAKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19. 1967 FIG.I.

RALPH J BECKER y- 9 I A. F. MARDAREILOQ NOISEMAKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed D60. 19, 1967 FIG.3.

INVENTOR. ALFRED F- MARDARELLO RALPH 'J-BECKER' M ATRNEYSI FIG 5 United States Patent 3,457,862 NOISEMAKING DEVICE Alfred F. Mardarello, Hoboken, and Ralph J. Becker, Denville, NJ., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Dec. 19, 1967, Ser. No. 691,916

Int. Cl. F42!) 13/32 US. Cl. 102-88 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is designed to make a noise in the flight of a projectile by means of an adapter containing pivotally attached fin members with transverse blades. The adapter is fitted onto the projectile. When the latter is fired, the fin members move outwardly by centrifugal force, the blades thereon creating a whistling and screaming noise intended to frighten the enemy.

The invention relates to a projectile that is adapted to produce frightening noises while in flight, whereby such alien sounds will have a terrifying effect on people nearby.

The psychological effects of weird or unexpected noises, which accompany an artillery projectile or missile, have been explored in many ways, prior to this invention, with minimum results. The Germans, in World War H, attached a noise producing device to aerial bombs, somewhat similar in construction to the organ pipe. A high pitched noise was created. This could be used only on large bombs and was too massive for use on artillery projectiles. Patent No. 2,352,260 makes noises by use of air passages drilled through the projectile. This required modification of existing munitions and reduced drastically the effectiveness of the missile. Patent No. 2,247,111 utilizes a turbine to produce accoustical sound waves. The objections to this device are similar to those enumerated above.

The insutficiencies of the prior art are overcome by the noisemaking adapter of the instant invention. The adapter ring is so designed that they attach to an existant missile without requiring modification of said missile. Centrifugal force, as a result of the spinning motion of the missile after being fired, causes the noisemaking arms or fins to extend and to produce weird, alien sounds of such magnitude as to be heard over a substantial area. The psychological eflect, to create panic to those in the vicinity, is thus efiected.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a projectile which is capable of producing alien noises of great magnitude, whereby auditors in the vicinity are demoralized and panicked.

Another object is to provide a device which may be utilized with conventional artillery so that modifications of existant munitions is avoided.

Still another object is to provide a noisemaking device which is effective but does not disturb the flight of the projectile, nor does it reduce to any appreciable extent the range of such projectile.

Yet another object is to provide a device which carries out its function without in any manner decreasing or negating the primary mission of the projectile, such as anti-personnel or anti-material, etc.

And it is yet another object to take advantage of the movement of air over and around the spinning blade surface of the device to produce high pitched sound waves which can be heard along projectile trajectory until impact on the target.

These and other objects will become apparent as the invention is described, reference being had to the accom "ice panying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the noisemaker adapter in position on an artillery projectile;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the noisemaker of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational View of the adapter attached to a fuze through its base;

'FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the felt disc in relation to its seat in the body of the projectile, and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the projectile with the noisemaker adapter extended, exactly as if it were in flight.

Referring to the figures, and especially to FIGURES l, 2, and 3, the projectile 10 comprises a shell casing 12 and a fuze assembly 14. The noise-producing assembly 16 is positioned on the fuze assembly 14 and is best shown in FIG. 2.

The ammunition noisemaker 16 is a device which produces, during flight of the projectile 10, a constant, highpitched sound for the psychological eifect upon the enemy. It consists of an adapter element or ring 18 which is internally threaded at 20 in order to be retained upon the fuze assembly member 14. Extending from opposite ends on the adapter ring 18 are the U-shaped lug members 22, designed to retain therebetween, in pivoted arrangement, the noisemaking fin member 24 and the transversely attached blade 26. The pivot ring or pin 28 extends through suitable apertures 30 in each lug member 22, as well as on the fin member 24, whereby said fin member is pivotally secured therebetween. An enlarged reinforcing section 32 is provided on the fin member 24 in position between the lug members 22 so that they are reinforced in strength and are frictionally held in one of two adjusted positions, as will presently appear. The ringed portion 18 is threaded upon the similarly threaded section 34 of the fuze assembly 14, as is shown in FIG. 3. The upper end of the adapter ring 18 abuts the bottom of the cone shaped section 36 of the fuze assembly and is securely held thereon. The fuze assembly 14 is then seated in the shell casing 12, in the manner diagrammatically depicted in FIGS. 1 and 5. A washer 38, as is illustrated in FIG. 4 is positioned between the fuze assembly and the shell casing. The function of this washer is two-fold. It compensates for the space taken by the width of the adapter ring 18 and also is a safety factor in that it prevents the fuze booster from slapping back against the charge in the shell casing and thereby causing premature detonation.

The particular construction of the noisemaking assembly 16 is very important. It should be noted that the fin member 24 includes a tapering edge extending at its highest point from a position adjacent the pivot point to the outer extremity thereof. Along the straight edge of the fin member 24, the blade means 26 is secured at a position transverse to the plane of the fin member. This arrangement is critical, since this specific construction enables the projectile to create the frightening and weird noises intended to afiect the morale of the opposing troops in a new and unique manner. The tapered edge of the blade of the fin member 24 is so constructed that when the adapter is in position on the projectile, prior to being fired, it may be positioned against the outer diameter of the projectle and will not extend beyond the greatest diameter thereof. It is held in this position by the frictional engagement of the pivoted end of the fin member 24 against the U-shaped lug or yoke member 22. When the projectile is fired, spin causes the fin member 24 with its blade 26 to move outwardly after the projectile leaves the muzzle of the weapon. Movement of air over and around the fast spinning blade surfaces produces a high-pitched sound wave which can be heard along projectile trajectory until impact on a target. These sounds are unexpected and weird, and are effective in frightening opposing troops or civilian population. It should be noted that the noisernaker assembly 16 extends a distance beyond the outermost diameter of the projectile 10. This is desirable because the greatest noise making effect is obtained thereby. While it has been found that a shorter length of structure will still produce a noise effect, it appears that the extension of a fin and blade member beyond the diameter of the shell provides the most optimum results. The centrifugal force occasioned by the spinning motion of the shell causes the noisemaking assembly to pivot and extend outwardly until at substantially 90 to its original position. This, is the optimum position, but on some occasions, where air turbulance interferes with the noise assembly elements so that they do not open fully, the desired result is still obtained in a satisfactory manner.

A number of tests were made for both the device of the invention and a control group and the table below indicates the excellent results achieved by the structure.

TABLE Projectile Design velocity Noisemaker No. (f.p.s.) Results Fin member and blade. 1 2-54 1, 504

Produced noise.

1, 497 Extreme yaw, fell short.

1, 505 Fell short.

1 Four L-shaped [in members, spaced 90 apart.

2 Three L-shaped fin members, spaced 120 apart.

3 Two L-shaped fin members, spaced 180 apart.

4 Four fiat fin members, spaced 90 apart.

5 Three fiat fin members, spaced 120 apart.

*A portion of the blade end broke off, but this still produced noise.

The firing tests of the noisemaker of the invention were substantially without failure. The control fin members, not being provided with the blade members, produced no noise when fired.

In assembling the noisemaker structure 16, the fin members 24 are depressed downwardly and towards each other until the backs of the blade members 26 touch the bottom of the ring. The fin members 24 are frictionally held in position by the close tolerance between the reinforcing section 32 and with the lug member 22. The adapter ring 18 is then threaded upon the section 34 of the fuze assembly 14 until it achieves the position illustrated in FIG. 3. The felt disc or washer 38 is then placed over the fuze well in the projectile 12, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The disc should be pressed downwardly until it rests flat against the bottom of the well (not shown). The fuze assembly 14 is then attached to the projectile in conventional manner, until tightly seated. The projectile is then inserted into the Weapon, which may be the 105 mm. howitzer, or other similar weapons, in a conventional manner. When the gun is fired, the projectile leaves the gun chamber and is spinning in order to stabilize it in flight. The centrifugal force of the spinning action now causes the noisemaker .4 assembly 16 to move outwardly to substantially the position shown in FIG. 5. Continued spin of the projectile retains the position shown until the point of impact. During the period of travel in this extended position and by spinning rapidly, the frightening and weird noises so effective in the demoralizing of enemy forces, is produced. As the fourth entry on the table on page 6 indicates, the blade member of the adapter may break off at its extremity when the structure is not depressed against the sides of the projectile in the manner illustrated schematically in FIG. 1. While the effects produced are not as great as that when no break occurs, as long as the major portions of the structure is still retained, satisfactory results are obtained.

The materials used in the invention, are not critical, and may be of any rigid structure, such as fabricated steel, etc. By the construction of the invention, substantially no modification to existing shells or other missiles is required and may be used in a great variety of weapons.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible, in the light of the above teaching. For example, should it be desired to alert our troops to the start of bombing of the enemy, initially fired noise-producing projectiles would signal a warning. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as is specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In an artillery shell having an ogive and a body, the improvement thereof of a device for use in the generation of audible waves causing a psychological response in the form of terror in enemy infantrymen over whom said shell travels in flight, consisting of a support member adapted for mounting on said shell intermediate said ogive and said body,

a plurality of movable fin-like arms pivotally mounted on said support members,

each of said arms in the shape of a triangular body having a base, and

a rectangular flange-like blade transversely secured along the longitudinal length of said base,

whereby, said arms move from a position adjacent said shell body to a position transverse the longitudinal axis of said shell when said shell is in flight.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal length of said rectangular flange-like blade is coextensive with the longitudinal length of said triangular fin-like arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,586 7/1916 Waring 102-62 X 1,166,879 1/1916 Alard 10262 X 1,201,763 10/1916 Rimailho 2443.28 X 1,327,545 1/1920 Garnier 102-88 X ROBERT F. STAHL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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