US2365577A - Projectile - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1944. s. A. MOORE 2.365577 PROJECTILE Filed Aug. 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'myaz/w 76 ATI'D R N EYB Dec; 19, 1944. s A, MOORE 2,365,577

PROJEGTILE Filed Aug. 26, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

A'ITDRN EYS Patented Dec. 19, 1944 UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,365,577 PROJECTILE Stephen A. Moore, Roanoke, Va.

Application August 26, 1943, Serial No. 500,122

2 Claims.

My invention relates to projectiles fired from cannon and similar pieces of ordnance, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved glider projectile so designed as to cause the projectile t travel an increased distance as it reaches the descending stretch of the trajectory.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a projectile in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top view with a portion broken away for the purpose of illustration.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of one wing vane.

Figure 4 is an edge View. A

Figure 5 is a face View 'of the opposite side thereof.

Figure 6 is a face view of another wing vane,

Figure 7 is an edge View.

Figure 8 is a reversed face view.

Figure 9 is a sectional detail view illustrating a pivotal mount for the vanes of one wing.

Figure 10 is a face view of a vane locking cap.

Figure 11 is a sectional detail view illustrating a vane stop, and

Figure 12 is a top view partly in section of a projectile provided with the distance increasing Wings unfolded to carry the projectile an increased distance beyond ordinary projectiles In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, I make use of a projectile l provided with a diametrically opposed and longitudinal recesses [2 extending throughout the greater length of the projectile and opening through its circumferential face. A foldable wing I4 is mounted in each recess l 2. Each wing comprises a leading and top vane 16 and a plurality of successively underlying vanes I 8. All the vanes are similar in size and contour and converge uniformly toward the projectile. Normally the vanes I6 and [8 in each wing lie face to face and Wholly inside their respective recess I 2. The vanes in the two wings I4 are pivotally mounted on pins 20. Figures 3, 4 and illustrate one of the vanes l8, this vane being provided with an eye head 22 provided with formations 24 on opposite sides thereof cooperating with the same formations on adjacent eye heads to provide a limited lost motion relationship between the vanes. This motion is such that the vanes may be pivoted relatively to each other for face to face nesting inside the recess, but the vanes are pivoted relatively to one another in opposite direction to spread in the manner of Figure 12, with the vanes overlapping slightly so as to provide an unbroken wing surface.

One of the vanes I6 is illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8, this vane having an eye head 26 provided with a formation 28 coacting with one formation 24 on one of the vanes l8 to provide a lost motion connection so that the vane l6 has the same lost motion movement with respect to one of the vanes l8 as do the vanes l8 relatively to one another. An eye pin 30 is attached to the eye head 26.

Figure 9 illustrates the pivotal mount for one of the wings M. The two wings are identical in construction and operation. The pin 20 is loosely receivable in the eye heads 22 and 26, which heads lie in face to face engagement. The bottom vane l8 lies on the wall face 32 of the recess l2. Four equally spaced openings 34 are provided in the eye head 26 for the reception of latch pins 36 attached to a latch cap 38 slidably mounted on the pin 20 but restrained from relative rotation by reason of a key 40 receivable in a groove 42 in the latch cap. These pins latch the eye head 26 against rotation when the vanes l6 and I 8 are folded inside their recess I2, the formations 24 and 28 coacting so as to restrain all the vanes l6 and I8 from outward pivotal movement when lying in their recess l2 and with the pins 36 projected through the openings 34 in the eye head 26.

The pin 20 is threaded into the wall 32 of the recess, as at 44 and the pin is provided with a longitudinal bore 46 for a fuse 48 extending rearwardly of the projectile through an opening 50 for projection beyond its rear end 52 to be ignited when the projectile is fired.

In Figures 2 and 12 a tension spring 53 has one end connected with the eye bolt 30 and its other end secured to an anchor 54 attached to the projectile III. This spring is of sufi'icient tension to pivot all the vanes l6 and I8 associated therewith to their unfolded position when the latch cap 38 is elevated suificiently far to pull the pins 36 clear of the eye head 26. When the latch cap 38 is lifted oif the eye head 26, the spring 53 imparts a rapid and forcible pivotal movement to the vane IS, with the result that the formations 24 and 28 cause the vanes l6 and It to fan outwardly to the wing formation of Figure 12, the bottom vane [8 being restrained from pivotal movement outside the recess |2 by reason of a lug 56 engageable with a stop 58 on the projectile.

Means for lifting the latch cap 38 to release the vanes, comprises an annular groove 60 in the face of the latch cap 38 ngaging the eye head 26, which groove is filled with an explosive material 62 to be ignited by the burning fuse 48. As the material 62 explodes, the latch cap 38 is lifted off the eye head 26 to release the latter. The latch cap 38 is yieldingly biased against the eye head 26 by a compression spring 64, so that the eye head 26 will become latched to the latch cap 38 as the vane- 16 is pivoted to its full open position in substantially right angular relation to the longitudinal axis of the projectile. An opening 66 is provided in the side of'the pin 20 for reception of the fuse 48 to lead the latter into the explosive 62.

The recesses [2 lie in a horizontal plane positioned above the longitudinal axis of the projectile so as to more effectively balance the latter when the wings are in their spread formations. Each wing structure is provided. with a fuse, and

the two fuses are timed through the length thereof to release the vanes only after the projectile,

has traveled a predetermined distance, with the wings preferably opening as the projectile is at the highest point of its trajectory. Since the vanes are arranged in overlapping relationship and underlie one another rearwardly of the forward edges of their respective wings, the two wings are characterized by bottom faces inclining rearwardly toward the axis of th projectile so as to impart a lifting, action to the projectile,

' thereby increasing the distance traveled by the projectile during the declining stretch of its. trajectory.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

l. The combination of a projectile body having recesses therein, foldable wings normally housed in said recesses, means for latching said wings in folded positions inside said recesses and in unfolded positions outside the recesses and the contour of the projectile, explosive means for actuating said first mentioned means to release the wings when in their folded positions, and means for projecting the wings to their unfolded positions.

2. The invention described in claim 1 wherein said wings each comprises a plurality of overlapping vanes, a pivot pin for each set of vanes,

"coacting formations on the vanes in each set to limit the relative pivotal movement therebetween, in which said last mentioned means comprise springs respectively attached to one vane in each wingl said onev vane in each, wing-being= provided with openings, aid first mentioned means including caps; slidably mounted on the respective pins having lugs receivable in. the openings in the said one vane of that pin, and in which said explosive means include explosive containing chambers lo cated between said caps and the said one of said vanes and fuses leading into said explosive container chambers and through bores in the projectile to a position at the rear thereof.

, STEPHEN A. MOORE.

Images