US3049999A - Hand grenade - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 21, 1962 K. H. sUNDl-:N

HAND GRENADE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July '7, 1959 K. H. SUNDEN HAND GRENADE Aug. 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1959 INVENTOR Karl H. Sunden BY Z ff( ATTORNEYS j 3,949,999 Patented Aug. 2l, 1962 This invention relates to a hand grenade.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a hand grenade which has both a delay mechanism and a striker mechanism which are adapted to cooperate with a common detonator for the hand grenade, the delay mechanism serving as a latch for the striker mechanism inasmuch as the delay mechanism must be operated to release the safety means of the striker mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extremely reliable hand grenade which can be used both as a time-release hand grenade and/or percussion hand grenade.

Further objects of the invention and the advantages gained thereby will become apparent from the following description, reference being yhad to the `accompanying drawing which shows a cross section of an embodiment, chosen by way of example, of the hand grenade.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a vertical section of the hand grenade;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the grenade shortly after it has been thrown;

FIGURE 3 isa partial horizontal section showing the adjusting means; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial vertical section showing the latch blade and friction latching means. i

The hand grenade comprises a grenade body 2 containing an explosive charge l and formed by an upper part 3, a lower part 4 and a shell 5. A release mechanism 6 is mounted on said body 2 and includes a frame 7 and a tube 3 extending therefrom and centrally located in the body 2 proper. t

According to the invention, the release mechanism 6 is constituted by a delay mechanism 9 and `a striker mechanism 10 which are adapted to cooperate with a common detonator lll for the hand grenade, said detonator being mounted at the inner end of a tube l2 of the delay mechanism 9 and consisting primarily of the booster charge 13 and the detonator body l5 surrounding said booster charge and located in a sleeve 14. The detonator body preferably consists of tetryl. The detonator ll is adapted to be actuated from above by the intermediary of they delay tubey l2 and from below by the primer cap i6 which is adapted, when the hand grenade functions as a percussion hand grenade, to be penetrated bythe striker 17 of the striker mechanism. n

The delay mechanism 9 is adapted to serve as a latch for the striker mechanism l@ 'inasmuch as the vmechanism 9 has to be actuated for the release of the safety means of the striker mechanism l0. For this purpose, the mass consisting of the delay tube l2 and the detonaterV ll is movable in relation to the striker mechanism llt), the release of the safety means of the striker mechanism lt) 'being brought about by said mass being shifted by the action'of the spring 13. ln the safety position of the striker mechanism l@ the striker 17 constitutes a latch for the slide 2li which is laterally movable in the slide housing 19 and provided with the primer cap 16. This slide 2@ cooperates with a coil spring 2l which tends to move it to the position in which the'primer cap l@ is directly opposite the striker 17. The slide 2t) is thus permitted to move when the striker 17, owing to the delay tube 12 being moved away from the striker mechanism lll, leaves the .slide 2t?, whereafter the apex of the striker 17 will be at a small distance from the primer cap 16.

In orderthat the slide Zttmay not leave the-position where the primer cap 16 is opposite the striker 17, due

to the forces arising when the hand grenade hits the target, j

the slide 2@ cooperates with a snap device consisting of a leaf spring 22 or the like and adapted to retain the slide Ztl in said shifted position.

Reference numeral 23 designates an adjusting means which is movable in the frame 7 and which in one position permits shifting of the delay tube 12 while in another position it prevents said tube l2 from being shifted. The

adjusting means 23 is a plate with an opening 24 therein, which in one position allows the portion 25 to pass but which in the other position prevents such a passage. The positions are determined by a snap spring 26 which engages in recesses 23a in one side of the plate 23. The shifting, herein referred to, of the delay tube 12 is not, however, possible until a number of safety means `and the like have been moved out of latching position, as will appear from the following description.

Pivotally mounted on a shaft 27 in the frame 7 is a latch 2S which is adapted to engage the end of the delay tube l2 to prevent shifting of said tube. The latch 28 has portions 29 reaching outside the frame 7, and a band 30 or the like wound around the frame 7 is adapted to engage said portions 29 to hold the latch 28 in latching position. Thus the latch can be moved from latching position only after the band 30 has been unwound from the frame 7, which at the throw of the hand grenade is facilitated by weights fixed to the outer end of the band 30.

Reference numeral 3l designates another shaft in the frame 7, on which are mounted a striker 32 and a friction latch means 33. A percussion spring 34 acting upon the striker 32 is 4also arranged on said shaft 3l. In the latched position of the striker 32 the friction'latch means 33 is held by the spring 34 applied against the side of the del-a3l tube l2 so that this tube cannot be shifted. The striker 32 in turn engages with an inner lever 35 which is held in position by the band 30 wound -about the frame 7, band 30 in turn being held in position by an outer lever 36 on said frame 7. The lever 36 is of such a shape that in the position in which it hugs the frame7 it retains the latch 28 in latching position, said lever lbearing with an inwardly bent portion against the latch V28. Together with the band 3i) the outer lever 36 thus forms a double safety means for the latch 28.v The band 30 is preferably provided with two weights, each arranged on one side of the frame 7 and cooperating with one or more ysprings which tend to throw the weights away from the frame 7 to unwind the band 3) from said frame. The outer lever 36 has release springs 37 which tend to separate the lever 36 from the frame '7. In the safe position of the hand grenade this is prevented by a safety pin 38 which extends through apertures 36a in the lever 36 and the frame 7 and which therefore has to be removed before the throw.

In certain cases it may be desirable to use ,the hand grenade exclusively as a percussion hand grenade, which applies inter alia when the hand grenade` is to be discharged from a lire-arm or the like. To krealize this, the frame '7 has an aperture 39 for the insertion of a latch blade 39a so arranged that when said latch blade is inserted therein the striker 32 .is blocked and prevented by said blade from actingY upon the primer capsule 40' arranged at the end of the delay tube l2. Friction latching means 33, which is pivotally mounted on shaft 3l, has a portion which, in the `condition shown, is in line with aperture 39, so that when the latch blade 39ais inserted therein said blade will move the friction latching means 33 away ,from the delay tube 12 so that said means 33 does not prevent the shifting of the delay tube 12; Asbest seen in FIGURE 4, the bottom of the latch blade 39a, which is tapered, engages the upper portion of the friction latching means 33 tending to rotate it slightly in a counterclockwise direction. When the striker 32 engages the latch blade, the percussion spring 34 is unloaded at least to the greater extent. This arrangement is chosen in order that when the delay mechanism 9 is used the percussion spring 34 may no-t prevent or render diicult the shifting Vof the delay tube 12 away from the striker mechanism 10.

To permit discharging the hand grenade from hre-arms the delay mechanism 9 and the striker mechanism 10 are so arranged relative to each other and to the common detonator 11 that the discharge can take place without any risk of a too early release of the hand grenade. For at the discharge the delay tube 12 and the detonator 11 tend to move towards the striker mechanism 10, for which reason the safety means are not subjected toany load causing them to fail.

In the embodiment shown the striker mechanism is of the type comprising a percussion weight 41 disposed between two concave surfaces, one of which is provided on the body 42 in which the striker 17 is located, while the other surface is provided in a bottom plug 43 of the tube 8. The masses of the striker mechanism 10 and the delay tube 12 with associated parts are so dimensioned that a release takes place independently of the manner in which the hand grenade hits the target in question. A prerequisite, naturally, is that the hand grenade is set to function as a percussion hand grenade.

The grenade may be adjusted for tiring by time release only, or by percussion only, or by both, i.e. by the means which actuates first.

For time-release plus percussion, adjusting means 23 is set in the position shown, so that delay tube 12 is not held down thereby. When the grenade is thrown (safety pin 38 having been removed) spring 37 throws outer lever 36 clear. Then the weights on the end of band 30 are thrown clear and unwind band 30 from around frame 7 and the portions 29 of latch 28. This allows latch 28 to swing freely around shaft 27. The unwinding of band 30 also releases inner lever 35, which in turn releases striker 32. Striker 32 is swung about shaft 31 -by spring 34 which unloads the pressure against yfriction latching means 33. Delay tube 12, originally held down by two means, i.e. latch 28 and latch 33 is now free to move up, and it is moved up by spring 18, so that slide is released lfrom striker 17, and primer cap 16 is moved by spring 21 into alignment with striker 17, thereby arming the grenade for percussion ring. Striker 32 hits primer capsule 40; igniting the powder in the delay tube 12. After the burning of this powder has progressed to the bottom of the tube the booster charge 13 is ignited (if it has not Ibeen fired -already by the percussion means), detonating the detona- Y tor body 15 to explode the charge 1.

For tiring by time only, adjusting means 23 is moved from the position illustrated so that hole 24 is not in position to let portion 25 of the tube move up. This locks delay tube 12 in the lower position shown, jso that striker 17 in turn locks primer cap 16 in the inoperative position, and the grenade cannot be red by percussion. When the grenade is thrown the operation is the same as described above except that the percussion mechanism is not armed, and the grenade is tired at the end of the time period for which the time train is designed.

For ring by percussion only, a latch blade or pin is inserted in aperture 39, thereby moving frictionlatching means 33 away from delay tube 12. Adjusting means 23 is placed in the position shown in the drawing. Latch 28 holds delay tube down until the grenade is thrown. Then the operation is the same as described -above for timerelease plus percussion, except that the latch blade inserted in aperture 39 blocks striker 32 from primer cap 40, so that the time train is not ignited and the grenade ires by the percussion means on impact.

The -fact that the hand grenade can be set simultaneously as a time-release hand grenade and as a percussion hand grenade implies the advantage that the time-release mechanism causes the hand grenade to explode if the striker mechanism 10 fails to bring about a release `for some reason or other, `such as loose lsoil at the hitting point.

The above embodiment of the invention was described for purpose of illustration rather than limitation. All possible variations and modifications of the invention are understood as being included within the scope of the appended cl aims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a grenade, a fuse comprising a detonator, a rst actuating means for detonating said detonator a predetermined time interval after said grenade has been thrown, said first actuating means comprising a first striker pin, a first primer, means for striking said pin against said primer when said grenade is thrown, a powder time train, and `a delay tube, said primer being mounted in the outer end of said Vdelay tube, said time train being installed in said delay tube, said detonator being tixedly mountedon the inner end yof said delay tube, said delay tube being mounted in said fuse for limited inward and outward sliding movement along the axis of said delay tube, tirst spring means urging said delay tube outwardly toward an outer position, rst latch means `for retaining said delay tube in an inner position until said grenade is thrown, a second actuating Vmeans for detonating said detonator, after said grenade has been thrown, upon impact of said grenade against an object, said second actuating means comprising a second striker pin, a second primer, and means for urging said second striker pin outwardly toward said detonator upon impact of said grenade with an object, second latch means for holding said second primer laterally oiset from said second striker while said delay tube is in its inner position, and second spring means urging said second primeiinto an armed position between said second striker and said detonator, means for rendering said rst `actuating means inoperative while leaving said second actuating means operative, and means for rendering said second actuating means inoperative while leaving fsaid iirst actuating means operative.

2. A fuse in accordance with claim 1, said second latch means comprising said second striker pin and a slide mounted on the inner end of said detonator for axial movement with said slide and for movement transversely to the axis of said delay tube, said second primer being xed in sai-d slide, said second striker pin engaging said Vslide in the inner position of said delay tube to hold said second primer laterally oset from said second striker, vsaid second spring means urging said slide to an armed position with said primer in its said armed position.

3. A fuse in accordance with claim 2 comprising latch means for holding said slide in its armed position once it has been moved thereto.

4. A fuse in accordance with claim 1, said means for rendering said second actuating means inoperative while leaving said rst actuating means operative comprising adjustable means'for retaining said delay tube in its inner position.

5. A fuse in `'accordance with claim l, said first latch means comprising first and second delay tube engaging means, said rs-t delay tube engaging means comprising ya latch means for engaging the outer end of said delay tube to prevent outward movement thereof, said second delay tube engaging means comprising friction means engaging a lateral side sur-.face of said delay tube, said means for rendering said rst means inoperative while leaving said second actuating means operative comprising means for releasing said second delay tube engaging means.

References Cited in the lle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,600,303 Adelman et al Sept. 21, 1926 2,412,636 Short Dec. 17, 1946 2,651,993 Berzof et al Sept. 15, 1953 2,763,212 McCaslin Sept. 18, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 221.217 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1925

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