US2315831A

US2315831A - Device for handling incendiary bombs

Info

Publication number: US2315831A
Application number: US452020A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wilcox Everett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1942-07-23
Filing date: 1942-07-23
Publication date: 1943-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 1960-04-06

Description

April 6, 1943. E. WILCOX 2,315,831

DEVICBFCR HANDLING INCENDIARY BOMBS Filed July 25, 1942 INVENTOR EVERETT WILCOX ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR HANDLING INCENDIARY BOMBS (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to incendiary bombs and is more particularly concerned with a device which can be used to extinguish or render harmless incendiary bombs especially of the magnesium type, such as the ordinary 2.2 pound type.

Two embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of this invention in its open position.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same embodiment in its closed position.

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the second embodiment.

Referring with more particularity to Figures 2, and 3, in which like numerals designate like parts, the embodiment illustrated comprises a base ll of slate, fire clay, or other infusible material l2 reinforced with coarse wire mesh l3. This wire mesh is completely surrounded by a substantial thickness of the infusible material. If fire clay is used, it should be of a high alumina type having about 40 percent aluminum oxide and should be low in silica and practically free from iron and alkalies. The silica should be limited to about 40 percent silicon dioxide or only sufi'icient to provide the necessary strength, allowing for the wire mesh reinforcement. The clay should be burned at'a low temperature, about 2500 F., to secure maximum heat insulation of the finished refractory material. A zirconia refractory material burned at about 2500 F. is especially suitable because of its insulating properties. The fusion temperature of slate is about 3000" F. and that of fire clay about 3200 R, which is sufficiently high to handle burning magnesium which has a combustion temperature of about 2372 F. (1300 C.).

To the rear of the base I l a handle [4, similar to a rake handle, is attached by means of a bracket l5 to hold it firmly to the base.

On top of the base I l a hood I 8 is disposed having a suitable shape,- such as semi-cylindrical, with the ends closed. This hood is also made of a suitable infusible material I! reinforced with coarse wire mesh [8, like the base I I. When metal alone is used, instead of fire day, the inner surfaces of the hood should be lined with asbestos insulation. The rearward edge of the hood is attached to the base by means of hinges 29, and a spring 2| between the hood and base hclds the hood normally in a closed position.

A wire 22, such as ordinary piano wire, operates through guides 23 on the handle [4, one end of which wire is attached to the back of the hood at a point 24, substantially as illustrated. The other end of the wire is free and is provided with a knob or grip 25 so that the operator may grasp it and, by pulling on the wire, open the hood against the action of the spring 2| The front edge 26 of the base II is beveled on the top to a thin edge.

To use this device on 2.2 pound magnesium bombs, which are about 2 inches in diameter and 14 inches long, the dimensions of the base should be approximately 16 to 18 inches by 8 to 10 inches and the hood approximately 16 inches by 8 inches, preferably somewhat smaller than the base.

The device is operated by grasping the handle i4 and the knob 25 of the control wire in one hand, the control wire being first pulled to raise the hood It to the open position. By grasping the knob 25 and the handle [4 with one hand, the hood can be held in this position against the action of the spring 2!. The front edge 26 of the base is then brought up to the bomb, parallel with its longitudinal axis and the bomb is raked onto the base beneath the hood by any suitable means, such as a rake or hoe or, in some cases, it may be suflicient simply to push the base under the bomb, When the bomb is under the hood, the knob of the control wire is released, permitting the hood to fall and thereby completely enclosing the bomb. Due to the lack of sufiicient air, the bomb will become smothered or snuffed out very quickly. The bomb may be carried in this fashion to a safe place and permitted to burn out, either under the hood of the device or in some other safe place.

The embodiment of my invention iilustrated in Figure 4 comprises mounting both the base and the hood on long handles so as to eliminate the hinges and control wire. In this embodiment the base 21 and the hood 28 are similar to that described in the first embodiment, but they are not permanently connected together. The base 21 is provided with a long handle 29 and the hood with a long handle 30, preferably at the same angle. The handle 29 may be provided with a flat surface 3| on the top and the handle 30 with a fiat surface 32 on the bottom, so that these two flat surfaces can be placed together permitting the operator to grasp both handles together. This device is used similar to the first embodiment described above but eliminates the use of any hoe, rake, or other device to push the bomb on the base. In this modified form the hood is first placed over the bomb. The base is then slid under the hood and bomb, thus capturing the bomb in a fireproof enclosure. The bomb will then be snuffed out or smothered in the same way explained above in connection with the first embodiment. The bomb should be carried to a safe place and either permitted to burnout under the hood or in some other safe and suitable place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for handling incendiary bombs comprising a fiat base, a long handle attached to the back of said base, a hood adapted to be disposed on said base, and a long handle attached to said hood, said base and hood being fabricated of a material which will not fuse at the combustion temperature of the bomb to be handled, said handles being parallel when said hood is on said base.

2. A device for handling incendiary bombs comprising a flat base, a long handle attached to the back of said base, a hood adapted to be disposed on said base, and a long handle attached to said hood, said base and hood being fabricated of a material which will not fuse at the combustion temperature of the bomb to be handled, said handles being parallel when said hood is on said base, said handles having each a flat surface complementary to each other, whereby when the hood is in position on the base said handles may be grasped and held together.

EVERETT WILCOX.