GB124480A - Improvements in or relating to Bombs. - Google Patents

Abstract

124,480. Vickers, Ltd., and North, T. K. Jan. 24, 1916. Projectiles; projectile fuses.-Relates to bombs adapted to be dropped from aircraft on to ships and submarines. According to this invention, a bomb is provided at its nose with displaceable member or pellet adapted to move downwards by inertia, and actuate impact firing-mechanism when the bomb strikes a hard body on or below the water surface, or to be driven upwards by water on striking the surface and thereby to ignite a time-fuse. The pellet a is secured to a tube b, which is capable of movement within an openended casing A<1>. The upper end of the tube b bears against segments f projecting through a fixed cylinder h and engaging with recesses in a spring- controlled striker i. Pointed catches l, passing through the member i, normally lock the tube b and are held in that position by a plug n at the end of a spindle p which bears wind-vanes q at its upper end. Vanes r are rigidly connected to the bomb-casing so as to deflect the air, as the bomb drops, against the vanes q. A casing c connected to the cylinder h contains the primer charge, and is provided at each end with detonators d, e respectively. The detonator e is adapted to be fired by a time-fuse comprising a fixed plate d' having a groove in it containing fuse composition. A number of percussion caps b<1> are mounted on a plate c<1> below the groove, and an adjustable striker a<1> which can be set so as to fire any one of the caps is provided on the pellet a, so that the timing may be controlled. When the bomb is dropping, rotation of the spindle p by the windvanes withdraws the plug h from contact with the catches l, so that if the bomb strikes an object on or below the surface of the water, the! inertia member ab can be moved forward, and, by passing clear of the segments f, can free the striker i ; the upper detonator d is thus fired, Impact of the bomb on water thrusts the member ab upwards, and the striker a' fires the time-tuse, so as to explode the bomb at a predetermined depth, according to the setting of the pin a<1>. The open end of a nose m<1> may be closed 'by a cap l<1> so that the time-fuse cannot act, the bomb being in this case adapted to explode by impact on water, mud, or any like substance.