GB815268A - Improvements in and relating to projectile fuzes - Google Patents

Abstract

815,268. Projectile fuzes. SOC. NOUVELLE D E S ETABLISSEMENTS BRANDT. Oct. 30, 1956 [Nov. 2, 1955; April 5, 1956; July 18, 1956], No. 33076/56. Class 9(1) A direct action projectile fuze has a forward chamber A containing the percussion mechanism and a rear chamber B containing a slide housing a primer cap, a detonator and a delay, which slide can be adjusted so that the fuze initiates a booster C instantaneously or after a given time. To provide safety during handling and launching the firing pin 15 extends into the slide 28, so that the primer 37 is held out of alignment with the pin 15. The pin 15, which is mounted in a carrier 14 stressed by a spring 18, is locked by balls 19 housed in a guide 13 and secured by a ring 22 held in position by a spring 23. A striker 9 held forward by a spring 12 and covered by a cap 11 of plastic material sets back due to inertia when the projectile is launched, and the arming ring 22 also moves rearwardly releasing the balls 19. Resilient tabs on a ring 26 engage a recess in the ring 22 to lock the ring in the rearward position, When deceleration begins, spring 12 moves the striker forward and spring 18 drives the pin 15 forward into the armed position, Fig 11, thus freeing the slide 28, which is moved by its spring 30 so that the primer 37 is aligned with pin 15 ready for ignition on impact. The detonator 40, Fig. 3, is then aligned with a passage 49, Fig. 2, leading to the booster C, and the slide is locked in the armed position by a finger 31 pressed into a recess 34 by its spring. Apertures 39, 42, Fig. 3, parallel to the primer housing contain the detonator 40 and the delay 43 respectively and the detonator can be brought into direct communication with the primer through passages 44, 46 or indirectly via the delay 43 and a passage 47 by operating a valve member 45. The member 45 has an extension 50 ending in a slotted head 52 accessible in a recess 55 of the fuze body 1, whereby the fuze may be set for direct or delayed action. As the slide 28 moves to the armed position is is held against rotation by the finger 31 which engages a slot in the sleeve 29 of slide 28. The carrier 14 has a zig-zag groove 27a, Fig. 5, engaged by a pin 27 extending from the guide 13, which gives the pin 15 an oscillatory motion as it moves to the armed position of Fig. 11 and thus delays arming. When in the armed position, the pin 27 engages a blind end d of the groove. In a modification, Fig. 15, the slide itself is rotated, to make the adjustment for instantaneous or delayed action, by means of a key 52a. A pin 61 fixed in the fuze body 1a engages a groove in the key to limit the rotation and the firing pin 15 is received in a divergent aperture 35a, Fig. 20. which permits rotation of the slide. The locking finger 31 engages a U-shaped recess which also limits the rotation but allows sliding movement of the slide. Two primers 37a, 37b, Fig. 16, are housed in the slide, the second primer being associated with a delay 37c, and each primer passage communicates with a detonator 40a so that by rotating the slide either primer can be set to initiate the detonator. Coil springs 30a housed in the slide stress it to the armed position. Corresponding with the two positions of the detonator, the partition wall 8a has two apertures filled with a relay charge to ignite the booster C. Instead of primer and delay charge being adjacent as in Fig 16, they may be in separate housings oommunicating through a flash passage arranged at an angle to the housings, so that the firing pin cannot enter the delay An outlet for the gases from the primer may be provided. In the arrangement of Fig. 24 the firing pin 15d is fixed in the striker 9d while the carrier 14d supports a tube 75 locking the slide 28d and housing a primer 76. As before a pin 27 extends from the guide 13d into a zig-zag groove which is formed helically in the carrier 14d. On launching, the arming ring 22 releases the locking balls 19 and the striker 9d moves against the guide 13d. When the acceleration ceases the striker 9d moves forward again and the carrier 14d moves forward with a rotary motion to bring the primer 76 to the firing position and release the slide 28d. A torsion spring 86 then rotates the slide until a stud 89 contacts an abutment 90 corresponding to instantaneous firing or an abutment 91 corresponding to delayed firing. The abutment 91 is set by rotating a head 93 extending through the fuze body. In place of the groove and pin, a dash-pot arrangement may be used to retard arming of the fuze. A thin metal sheet to be perforated by the firing pin may be placed over the primer 76 and the striker may be secured by a shear pin. Specifications 620,875 and 777,781 are referred to.