US671877A - Projectile. - Google Patents

Description

No. 67l,877. Patented Apr. 9, I901.

W. F. EOLE.

PROJECTILE.

(Application filed Oct. 13, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES //v VENTOH X00. C026. W Y 41444427 FFICE.

WILLIAM FRANKLIN COLE, OF WACO, TEXAS.

PROJECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 6'71 ,877, dated April 9, 1901.

' Application filed October 13, 1900. Serial No. 32,953. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FRANKLIN COLE, residing at Waco, in the county of Mo- Lennan and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved projectile for guns and ordnance of variousclasses and bores. It is adapted to be used only in a gun having an elliptical bore, since this form has advantages which are of much importance-that is to say, such guns, being practically smooth bores, their life or durability is much greater'than that of rifled guns, yet they have the same-advantage as the latter in respect to imparting rotation to the projectile, whereby a flat trajectory is obtained.

My projectile is elliptical in cross-section throughout the length of its body and is also twisted to conform to the bore of the gun. The front portion of the body is likewise tapered toward the point, which is constructed with a thin edge having a twist or reverse curve; With this form of projectile the ra pidity of rotation is maintained and even increased in flight, while the resistance and friction of the air is reduced to a minimum. Theresult is a high velocity, great range, and accuracy of flight.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure- 1 is a side View of my im'proved projectile. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front end view. Fig. 6 is a view of the side oppo- 'site that shown in Fig. 1.

The chief characteristics of form or sha e of my projectile are as follows: The 0055 of the projectile is elliptical in cross-section throughout its length and also slightly twisted. The major and minor axes of the ellipse are the same or uniform in the base portion a, while they are gradually shortened in the front portion 1), since the latter is tapered on all sides. Thus the projectile may be con sidered as having one general characteristicnamely, ellipticity and a uniform twist-and is additionally distinguished by difierence of the ellipse in the body portion a b, while the point a is likewise twisted, corresponding to the special shape of said body. The details are as follows: In the base a, which may be considered as including one-half of the length of the projectile, the major and minor axes of the ellipse remain the same throughout, but the front portion b,which is included between the base a' and point 0, is tapered throughout, so that the major and minor axes are gradually shortened. Thus the major axis of the ellipse is gradually inclined more and more from the base end to the point, as illustrated by shade-lines and also by the line 01, representing the major axis in Fig. 4. The point 0 has the general form of awedge or drill point, its broad sides forming obtuse angles with the broader sides of front part b, as shown. The said wedge-point cis, however, irregular, its thin edge having a reverse or S-shaped curve (see Fig. 5) and its broad sides being so beveled as to impart a twist corresponding to that of the body a b of the projectile. This shape of the point and the taper of the front portion enable the projectile to cleave or penetrate the air with minimum friction and resistance, besides maintaining and even increasing for a time the rotation of the projectile. Thus great accuracy, high velocity, and a very flat trajectory are obtained with a given charge of explosive. It is to be understood that the uniform elliptical and twisted portion a of the projectile will duly lit the elliptical and twisted bore of the gun, (not shown,) and thus serve to guide the projectile when being discharged; but the irregularly-elliptical front portion 1), owing toits taper, will not come in contact with the sides of the bore.

Having thus described myinvention, wha I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

As an improved article of manufacture,the herein-described projectile for smooth-bore guns, whose bodyis twisted spirally, and also elliptical in cross-section, throughout its length, the majorand minor axes of allcrosssections of the base portion a, being uniform in length, and the front portion b tapered, and the point 0 having a twist or reverse curve, as shown and'described.

WILLIAM FRANKLIN COLE.

Witnesses:

AMOS W. HART, SOLON O. KEMON.

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