Robert Hutchings Goddard

“ My next experiments were performed with steel chambers, of the form shown in Fig. 1, with the object of increasing the efficiency of the device, as a heat engine; and of therefore obtaining as high a velocity of ejection as possible. Some of these chambers were made of soft tool-steel, and others of tough nickel steel. ”

“ Although the problem of satisfactory operation was solved, it was not possible to have a flight unless a larger model were made, or a different principle, permitting greater lightness, were employed. The construction of a larger model was not undertaken because of expense, and another plan of construction was used, which involved back pressure in the supply tanks, and eliminated the pumps, engines, and most of the moving parts, but did not permit such accurate control of the combustion, nor the use of the lightest form of supply tanks, as did the previous model. ”

“ Regarding the heights that could be reached by the above method; I have applied the theory already mentioned to cases which my experiments show must be realizable in practice, and I find that a mass of one pound could be elevated to altltudes of 35, 72, and 232 miles; by employing initial masses of from 3.6 to 13.6, from 5.1 to 24.3, and from 9.8 to 89.6 lbs., respectively. If a device of the Coston ship-rocket type were used instead, the initial masses would be of the order of magnitude of those above, raised to the 27-th power. ”

“ Further, some of the work this winter has indicated that the rocket, used as an engine, has possibilities for great horsepower with small weight, and will, I believe, have important applications in aviation. ”

“ I assume that the Institution would not be averse to notifying Mr. Watson Davis when to gather his material, inasmuch as the Institution is represented by you on the Board of Trustees of Science Service. ”

“ This patent was taken out chiefly with the idea of covering a magazine of the cartridge-belt type; and is of importance in that it describes a device for making the loading of the cartridge perfectly positive.
Very truly yours,
Robert H. Goddard
R. H. GODDARD.
ROCKET APPARATUS
APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1916
1,206,837. Patented Dec. 5, 1916
3 SHEETS—SHEET 1.
Inventor
R. H. Goddard
By Attorneys
Southgate & Southgate
Witness
G. F. Wessex
# 1,206,837
Movable-changer-and-fixed-breach-block type of reloading mechanism.
Magazine of the cartridge-belt type. ”

“ In order to approximate as closely as possible to the condition of firing into a tank of infinite extent, a special pipe system was constructed (by autogeneous welding) , Fig. 4. The system shown in Fig. ”