US1303260A

US1303260A - Hand-grenade

Info

Publication number: US1303260A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-05-13
Anticipated expiration: 1936-05-13

Description

H. P. DAVIS HAND GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 23. I917.

Patented May13, 1919.

INVENTOR fiw/y fla /2:

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mu 1 DAVIS, or rfrrsnunen, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'ro WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

nANn-enENAnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 23, 1917. Serial No. 203,534.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY P. DAvIs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hand-Grenades, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hand grenades, andit has for its object to providea safety device for the percussion firing means usually employed in such apparatus by means of which the danger of premature explosion will be substantially eliminated.

In a copending patent application of comprises a member that is supported in unstable equilibrium when the hand grenade is thrown, the firing device being actuated to ignite the explosive charge when the member is displaced from its unstable position. Such an arrangement is extremely delicate and there is a possibility that the grenade will explode prematurely when it is thrown, particularly if the thrower jerks his arm and thereby imparts a shock to it.

By my invention, I provide a safety device for preventing premature. explosion of a hand grenade without impairing the effectiveness of the firing device.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a transverse sectional View of a hand grenade embodying my invention.

The hand grenade comprises a casing or shell 1 that is provided with coaxial openings 2 and 3. An inwardly projecting annular flange 50 surrounds the opening 3, and a cup-shaped member 51, preferably composed of relatively light compressed metal, is supported by the flange 50 and is held within the casing 1 by a cap 7 which is in threaded engageinent with the opening 2. The bottom of the member 51 is provided with a centrally loea'ted'opening 52, and the opening 3 in the shell 1 is internally threaded to receive a screw plu 19 of cup shape in which is supported a etonating cartridge 20. The car- Oompany, is shown and detridge 20 is preferably of the centerfire type,

Patented May 13, 1919.

with its firing portion located immediatelyf below the opening 52. The upper portion of the flange 50 is provided with side openings 53 which communicate with the chamber 23 tu-re 24,

A firing pin 54 is located within the memher 51 and is provided, at its lower end, with a tapered portion 55 which -is adapted to strike the firing portion of the cartridge 20 when released. A disk or plate 56 is mounted on the firing pin 54 immediately above the tapered portion 55 to be e'ngagedby one end of helical spring 57, the other end of which engages the inner end of the cap 7. The fir-.

in-g pin 54 is further provided with a groove 58 which is located within an eccentrically disposed recess 59in the cap 7.

A hollow cylindrical weight 60 surrounds the firing pin 54 and is also partially located in the recess 59. A pin 61 projects from the wall of the recess 59 through an opening 62 60 within which is located an explosive mixthat is provided in the weight 60 and engages the shoulder on the firlng pin 54 that is formed by the groove 58, thus maintaining the firing pin 54 in its retracted position and the spring 57 under compression. The projecting portion of the pin 61 is preferably of reduced cross section and of curved contour longitudinally except at its inner end, for a purpose that will hereinafter be set'forth.

A safety pin 37 projects into a recess 63 that is provided in the fi'ring pin 54 and serves to hold the firing pin coaxially with respect to the member 51, an expelling spring being interposed between the head of the pin and the bottom of the recess 39 in which it is located. The cap 7 is provided with :1. laterally projecting annular flange 4 whidh is engaged by the bent-over portion 65 of a strap 66, the other end of which is secured.

to a projection 43 on the casing 1', as by a cotter pin 44. When the cotter pin 44 is withdrawn, the strap 66 springs away from the casing and the portion 65 is disengaged from the flange 4. i

When the parts are assembled as described above, the firing mechanism-is cooked by forcing the plate 56 upwardly, against the action of the spring 57 until the end of the.

pin 61 engages the :groove 58 in the firing pm. In this position. the member 60 is in a state of unstable equilibrium and any shock that is receivedby the casing l after the pin On account of the eccentric relation of 5 the firing" pin 54 and the member 60, when these parts are in locking relation, and the size and form of that portion of the pin 61 which "projects into the recess 59, the rela- I tively heavy member 60 will be tilted insome one of several directions to release the firing pin when the flight of the shell is arrested by impact with any object or surface, ,such tilting action being effected in every instance of impact Whatever may be the portion of the shell that comes in engagement with a body or surface.

The above described parts form no part of the present invention but are fully described and claimed in the above-mentioned copending application. I will now proceed to describe my invention with relation to the above described parts, although it is to be understood that it may be as readily applied to other similar firing mechanisms for hand grenades. I

' It will be noted that the recess 63 in the firing pin 54 is of reater diameter than the hole 67 in the cap A ball 68 is located in the recess 63 and a spring 69 is interposed between it and the bottom of the recess 63.

So long as the safety pin 37 is held inposition, the ball 68 is located near the bottom of the recess 63 but, when the safety pin is withdrawn, the spring 69 Will force the ball 68 outwardly and maintain it partially within each of the recess 63 and the hole' 67.

In this position, the ball 68 may be displaced only by a distinct shock and not by any gyratory motion such as might be impartedto 40 the hand grenade as it leaves the hand of the thrower. The factor of safety against such premature explosions of the grenade as might be caused by displacement of the firing pin during the flight of the grenade is thus materially increased. The employment of the .ball 68 in no wise decreases the effectiveness of the firing mechanism, but only renders it less sensitive to slight shocks which it might receive prior to, or during, 10 its flight.

While I have shown my invention in a simple and preferred form as applied to a particular type of firing mechanism for hand grenades, it is not so limited but is susceptible of various modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I clalm as my invention;v

1. In a hand grenade, the combination with a spring-actuated firing device, a member for releasing said firing device that is supported in unstable equilibrium, and means for locking said firing device in a safety position, ofmeans for maintaining said firing device in its safety position against the action of said member after the said locking means is removed and until the flight of the grenade is arrested.

2. In a hand grenade, the combination with aspring-actuated firing device, a member for releasing said firing device that is supported in unstable equilibrium, and a spring-actuated pin for normally lockin said firing device in a safety position, 0 means for maintaining said firing device in its safety position against the action of said member after the locking pin is withdrawn and until the flight of the grenade is arrested.

3. In a hand grenade, the combination Y with a spring-actuated firing device, a member for releasing said firing device that is supported in unstable equilibrium, and a spring-actuated pin for normally locking said firing device in a' safety position, a

.spring-actuated ball for maintaining said firing. device in its safety position against the action of said member after the locking pin is withdrawn and until the flight of said grenade is arrested.

4. In a hand grenade, the combination with a casing, a'spring-actuated firing device located within said casing, a member for releasing said firin device that is supported in unstable equil brium, and a spring-actuated pin for normally lockin said firing device in a safety position, 0 a spring-actuated ball adapted to be maintained between said firing device and said casing for holding said firing device in its safety position against the action of said member after the locking pin is withdrawn and until the flight of said grenade is arrested.

5. In a hand grenade, the combination with a casing, a spring-actuated firing device located within said casing and provided with means for maintaining its actuating spring under compression, a' member for releasing said firing device that is supported in unstable equilibrium, and a spring-actuated pin for normally maintaining said firing device in a safety position, of a springactuated ball adapted to be forced between said firing deviceand said casing for maintaining said device in its safety positionagainst the action of said member when said spring-actuated pin is withdrawn.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of Nov.

' HARRY P. DAVIS.