Tiled armour science - trispokedovetiles - three-spoke dovetailing tiles

TRISPOKEDOVETILES by Peter Dow

Possible application to tiled armour

One issue with hexagonal or square armour tiles is that such simple shapes don't interlock sideways, as do jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Whilst a little armour tile movement in the same direction as the bullet (normal to the armour plane) is useful in absorbing the kinetic energy of the bullet (and much better than the armour tile absorbing the same kinetic energy by shattering), on the other hand, sideways tile movement (tangential to the armour plane) leaves most unwelcome gaps in the armour in between separated tiles.

So armour tiles shaped like jigsaw puzzle shapes (or some hexagonal variation such as these trispokedovetiles) could perform well in this application.

TRISPOKEDOVETILES



I've named the shape "Trispokedovetile" which is a contraction of "tri-spoke dovetailing tile".

• "tri-spoke" because the shape is similar to a 3-spoke motorcycle
  wheel with three bites taken out of it.
  
• "dovetailing" because the tiles interlock like a dovetail joint

I've programmed a webpage using Javascript to display an animation which shows a range of different trispokedovetiles, each of which can be specified by a "CIRCLE" percentage, which is the ratio as a percent of two parameters -

• A "HEXAGON" parameter length - always nominally "100%"
  
• A "CIRCLE" parameter length - the animation varies this between 100% and 135%, though values up to 150% can be drawn.

You can also use the webpage to specify a "CIRCLE" percentage and click to "Draw TRISPOKEDOVETILES" to generate an image of a tessellation of a particular shape of trispokedovetiles.

Tutorial on how to create 3D trispokedovetile images

<i>Edit by moderator : Fixed broken links</i>

[Edited on 7-10-2017 by gdflp]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

This an exceptionally Nice idea, and Welcome to ScienceMadness !

Quote: Originally posted by aga

The simple geometry is Artful in it's simplicity.

Quote: Originally posted by aga

You could cover Acres of a 2-D flat area with carbon tiles of that shape and protect it from crazed welders. Unfortunately we live in a 3-D universe, with curves, bumps, wiggles etc. What am i saying ?!?! I like some of those curves, bumps and wiggles. A lot !

Now to consider the important issue of interlocking trispokedovetiles against movement in the direction normal to the tiled plane, which for the application of tiled armour would be the normal to the armour surface, in the direction of a bullet's path.

BILAYER TRISPOKEDOVETILES

I propose that the unit armour tile be comprised of 2 joined trispokedovetiles with matching HEXAGON parameters but each with a different CIRCLE percentage.

For example, suppose we choose trispokedovetiles with CIRCLE = 100% and 121%.



The reason for choosing C100 for the outer layer of the armour is because its 120 degree angle corners would be more robust.

The reason for choosing C121 for the inner layer of the armour is because CIRCLE = 121% offers the largest percentage where the neck attaching the outer part rings is at least twice the thickness of the ring, attempting to balance the robustness of the ring parts to the robustness of the neck versus tensile stresses.



Stacking and joining those together forms a bilayer trispokedovetile, "C100+C121".



Drawing the 2 layers semi-transparently we can see how the bilayer trispokedovetiles would interlock in the normal to the plane.



2/3rds of the tiles can be slotted together, either the yellows and the blues or the yellows and the purples or the blues and the purples.

However the final 1/3rd of the tiles would not simply slot in and would have to be inserted by joining the two halves of the bilayer trispokedovetile in situ.

Trispokedovetiles: CNC code to cut tiles

HOLES!
Now cut trispokedovetiles by CNC laser cutter with (or without) HOLES!



<i>Edit by moderator : Fixed broken links</i>

[Edited on 7-10-2017 by gdflp]

Quote: Originally posted by elementcollector1

Could the tiles be 3D-printed? This might introduce some tolerance issues with the resolution of the print, but it would be a good way to test these mechanically with different plastics such as ABS and PLA.

Quote: Originally posted by elementcollector1

Also, could a flexible design be made by curving the interlocking plates somewhat on the z-axis (I don't quite know how to word this) so that each tile could flex outward and inward from the main body? This would allow the armor to be 'worn' in much the same vein as Kevlar, if the tiles could be made small enough.

Quote: Originally posted by aga

3D. Hmm. Could you design something so that there is a step to the tiles so that a piece overlaps the joints ? Having a 'crack' at each joint seems like a point of vulnerability.

Quote: Originally posted by Peter Dow

Now to consider the important issue of interlocking trispokedovetiles against movement in the direction normal to the tiled plane, which for the application of tiled armour would be the normal to the armour surface, in the direction of a bullet's path. BILAYER TRISPOKEDOVETILES I propose that the unit armour tile be comprised of 2 joined trispokedovetiles with matching HEXAGON parameters but each with a different CIRCLE percentage. For example, suppose we choose trispokedovetiles with CIRCLE = 100% and 121%. The reason for choosing C100 for the outer layer of the armour is because its 120 degree angle corners would be more robust. The reason for choosing C121 for the inner layer of the armour is because CIRCLE = 121% offers the largest percentage where the neck attaching the outer part rings is at least twice the thickness of the ring, attempting to balance the robustness of the ring parts to the robustness of the neck versus tensile stresses. Stacking and joining those together forms a bilayer trispokedovetile, "C100+C121". Drawing the 2 layers semi-transparently we can see how the bilayer trispokedovetiles would interlock in the normal to the plane. 2/3rds of the tiles can be slotted together, either the yellows and the blues or the yellows and the purples or the blues and the purples. However the final 1/3rd of the tiles would not simply slot in and would have to be inserted by joining the two halves of the bilayer trispokedovetile in situ.

TRISPOKEDOVETILES ROUTER CUTTING

My trispokedovetile CAD-CAM webpage now offers an (X,Y,Z) option for router cutting using rotary tool paths between spaced out tiles -


I've simulated the CNC router code -


<i>Edit by moderator : Fixed broken links</i>

[Edited on 7-10-2017 by gdflp]

Quote: Originally posted by Peter Dow

I already did just that 4 posts ago. ... did you not understand?