US1473355A - Minor-caliber fuse - Google Patents

Description

Patentecl Nov. 6, 1923.

EHCE.

EDWARD R. PILLARS AND HENRY C. LEESEBERG, 01? FOSTORIA, OI-IIO.

MINOR-CALIBEP; FUSE.

Application filed January 12, 1918. Serial No. 211,656.

To aZZ wzom it may concer'n Be it known that we, EDWARD R. PILLARS and HENRY C. Lnnsnnnno, citizens of the United States, residing at Fostoria, in the county of Seneca, in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Minor-Caliber Fuses; and We do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a simpler and safer base fuse for shells of relatively small size. A further object of the invention is to provide a fuse that shall be springless, pinless and plateless, and one in which the firing mechanism shall no't be distorted or sheared in the act of arming, butwhich shall be in its natural position both before and after such arining.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view of our device.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the fuse armed.

F ig. 3 is a perspective view of the firing pln.

Our improved fuse consists of the usual body 1, threaded as at 2 through the major part of its length, and ending in a base flange 3, adapted to fit into a corresponding countersunk recess in the base of the shell. The flat portion of the base is provided with a plurality of holes 5 -for use with a spanner wrench in screwing the fuse into the base. In order to permit the threads toV be sharp throughout their entire length, there is a portion 6 of a dianieter not exceeding that of the base of the threads, and considerably less than that of the flange 3, the latter thereby being able to overlie the threaded hole in the Shell an appropriate amount, this overlie forming in effect a shoulder 7 bearing firmly against the bottom of the countersunk portion of the shell. The threads 2, which are usually made left-handed in devices of this nature, end a little below 'the top of the body, as at 8, providing a portion 9 of the same diameter as the part 6.

The firing pin 10 consists of a cylindrical body 11, provided at the top With a firing point 12 generally of conical or nipple Shape, and having an appreciable area at its tip 13, in order to more readily fire the detonating charge 14, usually fulminate of mercury, in

the primer 15. Centrally of the firing pin is an annular frusto-conical member 16, merging into the cylindrical portion at the upper end, and ending below in a shoulder 17, adapted to rest against the face 18 of the re` cess 19 in the cylindrical plunger or arming member 20, adapted to freely slide in the cavit '23.

The tapered walls 21 of the well 22 form` ing a continuation of the plung'er cavity 23 in the body 1, co-operate with the rounded ends 24 of the legs 25 of the firing pin to enable the plunger to more readily telescope the firing pin upon discharge of the shell than would be the case if the inertia of the moving parts alone was relied upon. The firing pin is slotted as at 26 for a considen able part of its length, forming legs 25, which return to their normal position after being pressed together, by virtue of the natural resilicnoy of the metal of which the pin is made, usually cold rolled steel.

The plunger 20 is hollow throughout its length, the longer Chamber 27, in which the portion 11 of the pin slides, being of less diameter than the Chamber 28, on the other side of the recess 19. The edge 29, between the chan'iber 28 and the base 30 of the plunger, by acting on the conical member 16 forces the legs 25 together, thereby permitting the outer rini 31 to pass through the Chamber 28 and into the recess 19 which being of larger diameter than the Chamber 28 will .permit the legs 25 to return to their normal position, and securely locking the firing pin in the plunger since the shoulders 17 cannot again pass the face 18 as the normal diameter of the rim 31 is about equal to the diameter of the recess 19.

At the upper end of the plunger cavity 23, the body is provided with an annular seat 32 for a primer cup 33 of the usual type, having an anvil 34 surrounded by vents 35 through which the ilame from the fulminate passes to the powder when the firing pin explodes the charge in the primer against the anvil. 7 hen the primer cup is in place the top portion 9 of the body is spun over the flange 36 of the cup thereby permanently assembling the fuse.

Vhen the shell is fired from the gun, the inertia of the body acts on the pin, the conical well 22 forcing the ronnded end's of the legs together, and carrying the pin into the plunger, the edge 29 assisting in forcing the legs 25 .together sufficiently to permit the rim 31 to pass into the recess 19. The pin now resumes its normal shape and the two elements are securely locked together and act as one, and upon impact, the firing point 12, 'which has been shielded by the plunger 20 before arming, but which lies entirely above the top of the plunger after arming, enplodes the fulminate by crashing into the 'primer 15 by reason of its inertia, the pluniger and pin not being brought to rest with the rest of the shell upon impact. ln practice, it is often found advantageous to place a spring between the primer cup and the top of the plunger to prevent `accidental firing When the shell is at the highest point in its trajectory; this, hovvever, is old in the art, and forms no part of our invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A one piece firing pin for percnssion fuses consisting of a generally cylindrical body pointed at one end, rounded at the other end carrying a tapered skirt therebetween, said pin being split a portion of its length thereby forming legs.

2. In an arming device for percussion fuses, a body having a conical recess in the bottomend thereof, .a longitudinally split Airing pin slidable in said body and adapted -to Vcontact with the walls of said conical recess at a point short of the bottom thereof, and means adapted to force the firing pin 'fart-her into said conical recess thereby pressing the resilient legs of the firing pin together.

3. In a arming device for percussion fuses, a body having a recess in the bottom Wall thereof, said recess having sloping side walls, a plurality of telescoping members slidable therein, one of said members having an interior groove and the other having a pair of resilient integral legs adapted to cooperate With the sloping walls of said recess, and integral lugs on each of said legs adapted to expand into said interior groove When the members are telescoped.

4. In an arming device for percussion fuses, a body, a plurality of telescoping members slidable therein, one of said members having an interior groove and the .ot-her having a resilient integral lug adapted to expand into said groove When the members'fare telescoped, and a firing pin point located on one side of said members concentrio With each of said members.

5. In a percus'sion fuse for shells or projectiles the combination of a case having a chamber therein, an explosive element, a plunger body adapted to slide in said chamber having looking means, consisting of a retaining shoulder, a firing pin body extending into the plunger body, resilient looking means adapted to engage' the retaining shonlder and to positively lock the firing pin to the plunger in an armed position.

(i. In -a percussion vfuse for shells or projectiles, the combination of a case having a chamber therein, an expiosve element, a plunger body adapted to slide in said chamber and having three cominunicating central passages the smallest extending through the plunger the second at one end and of larger diameter but of slight depth and adjacent to the second the third of slightly larger diameter than .the second and of material depth, a firing pin body normaily extending through the second and third passages and into the smallest, locking means extending from the firingl pin at right Vangles to its longitudinai axis and of greater length than the diameter of either of .the outer central passages.

7. In an arining device for percussion fuses, a body having a chamber therein, an explosive element, a plunger body adapted to slide in said chamber and having looking 'means`consisting of a retaining shoulder forined in said plunger, a firing pin having a plurality of split integral resilient legs and looking lugs carried by said leg's and adapted to cooperate With said looking .means to lock the firing pin to the plunger in armed position.

S. In a percussion fuse for shells or projectiles the combination of a vcase having a chamber therein, an explosive element, a plnnger body adapted to slide in said cham- ;bcr and having a central. passage therethrough, a. second shallow one of larger diameter and a third one of larger diameter than the second and materially deeper thereby forming looking means, a firing pin ;body extending into the plunger body, resilient looking vlugsintegral with the firing pin and adapted to cooperate with said looking means to lock the firing pin to the plunger |in armed position, said firing pin being deformed by the plunger during arming but resto-ring itself to normal form when'a'rmed.

9. In a percussion fuse for shells the 'com-l bination of an explosive element, a casing having a chamber, a plunger adapted to slide in said chamber having a central passage its entire length, a second passage at the outer end of the plunger of slight dep-th and larger diameter thanthe first passage, a third passage adjacent to the second of larger diameter and materially deeper, a retaining shoulder formed by the juncture of the second and third passages, a firing pin extending .into .the plunger, looking means extending from the firing pin at right angles to its longitudinal axis and longer than lthe diameter of either of the outer plunger liassages.

10. In a percussion fnse forshells the combination of an explosive element, a cassing` having a chamber, a plunger adapted to slide in said chamber having a central passage its entire length, a second passage at the outer end of the plunger of slight depth and larger diameter than the first passage, a third passage adjacent to the second of larger diameter and materially deeper, a retaining shonlder formed by the juncture of the second and third passages, a firing pin extending into the plunger, looking means extending from the firing pin at right angles to its longitudinal axis and longer than the diameter of either of the outer plunger passages and adapted to lock the plunger and firing pin together.

11. In a percussion fuse for shells the combination of an explosive element, a casing having a Chamber, a plunger adapted to slide in said Chamber having a central passa-ge its entire length, a second passage at the outer end of the plunger of slight depth and larger diameter than the first passage, a third passage adjacent to the second of larger diameter and materially deeper, a retaining shoulder formed by the juncture of the second and third passages, a firing pin normally sheathed in the plunger and held against arming by resilient looking means extending from the firingI pin at right angles to its longitudinal axis.

12. In a percussion fuse for shells the combination of an explosive element, a casing having a Chamber, a plunger adapted to slide in said Chamber having a central passage its entire length, a second passage at the Outer end of the plunger of slight depth, a third passa-ge adjacent to the second of larger diameter and materially deeper, a retaining shoulder formed by the juncture of the second and third passages, a firing pin, resilient looking means carried by said firing pin and adapted to normally retain it in sheathed position and upon firing to engage the retaining shoulder and look the firing pin to the plunger in armed position. i

13. in a percussion fuse for shells the combination of an explosive element, a casing having a chamber, a plunger adapted to slide in said Chamber having a central passage its entire length, a second passage at the outer end of the plunger of slight depth and larger diameter than the first passage, a third passage adjacent to the second of larger diameter and materially deeper, a retaining should'er formed by the juncture of the second and third passages, a firing pin, looking means carried by said firing pin and adapted to normally retain it in sheathed position and upon firing to look the firing pin to the plunger in armed position, springing into a locked position With the ends of said means bound against the shoulder formed by the juncture of the second and third passages.

14. In a percussion fuse, a hollow plunger slidable therein and having an interior groove, a firing pin laterally compressible .for a portion of its length normally shielded by the plunger but slidable therein to expose its firing point and a plurality of means formed integrally with said firing pin adapted to cooperate With the Wall of the Chamber and with the Wall of the plunger to laterally compress said firing pin to enable it to move into armed position.

15. ln a percussion fuse, the combination of a chambered fuse body, a hollovv plunger slidable therein, a primer, a firing pin, and means carried by the firing pin permitting the withdrawal of the firing pin from the plunger When accidentall armed.

E. R. PILL RS. HENRY C. LEESEBERG.

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