GB191406545A - Improvements in or relating to Submarine Mines. - Google Patents

Abstract

6545. Schneider, E. March 14. Mines, marine.-Relates to the firing-mechanism of submarine mines of the kind in which the mine is fired by the relative displacement of a heavy body when a vessel contacts with the mine, and consists in mounting the locking- members for the movable element of the firing- mechanism upon a heavy body which is rotatably displaceable about its geometrical axis. Preferably, the geometrical axes of the heavy body, firing-device, and the mine casing are coincident. Upon impact, the heavy body remains stationary owing to its inertia, and the relative angular motion of the mine casing fires the mine. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the heavy body c is mounted as a fly-wheel upon the shaft C and carries two hooks c<3> which engage lugs d carried by the body D of the striker. The striker has two pins d<3> as shown in Fig. 1<a>, and a feather d<2> ensures the rotation of the body D with the mine. The spring d<1> forces the striker upon the percussion caps c when the lugs d clear the hooks c<3>. The flywheel is retained in the safe position by plungers f which are withdrawn when blocks f<3> of salt have dissolved. In a modification, the fly-wheel c is mounted upon a part b<2> secured to the tube b<1>, which is carried by stays b from the casing B. The hooks c<3> carried by the fly-wheel engage lugs d carried by a rod K which is feathered at d<2> to the part b<3> mounted on the casing B. The rod K is attached, by a shackle L, to the anchor cable, and supports pivoted jaws k which engage in known manner the rod d<5> of the firing-pin d<3>. Rotation of the casing B frees the lugs d from the hooks c<3>, and the casing then rises owing to its buoyancy, thus withdrawing the jaws k and rod d<5>, compressing the spring d<1>, and freeing the striker d<3> when the jaws k are clear of the part b<2>. The flywheel is held in the safe position by plungers f as described with reference to Fig. 1.