Weapon for small calibre shells - using a linear motor for accelerating the shell in the barrel

摘要

In a weapon for firing shells which are accelerated in the barrel, the shells are constructed as the travelling armature of a linear electric motor, the stator of which consists of a series of electromagnetic coils arranged in sequence along the barrel and capable of excitation by the prodn. of a travelling magnetic field running towards the nozzle. Advantageously a series of successive sets of magnetic coils cn be excited at frequencies increasing from set to set towards the nozzle to match the shell velocity produced, while each three successive coils are combined to form a group supplies with the phase a.c. with a phase displacement of 220 degrees. The weapon is initially noiseless, can fire shells of small to very small calibre e.g. 1 mm to a few cm., with a high frequency and accuracy.