US231705A - faure - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

o. A. FAURE & G. TRBNGH. Slgnallng Car'orldge Patented Aug. 31, 1880.

Erre SATES PATENT TO THE COTTON POWDER COMPANY,

ENGLAND.

(LIMITEE) or wEsTMINsTEE,

SIGNALING-CARTRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 231,705, dated August 31, 1880. Application led May 24, 1880. (No model.) Patented in England June 25, 1878.

To all whom @t may concern Be it known that we, CAMILLE ALPHONSE FAURE and GEORGE TEENeH, both of Faversham, in the county of Kent, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shells and Rockets, mainly applicable for signalin g purposes, which improvements are fully set forth in the following; specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw- Io ings.

This invention relates to contrivanees for signaling, to be used at sea or on land as distress-signals, and also on festive displays, and whereby aloud report is obtained simply or in combination with a display of stars or other luminous arrangement. For these purposes we form in the following manner a shell, to be red upward from a small mortar or socket.

The shell consists of, first, a cylindrical en- 2o velope of tin, brass, card-board, or such like substance; second, a bottom plug fitting tightly to the cylindrical envelope, and which bottom plug is perforated with a hole, into which is rammed some fuse-powder, and thus 2 5 constitutes a time-fuse; third, the explodingcharge, which consists, generally, ina cylinder of powders that require a detonator to properly explode them-viz, gun-cotton, cotton-powder, or lith of'raeteur, and 'such like substances.

The detonator may be fixed into the exploding-charge by the makers during the manufacture of the shots, or may be introduced by the consumer at any time before using such shots. When it is desired to display a luminous artifice, this artifice must necessarily be blown or shot out of the shell before the explosion of the sounding-charge. This can be done by separating the exploding charge,

4o which lies near the time-fuse, at the bottom of the shell, from the group of stars or other artifice by a disk obtained by the compression of ordinary grained gunpowder. This gunpowder disk catches iire from the time-fuse through a central hole reserved in the middle of the exploding-chaige, the eect being that the stars or luminous artifice is blown off through the top orifice of the envelope or shell, which, for that purpose, is fitted with a cover much looser than the bottom plug. The 5o mode of tiring the shot thus made from the socket may be according to Well known means-viz., by pouring the charge of ordinary gunpowder inside the socket and iiring from the touch-hole with a Bickford fuse or 5 5 with a friction-tube, but we prefer to attach the propelling-charge of gunpowder to the bottom plug of the shot itself. This charge of gunpowder isinelosedin a thin water-proof bag, and may be `pricked through the touchhole.

For signals intended to be used at sea we sometimes dispense with the touch-hole in the socket as being liable, from non-usage, to get corroded or painted up and unavailable in an emergency. The shot itself carries the n touch-hole-that is, a firing-tube (into which the friction-tube can be lodged) is laid through the length and center of the shot. It reaches into the propelling-powder in the bag or bot- 7o tom and through the top plug or cover, and as the shotis about of same length as the bore of the socket the top of the iiring-tube is aceessible when the shot is in its place inside the socket.

Signalrockets which will display a luminous arrangement, such as stars or such like, and give a sound-signal by the use of a guncotton or detonating charge, may also be formed in a similar manner by replacing the propelling charge in the signals described above by an ordinary rocket. The rocket and signal can evidently be built together in one envelope.

The detonator to be used in conjunction 8 5 with such exploding or sounding charges that are propelled by means of gunpowder We form of a tube of copper lled half-way up with the usual detonating composition, and the other half of the tube wefill with fuse-powder, so as to make the detonatoritself a time-fuse. This is intended to give great security to the person who lires the shot from the socket, as in case the bottom plug should be defective the fire from the propelling-charge might then reach immediately the inside of the shell or shot, and would thus, in the absence of the fusingpowder in the detonator, cause the mortar to be blown to pieces.

The signal shells and rockets may be arranged to give two or more reports by the employment of two or more detonating-eharges, each fitted with their detonators and time-fuse, and so separated by means of disks of gunpowder that they are scattered like ordinary stars, and thus explode distinctly at regulated intervals of time. y

In order that our invention may be mostfully understood and readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

In the drawings, Figure l shows a shell for producing sound. It is formed of the tin case A. Into this is driven tight a wood or metallic plug, B, perforated with a central hole, C, into which is rammed some fuse powder. l) is the sounding-charge, and E the detonator for exploding the same.

F is the wooden cap, and G is a small charge of common gunpowder inclosed in a water-proof bag secured to the shell by pasting or otherwise. This shell so completed is to be placed in a metallic socket, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. It is tired by a friction-tube or fuse inserted through the touch-hole. It ascends in the air by the effect of the bottom charge of gunpowder, which also ignites the time-fuse in the plug, and this, in turn, ignites the detonator and iires the charge.

Fig. 2 shows the detonator. It is made of a copper shell filled about half-way with a composition of fulminate of mercury, m, and completed by a charge of meal-powder, u.

Fig. 3 shows a signal or shell for producing sound and light. A is the tin shell. B is a metallic plug or bottom securely fixed in the tin shell by soldering or otherwise. G is a copper time-fuse soldered into the plug B. D is the sounding-charge, formed ofa cartridge of cotton-powder or such like explosive. E is the detonator, as above described. F is the top cap, so fastened as to be blown out by the pressure from within. G is the propelling-charge, as above described. It is inelosed in a water-prooi' bag, securely fixed to the main body of the shell. H is a group of stars or light-producing materials, and I is a centra-l tube soldered to the bottom plug, and through which the bottoni gunpowdercharge is ignited. The firing is produced by a friction-tube or by a Bickt'ord fuse passed into the central tube. This shell is tired from the socket, as before said, and shown in Figs. 6 and 7 5 but in this ease no touch-hole is required. The'time-fuse G catches fire by the effect of the explosion of the gunpowder-charge, and at the proper altitude communicates lire :to the group of stars. The top plug gets blown out by the pressure from within, and the stars fall out. The detonator has also caught tire, and after the stars have been expelled the f1re reaching the fulminating composition of the detonator the sounding-charge is exploded. lt will be noticed that the sounding-charge is molded with a central hole for the passage of the central tube and for the communication of the re from the bottom time-fuse to the group of stars or lighting material.

Fig. 4 is a shell similar to the above, and is to produce sound and -light likewise; butin this the central tube is dispensed with and the initial firing is produced through the touchhole in the socket.

Fig. 5 shows a shell for producing two distinct explosions or sounds. It is similar to the above, the group of stars being replaced by a second sounding-charge supplied likewise with a detonator. The two charges are separated by a disk of gunpowder, which pushes the top sounding/charge or cartridge out of the' shell, a-nd as the two detonators are rdifferently timed two distinct explosions are produced. A disk of gunpowder is also placed between the top cartridge and the top plug to facilitate the ignition of the detonator in this top cartridge. This top gunpowder disk may be replaced by a group of stars or other light-producing material, if required.

Fig. 6 shows a socket for firing these shells. Itis intended to be fixed into the rail of a ship, as shown.

Fig. 7 shows a socket intended to be ixed onto the deck of a ship or upon a piece of timber ashore.

Instead of firing these shells from their sockets, we sometimes use ordinary rockets as the means of propulsion. In this case the gunpowder propelling-charge at the bottom of the shell is replaced by the body ofthe rockets.

IOO

We are well aware that various improveburning in the air, and a detonating-charge' and a detonator which is formed partly as a time-fuse, whereby said balls or blocks may be ignited and thrown out before the detonating-charge is detonated by said detonator, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

IIO

2. The combination sof, irst, a detonatorw composed of a thin metallic tube lled in part with a detonating compound, such as fulmibottom with a plug carrying e time-fuse, subnate of mercury, and in part with meal-powstantially as hereinbefore set forth.

der; second, a molded charge of detonating C. A. FAURE.

compound with a, cavity therein in which the Witnesses: G. TRENGH. detonator is received; and, third, an envelope G. W. VESTLEY, inoasing the detonating-eharge and detona.- T. J. OSMAN.

tor7 and elo'sed at top with a. head-cap and at i Both of No. 17 Gracechuroh Street, London.

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