Carbine Williams ou l'homme à la carabine

Bonjour à tous,
Je viens de voir un vieux film américain de Richard Thorpe avec James Stewart qui retrace la vie de David Marshall Williams qui pendant son séjour en prison a développé plusieurs de ses idées concernant la fabrication d'un fusil automatique. Intéressant.
Même si il ne fut pas le créateur de la M1 comme suggéré dans le film quatre de ses brevets furent utilisés pour sa réalisation et il fut embauché par Colt, Remington puis Winchester.
Il y a plusieurs vidéos de Forgotten weapons qui se réfèrent à lui et un long article de Wikipédia (en anglais).

jadys a écrit:
Même si il ne fut pas le créateur de la M1 comme suggéré dans le film quatre de ses brevets furent utilisés pour sa réalisation

The preliminary tests of the first prototype by the Ordnance Department on August 9, 1941, proved the design had sufficient merit for Winchester to proceed with the development and submit a light rifle by the September 15, 1941, deadline for the final trials.

For the second prototype, Winchester formed a second team consisting of the two prior employees and others with Williams as the project director. Three days later, Winchester removed Williams from the team after assessment of a dispute between Williams and the others that had forced the project to a halt. The team continued the work on the second prototype without Williams, whom Winchester allowed to design his own prototype concurrent with the others.

On September 12, 1941, the second prototype light rifle designed by the team was complete and ready for submission but for two problems that had yet to be resolved. Williams was asked to help the others sort out the problems, and collectively solutions were found that allowed the prototype to be transported and submitted to the Ordnance Department by the deadline.

Pour le second prototype Williams fut nommé directeur de projet 3 jours plus tard il en fut démit pour c'être disputé avec les autres membres de l'équipe le 12 septembre 41 on refit appel a lui pour solutionner 2 problemes et ainsi présenter le prototype le 15 septembre 41 .


Williams had previously entered into a license agreement with Winchester on September 9, 1940, for use of his patented short-stroke gas piston (U.S. Patent 2,090,656) in exchange for a royalty payable on the basis of the value of each gun manufactured containing the invention. From the end of 1941 and into 1942, Western Cartridge Co. (Winchester) negotiated with the Ordnance Department over the design of the M1 Carbine. In February 1942, the Ordnance Department proposed a one time lump sum royalty payment of $886,000 in exchange for a royalty-free production license. On March 19, 1942, Williams voluntarily entered into another agreement with Winchester, accepting 26.411 percent of this lump sum ($234,100.46 over and above his salary) in lieu of royalty payments. Winchester signed the agreement on March 20, 1942

recevoir 234 100,46$ de royalties sur un montant total de 886 000$ c'est pas un petite somme


$234,100 in 1941 equals $4,092,997.76 in 2018.