U.S. patent number 3,747,247 [Application Number 05/098,354] was granted by the patent office on 1973-07-24 for powerhead.
Invention is credited to Rhett McNair.
United States Patent |
3,747,247 |
McNair |
July 24, 1973 |
POWERHEAD
Abstract
A firearm device or powerhead for use underwater by a diver and
is especially useful for killing sharks etc. The powerhead is
attached to a rod that serves as a handle. It is used in a manner
similar to a spear. Upon contact, a cartridge is exploded and
enters the target.
Inventors: |
McNair; Rhett (Honolulu,
HI) |
Family
ID: |
22268908 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/098,354 |
Filed: |
December 15, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/1.14; 102/371;
102/470; 102/430 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41C
9/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41C
9/06 (20060101); F41C 9/00 (20060101); F41c
027/00 (); F42b 009/10 (); F42b 013/54 () |
Field of
Search: |
;42/1L ;102/48 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
3300888 |
January 1967 |
Belcher et al. |
3274936 |
September 1966 |
Messina et al. |
3145494 |
August 1964 |
Willcox et al. |
3210877 |
October 1965 |
Liberatore |
|
Primary Examiner: Borchelt; Benjamin A.
Assistant Examiner: Jordan; C. T.
Claims
Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and believed
new and which is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
1. A firearm device comprising a casing having a
cartridge-receiving fixed barrel with a bore for directly receiving
a cartridge with a cylindrical wall of the cartridge directly
opposite a wall of the bore, a fixed firing pin means at one end of
the bore, a fixed shoulder mounted in the casing and encircling the
firing pin means for supporting a base of a cartridge when
exploded, an opening at the other end of the bore, the casing
having a passage opening about the firing pin means, and fluid
conducting means from said passage opening to outside of the
casing.
2. The device recited in claim 1 wherein a rod extends from the
firing pin means to a point outside of the casing and wherein the
firing pin means is fixed to said rod.
3. The device recited in claim 1 wherein a cartridge is positioned
in said bore, the cartridge having a primer at one end near the
firing pin means and the other end of the cartridge having a head
which extends a short distance beyond the opening of the bore.
4. The device recited in claim 1 wherein a cartridge is positioned
in the bore and which cartridge has a primer at one end near the
firing pin means and a closure head at the other end of the
cartridge, said head having a sharpened perimeter for ease in
striking and entering a target.
5. The device recited in claim 4 wherein the cartridge and the bore
have cooperative means to position the primer and the firing pin
means in spaced relationship.
6. The device recited in claim 1 wherein the firing pin means is
spaced from the shoulder and wherein the passage is an annular
passage between the firing pin and shoulder, the firing pin means
having a point which is spaced a short distance above the said
shoulder.
7. The device recited in claim 1 wherein said shoulder is
positioned about the firing pin means so that when the cartridge is
fired a base of the cartridge forms a closure means in the passage
about the firing pin means.
8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a cartridge mounted
directly in the casing spaced from the bore and having a base
spaced from the shoulder and a primer spaced from the firing pin
means, a head end of the cartridge exposed from the casing and
having means integrally formed therewith for facilitating gripping
a surface of a target upon striking the target with the head of the
cartridge.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein the head of the cartridge has a
larger dimension than a corresponding transverse dimension of the
bore.
10. The device of claim 8 further comprising compressible means
connected to a cylindrical wall of the cartridge and extending to
an opposite wall of the bore.
11. A firearm device comprising a casing with a bore therein, a
firing pin means at one end of the bore, an opening at the other
end of the bore, the casing having a passage opening about the
firing pin means, and fluid conducting means from said passage
opening to outside of the casing, a cartridge is positioned in the
bore and which cartridge has a primer at one end near the firing
pin means and a closure head at the other end of the cartridge,
said head having a sharpened perimeter for ease in striking and
entering a target, the outside surface of the cartridge having
spaced apart portions of elastic sections fixed thereto.
12. The device recited in claim 11 wherein the forward end of the
casing has a bevelled perimeter so that the device will function
effectively when the casing is jabbed at a target at various
angles.
13. The device recited in claim 11 wherein means is provided for
attachment of a handle means.
14. The device recited in claim 11 wherein the firing pin means is
conical in shape and the casing has a shoulder with an opening
providing a passage for water, the firing pin means having a point
which is spaced a short distance above the said shoulder.
15. The device recited in claim 11 wherein said opening about the
firing pin means has a shoulder so that when the primer is fired it
forms a closure means about the firing pin means.
16. The method of firing an underwater powerhead comprising loading
a cartridge in a rigid barrel having a firing pin fixed in a
proximal end, spacing a primer end of the cartridge from the firing
pin, exposing a head end of the cartridge from the barrel, and
holding the cartridge in the barrel, striking the head of the
cartridge against a target, exhausting fluid from the barrel,
driving the primer end against the firing pin, igniting the primer,
separating the primer end from the cartridge and propelling the
cartridge and head into the target.
Description
A firearm device or an explosive working device and which is
adapted for general use but which has a special use in underwater
operations, for instance: in the sea for killing sharks and other
kinds of dangerous fish. Swimming persons, divers and undersea
explorers and undersea workers can use this invention and find it a
great aid, not only as a weapon for defense but also as a useful
tool for small demolition work etc. A power head device is provided
that can easily puncture a target and thus can be an intrument of
warfare under certain conditions.
The weapon has advantages over other types and kinds of powerheads,
for instance: it can be easily and speedily reloaded in that only 1
or 2 seconds is required for the reloading rather than 20 seconds
or more generally required by present known weapons for undersea
operations. The cartridge in applicant's device is muzzle loaded
instead of breech loaded as in common undersea weapons. The device
is simple and dependable in operation because it has no moving
parts and furthermore, the weapon is not subject to jamming because
of corrosion and/or mineral deposits. A clear space tolerance is
maintained at all times between the cartridge and the bore or the
wall of the firing chamber.
Because of the unique design of the forward casing head, the weapon
fires easily at various angles with respect to the target. The
cartridge can dig into the surface of the target. In this invention
the cartridge is in fact a rocket. The entire cartridge is a
projectile and acts in a manner similar to a bullet from ordinary
firearms in addition to being a rocket.
A principal object of this invention is to present an effective
firearm to be used as a weapon and/or a work device which has a
head that can enter into the surface of a target in and out of
water, and which is designed and constructed that it is economical
to make and manufacture.
Another object is to provide a combination projectile and firing
chamber means which can be used manually and wherein the striking
of the projetile upon the target causes the projetile to explode
and thus shoot from the firing chamber with great force.
Still another object is to provide a rocket-like device which can
be shot from a gun barrel, or a bow type gun barrel employing an
elastic.
Other objects will become apparent upon careful reading of the
specification and the drawings which are part and parcel
hereof.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a vertical elevational view of the powerhead with a
portion thereof broken away;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a vertical view of the powerhead and the cartridge in the
loaded position with the powerhead mostly in sectional view, and
the cartridge with portions thereof broken away;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the cartridge of FIG. 6;
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the main body of the
cartridge;
FIG. 7 is a vertical view of the primer section of the cartridge
with a part broken away;
FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 7.
The invention is a firearm device, or weapon, or an explosive
working device of the general classification known as powerheads.
It is specifically adapted for use in underwater operations, but
could be modified to perform equally well as a surface weapon or
tool. Swimmers, divers, and undersea workers can use this invention
and find it a great aid as a defense against sharks and other
dangerous marine life, or as a useful tool for small demolition
work etc.
For purposes of easy identification of parts, the device
illustrated in FIG. 1 will be referred to here as a powerhead. The
combined units illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 will be referred to as
a cartridge.
The powerhead is usually attached to a suitable pole or rod or
shaft (not shown) of 4 or 5 feet in length and the entire unit is
carried by the swimmer, or diver, as a defense against sharks, for
instance. The weapon is carried unloaded until such time as it is
needed. Upon seeing the need to fire the weapon, the swimmer or
diver inserts the cartridge 9 into the bore 2 from the muzzle end
23 to the position shown in FIG. 3. When the forward end of the
weapon is jabbed against a target the protruding head 21 of the
cartridge 9 strikes the surface of the target and forces the
cartridge to quickly slide down into the bore and slap against the
firing pin 22 with sufficient impact to detonate the primer 13; and
this action ignites the gun powder 11 and thus fires the cartridge.
The main body of the cartridge 9 then becomes a projectile and it
penetrates the surface of the target.
The powerhead in its present form is made in two pieces indicated
by 1 and 5 for ease of manufacture, but these parts are assembled
in a fixed position by means of a set-screw 20 or by welding or by
machine pressing operations to form essentially a one-piece unit.
As seen in FIG. 3, the upper end of the threaded rod forms the
firing pin means which has a frusto-conical base portion 16 and a
similar upper portion 22 which merges into a point; and this point
protrudes into the firing chamber as indicated clearly in FIG. 3.
This unique shape is designed to offer the greatest strength
possible to the firing pin means while allowing a clear passage for
displaced water through the open channel 17 and yet large enough at
the level of the adjacent shoulder 18 to prevent the primer 13 from
being blown out of the primer-piece 12 and thus splitting or
breaking over the firing pin point which may jam the weapon.
The open channel 17 and the multiple holes 7 allow for rapid
displacement of water from the bore 2 and at the firing chamber
thereof. This construction allows the cartridge to move towards the
firing pin rapidly enough to furnish the necessary impact to
detonate the primer when the loaded weapon is thrust against the
surface of a target. At the instant of firing, the rapidly
expanding gasses within the cartridge causes separation of the two
main parts of the cartridge and thus propell them in opposite
directions.
The protruding point of the firing pin 22 impresses itself into the
primer 13 and the rim of the primer-piece 24 seats itself on the
shoulder 18 at the base of the firing chamber. This in effect seals
off the lower end of the bore and thus causes the gas expansion to
find exit through the muzzle end 23 of the weapon. The remaining
primer-piece may then be removed from the bore 2 by simply allowing
it to fall out. A clear tolerance of space is allowed for this
purpose. The weapon may be reloaded simply by inserting another
cartridge into the bore from the muzzle end 23.
The design of this weapon utilizes the non-compressibility of water
as a means to allow for a clear tolerance between the cartridge 9
and the walls of the bore 2; thus making possible the very rapid
muzzle loading. Since loading is made only underwater, the space
between the cartridge and the wall of the bore is filled with
water. Since water is incompressible, the lateral restriction
offered by the walls of the bore is extended to the walls of the
cartridge by means of the intervening water; thus a negligible
amount of power is lost as a result of the relatively large
tolerance.
The bevelled plane 6 at the muzzle end of the powerhead is to allow
the cartridge head 21 to strike a target with full impact at angles
up to 45.degree.. The annular grooves and the resultant sharp
protruding rings 15 have been machined into the head 21. This
construction facilitates full impact when struck at an angle
relative to the surface of the target, and it is effective by
digging into the surface and preventing slippage.
The powerhead 1 is made of stainless steel or some other
non-corrosive material. The cartridge, as can be clearly seen in
FIGS. 6, 7 and 3, is made of two basic parts. The main body 9 and
the primer-piece 12 may be separated when fired. The body 9 in its
present form is a modified version of the well known 30-30 rifle
cartridge case and which has been taken from the manufacturer's
assembly line before it is punched through for the firing hole at
the primer end and the opposite end necked down to fit the bullet.
The annular sharp grooves are then turned into the rim end 21 and
form the protruding sharp rings as shown at 15 in drawing FIG.
3.
Silicone, or other elastic or rubber-like lumps 10 are then bonded
to the sides of the cartridge and serve to hold the cartridge in
position in the firing chamber while allowing it to slide back
rapidly upon impact with a target. These resilient lumps also serve
to automatically space the cartridge primer a sufficient distance
from the firing pin point to allow the necessary travel of the
cartridge to achieve maximum impact. This spacing is achieved by
pushing the cartridge down to make light contact with the firing
pin. When the cartridge is released the silicone surfaces which
have been angled away from the firing pin because of pressure upon
their resilient surfaces will then rebound to their original
positions and thus push the cartridge away from the firing pin to
form the needed space for firing movement.
The primer-piece 12 is a modification of the well known .38 caliber
pistol cartridge casing and primer. The only modification has been
to cut it off short from the open end so that only the rim and
primer remain.
The main body of the cartridge 9 is filled with gunpowder 11 and
then is joined with the primer-piece 12 in a manner which renders
the cartridge waterproof at great depths and pressures. In its
present form, this is achieved by sealing the two pieces together
with epoxy or other suitable adhesives and by crimping the lower
end of the main body into the annular groove at the base of the
primer-piece. The primer 13 is also sealed into the primer-piece
with a suitable adhesive.
Certain novel features and details of this invention are disclosed
herein, and in some cases in considerable detail, and this is in
order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof.
However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as
disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details
disclosed since it is apparent that various modifications and
changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention as described and claimed.
* * * * *