Patent GB-547598-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in apparatus for use in aerial bombing
IPC: B64D1/04
Filed: 1940-10-28
Abstract: 547,598. Aerial wafare; projectiles and projectile fuzes. NICHLOS H. J. Oct. 28, 1940. No. 15792 Convention date, Oct 27, 1939. [Classes 9 (i) and 9 (ii)] Aerial bombing apparatus for use in dive bombing other aircraft or ground objects, comprises a bomb-shoot forcarrying a number of bombs and supported in or on an aeroplane, a catapult launching arrangement for discharging the bombs clear of the aeroplane, and a device associated with the bomb-shoot for aiming the bombs as they leave the aeroplane. The attacking plane 21 is presumed to have greater speed and greater manoeuvreability than the plane 20 to be attacked, and the pilot of the attacking plane sets his plane on such a course with respect to the attacked plane that the bearing line connecting the planes is stationary and then dives toward the attacked plane maintaining the bearing line stationary so that a'collision dive is begun. The angles a<SP>4</SP>, a<SP>2</SP>, a<SP>0</SP>, Fig. 1, are equal and also the angles b<SP>4</SP>, b<SP>2</SP>, b<SP>0</SP>, are equal for this condition and the bombs are released at position o in the dive; the attacking plane then commences to climb. At the time of discharge the plane may be wobbled slightly to increase the area of discharge. The bomb bodies are provided with grooves 30 and notched fins 26 which are engaged by channel-shaped guides of the bomb shoot 24 which is disposed at a slight inclination to the horizontal in the plane 21. Opposed guides 28 enclose sides of opposed endless chains 25 passing over pulleys 31, 32 and adapted to be engaged by levers 38 attached to the ends of long springs 36, after the shoots are loaded with spaced bombs arranged in tandem fashion, the notches on the fins of the bombs engaging the chains. Eccentrically-operated sliding stops 40, 41 in a casing 45 are adapted to engage between the links of the chains and retain them against the pulls of the springs, and the eccentrics are rotated to release position by a cord 62 leading to the operator, which rotates a drum 44 positioned within the casing and at the same time compresses a spring 61 in a casing 58 so that the eccentrics are rotated back to stop position automatically. The aiming device comprises opposed sprocket wheels 63 mounted in sliding spring-retracted casings 67 under the control of the operator so that the wheels may be withdrawn from the sprocket chains 25 when it is not required to aim the bomb. The teeth of the sprocket wheels normally pass between the links of the chains to engage sliding pins in the bombs and so cause the bomb to be aimed. The fins of the bombs as they pass the aiming sprockets press them inwardly against the action of springs 74 which retract the casings 67. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 comprises a bomb having an impact operated nose fuze aimed on release of the support means and notched tail fins which are adapted to support the bomb in the rack. Detonating means within the bomb are mounted in a rotatable member which is restrained from rotation by means, released by the aiming means on launching so that the detonating means can move to the operative position. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.