US1508140A - Submarine mine - Google Patents

Description

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A. L. GWYN N E SUBMARINE MINE Filed July I5 remise sept. e, 1924.

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ASSIGNOR T0 VICKERS LIMITED, DF WESTMINSTEB, ENGLAND.

SUBMARINE MINE.

v appueaaon sied my is,

192i. Serial No. d.

(GRANTED 'UNDER THE PROVISIONS 0F THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1.921, l1 STAT. L., 1313.)

. To all whom it may cof/wem? Be it known that l, ALBAN Lewis GWYNNE, commander R. N., a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at H. MsS. Vernom ?ortsinouth, England, have invented certain new and useful h linprovements in Submarine Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety devices 10, for preventing a premature explosion of a mine before it is properly placed 4in position, and consists in maintaining the primer anddetonator out of the relative ring position, by mechanism which is operated by Waterpressure and requires a predetermined miniinum force to eiiect the operation. The mechanism in a convenient form comprises a hydrostat or the like, the diaphragm of vv 'ch is operatively connected to the primer or detonator as the case may be, and works against a spring to supply the minimum force to be overcome before the primer and .detonator can take up the tiring positions.

in order that the invention may be clearly understood and carried into eect the same will new be describedmore 'fully with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate in part sectional and broken elevation one form ofthe invention as applied to the ring gear or" a submarine explosive body. Referring to the drawings primer l is mounted on a su port 2 carriedv by va spindle 3, on which is mounted a sleeve 4l,

connected to a flexible member 5, which fuliils the function of a hydrostat diaphragm, the other end of which is xed in any suitable Way to a i'ixed part 6 of the mine. The

sleeve 4 is initially locked to the spindle 3 by a ball releasing device such asis described in the specification for British Patent No.

8929/16, this form of ball release per se forming no part of this invention. The

other end of the spindle is provided with a safety catch 7 or the like to prevent any accidental operation, this safety catch being moved to tlieo position when the mine is to be laid.

ln operation, es the mine falls, the. hydrostatic pressure lifts the sleeve 4 against the spring 8 until the ball 9 can pass away underneath the end 4 of the sleeve whereupon the hydrostatic pressure causes the yesible ing a primer and detonator, means c erting a minimum predetermined resistance member 5 to extend from its folding up po.-

sitilon, as shown, thereby carrying the primer up to the iring position relatively to the detvonator 10, which initially is separatedhfrom the top of the primerlbythe safe distance.

lt will be seen that until the pressure is sufficient to overcome the spring 8 of the ball releasing device to lift the sleeve 4 sufficiently for the ball to escape, theprimer is unable to be' moved towards the firing position.

the firing position in a similar manner to that above described.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let- -ters Patent of the United States is l. A submarine explosive body comprisfing .a primer and detonator and means for maintaining said primer and detonator out of the relative iiring position until after the body hasbeen launched.

2. A submarine explosive body comprising a primer and detonator and means for bringing the primer and detonator into the,

tiring position after. the .body hasl been launched and has reached a predetermined depth of submersion.

3. A submarine explosive body comprisfor eX- to relative movement of said primer and detonator and means which "act, after the mine has been launched and reaches a predetermined depth of submersion, for causing said detonator and primer to assume the iring position. A

4. submarine explosive body comprising a primer and detonator and hydrostatic means formaintaining said primer and detonator out., of the relative firing position until after the body has been launched.

5. A. submarine explosive body lcomprising a primer and detonator and hydrostatw means for bringing the primer and detonator into the firing position after the body has been launched and has reached a predetermined depth of submersion.

6. `A submarine explosive body comprising a primer and detonatpr, a spring for exerting a minimum predetermined resistance -to relative movement of seid primer and detonator, and hydrostatic means which' act, after the mine has been launched, for

causin said detonator and primer to assume the firing position.

7. A submarine explosive body comprising a primer and detonator, means, includmg a all 'releasing devlce,` for exerting a minimum predetermined resistance to relative movement of said primer and detonator, and hydrostatic means which act after the body has been launched for causing said detonator and primer to assume thofiring position.

8. A submarine explosive body comprising a primer and detonator, a movable support for said primer, a spindle connected to said support, a sleeve on said spindle, a spring positioned between said sleeve and said movable support, a fixed member on the mine casing positioned between said sleeve and said spmdle,a ball releasing device, the balls of said releasing device being posi# tioned within recesses 1n 'said fixed member and projecting within a recess in said spindle and being held in lace by said sleeve, and a dlaphragm ful ling thefunction of a hydrostat diaphragm, one end of which is connected to said sleeve and the other end to a fixed part of the explosive body. v

9. In a submarine mine, in combination, a primer charge, a detonator in normal safety position remote from said primer charge with respect thereto and hydrostatically operative means adapted to produce relative movement between said detonator and the primer char e. A

I ALBANv EWIS GWYNNE.

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