Improvements in the Construction of Rifles, Cannons, and the like for Securing a Lower Trajectory, and Obviating the Deviation of the Projectile.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
CUMPLEIE DIBUITR
Improvements in the Construction of Rifles, Cannons, and the like
for Securing a Lower Trajectory, and Obviating the Deviation of
the Projectile.
I, VIKTOR FRÜHHOLZ, of 134, I, Schellingstrasse, Munich, in the Empire of
Germany, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement: —
The object of this invention is to cause the axis of a shot constantly so to
alter its direction as to form a tangent to the trajectory at every. point of the
latter. A consequence of which is that the trajectory is considerably lower
and deviation entirely prevented. The intended purpose is effected by the
employment of an arrangement which prevents the explosion gases from pres-
sing against the bottom of the projectile upon the latter leaving the barrel as
also the omission of the twisted rifling when projectiles charged or weighted
at the point are made use of.
In order to prevent the explosion gases from acting against the bottom of
the projectile when the latter leaves the barrel, the said barrel which is let-
tered (A) in the accompanying drawings is intersected at (B) near the discharge
end Figure 1. The intersection is not perpendicular to the axis of the barrel,
but inclined slightly, downward towards the front end, Figure 3, or as shewn
by way of example in Figures 4 and 6 so that the lower half of the longer
part (C) of the barrel (A) is in any case longer than the upper. In consequence
of this arrangement as soon as the projectile has passed the intersection the
explosion gases press the larger and longer part (C) of the barrel, which is
pivoted at the breech end on a hinge (1) to either the stock or carriage as the
case may be, slightly downwards. The difference in length between the upper
and lower wall of the barrel amounts in a rifle as indicated in Figure 3 to
about 1.5 millimetres. In an 8 millimetre tube this corresponds to a surface
of 2
8 1.5
2 2
=6π = 18.85 square millimetres.
If the gas pressure of a modern rifle be taken at 3000 atmospheres the said
tube will be pressed down with 30 kilogrammes to the square millimetre, that
is, with a pressure of 282 kilogrammes on the 18.85 square millimetres, to
which pressure the tube, which is only held up by a relatively weak spring so
that the tube borings exactly coincide, at once yields. The tube has striking
surfaces which limit the upward as well as downward movement. If the tube
has made the downward movement (see Figures 2 and 4) the explosion gases
behind the projectile in the front part of the barrel can escape freely back-
wards. The explosion gases in the back part of the barrel can escape at the
same time forwards through a tube (E) which forms the extension of the back
part (C) of the barrel. This tube has a nozzle (F) in the front part, adjoining
which, an oblique boring (G) runs out from the front part of the barrel. In
this manner an ejector is formed and owing to the explosion gases flowing
without hindrance out of the nozzle and the nozzle becoming gradually narrower,
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