US1231228A - Grenade. - Google Patents

Description

H. C. WILLIAMSON.

GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILED IIIIIIII 2. 191e.

Patented June 26, 1917 l of Illinois,

i5 nade, will preferably be HERBERT C. WILLIAMSON, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

GRENADE.

Patented une 26, 191 7 Application led March 2, 1916. Serial No. 81,591.

To all fwwm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERT C. WILLIAM- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grenades, of which the following is a specification.

Hand grenades as usually manufactured are more or less complicated affairs which must be specially constructed and loaded in a special manner, all of which tends to increase the oost of the same, as well as to make them more diliicult to use. The present invention relates to grenades which are adapted to be thrown'by hand' or by means of suitable throwing apparatus. Among the j objects of this invention'are to provide an` exceedingly simple and efficient grenade which may be cheaply constructed,y and which will beefcient in use; to provide a grenade in which an ordinary shell such as a shot gun shell may be used for exploding the same; and in general, to provide such an improved device or construction as will 25 be more fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention:

Figure l is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view; and

'F ig. 3 is a cross sectional view.

The use of explosive shells such as commonly employed for shot guns is well understood, and in accordance with my invention. I utilize such shells for the explosive member, these shells being preferably charged with a charge of explosive material larger and stronger than ordinarily employed in shot guns. In order to utilize these shells, I provide a grenade comprising a body portion 4, which is preferably made of cast metal, such as cast iron, and is somewhat heavier at one end than at the other.

This body portion is made of convenient size for handling, and when used as a hand gremade substantially egg shaped, as shown. This body portion or container is preferably provided with ribs or projections 5, which may be arranged in any desired manner, but are preferably @longitudinal and extend throughout the greater length of the container. These ribs serve to make more effective fragments for causing injury, and may be proportioned so as to cause the b ody to break into more or 5 less portions and in dierent ways, as may be desired. The body or container is provided with a central longitudinal bore 6, of y theproper size to receive an ordinary shell 7 such as commonly used in shot guns 0r the like. A plurality of radial grooves 8 may be arranged along the central bore 6, so as to assist in the rupturing action of the charge. These grooves preferably increase in depth from the smaller end toward the larger end, so as to make the breaking resistance about equal throughout the body. The body is provided with a threaded recess or aperture 9, in alinement with the central bore, this recess terminating in a shoulder 10, which 'serves as an abutment for the flange 11 of the cartridge shell. A threaded block or plug 12 screws into'the recess 9, and-itsl inner end engages closely with the end of the cartridge shell. This block is provided with a firing pin 13, which is adapted to move longitudinally in the central hole 14e provided for thek same. The pin 13 has a recess 15 in one side thereof, which is engaged by the inner end of a set screw 16, which serves to prevent the pin from becoming disengaged from the block, although allowing the necessary longitudinal movement. A disk or plate 17 is secured to the firing pin 13 in any suitable manner, as by means of a nut 18. This plate is preferably of convex or segmental form, so as to correspond with the outline of the largevend of the body 4.. Y

When my improvedfgrenade is to be used, a loaded cartridge shell 7 is inserted in the fcentral bore ofthe grenade, and the plug Lorblock 12 is screwed gages with the flange 11, thereby holdingv into position, and enthe shell firmly in position. The shell or cartridge is provided with the usual detonating cap 19, which is adapted to be engaged by the projection 20 on the end of the firing pin 13, but this projection is normally out of engagement therewith. The disk or plate 17 is then secured in position and the device is ready to be used. If it is thrown or dropped, the heavy end will strike first, and as soon as the plate 17 comes in contact with the earth or any resisting object, it forces the pin 13 inwardly, thereby causing the projection 2O 19 and explode the charge in the shell, which will cause the fragments to be thrown in all directions. The plate 17 is made in this peculiar form so that even if the grenade strikes at an acute angle, or in fact strikes in any way so that the plate comes in con-l to strike the cap tactwith a non-yielding object,vthe pin will be forced inwardly, thereby insuringuthe eX- ploding of the device. It will be seen from the relative proportions of the parts of this grenade that, even if the body portion should strike in advance of the firing pin, the weight of the pin and attached parts would be suflicient to cause the explosion of the charge. By means of this arrangement, it will be seen that I have `provided a grenade which may be used in connection with ordinary paper shells or other cartridges such as those used for ordinary shot guns, and which will be exceedingly effective in use. It will be observed that my improved grenade may be varied in shape and size without departing from the principal features of the invention, and therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the exact arrangement or construction herein .shown and described, eX- cept as speciiiedin the following claims, in which I claim: l. vIn a hand grenade, the combination of a body comprising a cylinder closed at one i end andr having a threaded open end, the

inner wall of vthe cylinder being provided with one or more transverse grooves, the outer wall of the cylinder being provided vwith a plurality of 'longitudinal ribs which taper outwardly from the closed end towaid the open end, a shell fitting in said cylinder, avthreaded plug in the open end for engagement with said shell, a firing pin mounted in said plug, and a cup-shapeddisk secured to said pin Aand embracing ythe adjacent end of the body portion, said pin and disk being` of suiiicient weight so that when the grenade is'thrown, the cartridge will be exploded, even if the body portion strikes in advance of the disk.

2. In a grenade, the combination of a body portion having a central bore for re- Copies of this patent maybe 1obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,v

Apass through said central hole `for engagement with the cap of the cartridge.

3. In, a device of theJ character set forth, the combination of a body portion having exterior projections and heavier at one end than the other, a longitudinal bore extending in -from the heavier end, annular grooves along said bore, a threaded recess in said heavier end having a shoulder in the bottoniv thereof, a cartridge fitting in said central bore, with its flange resting against said shoulder, a threaded plug for said recess,

adapted to engage with the end ofthe cartridge, a firing pin slidably inountedin said plug, and a disk secured to said firing-pin.

4. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a body `portion which is heavier at one end than the' other, longitudinal ribs formed integrally with said bodyv portion, a bore extending inwardly from the heavier end, a 'threaded recess concentric with said bore, a cartridge fitting in said i central rbore and-having a iiangel engaging with the bottom of the recess, a threaded plug engaging with said recess and adapted to hold the cartridge in position, a firing l pin in said plug adapted to move llongitudinally therein, said pin having a projection for engagement with the cartridge cap, vand a disk secured to said pin, the arrangement being such that the disk will tend to move the pin inwardly upon engagement with some non-yielding object. Y

yHERBERT C. wiLLiAMsoNl i Y Washington, ILC.

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