US1371034A - Fuse-plug for grenades - Google Patents

Description

F. 1. LEBLANC. FUSE I LUG FOB GRENADES. APPLICATION FILED. JULY 19.1918.

Patented Mar. 8,1921.

ATTOR/VEKS UNITED STATES raraur orries.

FUSE-PLUG FOR GRENAIDES.

Application filed July 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND LAMnnnr LEBLANO, a citizen of the French Republic, of 46 Rue Lamartine, Paris, France, engineer, have invented Improvements in Fuse- Plugs for Grenades, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The subject of this invention is an 1mprovement in fuse plugs for grenades.

In the grenades with fuses now known, the mounting of the detonator is generally effected by double pressing or bezeling operationszthe detonator is first pressed or set by bezeling on the fuse cord, then on to the detonator is pressed or bezeled the extremity of the fuse plug tube in which the whole of the detonator and fuse cord are packed.

This 'mounting by double pressing or bezeling operations has various inconveniences:

1st. By reason of a difference between the exterior diameter of the cord and the interior diameter of the detonator, an eccentricity of the cord with reference to the detonator is often produced by the operation of pressing or bezeling the latter and from this it results that on ignition of the cord, the flame instead of being roj ected through the central aperture in t e diaphragm of the detonator, strikes the unperforated part *of this diaphragm and does not act on the explosive material of the detonator.

2nd. This double pressing or bezeling requires special tooling and can generally be effected only behind the front, so that the fuse plugs have to be sent out provided with detonators, the transport of these fuse plugs necessitating in consequence, special packing and careful handling and in spite of all precautions taken to avoid exposing the detonators to any shocks, the transport and handling of these fuse plugs always present some danger.

Moreover, in the grenades now known, the explosive charge is often exposed to deterioration by exterior agents, especially humidity, grenades at times become useless after a certain period.

Lastly, the transport and handlmg of these loaded grenades are always dangerous.

This invention relates to an improved arrangement remedying the inconveniences pointed out above.

This improvement is essentially characterized by the two features following:

1st. A special arrangement of the mount- Specification of Letters Patent.

and it results therefrom that these 1918. Serial No. 245,761.

ing of the detonator which always'insures its perfect concentricity with reference to the fuse cord and which permits a simple, easy and rapid adaptation or fitting of this detonator to the fuse plug.

2nd. The provision of an insulating sleeve mounted in the interior of the body of the grenade, and in which the fuse plug is placed and fixed. 1

The annexed drawing shows by way of example, this improved arrangement. Flgure 1 shows a grenade provided with its fuse plug, in vertical section. Fig. 2 shows to a larger scale, the mountmg of the detonator on the fuse plug tube.

F 1g. 3 shows the insulating sleeve in elevation.

Fig. 4: shows a grenade and insulating sleeve in section.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of a fuse plug without its detonator, and

Fig. 6 shows a detonator, partly in sectllon, intended to be mounted on the said fuse p ug.

In this improved arrangement, the tube a of the fuse plug in which the fuse cord 7) is lodged, has an internal diameter so determined that this fuse cord may be engaged therein with slight friction. In order to render impossible the passage of gas between the interior wall of this tube a and the fuse cord 6, the end of the tube a is subjected to a drawing operation after the cord is put in position, in such a manner that this tube a is firmly pressed against the cord.

Thetube a has formed at its lower end a central orifice 0 corresponding to the axis of the fuse cord and has moreover an exterior shoulder (Z and terminates in a slightly conical part c on which the detonator f is mounted as will be hereinafter stated. The mean diameter of this conical part is equal to the interior diameter of the detonator. The latter is engaged firmly by friction on the said conical part 6 and its position is limited by the shoulder d (Fig. 2).

By this arrangement, the axis of the detonator f coincides exactly with that of the fuse cord 1); consequently, when the latter is ignited, the flame produced flashes out exactly in the axis of the detonator and always passes through the central aperture 9 in the diaphragm h of this part, and under these conditions the operation of the detonator is always assured.

Moreover, by this arrangement the mounting of the detonator on the fuse plug can be Patented Mar. *8, 19 21.

effected without tooling in a simple and when required for immediateuse; the fuse plugs and the detonators can therefore be sent out separately, the detonators packed by themselves by reason of their shape will occupy a minimum space. It is'therefore possible to send a large number of them in a small space and in these conditions their carriage can be effected very easily with all desired security. The fuse plugs unprovided with detonators can be packed with out any special precaution since they do not comprise any dangerous explosive material.

The fuse plug thus furnished with its detonator is introduced into an insulating sleeve mounted in the interior of the body of the grenade. This sleeve which'is made so as to conform to the exterior profile of the ignition device, comprises a tubez' closed at itslower part and a bush j fixed'to this tube; this bush j is screw-threaded exteriorly in such a manner that it can be screwed into the body of the grenade and is tapped interiorly in, order to permit the fuse plug to be mounted therein by screwing.

It is to be understood that theinsulating sleeve can be fixed in the body of the grenade and the fuse plug can be fixed in the insulating sleeve in any other convenien manner.

The insulating sleeve when mounted in the body of the grenade 70 serves to close the latter completely and to protect the ex plosive charge which it contains from the action of exterior agents especially from humidity; the body of the grenade 70 thus 7 closed by the bush 7' of the insulating sleeve (Fig. 4), can be charged and transported in this condition without being furnished with a fuse plug.

By this invention grenades can thus be sent out in three parts:

1. The body of the grenade provided with its insulating sleeve and filled of explosive (Fig. 4:)-

with a charge 7 (Fig. 5) and 3. The detonator 7 (Fig.6). The improvement which is the subject of this invention therefore offers a maximum security 'of manipulation, transport and mounting of its parts.

' The form, dimensions and details of construction of this improved arrangement can be varied according to its different applications.

Claims:

1. In a grenade, a fuse plug, atube extending therefrom, a fuse cord frictionally held in said tube, a conical extension at the 2. The fuse plug without its detonator closed at its lower end and provided at its opposite end 7 with a threaded bushing, whereby the fuse plug may be screwed into said bushing and the tube of the fuse plug and the detonator contained in the insulating sleeve, said bushing exteriorly screw threaded, whereby it may be screwed into the body ofthe grenade.-

2. In a grenade, a fuse plug, a tubular extension at one end thereof, a fuse cord frictionally held therein, the free end of said tube being conical, a central orifice formed at thelower end of the tube so that the flame produced when the fuse cord is ignited flashes axially out of said tube, a detonator carried on the conical portion of said tube, and a transverse diaphragm within the detonator having a central opening therethrough in axial alinement with the orifice of the conical end of the aforesaid extension.

' FERDINAND LAMBERT LEBLANC.

Witnesses: V

JOHN F. SIMoNs, 'FRANQOIS WEBER.

free end of the said tube, a central orifice V

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