R. V. MORSE. TRACER SYSTEM OF FIRE CONTROL. APPHCATION HLED MAY 10, 1920. Patented Oct. 19, 192.0. TRAVEL EITHER WAY —-—-———-P \NVENTOR W4 R. V. MORSE. TRACER‘ SYSETEM OF FIRE CONTROL. APPL IIIIIIIIIIII mu 111111 0. 1,355,841. " Patenmd Oct. 19,1920. 3 EEEEEEEEEEEE 2.‘ TRAVEL EITHER W4Y————— F”$E$_ ‘ 60”” @WEWEWEWEWE 4 FUSES- I FIG. 5 ‘cu/v *2 g INVENTOR FU6‘E5‘— 42 2 METHWEMEWBWTEEYM 1 --—'# TRAVEL EITHER ‘WAY --—-' R. V. MORSE. TRACER SYSTEM OF HRE CONTROL. APPUCAHON mu) MM‘ 10, I920. 1,355,841 , Patented Oct. 19, 1920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3, / FIG. 6 “ INVE'NTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. ROBERT V. MORSE, OF I'I‘HAGA, NEW YORK. mimosa SYSTEM or FIRE ‘oon'rnon 1,355,841. Speci?cation of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 19, 1920. Application ?led May 10, 1920., Serial No. 380,259. To all whom it may concern: , the stream is shown by the substantially si Be it known that 1, ROBERT V; Mon'sn, a multaneous indication of a number of citizenv of the United States, residin r at points; . Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and .tate Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 60 of New York, have invented a new and use shows the general operation of the system.— ful Tracer System of Fire Control, of which the heavy broken line following the stream. the following, taken with the accompanying and portions of the individual trajectories drawings, is a speci?cation. being indicated by the lighter broken cross This invention relates to anti-aircraft ar lines. Fig. 2 shows the ammunition belt for 65 tillery and in particular to‘a means for trac~ Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a modi?cation in 10 ing the ?re of machine guns of the pom-pom which more than one gun is used. Fig. 4 type or in general any type of machine gun shows the ammunition belts for a two gun ?ring an explosive projectile. It has hereto Fig. 5 shows the ammunition belts Tor fore been customary to trace the ?re by in— a three gun set. Fig. 6 shows a modification 70 sorting in the machine gun belts bullets or for short range combat_'work of airplanes._ ~ projectiles containing a smoke emitting cont Fig. 7 shows the ammunition belt for Fig. pound which was ignited by the discharge of 6; and Fig. 8 shows a type of projectile the gun and left a trail of smoke behind the 'which vmay be employed. ~' projectile as it passed through the air, thus In Fig. 1 of the drawings, the machine 75 tracing the trajectory of the projectile. ‘gun I is pivotally mounted on the arm 2, With such tracers it is di?icult to get suffi which in turn isrotatably mounted on the cient visibility when using small caliber bul pedestal}. The machine gun I is of the lets, especially at fairly long ranges; and the pom-pom or other suitable type capable of methdd was also open to thedi?iculty that shooting explosive projectiles having time 80 fuses. The gun I is fed by the ammunition 25 when the target was rapidly moving the smoke trails did not give a de?nite path or belt 4, one form of which is illustrated on a stream line, like water emitted from a mov larger scale in Fig. 2, where the belt 4 is ing hose, but gave instead a fan shaped ag shown carrying the cartridges 5, having the gregation of-smoke trails. This was due to explosive shells 6 for example. These shells 85 6 are set with various fuse lengths repeating 30 the fact that the smoke trails had a certain permanence, and that each trail traced the periodically in a. de?niteinannenwfor ‘ex path of sin individual bullet, withoiit regard ample. as shown in Fig. 2, beginning we will to the instantaneous relative locations of the say with a fuse setting of 3 and coming other bullets in the stream. down in five successive steps to a setting of 90 =}ths, and repeating the same group of ?ve 85 It is a somewhat wide-spread pular falx lacy that as a stream of water mm a hose successively over and over again throughout is swung sidewise, the individual particles the'length of the belt; or the steps can be of Water follow the laterally curved path of run in'the other direction. beginning with the stream. in other words, that the path of {éths for example, and following with set 95 40 ‘the particles is the path of the stream. On tings of 1, 1%, 21}, 3, and then starting again analysis it will be seen however that the with gths. 1, 1%, and so on: these values are path of such a stream at each instant is de illustrative by way of examp'le.-the gen termined by the relative locations of the va eral principle being that the length of the rious particles, each of which is foliowing a group should be adapted to the rate of ?re 100 45 different individual path. It will thus. be of the gun. or rate oftravel of the belt 4. seen that the path ‘of the stream is di?’erent in such a manner that a group will feed from the path of the individual bullets, when through the gun in a period of time about directed against‘ a moving target.’ Owing to equal to the longestafuse setting. This as— the time intervals involved, ‘it-is the ath sures that successive groups. shall appear to 105 50 of the stream, not the paths of the bullets, the eye distinct-from each other. which we really desire to 'know in‘ order to In Fig. 3 two machine guns land 1’ are direct the bullets on a moving target. ‘ shown on ccted together so as to operate as By this invention there is periodically pre a single ring unit. The feeding mecha‘ sented to the‘eye the instantaneous relative nisms are geared together so as to run in 110 55 locations of a‘ number of projectiles in a. synchronism, and thecartridge belts are ar stream, in other words the‘ true curvature of ranged as shown for example, in Fig. 4, in 1,855,841 which two belts 4 and 4' are used to repeat neous action as will make the string of bursts the eriodic groups; thus a given group can a parently ripple out from the gun, or rip be’ red more rapidly, or conversely, the pe back toward the gun he 'nning at the groups can be made longer, giving a greater arthermost burst-as per ectly de?nite number of di?’erent settings in a group. The strings then periodically meet the eye. 70 same principle may be extended of course In ?re against a movin target, such as to three or more machine guns working as a an airplane, the gun shoul be moved stead— unit, as shown for example in Fi . 5, and it ily and evenly in the endeavor to direct the will be noted that the groups need: not neces string of bursts through the target. It is 10 sarily always begin on the same bclt,—some~ important that the motion be steady and 75 times beginning on the belt 4, sometimes on even, or else the curvature of successive the belt 4,’, and sometimes on the belt 4". strings will vary so widely as to afford but In combats at very close range, such as be— little aid in the pointing of the gun. It is tween the ?ghtingairplanes 8and 9, in Fig. like trying to touch a moving object with a 15 6, a sin le indicating pointmay be used in; long and very ?exible ole, where the tip 80 stead o a string of points. In that case the does not respond immediately to the motion cartridge belt 4 as shown in Fig. 7 is of the butt. Owing to the motion of the equipped with small shells, (that is, explo target during the time of ?ight of the bullet, sive bulletsihaving time fuses), only‘at in» we are in fact‘v trying to aim at the point 20 tervals in the’ belt, with groups of ordinary which the moving target will reach at the 85 bullets 10 between. time the bullet gets there_.—‘~which operation ' In Fig. 8 there is shown, partly in necessarily involves a prediction of the fu~ cross-section. a cartridge 5 having a shell or ture motion of the target; and inorder to explosive bullet 6, containing an explosive make such a prediction, by any optical or. 25 charge 11, and equipped with a short fuse mechanical means, a certain steadiness of 90 12, which is. ignited by the propelling motion is necessary. Under this invention . charge of the cartridge. The length of the we create the optical illusion of a stream of fuse 12 is made according to the burning shells in order to uide the gun pointers in time desired. This simple type‘ of fusecan directing the ?re t irough the advance point 80 be used with small caliber projectiles, where of aim. It will be noted that, with the ?re 95 it is diilicult ‘to construct a satisfactory ade on a moving target, the string of bursts does justable fuse. With larger projectiles, such not indicate a trajectory, that is, the indi as the one pound shell ?red by the pom vidual shells do not follow the path indi- - pom type 0 gun, adjustable fuses may be cated by strin of bursts.