Claims
- 1. A projectile for use in an electromagnetic railgun, said railgun being of the type wherein a bullet is launched in a direction perpendicular to two parallel conductive rails by the repulsive force created by oppositely-flowing currents through the two rails, the first rail of said two rails having a shaped gap or trench which prevents the flow of current in said first rail, said shaped gap being larger closer to the second of said two rails and smaller further from said second rail, said projectile comprising
- a header section having two conductive portions with sloping sides, said conductive portions being separated by two insulating portions, said conductive portions and said insulating portions serving to define a hole through said header section, said sloping sides mating closely with said shaped gap in the first rail of said two parallel conductive rails; and
- a bullet section having an insulating nose protruding into said hole, a conductive body attached behind said nose and an insulating snubber behind said body; said entire bullet section being sized to pass through said hole in a direction perpendicular to said parallel conducting rails.
- 2. An electromagnetic railgun for launching a projectile having a header section and a bullet section, said railgun comprising
- first and second parallel conductive rails spaced approximately opposite each other;
- conduction means electrically connecting said first and second parallel conductive rails at one end thereof, said conduction means, said first rail, and said second rail being fixed relative to one another;
- first and second terminals electrically connected to said first and second rails, respectively, at the other end thereof, such that a continuous path drawn from said first terminal through said first rail, thence through said conduction means, thence through said second rail, thence to said second terminal travels in opposite directions through said first and second rails;
- said first rail having a shaped gap which prevents the flow of electrical current in said first rail, said shaped gap being larger closer to said second rail and smaller further from said second rail, said shaped gap closely mating with said header section of said projectile, said shaped gap sized to permit the passage of said bullet therethrough; and
- means of applying a voltage across said first and second terminals such that, when said bullet enters said shaped gap, electrical current flows through said rails, said conduction means, and said bullet, said electrical current thus accelerating said bullet away from said rails in a direction perpendicular to said rails.
- 3. A projectile for use in an electromagnetic railgun that includes a pair of coextensive parallel conductive rails electrically interconnected at one end thereof, a substantially V-shaped gap or trench in one of said rails serving to sever said rail into two sections, the gap opening being larger nearer the other rail,
- said projectile comprising a trapezoidal header section having two trapezoidal sides, parallel to and opposite to each other, the edges of said trapezoidal sides being configured to mate closely with the shaped gap when said projectile is properly oriented, said trapezoidal sides being separated a distance which is no greater than the smallest dimension of said gap such that a misoriented projectile thrust into said gap may pas through said gap without triggering said railgun;
- said header section having two conductive portions and a thin insulating section therebetween, said insulating section being essentially perpendicular to one said trapezoidal side and being essentially perpendicular to the base of one said trapezoidal side, said header section also having a hole extending therethrough, parallel to one of said trapezoidal sides and severing said insulating section; and
- a cylindrical bullet section having an insulating nose disposed in the hole in the header section, an extended conductive body behind said nose and an insulating snubber section behind said conductive body; said bullet section being of a size to permit passage through said hole and said gap in a direction perpendicular to the parallel conductive rails.
- 4. An electromagnetic railgun for the discharge of a bullet section of a projectile having a trapezoidal header section, said railgun comprising
- a pair of coextensive parallel conductive rails spaced a predetermined distance apart, means for electrically connecting the rails at one end thereof, a substantially V-shaped gap or trench in one of said rails serving to sever the same into two sections, the gap opening being larger nearer the other rail, an entryway in said other rail directly opposite said gap, said entryway being slightly larger in size than the projectile to allow said projectile to be loaded in said railgun by passing through said entryway without making contact therewith, said V-shaped gap being dimensioned to mate with said trapezoidal header with its smallest gap distance larger than the size of said bullet so the latter can pass therethrough.
- 5. An electromagnetic railgun as defined in claim 4 wherein an insulator surrounds said entryway to prevent any conductive contact between the projectile and the conductive rail.
- 6. A projectile for use in an electromagnetic railgun, said railgun being of the type wherein a bullet is launched in a direction perpendicular to two parallel conductive rails by the repulsive force generated by oppositely-flowing currents through the two rails, the first rail of said two rails having a wedge shaped gap or trench which prevents the flow of current in said first rail, said wedge shaped gap being larger closer to the second of said two rails and smaller further from said second rail, said projectile comprising:
- a wedge shaped header section having two conductive portions with sloping sides, said conductive portions being separated by two insulating portions, said conductive portions and said insulating portions serving to define a hole through said header section, said sloping sides mating closely with said wedge shaped gap in the first rail of said two parallel conductive rails; and
- a bullet section having an insulating nose protruding into said hole, a conductive body attached behind said nose and an insulating snubber behind said body, the entire said bullet section being sized to slide through said hole in a direction perpendicular to said parallel conducting rails;
- said bullet section being projected b said railgun when said conductive body slides through said header section and spans said conductive portions of said header section, thus permitting electrical current to flow through said rails, through said header section, and through said bullet section.
- 7. The projectile defined in claim 6 further comprising an arc resistant section between said conductive body and said snubber section.
- 8. In combination, an electromagnetic railgun and projectile therefor, said railgun comprising;
- a pair of coextensive parallel conductive rails spaced a predetermined distance apart, means for electrically connecting the rails at one end thereof, a substantially V-shaped gap or trench in one of said rails serving to sever the same into two sections, said gap opening being larger nearer the other rail, an entryway in said other rail directly opposite said gap, said entryway being slightly larger in size than said projectile to permit said projectile to pass through said entryway without making contact therewith; and
- said projectile comprising a wedge shaped header section having two conductive portions with sloping sides, said conductive portions being separated by two insulator, said conductive portions and said insulators serving to define a hole through said header section, said sloping sides mating closely with said wedge shaped gap or trench in the first rail of said two parallel conductive rails; and
- a bullet section having an insulating nose protruding into said hole, a conductive body attached behind said nose and an insulating snubber behind said body, the entire said bullet section being sized to slide through said hole in a direction perpendicular to said parallel conductive rails;
- said bullet section being projected by said railgun when said conductive body slides through said header section and spans said conductive portions of said header section, thus permitting electrical current to flow through said rails, through said header section, and through said bullet section; and
- said gap in said conductive rail being dimensioned to mate with said trapezoidal header with its smallest gap distance larger than the size of said bullet so the latter can pass therethrough.
- 9. The combination as defined in claim 8 wherein an arc resistant section is interposed between said conductive body and said snubber section of said bullet section of said projectile.
Government Interests
The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
46057 |
Apr 1916 |
SEX |