US1376316A - Projectile - Google Patents

Description

C/CHILOWSKY.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24 1918.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

I mue/afar.-

C. CHILOWSKY.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 24. 1918.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PBOJECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patenteq API'. 26, 1921.

Application led October 24,'1918. Serial No. 259,556.

To aZZwLom/t may concern.' l

Be it known that I, `oNsTANT1N CHILow- SKY, a citizen of Russia, residing at Parls, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of whlch the following is a specificationl The Hight of projectiles is greatly inHuenced by the resistance of the air, andthe means hitherto adopted to increase the Hlght have been based on a study of the shapes'of the projectiles, or have consisted in provlding high initial velocity.

The applicant, for arriving at the same end, takes into consideration the fact that the resistance to Hight depends as much upon the properties of the air as on those of the projectile and increases the range by -dealing with the medium traversed, for example by changing its temperature, its density and its composition.

The present invention has for its object a system of reducing the resistance to .the Hight of a projectile by heating the air through which it passes. To apply the system appropriate means, of which several different forms will be hereinafter described, are arranged on the front portion of the projectile, which means have for their object the heating of the air by discharging into the atmosphere for a considerable distance in front of the projectile, combustible, substances which are discharged from a'receptacle specially provided for the purpose in the projectile. These substances are such that they burn as fast as they -meet with the oxygen in the current of air created by the relative movement of the projectile, the current becomes heated Vand with it are mixed -the residues of the combustion, or combustion is .effected in the said receptacle and residues only are discharged into the atmosphere at -very high temperature.

In theV second case the substances act on the air only through their calorific capacity. In the first case, which is preferably adopted; the substances act both through their calorilic capacity as well as throughA their heat due to combination with oxygen which makes their calorific value greater for a given thermic mass, carried by the projectile.

The combustible should be brought to a state such that its combustion can be produced in a current of air of high velocityand maintained in a continuous and regular manner. If the combustible naturally has pyrophoric properties, it will suice to project it in a pulverized form. In any other case, it is necessary before projecting it into the atmosphere to bring it to an appropriate state, of liquid, vapor or gas 'at a suitably high temperature, by the application of heat. Moreover, in order that the combustion may be suiicientlyuperfect the combustible should be mixed rapidly and intimately wlth the air current. This 1s attained b an atomizer or diffuser which emits the ombustible in the form of small jets or thin sheets, or which projects it in small drops.

Among combustible substances, those hav.- ing pyrophoric properties, such'as red phosphorus, or the solution of white phosphorus 1n carbon bisulHd orgaseous phosphoreted hydrogen, are suitable. The ways of projecting, heating and vaporizin the com# bustible substances vary accor ing to the nature of the substance employed. Liquid combustibles can be projected and atomlzed by the action of a gaseous pressure. Solid combustibles can be brought to a gaseous, j

vaporous or liquid state by partial combust1on in the interior of the receptacle, which can-be effected by the addition of a proper quantity of a suitable oxid, such as, for example, one of the metallic oxids, a nitrate or sulfur. Thus, in a mixture of about 60 per cent. of'red phosphorus and 40 per cent. of oxid of copper, sufficient disen a ement is producedto vaporize the remain er of the phosphorus which accordingly burns at the exit of the diffuser.

Thermal substances liberating vapoi's-v of incandescent metal may also be conveniently used. Thus bi-oxid of manganese reduced by powder of magnesium or aluminium liberates manganese vapors.

Mixtures of different metallic oxids (for example zinc or lead) with magnesium or Valuminium powder produce on reduction iricandescent metallic vapors and also vapors of magnesium and aluminium, if these latter substances are in excess.

Incandescent metallic vapors have par* ticular advantages, owing to their sponta.

neousness of combustion in-air. These thermal substances can also be utilized for vaporizing" other combustibles, solid or liquid, when they are placed in contact withzthem, either directly or through the intermediary of metallic walls.

Again, substances of imperfect c0mbl`1s tion can be advantageously employed as they contain in the heated products of combustion unburnt combustible matter, such as for example celluloid not containing too much camphor.

Finally, good results may be obtained by adding to one of these mixtures or sub-l stances pyrophoric combustibles, such as phosphorus. f Y

The accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example, relate to a mode of and to different forms of means for carrying out the invention in practice, the particulars and the application of which will be explained below. Details of construction, however, may be varied according to circumstances so as to suit. best the type of projectile, the nature of the combustible employed and manufacture.

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of the invention with a receptacle forming the nose piece.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment showing a receptacle mounted on the nose of the projectile.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment showing a receptacle mounted in the body of the projectile.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment showing a receptacle and burner mounted in the nose of the projec-l tile.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment showing a double chambered receptacle.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment showing a receptacle having means for forcing the combustible through the burner.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing a receptacle mounted on the nose of the shell and a burner.

Fig. 1 shows a shell provided in front with a receptacle mounted in the place of the usual pointed nose piece. The explosive charge of the shell is contained in the member 2. A pyrotechnic device 4, with which may be associated'if necessary the fuse 5 for detonating the charge 3, allows of the ignition, through the orifice 6 of the combustible 7 on the projectile leaving the mouth of the gun. This double fu'se may comprise for example two firing pins, the

one concussive acting on a primer at the rear of the gun being fired, the other percussive acting, by momentum, on a'primer in front. Ignition being thus obtained on leaving the gun the heated products are liberated from the upper layer through the axial diffuser orifice 8 and burnahead of the shell. The incandescent sheet 9 which forms is bent by the air current around the shell which thus progresses through a medium of diminished resistance. A heat insulating piece 10 separates receptacle 1 from the explosive 3 in order to prevent any risk of vpremature ignition of this explosive.

Fig. 2 represents a modified arrangement of mounting the receptacle 1, in which the receptacle is arranged outside of the shell casing and in such a manner that the outlet holes 11 cause an incandescent layer 9 to be formed in front of the point 12 at the pointed end of the shell in order that the heating of the air may be more perfect for the passage of the shell. In this case, the device for igniting the combustible in the receptacle is situated in front at 4, while that which causes the explosion of the charge is behind at 5.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the receptacle 1 is housed in the chamber containing the explosive 3 to which it is screwed in a manner similar to that of an ordinary fuse. It has an outside extension comprising a tubulure 13 which carries the ignition device.4 and an ignition retarding appliance' 14 which may be constituted by a column of powder adapted to slowly light the combustible 7 at a certain distance from the gun. In the example, the combustible 7, which can be a solid substance such a-s red phosphorus, is vaporized by means of a thermal core 15, such as aluminium powder with oxid of iron, which disengages from the vapor incandescent phosphorus. The heat insulator 10 is placed lnside the receptacle 1. The discharge exit for the incandescent layer 9 is constituted byan annular slot 16 communicating by means of ducts 18, which debouch into a chamber 17, with the duct 13.

In the modification in Fig. 4, the receptacle 1 contains a series of charges 7a, 7b, 7 c, 7d, each of a different nature, adapted to produce variations in the progress of the combustion. The exit is represented as being made through an axial twyer 8, having a ring of holes 1l. In Fig. 5 an arrangement of the same kind, as in Fig. 4, is formed with two receptacles 1a and lb containing respectively the combustible charges 7a. and 7". Between these two charges, a pyrotechnic device 19 is arranged in such a manner that the ignition of 7b is only effected at a predetermined time after the end of the combustion of the charge 7a. The incandescent layer 9 may be thus produced only at the beginning and end of the flight of the projectile and may be suppressed during the intermediate period of the passage of the projectile in regions of high altitude, where the air is of low density. Such arrangement gives rise to material economy in the use of combustible in long flight projectiles. The heat insulator 10 is here shown outside the part 1*.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 6 is more particularly suited for the case where a pyrophoric liquid combustible is employed,

carbon bi-sulfid. The liquid placed in 21 would be ejected through the orifices 8 and ll of the diffuser, under the actiom of a gas pressure produced in the primer 20. To this end, the concussion at the firing of the gun sets up in primer 20, either the liberation of compressed or liquified gas or a chemical reaction between the substances yielding as residues high pressure gases. The liquid jets passing through holes 11 are atomized into a sheet of drops by collision with the opposing solid walls. In order to prevent leakage of the liquid before thev shell is brought into use, a heavy stopper 22 is placed overv the duct feeding the several orifices. Its inertia at the firing of the gun, will automaticallyremove it and cause a passageway to be left.

In the case where the liquid combustible employed is not pyrophoric, it is of course necessary to bring it to a state of division and to a temperature sufficiently high to ig# nite it. A petrol burner with heated walls may be provided for preliminarily heating it. Lastly, the orifices may be projected in such a way that the flames cannot be extinguished.

The stopper for the orifices for the liquid can be constituted by a highly combustiblebody or be self-destructive in any suitable manner at the firing of the gun.

Fig. 7 relates to an application of th'e invention to a tracer shell. The shell represented is a tracing and incendiary one; it is filled with a combustible mixture of phosphorus and oXid of copper. The concussion fuse 4 is placed in the upper part at the base of the tube 22 which is connected and terminates with the outlet orifices at an appropriate distance in front of the shell nose. This provision of empty tubes at the front part of the projectiles can also be applied to the other arrangements described. It is convenient, in each particular application, to determine the best form to adopt to produce the maximum efficiency. The ejection of the combustible should occur generally at a4 distance from the shell appropriately determined for heating the air sufiiciently in front of the projectile. The best distance varies according to the velocity of the projectile, its form, its caliber and also on the combustible employed.

It will be advantageous, in certain cases to burn the combustible during the initialp art of the trajectory when the projectile h as great velocity and experiences great resistance on the part of the air traversed.

It is quite evident, moreover, that the i burner being pointed.

above arrangements are not in any way limited, and the parts of the devices-employed can, according to circumstances, be given any proportions, without departing from the domain of the invention. Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best means I know of carryingthe same into practical effect, I claim l. A method of reducing the resistance to the flight of a projectile, which consists in heating the air around the nose of the proj ectile during its flight.

2. A projectile having means for heating the air in advance thereof.

3. A projectile having means for heating the air in advance thereof, said heating means comprising a fuel resvoir and a burner in the front of the projectile.

4. A projectile having means for heating the air in advance thereof, said heating means comprising 'a fuel reservoir and a burner in the front of the projectile, said burner projecting from the front of the axis of the projectile.

5. A projectile having means for heating the air in advance thereof, said heating means comprising a fuel reservoir and a burner in the front of the projectile, said 6. A projectile having means for heating the air in advance thereof, said projectile having a hollow interior.

7. A projectile having means for heating .the air in advance thereof, said projectile 8. vA projectile having means for reducing the resistance to its flight by heating the air around the nose of the projectile, comprising a receptacle for combustible conneeted'to the for igniting the combustible and means for front of the projectile, means directing the burning gases of combustion around the nose of the projectile.

9. A projectile according to claim 8, said igniting means comprising al pyrotechnic device having an orifice.

10. A projectile according to claim 8, said means for directing the gases comprising a chambered nose portion having a longitudinal bore. i

11. A projectile according to claim 8, said means for directing the gases comprising a' tubular extension having communicating transverse bores near its outer end.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

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