US1314664A

US1314664A - James huber

Info

Publication number: US1314664A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 1936-09-02

Description

J. HUBER.

FIRING GEAR FOB DEPTH MINES.

APPLlcAmN man FEB. 28, 191e.

Patented Sept. 2, l19'19,

UNITED STATE-s PATENT oFFioE.

JAMES HUBER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 VICKERS LIMITED,

y 0F WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

FIRING-GEAR FOR DEPTH-MINES.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application led February 28, 1 918. Serial No. 219,637.

State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F iring-Gears for Depth-Mines; and I do hereby declare 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. I l This invention relates to a firing gear for depth mines and particularly to means for preventing the actuation of the detonator before the mine reaches a predetermined depth.

During the launching of a depth mine, when the mine is thrown from a ship, 1t often occurs that the firing gear strikes the water first, so that it is subjected to very great pressure, in fact to such pressure,that unless some means is provided for absorbing the pressure the detonator wouldv be prematurely moved Furthermore, when one mine explodes adjacent to another, the pressure increases to such `an extent thatl unless such an absorbing means is provlded, the detonator will be actuated. Of course, the disadvantage here lies inthe fact that when one mine is planted and reaches the proper depth for firing it will cause the explosion of a subsequently planted mine which, however, has not reached the proper depth. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide means for absorbing the temporary increase in pressure occurring during the planting ot the mine, or caused by an adjacent explosion, so that the detonator will not be actuated until the mine reaches the proper depth for explosion. l

In the drawing I have illustrated an embodiment of the invention, the ligure being the section of the firing gear and. of a portion of the mine.

The mine is of the usual form and includes an ignition charge case 1, a main charge case?, and a chamber 3 which'permits the expansionv of the gases generated by the untimely explosion of the detonator, so that the ignition and main charges will not be exploded by such a premature or -untimely explosion of the detonator.

A lcasting 4 is attached tothe upper portion of the mine above the chamber 3 by means of screw threads 5, the joint being made by a suitable gasket 6. Mounted onV and depending'from this casting 4 is a detonator guide tube .7 in which a detonator and detonator actuating'mechanism, similar to that illustrated and described in my 'copendlng application, Serial No. 216,817, ledFebruary 12, 1918, is mounted. As described in saidapplication, the detonator is slidable within they tube 7 and is 'acuated by means of a spring 8, which latter is compressed by the downward movement of the piston 9. This downward movement of the piston is caused by the pressure of the water which operates against the piston when the mine reaches a predetermined depth. The casting 4 is provided with an axial bore 10,

4which at its lower end is reduced as at 11,

forming an annular flange l2, and is at its upper end enlarged as at 13.v A cap 14 is attached to the upper end of the casting 4 by means of screw threads 15, or inv any other suitable manner. This cap is provided with a plurality of openings 16 through which the water may pass tothe bore 10 andI consequently to the piston9. A plu- I rahty of dlaphragms 17 are mountedv n t spaced relation to each other in the bore 10, the diaphragms being maintained i'n their spaced relation by means of spacing collars i 18. These diaphragms 17 are made of 'fran-1 gible material and are of such thickness that they will successively. break upon the' application of a predetermined water pressure.l Thediaphragms are all varranged to break at the same pressure, so that when the pressure is applied tothe uppermostof the -diaphragms,'it will progressively rupture the diaphragms in ia very short time.`

A compression washer 19 rests upon the uppermost of the spacing collars 18 vand ,is

forced downward against the same by the lower end of the cap 14, sov that the diaphragms will all be clamped between thel collars and thus properly held in. position.

A wire gauze 20 is clamped between. the lower end of this cap 14 and therwashe'r 19,v

and extends across the opening inithe washer, so that the water passing through the openings 16 may pass directly into the bore 10, pressure is reached, to thepiston 9;

and consequently when the proper The openings 1G are arranged adjacent to the lower end of the cap 1l and the cap is provided with a chamber 21 above the openings in which chamber a piston 22 1s operable, the piston normally being located )ust above the openings 16 and being held in such position by a bushing 23, against which 1t rests, which bushing is provided with openings alining with the openings 1G in the cap 1st. Interposed between the plston Q2 and the wall of the chamber 21 is a spring 2-1, against which the piston'must operate in order to move upwardly.

If the mine properly reaches the depth at which it is constructed to explode, without encountering any sudden and temporary shocks, the water will pass through the gauze 20 and successively rupture the dlaphragms 17 until it has direct access to the piston 9, at which time it will operate the piston, which in turn will actuate the detonator. If,however,the Water pressure s uddenly and temporarily increases at any time during the descent of the mine, or during the planting of the same, naturally the pressure of the Water within the cap 14 will increase. If the piston 22 were stationary, this increase of pressure would cause the Water to rupture the diaphragms 17, but inasmuch as the piston 22 is only held in its lowermost position by the spring 24, the piston is caused to move upwardly against the action of the spring by the increase of pressure, so that the effect fof the increase is practically destroyed. Furthermore, the wire gauze further destroys the effect of this increased pressure, so that normally, the diaphragms 17 Will not be ruptured. Should the pressure increase to such an extent that the entire excess pressure will not be destroyed by the action of the piston 22 and the gauze 20, it is possible'that the uppermost of the diaphragms. 17 will be ruptured, or even that a number of these diaphragms will be ruptured. However, the provision of a number of diaphragms prevents the Water reaching the piston 9, as the temporary increase of pressure will not be sufficient to rupture the entire serle-s. When the pressure returns to normal, the spring 24 will return the pistonv 22 to its initial position, so that it will be in position for a second. operation, should a. second sudden and temporary increase of pressure occur. I

While I have illustrated a spring, as resisting the movement of the piston 22 in one direction and causing its movement in the opposite direction, when the excess pressure is spent, I wish it to be understood that any compressible medium may bevused in place of the spring. For instance, the piston may work against air, or a compressible gas or fluid. In fact. in the form shown in the drawing. the piston works not only against the action of the spring, but also against the air within the chamber 21, which must neces.- sarily be compressed upon the upward movement of the iston.

Vhat I claim is:

l. In a firing gear for depth mines, a water pressure operated detonator, means for destroying communication between the water and the detonator actuating mechanism, said-means being continuously accessible to the water, and means for relieving the first mentioned means from the eect of a temporary increase in pressure.

'2. In a firing gear for depth mines, a water pressure operated detonator, a frangible diaphragm for destroying communication between the water and the detonator actuating mechanism, said diaphragm bein continuously accessible to the Water, an

means for relieving the diaphragm from the eyiiect of a temporary increase of pressure.

3. In a firing gear for depth mines, a Water pressure operated detonator, a series of frangible diaphragms for destroying communication between the water and detonator actuating mechanism, said series being continuously accessible to the Water, and means for relieving the diaphragms from the effect of a temporary increase of pressure.

1. In a ring gear for depth mines, a

Awater pressure operated detonator, a serles of frangible diaphragms arranged to destroy communication between the Water' and the detonator actuating mechanism, said series being continuously accessible to the waterand the members of said series being successively accessible to the Water.

5 In va vfiring' gear for depth mines, a Water pressuregoperated detonator, a series of frang'ible diaphragms, each constructed to be rupturedjunder the same pressure, for

' destroying communication between the Water and the' detonator actuating mechanism, said series being continuously accessible to the waterand the members of said lseries being successively accessible to the water.

6. Ina firing gear vfor depth mines, a water pressure operated detonator, a series 1 of. frangible diaphragms, each constructed to be ruptured under the same pressure, forc ldestroying communication between the water and the detonator actuating mechanism,

said series being continuously. accessible to* destroying communication between the Water and the detonator actuating mechanism, said series bemg continuously accessible to the water, a wire gauze for partially destroying the effect of a temporary increase of pressure lon the series of dlaphragms, and a yieldable-pston for further destroying the effect of said increase of pressure.

8. In a firing gear for depth mines, a water pressure operated detonator, a series of frangible diaphragrns, each 'constructed to be ruptured under the same pressure, for

destroyingcommunication between the Wa ter and the detonator actuating mechanism, said series being continuously accessible to the water, and a yieldable piston for partially increase of pressure on the diaphragms.

destroying the effect of a temporary 'tion to the Wire gauze.

In testimony whereof I affix my sig JAMES HU]