US1309500A - E wildrick - Google Patents

Description

M. WILDRICK.

AERIAL TORPEDO 0R MINE.

APPLICATIM FILED JAN. 2?. HM].

Putbnted J uly 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. WILDRICK.

AERIAL TORPEDO OR MINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-27,1917.

'1 09,500; Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

MEADE WILDRICK, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, ASSIGNORv OF ONE-HALF TO OSCAR I. STRAUB, OF FORT HOWARD, MARYLAND.

AERIAL TORPEDO OR MINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed January 27, 1917. Serial No. 144,967.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MEADE WILDRICK, er-

the United States Army, a citizen of the United States, stationed at Fortress Monroe, in the county of Elizabeth City and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Torpedoes or Mines, (Case A;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in projectiles'adapted to .be dropped from aircraft whether aeroplanes or dirlgibles, and it consists in providing an aerial torpedo or mine, which is capable of carrying a comparativelylarge charge of high explosive, and which may be safely transported either by rail, boat or aircraft, and in which safety in handling, or more especially in launching, is secured.

According to my invention the pro ectile is intended to be exploded by means of a delayed action percussion fuse when it strikes the deck of a ship or any solid target aimed at, and which is also exploded after striking the water at a depth below the surface of the water by means of a delayed action fuse.

It is well known that the danger zone of a torpedo or mine of the character described varies within certain limits with the depth of the explosion below the surface of the water and the volume of and nature of the explosive used; and that for heavy plated ships, such as battleships, this danger zone may be extended twenty yards more or less from the skin of the ship while for lighter craft, such as torpedo boat destroyers or submarines the danger zone under simllar conditions may extend as much as fifty yards more or less from the skin of the ship, therefore having a suflicient charge of high explosive and detonating same at a proper distance below the surface of the water, any great accuracy in dropping a torpedo may .be dispensed with, and the torpedo will be eflicacious if it strikes either the vessel aimed at .or within a reasonable distance of the same.

My invention will be more fully understood after reference to the accompanylng drawings, in which similar parts are 1ndicated by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the torpedo being dropped from an aeroplane, and falling in the water between a battle-ship and a submarine.

Fig. 2 shows one type of aerial torpedo constructed according to my invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 shows another type of aerial torpedo constructed according to my invention, but with different means for arming the fuse parts being shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale showing a section through the fuse of Fig. 2, parts being shown in elevation.

Fig; 5 is a detail showing a perspective view of the centrifugally-released lock used for holding the plunger of'the fuse shown in Fig. 4 in the safety position.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the plunger shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 shows a section through the plunger along the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail showing another form of safety attachment for firing the primer, parts being shown in section,- and in the safety position.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the parts in the firing position.

Fig. 10 shows a section along the line 10--10 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the deck of a vessel and surrounding danger zone.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 11, A represents an aeroplane from which the torpedo B is dropped, which torpedo is shown in Fig. 1 as falling down into the water be tween the battle-ship C and the submarine D, the torpedo as shown being on a large scale comparative to the aeroplane, the battle-ship and the submarine.

If the torpedo containing suflicient high explosive were detonated at the position indicated at B of Fig. 1, the probable destruction of both the vessels C and I) would result.

In Fig. 11 the torpedo B is'shown as striking in the water-in the danger zone, and the torpedo B is shown as striking the deck of the vessel C. The result in either case would probably be the destruction of the vessel.

Referring now to the details of construction of the torpedo and means for detonating the high explosive contained therein referred to in Figs. 2 to 7 1 represents a shell having a large chamber 2 containing the high explosives 3. This shell is preferably provided with a point t adapted to penetrate the deck plate of a vessel, or even the light deck armor of a vessel. The base 5 of the shell is provided with a delayed action percussion fuse 6, which is provided with a plunger 7, having the firing point 8, which plunger is slotted as at 9 to receive the arms 10 of the spring clip 11, which arms carry weights 12 adapted to engage the stem 13 of the plunger beneath the flange 14, and thus to hold the plunger in the safety position shown in Fig. 4, except when these arms 12 are drawn outward by centrifugal force.

The fuse is provided with any suitable primer 15 adapted to detonate either the main charge or the igniting charge of high explosive.

lNhen the projectile is being transported, the resilient arms 10 will spring in and will lock the plunger in the safety position; but when the fuse is spun up to a sufficient velocity these spring arms will release the stem of the plun erand allow the same to rest on springs 1 I This rotary motion of the fuse is provided by having spiral wings or vanes 16, attached to the exterior of the shell, as shown in Fig. 2. To prevent any possible premature explosion, after the same has been spun up under the action of these wings before it strikes the target, I provide a coil spring 17 shown most clearly in Fig. 4, which would ease the shock of the plunger falling through the short distance to said spring when the plunger is released, but which would yield to the inertia of the plunger when the fall of the projectile is suddenly arrested as on striking the target, or on striking the water.

The fuse is preferably of the delayed action type so that the projectile may fall a suitable distance through the water before it ignites the bursting charge contained in the chamber of the projectile.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 3,

. 8, 9 and 10, 20 represents a propeller secured by the pin 21 on the shaft 22, which shaft is journaled in the base 5 of the projectile and carries two semi -cylindrical weights 23, drawn toward the shaft by the spring 24, the said spring having heads 25 pressing on the outer surface of these weights and the spring passing through a .slot in the shaft 22.

Mounted in the chamber 26, formed in the lower ends of the blocks 23, are the two pivoted arms 27 and 2 the arm 27 having a firing point 29, and a locking notch 30 into which notch the pin 31 of the arm 28 is adapted to project when the parts are in the firing position, shown'in Fig. 9. When the parts are in the safety position, shown in Fig. 8, the spring 24 draws the blocks 23 to gethcr, causing the arms 27 and 28 to swing up into the chamber 26, masking the firing point 29; but when the blocks 23 spring apart, owing to the rotary motion imparted by the propeller 20, the hinged arms 27 and 28 will fall to the armed position, shown in Fig. 9.

To prevent premature explosion after the shaft 22 has been spun up by the propeller 20, but before it is desired to explode the charge in the projectile, I provide spring buffers 32 and 33, which normally support the weights 23, shown in Fig. 8; but which would yield, due to the inertia of the blocks 23, when the shell was suddenly" arrested, as by striking the target or the water, and the plunger, formed by'the blocks 23 and parts carried thereby, would fly forward, compressing the spring buffers 32 and 33, and exploding the primer 34, which is, mounted in the disk 35, secured at the rear of the chamber for the explosive in the projectile, as shown in Fig. 3.

To secure the best results, any well known delayed action attachment should be provided for the primer in the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and in that shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 9.

With both forms of the device the operation would be substantially the same, that is:

-The fuse would be armed by the flying out under centrifugal action of two locking members, and the plunger would be arrested against premature explosion owing to the short drop when released; but it would explode the primer when the motion of the projectile was suddenly arrested as by striking the target or the surface of the water.

I do not make any claim to the delayed action attachment for the fuse, as there are many well known in the art, which could be used in connection with my invention.

While I have shown two forms of centrifugally controlled plunger, it will be obvious that various other forms for accom lishing a similar result might be adopted, 1f desired, and I do not mean to limit myself to any details of construction or any combination or arrangement of parts, except as set out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a projectile adapted to be dropped from air craft, the combination with a shell containing high explosive, of a percussion fuse adapted to explode said high explosive, means for holding said percussion fusein the safety position, a spindle journaled in the base of the projectile, a screw propeller secured to said spindle, and adapted to be rotated by the pressure of the air during the flight of the projectile, and releasing means automatically controlled by the rotation of said spindle and operated by centrifugal force for releasing said holding means, substantially as described.

2. In a projectile adapted to be dropped from air craft, the combination with a shell containing high explosive, a percussion primer mounted in said shell, a plunger adapted to explode said primer, means for normally holding said plunger in the safety position, a spindle journaled in the base of the projectile, a screw propeller secured to said spindle, and adapted to be rotated by the pressure of the air during the flight of the projectile, and means automatically controlled by the rotation of said spindle, and operated by centrifugal force for releasing said plunger holding means while the projectile is fallingthrough the air, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

MEADE WILDRICK.

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