Projectile having plural rotatable sections with aerodynamic air foil surfaces

• US 5,164,538 A
• Filed: 02/28/1991
• Issued: 11/17/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Twenty-First Century Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Twenty-First Century Research Institute
• Inventors: McClain Harry T. III
• Primary Examiner(s): TUDOR, HAROLD JAY
• Application Number:
  US07/662,402
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 244/3.23, 102/374, 102/439, 102/501, 102/503, 102/511, 102/517, 102/473
• US Class Current: 102/517
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 10/24 with inclined grooves

Abstract

Aerodynamical air foil surface and subsurface expressions and/or impressions of varied geometrics, angles of attack, heights and depths, comprising part of a projectile surface itself to create McClain effect molecular friction/pressure/temperature reaction flight control surfaces which automatically achieve in all fluids and velocities of flight self-stabilizing spin and rotation, increased height of trajectory with corresponding enhancement of range and distance, kinetic energies, inducing smooth laminar boundary layer flows, substantially decreasing drag effects, synergistically combined to constitute a major technological improvement in performance of all projectiles. Projectile having plurality rotatable sections with aerodynamic air foil surfaces provides self-stabilized spin projectile with sections rotating in opposite directions.

Claims

1. A projectile, comprising:

a nose section having an outer surface with a plurality of spaced deviations thereon extending at least partially around said nose section outer surface to thereby provide alternate lands and grooves on said nose section outer surface;

a body section having an outer surface with a plurality of spaced deviations thereon extending at least partially around said body section outer surface to thereby provide alternate lands and grooves on said body section outer surface, said lands and grooves on said outer surface of said body section and said lands and grooves on said outer surface of said nose section extending in opposite directions with respect to the longitudinal axis of said projectile; and

connecting means for connecting said nose section and said body section so that one of said sections is rotatable with respect to the other of said sections.

2. The projectile of claim 1 wherein said lands and grooves on said outer surfaces of said nose section and said body section extend helically around said outer surfaces.

3. The projectile of claim 1 wherein said lands and grooves on said outer surface of said nose section extend counterclockwise toward said body section, and wherein said lands and grooves on said outer surface of said body section extend clockwise away from said nose section.

4. The projectile of claim 1 wherein said connecting means includes a shaft extending from one of said sections and a bore formed in the other of said sections to receive said shaft whereby said sections are rotatable with respect to one another.

5. The projectile of claim 1 wherein said nose section and said body section have a circular cross-section normal to the longitudinal axis of each of said nose section and said body section.

6. The projectile of claim 5 wherein said lands and grooves on said nose section and said body section are at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said nose section and said body section.

7. The projectile of claim 1 wherein said outer surface of said nose section is conical and the outer surface of said body section is cylindrical and provides a streamline outer contour for said projectile.

8. The projectile of claim 1 wherein said body section has a gas seal thereon.

9. A self-stabilized spin projectile to be fired from a launch tube, comprising:

a nose cone having a plurality of helical lands and grooves extending counterclockwise from the tip to the base of the nose cone;

a connector shaft projecting beyond the base of the nose cone along the longitudinal axis of the nose cone;

a cylindrical projectile body having a longitudinal bore to receive the projecting connector shaft, the exterior surface of the body having a plurality of helical lands and grooves extending clockwise from the front to the rear of the body; and

said shaft connected to said nose cone and said body so that the nose cone and the body can rotate relative to one another.

10. A self-stabilized spin projectile as recited in claim 9 further comprising a gas seal extending around the exterior circumference of the body.

11. A self-stabilized spin projectile as recited in claim 9 further comprising a bearing which connects the shaft with the body to enable the nose cone to rotate relative to the body.

12. A self-stabilized spin projectile as recited in claim 9 wherein a projecting end of the shaft flares outwardly.