US2417592A - Smoke generator - Google Patents

Description

rch 18, 1947. DWYER 2,417,592

SMOKE GENERATOR Filed Aug. 28, 1943 2 Sheets Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 18, 1947. DWYER 2,417,592

SMOKE GENERATOR Filed Aug. 28, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT F F l C E SMOKE GENERATOR Martin 'Dwyer, Hewlett Bay Park, N. Y., assignor to Aerial Products, Inc., Merrick, Long Island, N Y., a corporation of Delaware Application August '28, 1943, SerialNo. 500,354

ZClaims. 1

This invention relates to smoke generators, and more particularly to devices of this character that are adapted to be usedtfor generating smoke screensfor landing parties, or as protective coverings for military or naval operations, or to be carried in life rafts, boats or. the like, for signalling purposes, especially in an emergency.

Devices of this kind must be of rugged 0,0!1? struction, always capable of instant use, and .of use in an emergency, and capable of long periods of storage prior to use, without deterioration, or contamination by moisture, irrespective of how severe or wet the environment in which they are kept prior to use. Moreover, devices of this kind should be relatively inert except when intentionally ignited by the user and, therefore, safe to store and keep Without being dangerous fire hazards.

It is an object of this invention to provide devices having characteristics meeting the foregoing requirements.

Another object of this invention is to provide devices of the character described that are completely self-contained and ready for instant use in an emergency without requiring any toolsof any k nd to put them into use.

Still another object is to provide devices of this kind that are rugged, relatively simple in construction, which have a minimum of working parts and'which may be simply and quickly-manufactured at comparatively low cost and-within a minimum of labor.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other obiects as may hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and then sought to be defined in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying draw ng forming a part hereof, which shows merely for the purposes of illustrative disclosure, a preferred embodiment of the invention, it being expressly understood, however, that various changes may be made in practice within the scope of the a ended claims, without digressing from the inventive idea.

In the drawingin which similar-reference characters denote corresponding parts:

Fi ure Us a top plan view of'the device;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken alon line 2-4 of Fig. l and viewed inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 4 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along l ne 4-4 of F g. 1, and also viewed in the direction of the arrows:

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to that of Fig. 4, illustrating the device after burning of the smoke-producing compound has begun; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section illustrating adetail of construction.

Referring to the drawing and first to Fig. 4, H3. denotes a casing, preferably of metal such as galvanizediron or other sheet metal, of any suitable, form, and in the, present embodiment of cylindrical form. The bottom. end of the casing is provided with a tapering portion I l. A bottom cover plate l2 spans the bottom end of the casing and is attached to the peripheral edge of the casing. or container l0 by suitable means, such as a. standard double seam or bead I3, to provide a leakproof or hermeticalclosure of said bottom end.

An inner lid 14 is fitted within the upper end ofthe casing or container ID. This lid has cuplike form and is made, preferably, of the same material asthe casing H3. A omparatively large opening l5.,is provided in the lid. This opening hasan upstanding rim l6 which providesa slightly taperin mouth for the opening. A pan-like member. l1, preferably of zinc, or other readily combustiblemetal or material, is suspended from the lid l4 extending into the container through saidopening, and being attached to the rim It by a crimp seam 1.8.. The member H serves .as a holder for a priming charge 19 of suitable readily combustible materialcapable of generating ,suflicient heat upon being ignited to disintegrate the member I l and to ignite the smokeproducing compound 2.8 within the container l0, Whose. characteristics will be hereinafter describedmore in detail.

The priming charge 19 is retained within the member I! by a suitable .disc 2! of cardboard, or other readily combustible material, that is fitted into. member H with a force fit and additionally secured in .place by dope, or other suitable adhesive material .(not, shown). An additionalretaining ring member 22, preferably of the same material as member I1, is also provided to hold the disc 2|. in place. This ring is, asishown, alsosecuredsuitably to the crimp seam .A suitable igniter, such asa match head 23, preferably of the safety match type, or the like, .extendsfromthepriming charge I9 through the disc 2|. This igniter, if .of the safety type. isnites when. a striker surface similar to the striking surfaces, of. book-type matches, is rubbed across. it. When so ignited, .it fires the priming compound l9.

Acover. 25. isfitted into the upper end of the casing 1!], being positionedin spaced relationship with the inner lid [4,, to, provide the space 25 between, the, two. The cover, 2.5 and the wall of the container m, as well as the wall of, member M, are all beaded over together at 21 and a suitable annular gasket 28 (Fig. 2) is interposed between the beaded-over portions of the cover 25 and container l to provide a hermetical or leakproof and water-tight seal at the bead 21'. Solder or other means for providing a hermetical seal, at the bead, may be provided.

An opening 29 of comparatively large size is provided in the cover 25. This opening is normally closed and hermetically sealed by a conventional tear strip 30 of well-known construction. A pull ring 3|, or any other equivalent means, attached to the tear strip 30, is provided for conveniently removing the latter to expose the contents of the container when the device is to be put into use.

- Suitable striker means are provided for igniting the match head 23. To this end, a spring member or clip 32 is suitably secured to the inner side of the cover 25, as by spot-Welding or the like, at 33 and 34. A paper or cardboard member 35 provided with a striking surface 3511, similar to striking surfaces on safety match books, is provided. This member 35 has side and end protecting flaps 3B, 3! folded over the striking surface 35a, and is inserted between the spring member 32 and the inner surface of said cover member with its striking surface 350. facing the cover member 25. It is removably held in its inserted position by the spring member 32 and extends below the tear strip 35 in the space 26. Removal of the tear strip 30 exposes the striker member 35 and makes it readily accessible to the user. It then may be readily removed from the spring clip 32, and its striking surface 35a exposed by unfolding of the flaps 36, 37. The striking surface 35a may then be rubbed across the match head to ignite the latter, and, in consequence, the priming charge 19., The latter, upon burning, develops sufficient heat to burn away the disc 2i, and also to burn away the zinc priming cup or member I? and to ignite the smoke-producing contents 20 of the container. Once ignited the said contents 20 continue to burn and to produce voluminous clouds of smoke that escape through the openings l5 and 29 to atmosphere, as shown in Fig. 5.

The smoke-producing compound 20 i loaded into container H) with hydraulic pressure and is of the type that requires a considerable amount of heat to raise it to its kindling temperature, which is higher than that of the priming compound iQ; more heat than would be developed by merely striking a match head. For this reason, the priming compound 19 is provided. The latter has a lower kindling temperature than the smoke-producing compound and is easily ignited on ignition of the match head. In burning it develops enough heat to melt the member I1 and to reach the kindling temperature of the smoke-producing compound 20.

Since the match head 23 is preferably of the safety match type, the arrangement herein described results in a smoke-producing device that is very safe to handle, store, and ship, and in which little fire hazard or likelihood of premature combustion exists. The air in space 26, moreover, serve as heat insulation to prevent unwanted ignition of the priming compound I9, should the container be stored in unduly warm places. It is also to be noted, that, until the panlike member !'I disintegrates due to the burning of the priming charge I9, this priming charge is fully protected and sealed from any contact with the smoke-producing compound 20 or any vapors or gases therefrom.

Moreover, the hermetical sealing of the container as a whole provides a rugged, efiicient moistureand waterproof device capable of withstanding severe and unfavorable atmospheric conditions and environment, and which is self-contained and ready for instant use in an emergency.

The match head could be one of the conventional match heads of the usual striking type. In such event the striking surface 35a need merely be a roughened surface.

It is to be understood, of course, that variation in structural detail within the scope of the claims is contemplated. There is no intention of limitation to the exact details shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a container, an inner lid adjacent one end of said container, a cover member spanning said end and lying in spaced relationship with respect to said inner lid, said cover member having an opening, means for attaching said cover member and said inner lid in hermetical sealing relationship with said container, a removable tear strip normally hermetically sealing said opening, said inner lid having an opening, a pan-like member of combustible metal extending downwardly through said last-named opening from the upper side of the inner lid, a rim upstanding from said inner lid about said last-named opening, means to secure said pan-like member to said rim, and a retaining ring of the same material as said panlike member to hold the contents of the latter in place secured with said member to said upstanding rim.

2. In a device of the character described, a container for smoke-producing compound or the like, an inner lid of cup-like form fitted within an end of said container, said lid having an opening, an upstanding rim about said opening providing a tapering mouth therefor, a pan-like member of metallic combustible material for a priming charge inserted from the outer side of said lid and extending through said opening, said' member being suspended from and secured to said rim, a retaining ring also secured to said rim and serving to retain said priming charge within said pan-like member, a cover fitted into the end of said casing and positioned in spaced relationship to said inner lid, means for joining said cover and said inner lid to said container with an hermetical seal, said cover having an opening, a tear strip hermetically sealing said last-named opening, and means carried within the space between the cover and inner lid for igniting the said priming compound after removal of said tear strip.

MARTIN DWYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,858,456 Mills May 17, 1932 1,548,693 Weaver Aug. 4, 1925 2,294,415 McBride Sept. 1, 1942 2,328,916 LeComte Sept. 7, 1943 2,366,261 Hitt Jan. 2, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 275,830 British Aug. 15, 1927

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