US3905297A

US3905297A - Rocket propelled incendiary bomb

Info

Publication number: US3905297A
Application number: US265592A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles Barr; George B Urquhart
Original assignee: Textron Inc
Current assignee: Textron Inc
Priority date: 1952-01-09
Filing date: 1952-01-09
Publication date: 1975-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-16

Abstract

1. A rocket propelled incendiary bomb subjected upon firing to acceleration forces, comprising in combination, a main incendiary charge container of generally cylindrical form, an annular bracket fixed to the front end of said container, an ignitor assembled from externally thereof into said bracket and comprising a mounting ring slip-fitting into locked position relative to said bracket and carrying at its front end, a fuse and at its rear end a dispersion device, said dispersion device comprising a generally conically shaped shell carrying an explosive charge therein in communication with said fuse, frangible connection means interconnecting said ring and said shell and capable of withstanding said acceleration forces but rupturing under target impact forces whereby said shell is driven like a piston rearwardly through said main container incendiary charge upon explosion of said explosive charge to rupture the main container portion and drive the ignited incendiary contents thereof in all directions outwardly therefrom.

Description

Barr et al.

1 51 Sept. 16, 1975 ROCKET PROPELLED INCENDIARY BOMB [75] Inventors: Charles Barr, Buffalo; George B.

Urquhart, Lewiston, both of NY.

[73] Assignee: Textron, Inc., Providence, R1

[22] Filed: Jan. 9, 1952 [21] Appl. No.: 265,592

612.558 11/1948 Cook 89/l.7 B

612.997 1l/l948 Smith... 8 /1.7 B 1,335,343 3/1920 Linens 102/66 1,502,400 7/1924 Safford 102/66 2,383,720 8/1945 Hamilton 102/6 2,417.331 3/1947 Taylor et al. 259/] 2,468,140 4/1949 Thomton 102/6 X 2,494,562 l/l950 Kessenich 102/49 2.568.455 9/1951 Lindvall et a1. 89/1 .7 B

Primary Examiner-Verlin R. Pendegrass Attorney, Agent, or FirmBean & Bean EXEMPLARY CLAIM 1. A rocket propelled incendiary bomb subjected upon firing to acceleration forces, comprising in combination, a main incendiary charge container of generally cylindrical form, an annular bracket fixed to the front end of said container, an ignitor assembled from externally thereof into said bracket and comprising a mounting ring slip-fitting into locked position relative to said bracket and carrying at its front end, a fuse and at its rear end a dispersion device, said dispersion device comprising a generally conically shaped shell carrying an explosive charge therein in communication with said fuse, frangible connection means interconnecting said ring and said shell and capable of withstanding said acceleration forces but rupturing under target impact forces whereby said shell is driven like a piston rearwardly through said main container incendiary charge upon explosion of said explosive charge to rupture the main container portion and drive the ignited incendiary contents thereof in all directions outwardly therefrom.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEB SE?! 8 I975 SHEET 1 OF 2 CHARLES BARR AND GEORGE R. URQUHART TOR PATENTED SEP I 6 i875 SHEET 2 2 T m ONU E M Q 9% E R VWU m 1T DD A E 5% L mm m B ROCKET PROPELLED INCENDIARY BOMB This invention relates to warfare weapons, and more particularly to a novel ground-to-groundweapon. Whereas, the invention is applicable to projectile type weapons carrying various agents, such as explosives, inflammables, chemicals, toxic materials, etc., the invention is specifically illustrated and described hereinafter in detail in connection with a novel Napalm" type missile arranged to be fired from a mobile ground station. The invention contemplates in one form a novel incendiary type bomb which is adapted to be transported to and launched from a ground firing station in improved manner, and to disperse its incendiary load in improved manner upon arrival at the target. The attainment of the above stated and other objects of the invention will be understood from the following specification wherein by way of one example of-the invention an incendiary type missile is described and il lustrated in detail.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an incendiary missile of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through a portion of the incendiary container and dispersion device of the missile of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section, taken along line III- III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the missile of FIG. 1 and its combination carrying carton and launching tube means;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the rear end portion of the tube device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale, taken along line VIVI of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a rear end elevation of the tube device of FIGS. 4-5; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the device set up in position for launching of the missile.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, an incendiary napalm" type missile of the present invention may comprise generally a cylindrical tank portion 10 constituting a warhead into which is packed jellied kerosene or gasoline or other incendiary material; the warhead 10 being closed at its rear end by means of a bulkhead 12. At its front end the warhead 10 is capped by a streamlined shell piece 14 to the front end of which is welded or otherwise attached an annular bracket 16 carrying an ignitor 17 comprising a mounting ring 18 which carries any desired type fuse 21 such as may be selected from any type presently known in the art. Thus, it will be appreciated that the fuse may be of the contact" type, or of the proximity" type, as may be preferred.

In any case. in accord with the present invention the ring 18 carries a conically shaped shell 19 inside of which is packed a charge of explosive as indicated at 20 (FIG. 1). It is to be particularly noted that the explosive container 19 is generally conically shaped and pointed into the center of the incendiary charge within the main cylinder portion 10, and that the explosive shell 19 is relatively insecurely attached to the warhead ring 18 such as by means of a minimum number of relatively soft rivets or the like as indicated at 2222 (FIGS. 2-3). A snap ring as indicated at 23 (FIG. 2) functions to hold the ring 18 in assembly relative to the bracket 16. Thus, it will be appreciated that after the missile is launched, as will be explained hereinafter, and upon arrival at the target the fuse 21 withinthe ignitor 17 will be fired which in turn will ignite the explosive charge 20 within the shell 19. The explosion of this charge will operate to shear the rivets 2222 thereby allowing the shell 19 to be driven in the manner of a spear or piston rearwardly through the center of the incendiary charge within the main cylinder portion 10. Simultaneously, the explosion of the charge 20 will ignite the incendiary agent, and the pressure developed by explosion of the charge and driving of the piston device rearwardly through the incendiary charge will operate to rupture the cylinder wall 10, whereby the ignited incendiary agent will be sprayed outwardly in radial directions through the ruptured walls of the cylinder. Thus, it will be understood that the combined explosive actions of the fuse and the charge 20 and the piston pressures within the tank 10 will operate to disperse the incendiary agent in improved manner over a relatively wide area to provide maximum incendiary effects, whereas prior art napalm devices are apt to simply bury themselves in the ground at the target area and to form craters inside of which the incendiary agents are confined with greatly restricted effects.

As stated hereinabove, the rear end portion of the cylinder 10 carries a bulkhead 12, and this bulkhead constitutes a structural element of the tail assembly of the missile. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, a frusto-conical outer shell piece 24 is attached to the bulkhead l2 and carries therewithin a standard solid propellant type rocket motor, such as a standard jato motor for example, as indicated at 25. The bulkhead 12 is shown as being centrally recessed to receive the nose of the rocket unit; the flange portion thereof being conveniently fixed to the bulkhead as by means of screws as indicated at 26. The conical shell portion 24 of the tail assembly is readily fixed to the bulkhead as by means of screws 27. As indicated at 28, the conical tail piece 24 carries integrally therewith flight stabilizing fins.

The missile unit also includes a combination shipping carton and launching tube device which is illustrated in FIGS. 48 to comprise a cylindrical tube 30 which may be conveniently fabricated of some relatively inexpensive material such as paper board or the like, and dimensioned to receive in slip-fitted relation therein the missile and fin unit described hereinabove. Preferably, the tube 30 will be provided interiorly thereof with a series of spacer or guide elements which may be conveniently fabricated of wood strips or the like, as indicated at 32. The guides 32 may be attached to the interior of the tube 30 as by means of nails 33, and are arranged to extend longitudinally within the tube so as to function both as spacers to hold the missile inside of the tube in centered position therein, and also to guide the launching of the missile from the tube as will be explained hereinafter. Thus, the spacer devices 32 protect the fins 28 from damage while the missile is disposed within the tube. As shown in FIG. 5, the rear end of the tube 30 is only partially closed as by means of an annular piece 34, thereby leaving a central opening 35 at the rear end of the launching tube 30 in the path of the rocket blast. Slip-fit caps 36-38 are provided to enclose the front and rear end portions, respectively, of the tube 30 while the unit is being stored or transported or otherwise handled prior to use.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the cylinder 30 is adapted to function as a shipping carton or carrying case into which the loaded missile may be slip-fitted and packed at a loading station behind the firing line. Then, a truck load of such packaged missiles may be driven up to the firing line and the missiles unloaded at the desired ground station. Then, the ground firing crew will take over and set up the containers singly in the proper firing attitude as illustrated for example in FIG. 8. The cylinder 30 now functions as the missile launching tube, and the firing crew will take steps to properly aim the tube 30 through use of any preferred sighting arrangement, assisted by azimuth and elevation control instruments if desired. To facilitate the set up and aiming of the launching tube 30, the rear end thereof may be supported as by means of spades 38 detachably engaged to the rear wall portion of the launching tube as by means of bolt and wing nut devices as indicated at 39.

The front ends of the launching tubes may be conveniently supported by means of any suitable props such as by legs as are indicated at 4040 (FIG. 8) which are preferably slotted as indicated at 41 so as to be adjustable relative to the container and readily locked thereto as by means of wing bolts 42. For this purpose the cylinder 30 is preferably fitted with screw-thread brackets therewithin, so that wing bolt receiving threaded openings are provided as indicated at 45 (FIG. 4) at opposite sides of the launching tube. As shown in more detail in FIG. 6, a suitable bracket for this purpose may be provided in the form of a channel like metal piece 46 fixed to a wooden strip 48 to embrace therebetween a threaded nut 50 adapted to receive the threaded shank portion of the wing bolt 42 as explained hereinabove; an aperture 52 being provided in the container wall in line with the threaded nut 50 to permit ready insertion of the wing bolt into engage ment with the nut device.

Thus, it will be appreciated that when the launching tube 30 has been properly set up so as to aim the missile in the desired manner, the end caps 36-38 of the container are removed and a firing cable may be plugged into the rocket motor firing element. Then, upon closing of the firing switch the rocket motor will be started and the missile will be ejected from the container by the rocket thrust while being guided along the rails 32 inside of the container. Upon arrival of the missile at the target the fuse will be detonated and the explosive charge fired to ignite the incendiary charge and to simultaneously drive the piston to burst the container and disperse the incendiary material for a maximum effeet, as explained hereinabove. [t is of course a special feature of the invention that the combination shipping container and launching tube device of the invention may be readily fabricated of relatively inexpensive materials and easily handled before and during action, and

easily subsequently disposed of; all in improved man- It is to be understood that whereas the invention has been herein illustrated and described in detail as being incorporated in an incendiary type bomb, it is also applicable with equal facility to bombs designed to carry any other type destructive load for inflicting casualties or damage to material; and that although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A rocket propelled incendiary bomb subjected upon firing to acceleration forces, comprising in combination, a main incendiary charge container of generally cylindrical form. an annular bracket fixed to the front end of said container, an ignitor assembled from externally thereof into said bracket and comprising a mounting ring slip-fitting into locked position relative to said bracket and carrying at its front end, a fuse and at its rear end a dispersion device, said dispersion de vice comprising a generally conically shaped shell carrying an explosive charge therein in communication with said fuse, frangible connection means interconnecting said ring and said shell and capable of withstanding said acceleration forces but rupturing under target impact forces whereby said shell is driven like a piston rearwardly through said main container incendiary charge upon explosion of said explosive charge to rupture the main container portion and drive the ignited incendiary contents thereof in all directions outwardly therefrom.

2. A rocket propelled incendiary bomb subjected upon firing to acceleration forces, comprising in combination, an incendiary charge containing warhead, a fin-carrying tail portion connected to said warhead, a bracket fixed to the front end of said warhead, an ignitor inserted from exteriorly thereof into said bracket and comprising a ring slip-fitted into locked position interiorly of said bracket and carrying, a fuse and a dispersion device in communication with said fuse, said dispersion device comprising a generally conically shaped shell carrying an explosive charge therein, frangible pin means comprising a mounting connection between said shell and said ring and being pointed rearwardly into said incendiary charge, said pin means withstanding said acceleration forces but breaking upon explosion of the charge in said shell whereby the latter is driven through said incendiary charge to drive the latter in all directions outwardly from said warhead, and a rocket engine fixed to the rear end of said warhead substantially encased in said fin-carrying tail portion and operable to power said bomb through a flight trajectory.