GB191417983A - Improvements in or relating to Submarine Mines. - Google Patents

Abstract

17,983. Vickers, Ltd., and Elia, G. E. July 29. Mines, marine.-Relates to submarine mines caused to explode by rotation against a ship, and consists in arranging a part of the firing- mechanism connected to the flotation chamber to slide and to bring about the explosion of the mine after a certain amount of rotation has taken place between the said chamber and a rotatably - mounted inertia member. In the form shown, the inertia member is constituted by the casing B containing the explosive charge and mounted by means of a socket B' over a spigot A' secured to the flotation chamber A. The firing-pin C is attached by a shear wire c' to a rod C<1> coupled to the cable D<2> of the anchor or ballast weight by a link D, which is normally locked by a shear wired. The rod C<1> can slide. but cannot rotate, within the spigot A<1> and has a square part c<3> which is normally embraced by a piece F fitted through a slot in a tube A<2> secured to the explosive casing B, and into a slot b<1> in the socket B<1>, so that, normally, the casings A, B are locked against relative rotation. The rod C' has also another square part c<2> above a distance-piece E provided with a base flange which rests on the piece F and carries the spring c of the firing-pin C, the passage through the distance-piece being also square-shaped but normally out of register with the square part c<2> of the rod C' to the extent of a right-angle. When the mine is laid, the pull of the cable D<2> shears the pin d and draws the rod C' down until the square part c<2> is stopped by the distance-piece E, but not before the square part c<3> has been removed from the piece F and the casing A thereby made free to rotate around the casing B. When the mine is encountered by a ship, the flotation casing A is rotated around the explosive casing B, the square part c<2> is brought in register with the square hole of the distance-piece E and is drawn down through at, the wire c<1> is sheared by the continual pull when the firing-pin is checked by the distancepiece, and the released firing-pin fires the mine. To prevent accidental rotation, the upper edge of the piece E is hollowed out, and the lower end of the square part c<2> of the rod C<1> is correspondingly rounded as shown at c<x>; also a toothed clutch is formed between the distancepiece E and the piece F. The grip of the projections c<x> in the hollowed end of the piece E is less than the grip of the clutch between the pieces E, F and is overcome first by the impact of a passing ship; the grip of the clutch is overcome after the square part c<2> is drawn into the piece E.