US2782717A

US2782717A - Fuze

Info

Publication number: US2782717A
Application number: US297136A
Authority: US
Inventors: Burri Heinrich; Schori Fritz Alfred
Original assignee: Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon Buhrle AG
Current assignee: Rheinmetall Air Defence AG
Priority date: 1952-07-03
Filing date: 1952-07-03
Publication date: 1957-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1974-02-26

Description

` H. BURR! ETAL Feb. 25,1957

FUZE

2 She'ets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1952.

9 INVENTQILS;

ATTOKNESL Feb. 26, 1957 H. BURR! ETAL FUZE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 5, 1952 United States FUZE Heinrich Burri and Fritz Alfred Schori, Zurich, Switzerland, assignors to Machine Tool Works Oerlikon, Administration Company, Zurich-Oerlikon, Switzerland, a Swiss company Application `Iuly 3, V1.952, Serial No. 297,136 2 Claims. (Cl. 102--71) The present invention relates to a fuze with a built-in self-destruction device, in which fuze the detonator containing the priming charge is so disposed in the transport position that it is unable to ignite the intensifying charge. This arrangement has the advantage that self-ignitionrof the priming charge, such as may occasionally occur in storage, or in the gun barrel when tiring, willfnot be transmitted to the high-explosive charge of the shell.

The fuze in accordance with the invention consists of a casing, a spring-loaded percussion pin or striker mountedl therein for longitudinal displacement and carrying two flyweights arranged on swivelling arms and ableV to bear against an oblique surface of the casing underthe iniluence of centrifugal force, an intensifying or amplifying charge arranged at thel rear end of the casing, and 'a member disposed between the percussion pin or vstriker and the intensifying charge and capableof rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the striker, said member having a bore containing a detonator which can be rotated into the path of the striker and which, in this position, communicates with the intensifying charge through a bore in the casing, and said fuze is ch'aracterized by the fact that the rotatable member is provided' with a recess or cavity against which the striker abuts in the transport position in such a`wayfthat`th'e striker locks the member before and during'iring, in a position in which the detonator is swivelled' out of the path of thestriker and in which also the borebetween the rotatable member and the intensifying charge is closed by the said member.

In the: accompanying drawing, several embodimentsof the fuze in accordance with the invention are depicted. In the drawing: y

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional Vview of'a first ernbodiment of the fuze; in transport position;

4 Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fuze in transport position, taken `along 'the line I-I inFigure l;

FigureV 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of -the fuze-in the armed condition;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fuze in the detonating position; e

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectionalview of thefuze in a second embodiment, in transport position;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of :the 'second embodiment in the armed condition;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further embodiment of the fuze;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further embodiment of the fuze.

In the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 to 4, the numeral 1 designates the fuze casing, which is screwed on to the body of the projectile and is closed at its forward end by a plate 5. Disposed in the longitudinal axis of the fuze is the percussion pin o'r striker 2 to which the swivellingl arms 3 with the roller-shaped ilyweights 4 are attached. The striker 2 is acted upon by the spring 6. The latter abuts at one end against a shoulder of the the spring 6 that the striker pin abuts against the plate 5 2,782.3 7 Patented Feb. 26, 1957 fuze: casing-f1 and at the other end through a bushing 7 againstfa ycollar 2a of the striker 2, and tends to force the-striker Vto the rear.

The lmovement of the striker to the rear isprevented in the itransport position by the spherical member 8, which `is disposed in a spherical mount or socket constituted by the

.parts

9 and 10. The spherical member 8 Ais provided,.on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the fuze,1with two cylindrical trunnions'or journals 11 which are guided ina slot 9a of the part 9. The 4spherical member` 8 is -thereforerotatable only about the said axis. Disposed in a bore in the member 8 is the detonator 12. In thel transport position the member 8 is so rotated that the'striker 2cannot pierce the detonator 12. In this position, the shoulder 2b of the striker is forced by the spring 6 against the flattened area 8a`ofthe surface of the member 8, thereby preventing therlatter from rotating;-

Whenthe projectile is-red, the yweightsbear against an: oblique surface 10a of the member 10 and, by one component of their centrifugal force, draw the striker forward against-the pressure oflthe spring 6. As a result, the striker or percussion pin is lifted from the at -StVonthemember'S and the latter rotates under the action ofthecentrifugal forces until its bore lies coaxial with the striker pin 2. t In this position the member 8-is held by the ball 13, which, accommodated in the short bore-8b, emerges into the recess 9b of part 9'on' the rotation of the member Sand` abuts against the lower edge of thep'art' 101 In thisarmed position, shown in Figure 3, the striker isf'able to pierce the detonator, the detonation of which is transmitted'by the intensifying charge 14 -to the high'- explosive charge of the projectile.

The'spherical member 8 has a certain amountfof play in Iits mountor bearing so that it can perform a short movement in the axial direction of the fuze. The length ofthe `slot 9a in this latter direction is so proportioned thatthe member- 8, in its rearmost position, lies flush againstthe bearing surface by its entiresurface, whilst the journals or trunnions 11 have a clearance in the axial direct-ion of the fuze in the slot 9a. In the forward position -of-the member 8, the trunnions 11 abut against the under edge of the member 10, whilst the surface ofthe member S in not in contact with the surface' of the spherical socket.

The following is the manner in which the fuz'efuncti'onsz` -In'the transport' position (Figure 1), the spherical member 8 is `so turned that the striker 2 cannot pierce thdeton'ator 12 and vat the saine time the communication between the detonator 12 and the intensifying charge 14 is blocked.l This blockage has the result thatin the event of ls'pontaneousignition of the primer composition ofthe detonator'lZ during storage or duringV transport, the intensifyingcharge 14 is not detonated. The rotor 8 is held in'lthe'transport position by the striker 2, the latter being forced Vagainst the at 3a by the pressure of the spring-A.-

When the projectile is fired, its acceleration forces Vthe striker pin 2 and the spherical member 8 to the rear. As a result, the striker is pressed rmly against the flat 8a of the body 8. Moreover, the friction of member 8, which member is firmly pressed by the acceleration force into the spherical socket, opposes the rotation of said member. Only when the projectile has left the gun barrel do the flyweights 10a, which bear against the oblique surface 10a, draw the striker pin, by a component of their centrifugal force, so far forward against the pressure of As a result, the member 8 is liberated and rotates under the action of the centrifugal force until the ball 13 disposed in the bore 8b, which ball 13 is likewise caused by the centrifugal force to slide outwards into the recess 9b of the member 9, encounters the under edge of the member 1l). In this position the bore of the member 8 is coaxial with the striker pin and the communicating bore to the intensifying charge is liberated. The fuze is now armed (Figure 3). This arming of the fuze cannot occur until the projectile has emerged from the gun barrel.

Owing to the friction of the air, the rotary speed of the projectile progressively diminishes. As a result, the centrifugal force of the ilyweights becomes steadily less until the moment finally arrives whenthe axial component of the centrifugal force becomes smaller than the force of the spring 6, whereupon the yweights 4 slide off the surface a and the striker pin 2 is driven by the spring 6 into the detonator and provokes self-destruction of the shell (Figure 4). If the projectile strikes a target, the forward part of the fuze is compressed and the striker pin 2 is driven into the detonator 12.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6 the fuze is not armed until the projectile has travelled a certain distance after leaving the muzzle of the gun. To achieve this end, the plate 5 of the embodiment previously described is replaced by a rolled-in plate 15. In a cavity a in the plate 15 is a compound 16Ymelting at low temperatures, for example at temperatures below 150 centigrade. The striker pin 2 abuts firmly against the cornpound 16 through a hole 15b in the plate 15 and cannot be drawn forward by the yweights so long as the com- -pound 16is in position.

The manner in which the device functions is as follows:

As in the embodiment previously described, when the projectile is red the striker pin Z and the spherical member 8 are forced to the rear by the forcesV of acceleration, with the result that the member 8 cannot rotate. When `the projectile has left the gun barrel, the flyweights tend to draw the striker pin forward by one component of their centrifugal force, and thereby to accomplish the liberation of the spherical member. The striker pin 2, however, bears by its forward part against the compound 16 and is thereby prevented from performing such a movement. When acertain time has elapsed, the compound 16, which is made of material of low melting point, melts. The striker pin can now move forward and reach its armed position in accordance with Figure 3, whereby the spherical member S is liberated. For the rest, the function of therfuze is the same as described in reference to the preceding embodiment.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the rotatable member, designated bythe numeral 17, has no trunnions, but rises solely under the influence of its centrifugal force. The strikerpinZ blocks the rotatable member 17 by engaging, by its shoulder 26, in a cylindrical depression 17a inthe rotary'member 17. As a result, when the projectile fis tired the rotatable member 17 cannot rotate and arm., the fuze until the yweights 4 have drawn the striker pin.2 forward byV one component of their centrifugal force. If, owing to erosion ofthe gun barrel, the rotary speed at which self-destruction occurs is not achieved when the projectile is fired, the fuze remains unarmed. For the rest, the manner in which the fuze functions is the same as described in reference to the preceding embodiments.v

It is also possible to make the depression 17a with tapered sides, in which event, by suitably selecting the angle of taper of the wall of the tapered depression, the arming response limit can be fixed as desired.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the rotatable member 17 has two short, coaxially aligned bores 17b located in the pivotal axis of the member 17. Accommodated in the bore 17b are balls 18 which, after the firing of the projectile, move outwards under the action of the centrifugal force, bear against the surface 9d, and thereby serve as bearings for the body 17 during its rotation.

The embodiments described are, needless to say, only a few of numerous possibilities of implementing the inventive idea. Y

What we claim is:

l. In a projectile, a casing having a passage formed therein and extending from front to rear along a longitudinal axis, a rotor pivoted in said casingb'ehind said passage for rotation about a transverse axis extending at right angles to said longitudinal axis, said rotor being rotated about said transverse axis by centrifugal forces produced when said projectile is rotated about said longitudinal axis, a striker pin movably mounted in said passage, resilient means located in said casing and engaging saidtstriker pin to hold it in engagement with said rotor in the transport position andy thereby secure the rotor against rotation, pin-retaining means located in front of said casing and comprising a compound closing the front of said passage and melting by heat developed by the `firing of the projectile, said pin-retaining means preventing the pin from shifting out of its transport position prior to firing, and means actuated by centrifugal forces and connected with said striker pin for moving said striker pin out of engagement with said rotor when the projectile is rotated about the longitudinal axis and after the melting of said compound, said pin-retaining means further comprising anabutting surface for the striker pin to prevent the striker pin from moving beyond the armed position after the melting of the compound.

2. A projectile in accordance with claim l, wherein said casing comprises a seat at the rear of said passage, whereby a rotation of said rotor is normally prevented by frictional engagement of said rotor with said seat, said casing further having formed therein slots extending on opposite sides of said rotor, and journals connected with said rotor and extending in the direction of said transverse axis, said journals projecting into said slots and forming with said slots bearings for holding the rotor with play 'in the direction of said longitudinal axis.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,774,043