US1974015A - Pyrotechnic device - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 18, 1934. J. 4B. DEckER ET AL.

PYROTECHNIC DEVICE Filed March 22. 1932 Max-mae' oF l RARE EARTH METAL DI! ALLOY AND.

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Patented Sept. 18, v193,4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application Meren zz, im, semi No. comm is claimt. (cl. zz4) V;

This invention relates to fulminating pyrotechnic devices, and its object is the provision of an improved toy torpedo characterized by a loud detonation accompanied by a brilliant ilash 5 which may, if desired, be of different colors and interspersed with scintillating particles or stars.

A more specic lobject of the invention is the provision of, a toy torpedo employing. as the fulminating composition,l one or more of the group of elements hereinafter enumerated from the periodic group IVA and, certain rare earth metals, in comminuted state, in mixture with an oxidizing agent.

Still another object of the invention is the inclusion in the fulminating composition of an-ingredient imparting color to the flash.

A further object of the invention is the control of the neness of comminution of the particles of the metal whereby, using a relatively coarse mesh, combustion of the particles is not instantaneous so that scintillating stars are thrown out into the iield of the flash.

Another object of the invention is to increase the factor of safety in the manufacture and transportation of toy torpedoes.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practica.1 embodiment of the invention proceeds. In the drawing' which forms a part of the following specication, Figure 1 is a diametrical section through a torpedo embodying the principles of the invention; Figure 2 is a similar view showing the torpedo exploding. y In known processes for manufacturing toy Y torpedoes, an intimate mixture of potassium chlorate, antimony disuliid and sulphur in proper proportions is ordinarily employed as the fulminating agent, the same being mixed with abrasive granules such as pebbles, and

enclosed in a shell or other gas confining container. l While such torpedoes are satisfactory 'with respect to the intensity of the detonation, they are not spectacular as to flash, nor are they amenable to'coloration of the ash since the proportions in which the fulrninating ingredients are sensitive to impact are rather critical, and the addition vof a color ingredient to the mixture in any practical proportions, adulterates it sufficiently to impair or destroy its sensitivity to fulmination.

The ordinary potassium chlorate, antimony ydisuliied, sulphur composition must be thoroughly mixed to obtain the essential degree of sensitivity but then the sensitivity is such that accidental explosions occasionally o ccur both in manufacture, and transportation notwithstanding the special packaging that is resorted to for the prevention of suchcalamities.

It was in the quest of a safer toy torpedov that the present invention was evolved, in which not only has a safer torpedo been produced, but one-capable of a variety of spectacular effects which were not possible with the ordinary torpedo.

It has been found that certain members of the group of rare earth metals as well as certain elements of the periodic group IVA, oi which zirconium. titanium, thorium, yttrium, seleniumare examples, or alloys of these metals, are particularly adapted for use as the reducing factor of a fulminating composition,\in mixture with an oxidizing agent, of which substances, there is a wide range of availables, such for example as potassium nitrate, barium nitrate, oxalates, trlnitro compounds, chlorates, and perchlorates.

From this group may be selected an oxident particularly adapted to cooperate with the metal or alloy of the same which may have been adopted as the reducing element. v

For example, one may select comminuted zirconium in the metallic state. This when mixed with barium nitrate in the ratio of two to three parts by weight, gives a fulminating composition which is notably stable in the process of mixingand also safe in transportation, particul larly when the pebbles are agglomerated into a unitary mass which is disruptable only at a definite impact value, as covered in the appli- 9o cation of Joseph B. Decker, Serial No. 591,213, filed February 5, 1932.

It is characteristic of the ingredients of this fulminating composition, that the zirconium or other of the aforementioned metals or alloys of the same enhances the sensitivity of the oxident se that the latter may in itself be inert to impact, but be endowed with any desired value of sensitivity, by controlling the proportions of the rare earth metal or alloy.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1 represents the torpedo, having a shell 2 forming a gas confining chamber in which is packed a mixture 4 of one of the detonating substances disclosed in the speciflcation such for example as zirconium, the same being interspersed with a mass of pebbles 3 producing the friction when shocked which detonates the torpedo.

In manufactming the improved torpedo, the

substantially two parts to three parts byzweight are mixed, and in view of the controlled sensi' v tivity, they may be mixed in large quantity with impunity. The torpedo is made in the usualv manner by mixing an appropriatecharge of the v yfulrninating compositionv with pebbles and loading the same into a gas confining container, vor.

the ma'ss of gravel may be first agglomerated minating mixture.

It has beenvfound that the additionof -color producing ingredients to the mixture of the said v metals or alloys and appropriate oxidants, in, quantitysuiiicient to give satisfactory color effect Since'barium nitrate gives'a green fiash, vit 'isv not necessary to add another ingredient tov produce this color, the bariumnitrate. functioning both as the oxidizing element and the color producing ingredient in mixture with the zirconium. The zirconium or equivalent metal or alloy being the reducing agent or fuel, vgives a bril- ?-O liance to the ash hitherto unobtainable vin ful-' 'minating orcombustible lightproducing compositions'inv vwhich vthe rare earth metalor alloy may have played any other role'.

.Y In producingashes of other colors than green,v

Sait is preferred tov select vanl oxidant whichproso. that the color of the added ingredient will vremain pure" and uncontaminated with any colori native to the basic flash. The perchlorates arey i5-particularly adapted for oxidizing agents of the saidvmetals and alloys vwhen 'color producing .ingredients are to be added, both by reason of the whiteness of the basic flame, and because the chlorine ions freed in the reaction vivify the 4&5. flash, increasing its brilliancy. Moreover, a greater volume of gas is released than with other oxidants, thereby extending the field of the flash. The following are examples of fulminating mixtures producing iiashes having particular color effects:

scintillating particles or stars in the ash y are obtained by controlling the size of the com- 7-0- minution of the particles ofthe metal which may have been selected as the reducing and detonative agent. By making these sufficiently coarse, their combustion is not instantaneous but continues as they are thrown out into the field of flash from the focus of the explosion, Each in the manner previously suggested, and the in. terstices between the pebbleslled with theful-y portation of torpedoes has been increased.

gas confining chamber containing a mixture of duces an inherently whitev or vuncolored flamev vzirconiumandv bariumv nitrate in proportions of.

metal and metallic alloy appears to have a characteristic manner ofcombustiomand therefore,

tc give a definite characteristic visual effect vin, tht Spark. For instance, the zirconium star apvpears'to bef an incandescentarea 'of amoeba-.- 80.

shaped contour as indicated aty 5 vFigure y2,

-A modified form results from the combustion of produced a vnew andv yimproved toytorpedo 'in' i f which spectacular effects both as to intensity of flash and colorl of -fiash as. well as the presence of scintillating stars are made to accompany the .9g detonation, through the use ofmrare earth metals and alloys of lthe same as reducing agents, in mixture with oxidizing compounds', and that the factor of safety in the manufacture and transvIt is to be understoodv .thatv While We vhave specified the-fulminating composition as being formed with Aingredients in different proportions, it isto be vunderstood that vthese proper-- tions may be l.gvariedsubstantially without departingfrom -t-ie spirit of the invention and that the examples included vinthe foregoing specification are to be regarded as illustrative and@v not as-limitative in their bearing upon the scope vof the vinventionwhich vis'to be determinedjby 105 the claims appended hereto.

.What we claim is:

1. vPyrotechnic devicev capable of detonating upon concussion, comprising meansv forming a' an element selected from thefollowing group:- zirconium, titanium, thorium, vryttrium, 's'eleniinmv with an oxidizing agent.

v2.v vPyroteclmic' devicel capable of detonating upon concussion comprising meansformingv a v v gas confining chamber containing abrasive material and a mixture of an element selected from the following group: zirconium, titanium, thorium, yttrium, selenium, with an oxidizing agent. 1

3. Pyrotechnic device capable of detonating upon concussion comprising means forming a gas confining chamber containing a mixture of an oxidizing agent, with a sensitivity accelerating proportion of an element selected from the following group: zirconium, titanium, thorium, yttrium, selenium.

4. Pyrotechnic device capable of detonating upon concussioncomprising means forming a gas. confining chamber, containing abrasive material and a mixture of oxidizing agent-with an element selected from the following group: zirconium, titanium, thorium, yttrium, selenium in the ratio of substantially three to two.

5. Pyrotechnic device capable of detonating upon concussion comprising means forming a gas confining chamber, containing a mixture of an element selected from the following group: zirconium, titanium, thorium, yttrium, selenium, with an oxidizing agent, and a color imparting ingredient in such proportion as to give a decided color to the fiash eventuating from the detonation of said mixture.

6. Pyrotechnic device capable of detonating upon concussion comprising means forming a gas confining chamber containing a mixture ofan element selected from the following group: zirconium, titanium, thorium, yttrium, selenium, with-an oxidizing agent, the said element being omminuted with such degree of coarseness as 150 Y the ratio of the zirconium to the oxidizing agent zirconium, a perchlorate, and a to produce stars in the flash eventuating from the detonation of said mixture.

7. Pyrotechnic device capable of detonating upon concussion comprising means forming a gas confining chamber, an abrasive material in said chamber and a mixture of comminuted zirconium in metallic state with an oxidizing agent. 8. Pyrotechnic device as claimed in claim 7, the ratio of the zirconium to the oxidizing agent being substantially as three to two.

9. Pyrotechnic device as claimed in claim 7,

being substantially as three to two, and the zirconium being comminuted to Such degree of coarseness as to produce stars in the flash eventuating from the detonation of the mixture.

10. Pyrotechnic device capable of detonating upon concussion comprising means forming a gas confining chamber, containing a mixture of olor' imparting ingredient, the latter being in uch proportion to give a decided color to the sh eventuating from the detonation 'of said mixture, the perchlorate functioning as an oxidizing agent.

11. Pyrotechnic device with fulminating characteristic comprising means forming a gas conining chamber, containing a mixture of zirconium, a perchlorate, and a color producing ingredient, the perchlorate functioning as an oxidizing agent, and the zirconium being comminuted to a degree of coarseness producing stars in the field of the ash eventuating from the detonation of said mixture.

12. Pyrotechnic device capable of detonating

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