US2426190A

US2426190A - Mechanical time fuse

Info

Publication number: US2426190A
Application number: US309416A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cecil C Fawcett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-12-15
Filing date: 1939-12-15
Publication date: 1947-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1964-08-26

Description

Aug. 26, 1947.

C. C. FAWCETT.

MECHANICAL TIME FUSE Filed Dec. 15, 1939 Patented Aug. 26, 1947 UNHTED' STATES FATENT ZAZMW (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) 2 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a firing pin actuated fuse and more particularly to a safety barrier for preventing ignition of the fuse primer upon premature or accidental release of the firing pin.

While the invention has particular reference to a barrier for a firing pin, it is not limited to this sole function; but may also be of utility in bstructing or blocking any passage in any suitable fuse where it is desired to block such passage until a predetermined time in order to render the fuse safe.

It is an object of this invention to provide a positive acting firing pin barrier automatically inoperative upon firing a projectile armed with a fuse provided therewith and which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and so arranged as to lend itself to compact adaptation in the fuse organization.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a fuse provided with a firing pin barrier embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View on an enlarged scale of a lever used in the firing pin barrier; and,

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

Referring. now to the drawings wherein like characters are used to indicate lik parts throughout the views there is shown in Fig. l a supporting plate or similar frame member I!) comprising one of a plurality of similar superimposed members constituting the framework for supporting and housing the fuse components.

The plate I0 is eccentrically recessed as indicated at ll within which is disposed the safety barrier of this invention generally indicated at 12. Radially outward of the plate It and within the recess II the plate is formed. with a passage !3 through which the firing pin l4 may project to impinge upon and ignite the primer P5 in operative communication with an explosive train of the fuse.

The safety barrier 12 comprises a pair of identical cranked safety levers l6 mounted at the point of intersection of their arms I? and 18 on a pivot pin I9, whose center is located on the radial line of member Ill passing through the center of passage l3, in such manner that the arms ll will normally lie in registering relation covering passage l3 while the arms I 8 will be disposed in diverging relation to form the scissors-like arrangement shown. To restrain the levers iii to their normal position as shown in Fig. 1, a stop pin 20 is disposed between the arms 5 8 of the levers on the radial line passing through the centers of pin is and passage l3 and resilient elements 2!, which may be in the form of flat springs suitably anchored at one end are so disposed as to have their free ends engage and urge the arms it of the levers [6 into abutting relation with the stop pin 20. Conveniently in the embodiment of the invention illustrated th stop pin 28 is located at the center of member III.

For a purpose hereinafter made clear the free ends of the arms it of the levers it are provided with centrifugal weights 22. While these Weights are shown confronting each other in Fig. 1 it will of course be understood that in forming the levers the weights are all applied thereon in the same manner to facilitat production.

In operation the levers It will occupy a normal position as shown in Fig. 1 in which position the arm ll of each lever will cover the passage l3 in such manner as to prevent the firing pin M from striking the primer l5.

If the fuse bearing this barrier receive a shock from the right side as viewed in Fig. 1 the rightmost lever it will pivot about its pivot pin l9 against the cooperating spring 2! but the lever 16 on the left will be restrained from moving by the stop pin 20 and thereby continue to block the passage is whereby the firing pin M will be unable to strike the primer l5 in the event that the shock also released the firing pin. The reverse action will take place if the fuse receives a shock from its left side so in any situation the two levers 46 arranged as herein disclosed will be effective to maintain the fuse safe until predetermined operation is desired.

When a fuse provided with the barrier of this invention is used to arm a projectile the rotation imparted to the projectile in firing will be sufficient through the centrifugal force developed to cause both weighted arms 18 to swing about their pivot l9 and in turn swing the arms I! to uncover passage is. After the lapse of a predetermined time the firing pin Ill will be released and is then free to impinge upon and ignite the primer [5.

Having now particularly described what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of this invention I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent:

1. In a fuse in combination, a supporting member formed with a passage therethrough, a pair of, superimposed cranked levers coaxially pivoted on the supporting member intermediate their end portions with two of the arms of said levers normally disposed in registering relation blockin said passage and the other two arms of said levers arranged in diverging relation, a stop pin disposed'between said diverging arms and resilient means urging the diverging arms into abutting relation with the stop pin to maintain S id arms blocking the passage in normal registering relation.

2. In a fuse in combination, a circular supporting member eccentrically recessed on one face and formed with a passage therethrough in the recess on a radial line, a pivot pin mounted on the member within the recess and on said radial line, a pair of superimposed identical cranked levers mounted on the pivot pin intermediate their end portions and adapted to have two arms brought into registering relation covering said passage and the other two arms diverging from said pivot pin, weights on the end portions of the diverging arms of the levers, a stop pin mounted on the member within the recess on said radial line intermediate the diverging arms of the levers and adapted to be abutted by the diverging arms when the other arms of the levers are in registering relation covering said passage and resilient means normally urging the diverging arms into abutment with said stop pin.

CECIL o. FAWoET'r.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,172,637 Semple Feb. 22, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 467,392 Great Britain June 16, 1937 635,441 France Mar. '15, 1928