US1047862A

US1047862A - Combination-fuse for artillery-projectiles.

Info

Publication number: US1047862A
Application number: US64298611A
Authority: US
Inventors: Karl Voeller
Original assignee: Rheinische Metallwaaren and Maschinenfabrik AG
Current assignee: Rheinische Metallwaaren and Maschinenfabrik AG
Priority date: 1911-08-08
Filing date: 1911-08-08
Publication date: 1912-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1929-12-17

Description

K. VOLLBR.

COMBINATION FUSE FOR ARTILLERY PROJBCTILES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1911.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

.l/ al 15......

UNrrED szrA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

KARL VLLER,OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 RHEINISCHE METALL- WAAREN- UND MAYSCHIENFABRIK, OF DUSSELDORF-DERENDORF, GERMANY,

A CORPORATION or GERMANY.

COMBINATION-FUSE FOB ARTILLERY-PROJECTILES.

Specication of Letters Patent,

Patented Dec. 17, 191k,

application sied August s, 1911. serial No. 642,98.

To all wir om z' may-concern.'

Be it known that I, KARL VLLEn, engineer, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Dusseldorf, 12 Scharnhorststrasse, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination- Fuses for ArtilleryfProjectiles; and I do hereby declarel the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The action of the ordinary combination fuse on impact depends on the fact, that a plunger, in conquence of its momentum, shoots forward relatively to the body of the projectile, which is retarded or completely stopped in consequence of the impact.. This causes the primer to be pierced by the tiring pin and detonated. The force, with which the plunger is moved relatively to the body of the projectile, depends upon. the difference in the speeds of these two bodies. It is greatest if the impact entirely destroys the motion of the projectile.

.Vhen targets are aimed at, which do not otter `the necessary resistance, for example ainships and particularly the fabric of balloons or the covering of flying. machines, the projectile would be so little delayed in its movement, that an ignition in the passage of the shot through the covering 'would very seldom happen. For this reasonthe inertia of the plunger has not been utilized to tire the charge of projectiles inteifjded for shooting at air-ships. The plungjer has instead been driven forward on impact by the force of a spring. The impactonlvy releases a restraining device, which allo s the force of the spring to come into act-ion.

lAccording to my invention the explosion lof the projectile. will be effected by the release of a plunger, which release is capable of being brought Vabout in either of two ways, rst, by impact, and secondly, by vtimed ignition, the latter occurring in the absence of the former.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a form of construction of the combination fuse according to my invention.

part of the projectile with the parts in the i 2. Fig. 5 is a cross section at the line 5 5,

4F ig. 2. The ignition member o is screwed into the front part of the projectile case a, which latter incloses the bursting charge. In the ignitionmember b there is a longitudinally movable sleeve e the axis whereof coincides with the axis of the projectile. A firing pin f is shown as screwed into this sleeve, and as having forwardly and rearwardly projecting points. detonator L is loosely arranged within the fore part of the sleeve, and is loosely held by the slight. restraining influence of a plate spring i, the ends of which are placed in engagement with the rounded end of the sleeve. This plunger has a tendency, when the projectile is in flight, to move back relatively to the projectile as a whole.. As the spring z' is not very strong in its resistance it allows the plunger to so move, so `that lthe A plunger g Carrying detonator z will strike against the for- Wardly projecting portion of pin f, the spring 2' being displaced by the rearward movement of the plunger. By the engagement with the tiring pin f the detonator L is exploded, and this explosion is transferred to two powder charges 0 and also to the Ypowder in two known relatively adjustable timing rings c, d, whichlatter are set in the manner usual with timing fuses.

The outer end of sleeve e is closed by the pointed end of the projectile, and when the latter is being transported this end is covered b y a removable cap m.' Any displacement of the sleeve e in the forward direction is prevented by an inclosing nut n. Within the rearward. end of sleeve e is located a springimpelled plunger p carrying at its forward end a primer or detonator g. This plunger is normally under the inluence of a coiled spring r, the tendency of between a shoulder of the plunger and the.

end flange of sleeve bushing a.

The sleeve e is normally retained inl its forwardly projecting` position (Fig. 1) by coperatingv retaining plates t and these plates, according `to the means shown, are also relied upon to holdv plunger p in its retracted position, with spring-1` under tension.- The two plates t are disposed trans'- versely to the axis of the projectile and are set within a recess in the' inner end of the ignition member They are normally held against the cone shapedv surface v Aof their recess by the outward pressure of two coiled springs u.

The release of plunger p is brought'about by the axial dis lacement of sleeve e. This is designed to eeected, in the first instance, by point k of the projectile striking the target, but-is also capable of being accomplished, secondarily, through the ignition of the powder in the timing rings. This displacement of sleeve e causes the plates t to slideover the conical wall o of their retaining recess, overcoming-thereby the tension of springs u. The sensitiveness of the combination fuse ,when impact occurs can, in consequence, be adjusted to suit the targets. As soon as these retaining plates t have been moved out of their recess, theyare forced by springs u out of engagement with plunger p, and will .thereupon fall intovv a chamber lw which is partly formed by the projectile case and partly by the ignition member. Within this chamber v"w is the detonator for igniting the bursting char e, and it remains in this chamber until by t e rearward, displacement of sleeve e it is moved into position. for firing, that is, is moved into a box y which extends into the bursting charge. It is not possible for the charge 'to be fired by an explosion of the detonator while the latter is located within chamber w, since an exit channel .e is provided for the gases as a means of safety. This channel is normally closed by a cover l which is easily removed by the pressure,

of the gases.

In consequence of the release of the plunger from the retaining influence' of plates t, thepressure of spring r acting on the'plunger .will project the latter forward and cause the detonator g to strike the rearwardly Aprojecting portion of firing pin f (Fig. 3). The llame passes `through aperture 2, extending longitudinally through the plunger, to theprimer w, through the-detonation ofwhieh box y is, pierced, and the charge ignited.

Inasmuch as the fuse is mainly intended for projectiles to be Vred against airships,

it is the purpose of myA invention to provide for bringing about the explosion through the instrumentality of a time-fuse, the expiosion in this manner being effected in case thetarget is missedpr there is no impact sullicient to edectktherdisplacement ot sleeve ipavez e. If such additional means be not employed, a projectile missing the target might be detonated on impact with the ground, resulting ir unintentional injury. Hence from the l circular compartment wherein timing ring c is located, an aperture 3, (Figs. l and 5) leads to an explosion box 4 which .is located on an extension 5 of the sleeve bushing s. When this borg 4 is exploded the pressure of the explosionon extension 5 is sufficient to unseat the retaining plates t, thereby allowing a relative movement between sleeve e and plunger p. In other words, the-sleeve is longitudinally displaced, the plunger` impelled forward, and the combustible charge detonated, as a result of the explosion of box 4, the action being the same as 'that which follows impact.

From the circularv chamber of the charging ring c a channel' (Figs. 2 5) also leads 'through the ignition tube 7 to a chamber at the base of they combustion parts,I not shown in the drawing, and completely separated from the charge, which serves to show the path of the projectile.

The operation of my combination fuse will be readily understood from what has been said. When the gun is fired the powder'gas give a .very strong impulse to the shot. As the resistanceA offered by spring z' is overcome by the plunger g, Athe detonator h is exploded by contact. 'With'f-iringv pin f and this explosion is transferred both to powder charges o and also to the powder contained in timingl rings '0, d; Until the powder charges o are ignited they aid plates t in supporting head k and sleeve e in their forward positions. After the powder charges o but-n, and the shot strikes against the target the sleeve e is pushedrearwardly, thereby displacing retaining plates t and. plunger ppallowing the shot to be explodedv through detonators g and Should the shot not meet the target or there be insuieient impact, the flame vof the burning powder in timing rings c, d, upon reaching the powder channel 3 will ignite the explosion charge in the box 4, resulting in the dlsplacement of sleeve e in the same manner aait. the shot had struck the target. Itis manifest that the rings c, d, must be so timed that the explosion of box 4 takes place only in the event of the shot having failed to contact with the target.

I claim as my invention 1. A fuse for projectiles comprising a detonating plunger, a longitudinally-movable member, means for allowing the plunger to effec an explosion when the member is movel by impact, and means for effecting such latter movement in the event of the member not being moved by impact.

2. A fuse for projectiles comprising a spring-impelled detonating plunger, a lon- ,tgitudinally movable member, means norlio of the member not beingnmove'dby impact.

4.: A fuse for projectiles comprising a det-y onating plunger, a longitudinally movable member, means forallowing the plunger to effecti an explosion when the member is moved by impact, and tianinglfmeans for effecting such `latter movement in the event of tlieinember not being movedy by impact.

5, A fuse for projectilescomprising a spring-impelled detonating plu-ngena longitudinally movable member, means normally restraining the plunger and designed to be released when the member is nryved b impact, and timing means for effecting suc latter movement in the event of the member not being moved by impact. l l

t3. A fuse for projectiles comprisn a spring-impelled detonating plunger, "a fongitudinally nl ,ovable member,` means normally restraining the plunger a'nd holdin said member in its'normal position, su means being rendered inoperative when the member is moved by impact,l timing means for effecting such latter movement in the event of the member -not being moved by impact.

7. A fuse for projectiles comprising a spring-impelletij detonating'plunger, a longitudin'ally-movable sleeve normally extending from the projectile, means for normally.:y holding the sleeve extended and the -pltinger retracted, suchmeans comprising `,retaining members which are designed to'be displaced when the lsleeve is moved by. impact, and" means forjetlccting such llatterimovement y they, event of the sleeve not 4being moved .by impact.

8. A 'fusei for projectiles comprisi spring-impelled detonatingplunger, a onitudinally-movable sleeve normally extendy ing from the projectile,4 means for normally holding the sleeve extended and the plunger retracted, such means comprising spring pressed members designed to be displaced when the sleeve .is moved by impact, and

`means for-effecting such latter movement in,`

event of the., sleeve not being moved by ,iinpactfv e 9. A fuse for projectiles comprisin a spring impelled detonating plunger, a onitudinall y -rnovable sleeve normally extend ing from the projectile, means for normally holding the sleeve extended and the plunger retracted, such .means comprisinv retaining members which are designed to bdjsplaced when` the sleeve is moved by impact, an

initially-,acting detonator, and time controlled explosion means for moving said 'sleeve in the event of its not being moved by impact,'said explosion means being ignited by said initially-actiiigvdetonator.

10. A/ fuse for projectiles comprising. a spring-impelled detor'iat-ing plunger, a longitudinallyjmovable sleeve normally extendinglfrom the projelitile, means for normally holding the sleevglexter f andthe plunger retracted, such means arising retaining members which are desir;i f to be displaced when the sleeve is moire by impact, an initially-acting' detonator. a time controlled explosion means "for mm.l e said sleeve in the event ,of its not being# med by impact, and a powder charge' ster-mediate said initially-acting detonator rfi said explosion means'. i

Y In testimony whereof, 'i rave signed this `specification in the presence of two subscribling witnesses.

KARL voLLER. [es] itnesses: