GB314666A - Improvements in bomb crates and release mechanism for aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

314,666. Roe, E. A. V., and Roe & Co., Ltd., A. V. April 25, 1925. Dropping bombs from aircraft.- A horizontal bar b, Figs. 1 and 2, for supporting a bomb a in a crate containing several such bombs and supporting bars is pivoted at one end and held up at the other end by a pair of catches c, c pivofed at d, d and urged to the engaging position by springs. A vertical slide f has flanges which normally confine rollers e, e on the catches, thereby locking them in their engaging position. A bomb is released by a downward movement of the slide f, which brings gaps in its flanges opposite the rollers e, e and at the same time forces a wedge g between the catches to move them away from the bar b. The slide f is operated in steps by lugs q on a disc p, and is locked at each step by a pawl n which is temporarily lifted by fingers o on the disc p to permit each operation. One slide f controls the release of all the bombs vertically superposed; and all the discs p for the several slides f are mounted on the same transverse shaft and connected by chain gearing to a cam t, which a spring tends to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow, but is normally locked by a pawl u. This pawl can be pulled from a distance by a trigger 6. It then releases the cam t and at the same time releases another pawl v which is put in action by a spring, whereby the cam is stopped again after the lowest bombs have been dropped. If a trigger 7 is first pulled, it locks the pawl v out of action, so that when the trigger 6 is pulled the cam t is free to turn to release several sets of bombs in succession. The trigger 6 can be locked by a safety member 5. The loops 8, Fig. 5, of the safety members of the fuzes of the bombs may be engaged by bolts 10, all operated simultaneously. When the loops are thus engaged, the safety members are pulled out and the bombs thereby armed when the bombs are dropped; when the bolts are out of engagement, the bombs can be dropped unarmed, as may be required when making a forced landing.