GB104539A - Improvements in or relating to Bombs, Hand and Rifle Grenades and the like. - Google Patents

Abstract

104,539. Prestwich, J. A. March 7, 1916. Projectiles; projectile fuses.-Relates to bombs provided with a spring striker which is released by a movable tumbler to explode the bomb on impact. According to the invention, a sliding spring striker is held cocked by a projecting toe at one end of the tumbler, which is locked at the other end until the bomb is discharged or thrown. In the form shown in Fig. 4, the sliding spring striker c is held cocked by the undercut toe h<1> of a rod h<3>, over which a weight h is arranged between a spring q and a nut h<0>; and the rod h<3> is locked by a plunger r held in by an external lever t, which is itself locked by a cotter pin t<1>, preferably through the intermediary of a spring bolt t<2>. When the cotter pin is removed and the grenade thrown, the spring s of the plunger t throws the lever off and withdraws the plunger from the rod h<3>. This release may be delayed by a dash-pot. On impact, the displacement of the rod h<3>, under the direct shock or the shock due to the rebound of the spring-cushioned weight h, releases the spring striker c, which fires a percussion cap d leading to a detonator tube e; a time-fuse may be interposed between the percussion cap and the detonator. In modifications, the spring-cushioned weight h is dispensed with, the action depending wholly on the inertia of the tumbler h<3>, and this tumbler is released (1) by a winged screw, which is released by an inertia bolt on discharge and is unscrewed by the air during the flight of the projectile, or (2) by a screw which is removed by hand, or (3) by a sleeve which sets back when the projectile is discharged, or (4) by a time-fuse which is ignited by the set-back of a small pellet when the projectile is discharged.