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2 , 4 0 2 , 1 5 6u n e 1 8 , 1 9 4 6 . J . W. GRIESINGERASTERN'ATTACK TOW TARGET

Filed May 2 ' 7 , 1944 ' 2 Sheets-Sheet l

INVEN O R .

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June 1 8 , 1 9 4 6 . J . w . GRIESINGER 2,402,156ASTERN ATTACK TOW TARGET

Filed M a y 2 7 , 1 9 4 4 2 S h e t s - S h e e t 2

> > INVENTOR.c/o/wv 7 2 / . pxgs/Afez?

A 7%xveys

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P a t e n t e d J u n e 1 8 , 1 9 4 6

U N I T E D s T A T E s P A T E N T2 , 4 0 2 , 1 5 6

O F F ICE 2,402,156 _

ASTER-N ATTACKTOWTARGET, J o h n W ; G r i e s i n g e r , D a y t o n , O h i o

A p p l i c a t i o n M a y 7 , 1 9 4 4 , S e r i a l N o . 5 3 7 , 6 7 25 was. ( 0 1 . 2 7 3 - 1 0 5 3 )

(Granted u n d e r t h e a c t o f M a r c h 3 , 1 8 8 3 , a sam en de d A p r i l 3 0 , 1 9 2 8 ; 3 7 0 O . G . _ 7 5 7 )1 V

Th e invention d e s c r i b e d herein may be manuf a c t u r e d a n d used b y o r f o r t h e Government f o rg o v e r n m e n t a l p u r p o s e s , w i t h o u t t h e payment t ome of any r o y a l t y t h e r e o n . "

This i n v e n t i o n r e l a t e s t o a e r i a l g u n n e r y t a rg e t s a n d p a r t i c u l a r l y to t h a t c l a s s o f t a r g e t swhich a r e intended t o be attacked W h i l e beingtowed from t h e s t e r n of an a i r c r a f t .I t i s a part o f Army g u n n er y t r a i n i n g t o attacka n a i r c r a f t f ro m a s t e r n , the t r a i n e e , f o r p r a c t i c e ,b e i n g r e q u i r e d t o ?re a t a towed t a r g e t from t h er e a r . To ? re i n t o t he rear o f a n ordin a ry t owt a r g e t , h o w e v e r , i s e x t r e m e l y hazardous f o r t h ea i r c r a f t which i s doing t h e t o w i n g , y e t h e r e t of o r e n o s a t i s f a c t o r y device h a s b e e n providedwhich b v i a t e s t h i s d a n g e r .

I t i s t h e r e f o r e a n o b j e c t o f the i nvention t o prov i d e a tow t a r g e t which i s p a r t i c u l a r l y adaptedt o l e s s e n t h i s hazard o f t h e towing p l a n e . M o r ep a r t i c u l a r l y i t i s a n o b j e c t t o so construct thet a r g e t that i t w i l l take a pa t h which i s p a r a l l e lt o t h e path o f t h e t o w i n g p l a n e b u t c o n s i d e r a b l ybelow i t o r considerably t o the r i g h t o r t o thel e f t o f i t as may be d e s i r e d .Other o b j e c t s a n d advantages w i l l be e v i d e n ta s the i nvention i s further described with r e f e rence t o the drawin g s whereinF i g . 1 i s a s i d e e l e v a t i o n o f my improved towt a r g e t .

F i g . 2 i s a f r o n t e n d view o f t he d e v i c e .F i g s . 3 a n d 4 d i s c l o s e t wo o f the s e v e r a l ways

i n which the d e v i c e may be loaded toalter i t spath with r e s p e c t t o t h e path o f t h e towingp l a n e .F i g . 5 shows on e o f the s a n d b a g s , a p l u r a l i t y o fwhich a r e employed t o determine the path o f thed e v i c e with r e s p e c t t o t h e towing p l a n e .In the drawings, a hollow cone I I ] comprises ap l u r a l i t y o f s e c t o r a l p a n e l s I 2 j o i n e d t o g e t h e r bys e a ms H i , a l l s e a ms being r e i n f o r c e d by webbingI S . A i n g l e panel I 8 h a s i t s s i d e s j o i n e d t o theo t h e r p a n e l s t o complete t h e c o n e , the panel I 8being cut a w a y a s a t 2 B f o r a purpose whic hw i l l l a t e r appear.Panels I 2 a r e composed i n g r e a t e r part o f ar e l a t i v e l y c l o s e woven c l o t h which i s substant i a l l y impervious t o the passage o f a i r , w h i l e thee n t i r e pa n el I 8 a n d a sma ll pa rt I 9 o f each s e ct o r a l pa n el I 2 n e a r t he a p e x i s made o f a r e l at i v e l y coarse wov e n mesh t h ro u g h whic h a i r maypass q u i t e f r e e l y . Th e perimeter o f t h e base o fthe cone I t i s reinforced by a h e a v y cord 2 2 .Attached t o the p e r i m e t e r o f the base o f thecone I n , p r e f e r a b l y a t t h e r e i n f o r c i n g o f t h ej o i n t s b e tw een p a n e l s , are a s e r i e s o f b r i d l e l i n e s

1 0

1 5

20

2 5

i i .

4 0

45

50

5 5

Z2 4 , t h e f r e e e n d s o f w h i c h a r e brought t o g e t h e ra s a t 2 6 t o fo rm a loop t o whic h t h e i n e f r o m th et o w i n g plane'may b e c o n n e c t e d .

Stitched t o the surface o f t he cone I D a t t h ebase a r e s e v er a l l a y e r s o f fabric 2 8 , the s t i t c hing being s o spaced a s t o form pockets f o r thesand bags 3 8 , F i g . 5 . I t i s t h e c i r c u m f e r e n t i a lp o s i t i o n o f t h e sand b a g s 3 0 w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h ec u t awa y p o r t i o n 2 0 which determines t h e o f f s e tbetween t h e c o u r s e o f t h e t a r g e t a n d t h a t o f t h et o w i n g p l a n e .

F i g . 3 i s a d i a g r a m m a t i c view o f th e cone I 0viewed f r o m t he re a r or a p e x end. H e re t h ep e r f o r a t e c u t awa y p a n e l I 8 i s a n g u l a r l y s p a c e d1 8 0 d e g r e e s from t h e san d bag l o a d , w h i c h , o fc o u r s e , i s d r a w n t o the bottom by g r a v i t y . Whent h e t a r g e t , arranged a s i n F i g . 3 , i s b e i n g t o w e d ,a i r i s f o r c e d l a t e r a l l y through t h e p e r f o r a t ep a n e l I 8 a nd s i m u l t a n e o u s l y s p i l l s from t h e c u ta w a y portion 2 0 , s o that the r e a c t i o n o f the a i rmoving l a t e r a l l y i n on e d i r e c t i o n tends t o movet h e t a r g e t l a t e r a l l y i n t h e o p p o s i t e d i r e c t i o n ,wher eby t h e t a r g e t w i l l t a k e a c o u r s e p a r a l l e l t o ,b u t c o n s i d e r a b l y below t h a t o f t h e towing p l a n e .On t h e o t h e r hand, i f t h e p e r f o r a t e p a n e l I 8i s a n g u l a r l y spaced l e s s than 1 8 0 d e g r e e s from t h ebottom t o whic h the s a n d load g r a v i t a t e s , a s f o ri n s t a n c e , t o the l e f t o f top c e n t e r , a s seen i n F i g .4 , the t a r g e t w i l l r i d e a course which i s belowbut a l s o t o t h e r i g h t o f t h e c o u r s e t a k e n by thetowing p l a n e .Other p o s i t i o n i n g o f t h e p e r f o r a t e p a n e l l 8 w i t hr e s p e c t t o t h e load p o s i t i o n w i l l r e s u l t i n s t i l lo t h e r r e l a t i v e o f f s e t s between the towing p l a n e scourse a n d the course o f t h e t a r g e t .W h i l e th e weig h t m e a n s 2 8-30 i s carried on t heconvex surface o f th e cone nea r th e b a s e , i t w i l l ,o f course be understood that i t may be supportedi n an y convenient p o s i t i o n which i s e c c e n t r i c t othe cone a x i s , a n d while the opening 2 0 i s madei n t h e panel I 8 adjacent t h e b a s e , i t may e m a d ei n a n y p a r t o f t h e p e r f o r a t e d panel I 8 , o r thepanel I 8 may be m a d e o f imperforate f a b r i c a n dt h e opening 2 0 m a d e s u f f i c i e n t l y l a r g e r t o compensate f o r the l a c k o f s m a l l p e r f o r a t i o n s , t heo b j e c t being t o p r o v i d e a l a t e r a l d i s c h a r g e o f a i rf ro m the cone which w i l l r e a c t a n d d e f l e c t thecone o p p o s i t e l y from i t s normal pa t h beyondt h e towing p l a n e . M o r e o v e r , w h i l e t h e body o ft he target i s i n the fo r m o f a c o n e , a n y other s u i ta b l e s h e l l having the forward e n d open a n d ther e a rw a r d e n d c l o s e d o r p a r t l y c l o s e d w i l l be cons i d e r e d w i t h i n t h e s c o p e o f t h e i n v e n t i o n .Havin g described a n e m b o d i m e n t o f my invent i o n , I c l a i m :

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2 , 4 0 2 , 1 5 631 . A tow t a r g e t , adapted f o r a s t e r n a t t a c k ,which comprises a hollow s h e l l open a t t h e f o rw a r d e n d a n d having a t l e a s t on e l a t e r a l opening in i t s s i d e w a l l , m e a n s f o r attaching a t owl i n e t o the op en e nd o f the s h e l l , a n d a weightm e a n s c a r r i e d on the s h e l l e c c e n t r i c a l l y d i s p o s e dwith r e s p e c t t o t h e s h e l l a x i s a n d angularly spacedfrom s a i d l a t e r a l o p e n i n g .2 . A t ow t a r g e t , a d a p t e d f o r astern a t t a c k ,which comprises a hollow s h e l l open a t t he fronte n d a n d havin g at l e a s t on e l a t e r a l o p e n i n g in t h es i d e w a l l , m e a n s f o r attaching a t o w l i n e t o thefront e n d o f the s h e l l , a n d a weight m e a n s c a rr i e d on the s i d e wall o f the s h e l l n e a r the basea n g u l a r l y spaced from t h e l a t e r a l o p e n i n g .3 . A tow t a r g e t , a d a p t e d f o r a s t e r n a t t a c k ,which comprises a hollow c o n i c a l s h e l l having i t ss i d e w a l l made u p o f a p l u r a l i t y o f t r i a n g u l a rp a n e l s , a t l e a s t on e f s a i d p a n e l s b e i n g composed, o f h i g h l y perforate material a n d the r e m a i n d e r , _o f t h e p a n e l s having a l e s s e r p o r t i o n p e r f o r a t e ,m e a n s f o r attaching a t o w l i n e t o the base o f thec o n i c a l s h e l l , a n d a weight m e a n s carried on t h es h e l l e c c e n t r i c a l l y d i s p o s e d w i t h r e s p e c t t o t h es h e l 1 a x i s a n d a n g u l a r l y spaced from s a i d p e rf o r a t e p a n e l . ,4 . A tow t a r g e t adapted f o r a s t e r n a t t a c k ,whic h compris e s a hollow cone with an o p e n b a s e

10

4a n d the s i d e w a l l m a d e u p o f a p l u r a l i t y o f t r ia n g u l a r p a n e l s , a t l e a s t on e t r i a n g u l a r p a n e l b ei n g composed o f h i g h l y p e r f o r a t e m a t e r i a l , t h ere ma i n d e r o f the t r i a n g u l a r panels being composed o f imperforate m a t e r i a l except f o r a s m a l larea a t the a p e x o f e ac h t r i a n g l e which i s composed o f p e r f o r a t e m a t e r i a l , m e a n s f o r a t t a c hving a t ow l i n e to t h e o p e n base of t h e cone, a n d aw e i g h t carried on t h e side wall of t h e cone n e a rt h e b as e a n g u l a r l y s p a c e d from t h e p e r f o r a t e' panel.

5 . A tow t a r g e t adapted f o r a s t e r n a t t a c k ,whic h comprises a hollow cone with a n o pe n basea n d the s i d e w a l l m a d e u p o f a p l u r a l i t y o f t r ia n g u l a r p a n e l s , a t l e a s t on e t r i a n g u l a r p a n e l b e i n gcomposed o f h i g h l y p e r f o r a t e m a t e r i a l and h a v i n ga portion c u t a w a y a t the base t o provide a r e la t i v e l y l a r g e l a t e r a l opening i n t h e cone s i d ew a l l , t h e remainder o f t h e t r i a n g u l a r p a n e l s b ei n g composed o f i m p e r f o r a t e m a t e r i a l e x c e p t f o ra sma ll area at t h e a p e x o f each triangle whichi s composed o f p e r f o r a t e m a t e r i a l , m e a n s f o rattaching a t ow l i n e t o the base o f the c o n e ,a n d a weight c a r r i e d on t h e s i d e w a l l o f t h e conenear the base a n g u l a r l y spaced f rom t h e p e r f or a t e p a n e l .

JOHN W. GRIESINGER.