US2368587A - Antiaircraft shell - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jan. 30, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE ANTIAIRCRAFT SHELL Edward Brooks Wise, Butler, Pa. Application September 17, 1942, Serial No. 458,694

1 Claim.

The invention relates to explosive devices, and more particularly to shells designed for the purpose of disabling enemy aircraft.

The action of the'shell may be compared to that of the well known chain shot formerly used, for example, in naval engagements for carrying away rigging and the like. Th function of my improvement is similar to that of the chain shot except that the present invention is primarily designed for the purpose of disabling aircraft, and instead of using two cannons for firing a pair of interconnected projectiles I employ a single shell made up of a number of parts, some of which drop off in flight, leaving the nose and butt of the shell connected by a long cable, which interconnected parts continue their flight turn ing end over end and cutting an effective path which is substantially twice the length of the extended cable. Should the projectile come in contact with a moving plane the flying weights connected by the long cable immediately wrap themselves about the plane in such a manner as to put the plane out of action. The projectile is as effective when descending as when ascending.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description, in which Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal section showing a shell embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the end portions of the shell connected by a cable after the shell has exploded;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3,-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of the projectile.

Referring to the drawing, A denotes generally the base or butt portion of the shell, Bthe nose portion, C a longitudinally divided body portion adapted to fit in recessed ends of the base and nose respectively, D denotes a tube enclosing a powder chamber, and E designates the cable coiled about the tube D and housed within the casing C. The two halves of the body portion are assembled upon the end portions by means of shear pins or the like, and such body portion serves as a housing enclosing the powder chamher and the flexible cable.

When the powder charge is exploded the body portion flies off, the nose and base are separated the length of the cable, and on separation of the nose and base portions the tube D is released and it also drops off and falls to the ground.

The base A and nose B may be shaped simishell. The base may be provided with the usual collar ID for engaging the rifle grooves of the gun to produce rotation of the shell during flight so as to insure accuracy in direction. The nose is provided with the usual timing apparatus II which is adapted to set off a powder chain extending through a recess I 2 to a powder chamber 13 herein shown as housed within the tube D. The nose and base are centrally recessed at M and i5 to receive the ends of the tube D. Members A and B are also provided with eccentric recesses l6 and I! adapted to receive screw .threaded plugs l8 and I9 carrying the ends of the cable E which is suitably wound upon the tube D.

The body portion C provides a housing for the cable and for the powder charge. The ends of the casing C are beveled to fit correspondingly beveled recesses in the nose and base .respectively. The shell is longitudinally divided into two halves 20 and 2| which are secured to 'the base and nose by means of a plurality of shear pins 22. v

The completed shell is similar in appearance to shells in ordinaryuse and is fired from a gun in the ordinary manner, the fuse having first been set for the desired range. At a predetermined point the powder in the chamber I 3 explodes, thereby shearing pins 22, whereupon the two halves of the casing C drop off and the ends.

. has an end over end tumbling movement which greatly increases the effectiveness of the projectile.

In the event of contact with aircraft the plane striking any part of the extended cable stops its flight and the momentum of the base and nose on either end of the cable causes the cable to.

immediately wrap around the plane, thereby jamming the control and disabling the plane.

It will be understood that shells of various size may be employed. For a 4" calibre shell havin a body length of sixteeninche it has been found that there is sufiicient room to coil approximately one hundred and forty feet of A" cable upon the tub D.

The invention has been described in detail for larly to the corresponding parts of an ordinary the purpose of illustration, but it will .be obvious that numerous modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

A shell comprising a base and a nose and a cylindrical body portion composed of longitudinally divided sections, shear pins connecting the sections to said nose and base of said shell, 2. central tube Within said shell the ends of which respectively, a cable coiled within said shell about said tube and having its ends secured to the base and nose respectively, and means for exploding said shell at a predetermined interval after firing whereby the shear pins are broken, thereby allowing the body sections to fall away and cansing the nose and. base to separate the full length of the cable.

EDWARD BROOKS WISE.

fit into recesses in the base and nose ofthe shell 10

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