US2453151A - Projectile - Google Patents

Description

Wu 9, m. G. A. MILLER, JR

PROJECTILE Filed Aug. 18 1939 Patented Nov. 9, 1948 PROJECTILE I George A. Miller, Jr., Weirsdale, Fla., assignor to the United States of America as the Secretary of War represented by Application August 18, 1939, Serial No. 290,780

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 6 Claims.

of safety features may be readily applied to fuses.

of artillery projectiles but their incorporation in small caliber projectiles is not feasible.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a safety device for a fuse which is so arranged and constructed that it may be practicably applied to a small-caliber projectile. This purpose is accomplished by providing a barrier for a fuse element which will render the fuse inoperative or safe until the projectile is in flight. The barrier or the member controlling the barrier is adapted to be rendered inoperative or removed or placed in a condition to be removed through the action of heat imparted by the gases of the propellent charge, by the passage through the bore of the '1 gun barrel and by the passage through the atmosphere. More specifically the barrier or the barrier controlling member consists of a fusible alloy whose physical character is altered so that the influence of centrifugal force may be employed in arming the fuse.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly 2 collar l2 and the front face of the body and surrounding the striker normally maintains the point of the striker in spaced relation to the primer charge. The barrier member possesses such characteristics that normally it will have sufficient rigidity to hold the striker against movement but it is capable of losing its rigidity during flight so that on impact the striker will be driven rearwardly to fire the primer charge. This change in the physical character of the barrier is accomplished through the action of heat which is imparted by the propellant charge and/or by the passage of the projectile through the bore of a gun barrel and its flight in the air.

The barrier may be formed of a combustible material or it may comprise a fusible material consisting of an alloy composed of lead 26 parts, tin 13 parts, cadmium 10 parts and bismuth 51 parts. This alloy has a melting point of approximately 180 F. Other elements may be substituted for those mentioned and alloys having higher or lower melting points may be used.

In Fig. 1 the barrier is in the form of a hollow cylinder of a fusible alloy and the height and diameter are such that an ordinary blow on the end of the striker will not reduce the height of the cylinder sufficiently to permit the point of the striker to explode the primer. When the barrier has been softened through the application of heat a much lighter blow will sufiice to move the striker inwardly, the striker either penetrating the barrier or punching it out. When appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional .view of a fuse equipped with the'improved bar-' rier.

Figs. 2, 4, 6, "I, 8, 9 and 10 are similar views showing modificationsof the barrier.

Figs. 3 and 5 are sectional views on the respective lines of Figs. 2 and 4.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown the front part of a projectile body 5 which is formed with a chamber 6 for receiving a charge such as an explosive, gas, or incendiary material. 1 at the forward end of the chamber receives a cup 8 containing a primer charge 9. A passage It) extends from the primer charge to the-front face of the body and receives the inner end of a firing pin or striker II which protrudes an appreciable distance and is formed with a collar I2.

A barrier member 13 interposed between the A cavity sufficient heat has been applied to melt the barrier it will be moved from around the striker under the influence of centrifugal force due to rotation of the projectile and in this event an extremely sensitive firing mechanism is provided.

Any suitable and known means for holding the striker against forward displacement may be provided.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the barrier 14 consists of a plurality of segments formed of a material such as brass having greater resistance to compression than the fusible alloy. The segments are held together by the soldering effect of a fusible alloy 15 disposed between adjoining faces of the segments. When the alloy is softened or melted the segments are thrown radially outward under the influence of centrifugal force.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the barrier I 6 is similar to that of Fig. 2 and its segments are embraced by a sleeve ll of fusible alloy which functions as described above.

In Fig. 6 a barrier l8 of a fusible alloy is interposed between the point of the striker l9 and a 3 primer 2D. The protruding head of the striker is enclosed in and confined by a false ogive or cap 21 mounted on the body 22. The cap is readily crushed on impact and serves as a windshield during flight. The primer is carried in a block 23 which may be either fixed or movable and is held in spaced relation to the body by means of the barrier. Where the block is in the form of a plunger it may move forwardly on impact under the influence of inertia when the barrier is removed.

In Fig. 7 the structure and arrangement is similar to that shown in Fig. 6 but the striker 24 is held intermediate its ends by means of a plurality of pins or bolts 25 which are slidably mounted in radially disposed passages 26 in the body 21. The inner ends of the bolts are normally disposed in a recess or aperture 28 in the striker and they are maintained in holding position by means of plugs 29-49 of a fusible alloy which close the outer ends of the passages 26.

When the plugs are melted the bolts move outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force to release the striker.

In Fig. 8 the arrangement is similar to that shown in Figs. 6 and 7 but the striker 30 is held by a c lindrical barrier 3| of a fusible alloy as shown in Fig. 1. The protruding end of the striker is housed within a crushable cap 32 attached to the body 33.

In Fig. 9 a barrier 34 is arranged to normally interrupt a flash passage 35 leading from the primer 36 to the explosive charge and constituting an element of an ignition train. The barrier is releasably held by a plug 31 of a fusible alloy in the manner shown in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 10 a closure 38 for a container 39 serves to normally protect an explosive or chemical compound 40 from exposure to the atmosphere. As illustrations of the application to a projectile the closure may be at the rear of the projectile to normall protect a tracer, signalling or incendiary composition. Furthermore since the barrier has been illustrated as a safety member for various elements of a fuse the term element of an ignition train as used in the claims is to be broadly interpreted.

In the event that a projectile equipped with the barrier fails to be fired it may be removed from a heated barrel with safety because the fusible element of the barrier will resolidify.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rotatable projectile includ ng a body and an ignition train having a firing element disposed partially externally of the body, a barrier disposed externally of the body for maintaining said element of the ignition train inoperative, said barrier comprising an alloy fused by heat on discharge of the projectile from a gun to permit the operation of the firing element.

2. In combination with a rotatable projectile including a body and an ignition train having a firing element disposed partially externally of the body, a barrier of fusible material disposed externally of the body for maintaining said element of the ignition train inoperative, said barrier fused by heat on discharge of th projectile from a gun.

3. In a projectile, a body, a firing element of an ignition train protruding from the body and mounted for movement therein, a cap on the body for confining the protruding end of said element, and a barrier member of fusible material within the body symmetrically disposed about said firing element for normally opposing inward movement of said element, said barrier adapted to be fused by heat on discharge of the projectile from a gun. said barrier in its fused state becoming inoperative to oppose inward movement of said element.

4. In a projectile, a body, a movably mounted element of an ignition train protruding from the body, and a cylindrical barrier of a fusible alloy surrounding said element and confined between the element and the body to hold the element against inward movement, said barrier fused by heat on discharge of the projectile from a. gun to permit operation of said movably mounted element.

5. In a rotatable projectile, a body, a movably mounted element of an ignition train in the body, a segmental barrier surrounding said element and in cooperation with said body holding the element against movement, a fusible alloy, between adjoining faces of the segments and cementing the segments together, said allo fused by heat on discharge of the projectile from a un whereby the segments may be removed under the influence of centrifugal force incident to rotation of the projectile.

6. In a rotatable projectile, a body, a movably mounted element of an ignition train in the body. a segmental barrier surrounding said element and in cooperation with said body holding the element against movement, a fusible material between adjoining faces of the segments and cementing the segments together, said material fused by heat on discharge of the projectile from a gun whereby the segments may be removed under the influence of centrifugal force incident to rotation of the projectile.

GEORGE A. MILLER, JR.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 253,649 Watson Feb. 14, 1882 1,172,637 Sample Feb. 22, 1916 1,216,834 Mo-ren Feb. '20, 1917 1,459,600 Newton June 19, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,184 Great Britain 1885 8,137 Great Britain 1885 216,539 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1725 241,941 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1925 (10 245,766 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1926 304,258 Germany May 27, 1920 349,839 Great Britain June 4, 1931

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