US2466729A

US2466729A - Fuse

Info

Publication number: US2466729A
Application number: US503412A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl F Nelson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-09-22
Filing date: 1943-09-22
Publication date: 1949-04-12
Anticipated expiration: 1966-04-12

Description

April 12, 1949.

C. F. NELSON FUSE Filed Sept. 22, 1943 gmm'p EARLENELSDN,

Patented Apr. l2, 1949 @.CarllF.; 'Nelson, Wharton, N,i.I.; assignon.,to...the :United .StatesyofAmerica `as vreln'esenicd byljthe "Secretary of War eApplicatiomSeptemher '22, 193-.Seri al No: 50354-12 (Clif IGZ-L20) Z Claims.

' "This 'inventionE relatesztof-affuze'ot therbarometric type for exploding shells-bombsaor roel-:ets -t a selected or predetermined altitude.

'I'Anobjectio thelinvention isctolprovidea fuze vwhich maybe applied'to `a rocket, 'slellon bomb whichV will' in'tiatethe explosion of` thef explosive charge carriedbyy the rocket;.-sh'ell onfbombwhen it has reached a selected von:predetermined@posi-- 'tionor :levlel Ain fits"flight. C'The 'fuze according` vvtothe f finvention'ldepends for'itsactuation upon dift'erencesinatmospherlc pressure prevailingl at Various -level's above .the surface 4of the-earth. VBeforefring ofi therocket orv "shell` carrying the l '-fuzef according: Itol' the vinfvention, or before' releasing from` aircraft aibomfb provided Uwith A'the fuze, thefuze lmay-loe setwto become operative" to A'initiate the explosion'of the explosive charge of the f lbornb, 'shell or rocket when 'the latter has: reachedfa selected.y onpredetermined altitude or lei/elI in-the=- atmosphere, The manner' in= Whi'chtliey fuzefis constructed :is illustrated inf the accompanyingdrawings-fand 'explained iny 'the yWritten descriptionigiven below which refersby'characters of Areference -to=the `said'1drawings. In the saiddrawings:

A"Figure 1 -is ailongitudinalfsectiomthrouglrthe longitudinal axisof 'the fuze;

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2.-`2l--of Fgurei 1;

'-'Figure-Si is anffenlargedasection of. part fofvthe rack shown in ligurei l; with aI 1part of.I .the-operating means or rod therefor shown in elevation; Figure 4 -isschematic representation, partly in perspective, illustrating the electric circuit used in the fuze and how itfoperates to cause the explosion of the ,'explosiva v`charge carried bytthe rocket, shell or bomb at the selectedgorpredeter mined level;

Figure 5 is' a--perspeetive'view ofn the U-shaped springfshown in elevation fin Figure 1; and

-1 Figure (iis an elevation otsthe-xneans;byv which one: offthelegs of the springis,engagedwitlrthe aneroid means shown infFigure l. :Referring-mow specicallyatothe accompanying drawingain ,which the. same..,characters of reference in the several views indicate the same paru-,the numeral I indicatesthe body portion-mf' the rocken.. shell or bomb'` whichfcarries. thetxexplosive charge 2.

The base portion of the fuze comprises a cir- Y cular member or adapter 3 which is attached by iii) '2 screw threads to the -body portion 4 of thefuze andsbyfscrew threads -to vthe body portion I-of the rocket; shellior bomb. -The rmember oradapter# 3 is formed with a cavity 5 of a suitable sizeto accommodate electric: condenser 6 Vand'electric .primer '1. Electric -cond'enser 6 and electric primerf 'l may be :secured incavityI 5 by any 5suitable lholding means! attached to adapterL 3. In thedrawingsy such holding means are illustrated Condenser: 6 serves as a-source-of electrical energykfor -producingfa sparky between the terminals Il and I2 of the spark gap I4 in thevelec'- tric primerf'l'. tfWliile acondenser is shown as vthe source of lelectrica-'er-iergy, `it is tov-be -understood that: any other suitable-source of electrical energy torifthe` electric-'primer maybe employed. AFor example, a small`-iriduction coilv or Ruhmkori coil` and small idry cells" may be used toy produce the difference of potential necessary to cause sparks across spark gap AI ily -of' the primer4 l. Whenf'f a ycondenser i'sfemployed liti is" chargedJ 'in any1 suitablet manner-shortly* beforeA the* fuzeV is put to=use-.

*2Dhe1adapter1 3f isfvprovided with a plate' lli-of electrical insulation KNmaterial y--Whiclfl is `sunk therein and secured'thereto;v ont-the7 upper side thereof.v Secured to thisplate is abracket iI6 having-a base#portiony H and-:1anoverhanging head po'rtion'il'll. #Pla-te I5-serves -to'insulate the bracket I`8"from:1the adapter 3.

Mounted on; -the -base vI Lofi-bracket i6 is-a pair fffguides2l)`v and El :for the: rack 22, ywhich hold theack uporrbase 11i-while permitting it to slide longitudinally.

'Headportion l8-of then-bracket |6 and base portioni'l 1- of- 'saldiy -bracket areA respectively provide'diwith bearings 22 f1 andi 23 of insulating material1 lfr ni'tlieshaft24. FiXedt'o theY shaft 24 is a-jgpinior1-Y ZSZffWhich-z-,meshes'with rack 22.. 'Shaft 2,j.at"its`.1ower end, extends into .an opening. 2'6 in adapter 3', into Which opening projects a Spring electrical. connection for.. connecting the. lower cndl..of..l7hef.sl1aft..24. Witli .nne side, Aor with one ,t erminal.of'` ,the .eondenser- 6-athe ,other lterminal ofatheu condensernbeing 4connected by :means of the-nsulated ccnductorZB vtofthe. terminal l 2 vof the ele ctric:'r-primaer ,f'lfhe Iterrninal"iA H fof-the .ecilllmr fis rfgroundedtothe `aiiapterfS which in turn iseroundeatofbodw 4.

SiShaft 245e ati dis-: upperf;end;A passes; .througlr .in-

fixed to its upper end by a pin or set screw 3|. The purpose of this arm is to close the electric circuit which includes the condenser 6 and the responsive to variations in atmospheric pressure,v

is indicated by the numeral 35. This capsule` is ysecured* by brazing or soldering to the head 36 of a bolt 31. The bolt 31 passes through an opening 38 (see Fig. 5) in U-spring 39 and through an opening in the vertical portion of bracket |`6. Upon tightening the nut 49 on bolt 31 the spring 39 is clamped between the head 36 of the bolt 31 and the washer 42, and the pressure responsive member assumes the position shown in Figure 1.

The pressure responsive member or capsule 35,

on the side opposite the side to which thebolt is attached, carries engaging means for the unsecured end of spring 39. Engaging means 45 may be soldered or brazed or otherwise suitably attached to the pressure responsive means 35. Engaging means 45 (see Fig. 6) is provided with a head portion 46 and a circular groove 45a adiacent thereto in order to provide a neck portion 45h.

Spring 39 (see Fig. 5) is provided with a slot 41 within which the neck 45D (see Fig. 6) of the spring engaging means 45 fitswith a sliding t.

The shoulders provided by the groove 45am eny gaging means 45 engage over the ngers48 and 49 adjacent the slot 41, whereby the engaging means 45 and spring 39 may move outwardly together with a sliding t of the

fingers

48 and 49 in the groove 45a.

To the finger 48 of spring 39 is attached a rod 59 which extends from said nger into an openving 5| v(see Fig. f3) in the body ofthe rack 22.

The rod 59 fits slidingly in the opening 5| so as to permit the rack 22 to be moved by it longitudinally between the guides 29 rand 2| (seei Fig. 2).

A nose 55 is tted into and carried by the fuze body 4, and is held thereon by friction ring 56 and set screws pressing upon said friction ring, one of said set screws being indicated by the numeral 51 in Figure 1. Nose 55 may be rotated l relative to body portion 4 and is held in the position to which it is rotated by the action .of friction ring 56.

The nose portion is hollow as shown, and carries on its interior, near its bottom, a projection 58 (see Fig. 2) which lies in the path of the motion of the outer end of the arm 39.V

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the nose 55 may be rotated to position the projection 58 at any desired position relative to the initial or zero position of the arm 30. Graduations 59 are provided upon the nose 55, which in conjunction with the index 60 on the body portion 4, enables the position of projection 58 with respect to arm 39 to be set as desired. The graduations 59 represent altitudes at which the fuze will set off the explosive charge in the rocket, shellor bomb. f

In order to maintain the air pressure Within the fuze body and nose the same as the pressure of the air or atmospheric level through which the fuze passes in night, the openings 65 in the nose 55 and openings 66 in the body 4 are provided. Openings 65 and 66 are so proportioned that the amount of air entering holes 65 is the same as the amount leaving from holes 66.

Operation: Nose 55 is rotated until the graduations 59 and index 69 indicate the altitude or 4 atmospheric level at which it is intended that the explosive charge 2 shall be exploded. For the purposes of explanation, it is assumed that the fuze has been applied to a rocket, and that the condenser 6 has beencharged. As the rocket ascends, the pressure responsive capsule or means 35expands. This expansion increases the distance between the legs of the U-spring 39,

whereby the rod 59, as shown in Fig. l, moves to the right.v The movement of rod 59 is communicated to rack 22, which, being in engagement with pinion 25, causes the rotation of the latter and of shaft 24 and arm 39. When the rocket has reached the altitude or level for which the fuze has been set for exploding the charge 2, the outer/end of the arm 39 makes contact with the projection or contact 58, thereby closing the circuit (see Fig. 4) including the condenser 6. and primer 1. When this circuit is closed, sparks pass across the spark gap |4 of the primer 1 and these sparks fire the primer. The primer upon being red sets 'on they explosion of the explosive charge 2.

I claim:

1. In a fuze of theL type described adapted for use with a projectile, a hollow body, an adapter constructed and arranged to secure said body in said projectile, the said adapter being provided with a cavity opening into said projectile, an electric primer in said cavity, a source of electrical energy operatively connected with said primer, barometrio means responsive'to variation in air pressure in said body, a U-shaped spring in said body, the said spring having one leg xed and the other leg inengagement with said barometric means and responsive to differences in atmospheric pressure, a rack, means for communicating the motion of said last mentioned leg to said rack, a shaft, a pinion mounted on said shaft and meshing with said rack, whereby the said shaft is rotated upon movement of said rack, an arm fixed on said shaft for rotation therewith, a nose rotatably mounted on said body, a circumferential gauge on said nose calibrated with the pressure response of said barometric means, an electrical contact on said nose in the path of motion of said arm responsive to rota tion of said nose to be positioned in a predetermined position relative to said arm and an electrical circuit including said arm, said contact. said electric primer, and said source of electric energy.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which insulating means are provided between the cavity in the adapter and the body of the fuze.

CARL F. NELSON.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,283,075 Chacon Oct. 29, 1918 1,351,130v Roesch Aug. 31, 1929 1,841,983 Ruhlemann Jan. 19, 1932 2,167,412 Baesecke July 25, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS l Number Country Date 166,562 Great Britain 1921