US1602601A - Fuse for signals or projectiles - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 12 1926.

S. WlLEY FUSE FOR SIGNALS OR PROJECTILES Filed June 30, 1924 nvvszvroze 5 mual W115 BY M ATTORN y Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL WILEY, OF METUGHEN, NEV] JERSEY.

FUSE FOR SIGNALS OR PROJECTILES.

Application filed June 39, 1924. Serial No. 723,368.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a fuse for signals or projectiles.

At the present time signal cartridges, flares and projectiles of the grenade type are used in conjunction with a variety of weapons, each adaptation, however, necessitating theprovision of .a special fuse in the cartridge or projectile. There are now in use several types of special pyrotechnic and grenade guns, various attachments for the service rifle to accommodate projectiles of the above description, and, also, certain combinations of rifles which direct missiles either through the barrel or through the stock.

The aim of my invention is to facilitate the preparation and manufacture of a stand ard fuse which can be used equally well with signals and projectiles irrespective of the weapon employed to propel them.

I, also, aim to provide a fuse applicable to rifle grenades, which will eliminate the necessity of forming a bullet tube in the center of the grenade and dispense with the use of a live cartridge for expelling the grenade.

Although I disclose modifications of breech cap, I do not limit myself to the structures shown, as any form of the breech cap would by slight alteration function with different classes of dischargers.

lVhile in the accompanying drawings the application of the fuse is shown with a signal cart-ridge adapted to be fired from different types of guns, I wish to point out that the fuse may likewise be employed with various types of grenades, shells, and the like.

To these and other ends my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements, described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of my lnventlon is illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, in which,

1 is a view in elevation showing the signal cartridge supplied with a special cartridge and clip;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a signal cartridge equipped with a breech cap for use with a tromblon (grenade discharger) attached to the muzzle of a rifle; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the front end closure disc;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the .method of forming the breech cap for use with a tromblon carried in the stock of the rifle; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the breech cap for use with a special gun.

Referring to the drawings by numerals end of the shell.

The fuse body is formed with a plurality of concentric chambers extending equal distances within the housing and spaced .7

by an inner wall 15 and an intermediate wall 16 to provide a central chamber 17, an intermediate chamber 18 andv an outer chamber 19 defined by an outer wall 20.

The inner wall 15 is terminated short of the intermediate wall 16 to accommodate a priming element as shown in Figure 2. The chambers are in communication through ports 21 which may be drilled from the side of the housing, the aperture formed in the outermost wall 20 being closed by a plug 22.

The forward portion of the fuse body is centrally chambered as at 23 and is in communication with the intermediate chamber 18 through a port 24.

In fabricating the fuse body a powder pellet 25 is disposed the central chamber 17 and a time train ring 26 disposed in the intermediate chamber and heir by a clay filler 27. A powder charge 28 and pellet 28 constituting the expelling or the explosive charge are respectively enclosed in the chambers 19 and 23.

In the present disclosure, I have equipped the fuse with a breech cap modified for adaptation to the various means employed to propel or expel the cartridge, but if desirable any form of the breech cap shown can be slightly altered to function with all classes of dischargers.

In the form shown in Figure 2 especially adapted for use with a muzzle tromblon the breech closure comprises a cap 29 of a diameter slightly larger than the fuse body to fitover the shell and fuse body and rest upon the outer and intermediate walls forming the chambers. A priming cap 30 disposed in the central chamber 17 may be held in place by the breech cap, as shown, or it may be disposed in an aperture in the breech cap, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The explosion of a blank cartridge 31 from the barrel of a gun causes the expulsion of the signal shell and at the same time detonates "the cap 30 which ignites the powder pellet 25 and transmits the flame to the time ring 26 which is consumed during flight of the signal shell and after a predetermined interval of time communicates the flame to the expelling charge 28' through the port 24 to expel the contents of the shell. blank cartridge 31 is conveniently carried by a clip 32 embracing the shell and is issued therewith.

The breech cap shown in Figure 6 adapted for use with a stock tromblon (as shown in Patent No. 1,479,122) is of diameter less than the fuse body and being of a resilient metal is forced in the outer chamber 19 against the outer walls 20. The base of the breech cap is formed with a central apertured depression 33 to carry the priming cap30, partially inserted in the central chamber 17, and to conform to the shape of the firing mechanism carried in the stock of the gun. The base of the :cap is spaced from the fuse body and encloses theexplosive charge 28 for expelling the signal shell, ignitable throughthe time ring 26 and pellet ,25 when a firing pin (not shown) primes the primer 30. I

In the form of breech cap shown in Figure 7 adapted for use with'a special gun, the cap is crimped into't-he indentures 11 V, of the shell 10 after assembly as shown at 34. The cap is turned to form a rim 35 to engage a complementary groove in the breech end of a gun barrel and is provided with crimpedradlalribs 36 andis apertured for the reception of the primer cap 30. The base of the cap is spaced from the fuse body to confine theenplosive charge 28 which'surrounds the lower portion of thelcap.

Carried within the shell and spaced from The the fuse body by a centrally apertured felt pad 37 are quadri-cylindrical signal cases 38 containing an illuminating Or signalling composition 39. The rear end of each case is closed by a drum-head 40, preferably made of linen cloth and carrying a priming element 41. The four signalling cases are adapted to form a chain when suspended from a parachute 42 by an aluminum or metal cord 43 which at regular intervals is looped in each signal case 38 and wedged in place by a plug 44 glued to the signal case 38 and the cord. The plugs 44 also protect the parachute from the flame of the illuminating or signal composition.

The forward end of the shell 10 is closed by a paper or cork disc 45 carried by a rimmed identification cap 46 having raised letters 47.

hen the flame from the primer is transmitted to the expelling charge 28 as previously "described, the resultant. explosion, cushioned by the felt pad 87, expels the signal cases 38, parachute 42 and closurecap 46 and simultaneously ignites the priming element 41 which in turn lights the illuminating or signal composition 39.

If desired, the shell may be made to "con stitute a grenade enclosing an explosive charge or it may contain incendiary, gas

or smoke compositions.

While in the foregoing there has been illustrated and described such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodimentof my invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of the invention shouldonly be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. .A. projectile embodying a shell,a fuse carried by the shell, a breech cap carried by the fuse, an eXpellable member disposed within the shell, means carried in one portion of the fuse for expelling the projectile from a discharger, means carried in the opposite portionof the fuse for expelling the expellable member from the shell, cushioning means interposed between the last mentioned. means and the expellable. member, and means for igniting the expelling means.

2. A projectile embodying a shell, a fuse carried by the shell, a breech cap carried by the fuse, an expellable member disposed within the shell,.means carried in one portion of the fuse for expelling the pro]ect1le from a discharger, means carried 1n the opposite portion of the fuse for expelling the expellable member from the shell, and nceans for igniting the expelling means.

A fuse embodying a cylindrical fuse body, one portion of which is formed with concentric chambers of even depth, said chambers bein in communication through horizontally cisposed ports, a chamber formed in the opposite portion of the fuse body, said body formed with a port for estzzblishing con'nnunication between the oppositely disposed chambers.

1-. A fuse embodying a cylindrical fuse body formed with concentric chambers, combustible elements disposed in the inner and outer chambers, a time fuse disposed in the intermediate chamber and ignitible by either of the combustible elements, a breech cap carried by the fuse body, and a primingcap engageable by the breech cap and adapted to ignite the combustible elements.

5. A fuse embodying a cylindrical fuse body formed with concentric chambers, combustible elements disposed in the inner and outer chambers, a time fuse disposed in the intermediate chamber and ignitible by either of the combustible elements, and means for igniting the combustible elements.

6. A fuse embodying a cylindrical fuse body, one portion of which is formed with a central intermediate and outer chamber, a powder pellet disposed in the central chamber, a time fuse disposed in the intermediate chamber, an explosive charge disposed in the outer chamber, a chamber formed in the opposite portion of the fuse body, and an explosive charge disposed in said chamher.

7. A fuse embodying a fuse body, formed with means for carrying an, expelling charge in each end, and further formed with means for carrying a priming cap, a powder pellet, and a time fuse, all of said means being in communication.

8. Afuse embodying a fuse body formed with means for carrying an expelling charge in each end, and further formed with means for carrying a priming cap, a powder pellet, and a time fuse.

9. A fuse including a fuse body formed with a plurality of concentric chambers opening into one face thereof, the wall defining the central chamber terminated short of said face, and a primer within the control chamber and seated on the rim of said well.

10. A fuse embodying a fuse body formed with a plurality of concentric communicating chambers opening into one face thereof, and an oppositely disposed chamher in communication with one of the concentric chambers and opening into the opposite face of the body.

11. A fuse embodying a fuse body formed with means whereby different forms of breech caps may be secured thereto.

12. A fuse body formed with concentric walls whereby different forms of breech caps may be secured thereto.

SAMUEL WVILEY.

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