US3376819A - Explosive appliances with a delay mechanism - Google Patents

Explosive appliances with a delay mechanism Download PDF

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Publication number
US3376819A
US3376819A US525450A US52545066A US3376819A US 3376819 A US3376819 A US 3376819A US 525450 A US525450 A US 525450A US 52545066 A US52545066 A US 52545066A US 3376819 A US3376819 A US 3376819A
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United States
Prior art keywords
elastomer
fuze
explosive
finger
delay
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Expired - Lifetime
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US525450A
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English (en)
Inventor
Guerne William
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Brevets Aero Mecaniques SA
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Brevets Aero Mecaniques SA
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42C—AMMUNITION FUZES; ARMING OR SAFETY MEANS THEREFOR
    • F42C15/00—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges
    • F42C15/18—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges wherein a carrier for an element of the pyrotechnic or explosive train is moved
    • F42C15/188—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges wherein a carrier for an element of the pyrotechnic or explosive train is moved using a rotatable carrier
    • F42C15/192—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges wherein a carrier for an element of the pyrotechnic or explosive train is moved using a rotatable carrier rotatable in a plane which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the projectile
    • F42C15/196—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges wherein a carrier for an element of the pyrotechnic or explosive train is moved using a rotatable carrier rotatable in a plane which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the projectile by the action of centrifugal or inertia forces on the carrier body, e.g. the carrier having eccentrically mounted weights or eccentric centre of gravity
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42C—AMMUNITION FUZES; ARMING OR SAFETY MEANS THEREFOR
    • F42C15/00—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges
    • F42C15/20—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges wherein a securing-pin or latch is removed to arm the fuze, e.g. removed from the firing-pin
    • F42C15/22—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges wherein a securing-pin or latch is removed to arm the fuze, e.g. removed from the firing-pin using centrifugal force
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42C—AMMUNITION FUZES; ARMING OR SAFETY MEANS THEREFOR
    • F42C15/00—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges
    • F42C15/24—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges wherein the safety or arming action is effected by inertia means
    • F42C15/26—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges wherein the safety or arming action is effected by inertia means using centrifugal force
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42C—AMMUNITION FUZES; ARMING OR SAFETY MEANS THEREFOR
    • F42C15/00—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges
    • F42C15/28—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges operated by flow of fluent material, e.g. shot, fluids
    • F42C15/285—Arming-means in fuzes; Safety means for preventing premature detonation of fuzes or charges operated by flow of fluent material, e.g. shot, fluids stored within the fuze housing

Definitions

  • a shell fuze safety device preventing the fuze firing pin from striking the detonator for a predetermined time after the shot has been fired, said device comprising the combination with retractable means for locking the firing pin of a mass of a silicone gum having a hysteresis to deformation arranged yieldingly to oppose retraction of said locking means.
  • the present invent-ion relates to explosive appliances with a delay mechanism, the term delay mechanism being taken in a very broad meaning and including all mechanisms liable to be incorporated in an explosive appliance (shell fuze, rocket, torpedo, mine and so on) with a viewto producing, from a given time which may be predetermined (time of starting of the projectile for instance) o undetermined, possibly of the random type (time when a projectile impinges upon an obstacle or When a mine is exploded, for instance), an operation the total time of performance of which requires a predetermined time period which constitutes the characteristic delay produce-d by the mechanism, said operation being generally the release of a locking mechanism in an explosive appliance firing system.
  • a delay mechanism being taken in a very broad meaning and including all mechanisms liable to be incorporated in an explosive appliance (shell fuze, rocket, torpedo, mine and so on) with a viewto producing, from a given time which may be predetermined (time of starting of the projectile for instance) o undetermined, possibly of
  • the invention is more especially concern-ed with the fuzes of projectiles provided with a safety device preventing operation of the fuze for a predetermined time after the shot has been fired, this time corresponding, for the projectile, to a distance of travel from the gun from which it has been launched.
  • the chief object of the present invention is to provide an appliance of this kind which is better adapted to meet the requirements of practice than those known up to the present time.
  • the delay mechanism of the appliance with which the invention is concerned includes a movable member subjected, when the mechanism works, to the action of a force compelling said member to move, this movable member being further subjected to delaying means adapted to block its displacements.
  • the invention consists in constituting said delay producing means by an elastomer, in particular consisting chiefly of silicone gum, having a substantial hysteresis to deformation and disposed in such manner, with respect to said movable member, that the latter is compelled, during at least a portion of its displacement, to push back said elastomer by deforming it, preferably against the action of resilient means, whereby, due to the hysteresis to deformation which characterizes the elastomer in question, the movement of the movable member is delayed.
  • an elastomer in particular consisting chiefly of silicone gum
  • FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a fuze for a gyrating projectile made according to the present invention
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 show, on an enlarged scale, respectively in cross section on the line II-II of FIG. 3, and in axial section on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2, the safety device according to the present invention
  • FIGS. 4 and 5 show, in axial section, two other embodiments of such a safety device
  • FIG. 6 is an axial section of still another embodiment of a safety device according to the present invention.
  • the fuze comprises a firing pin 1 slidable in a fuze body 2 and adapted to come into contact, by axial displacement, with the primer of a detonator 3, said firing pin 1 being prevented from coming into contact with said primer, before the shot has been fired by a locking means element 4 retractable under the effect of accelerations brought into play when the shot is fired.
  • locking means element 4 is preferably arranged in such manner as to retract under the action of the centrifugal force.
  • Said element 4 advantageously consists of a U-shaped piece slidable in a diametral housing 5 provided in a plug 6 fitted in fuze body 2, firing pin 1 extending between the branches of this U-sha-ped piece and bearing through its head 1a upon the front face of said U-shaped piece 4.
  • another locking means element 7 is adapted to cooperate with element 4 in such manner as to be kept in holding position for a given time after the shot has been fired.
  • This element 7 is subjected, when the shot is fired, on the one hand, to the action of a force tending to move it in the direction corresponding to release of element 4, and, on the other hand, to the action of delay mean-s capable of increasing the time required for enabling movable element 7 to move, under the effect of said force, a distance sufi"1- cient to release locking means element 4.
  • delay means for the same purpose have already been constituted by a damping liquid capable of braking the movement of the movable element of the locking device.
  • the chief object of the present invention is to obviate these drawbacks, that is to say to obtain a safety which remains constant within a wide range of temperatures, said safety being uniniluen-ced by the duration of storing of the fuzes and also by the position occupied by said fuzes during said period.
  • silicone gum elastomers for instance Rhodorsil 13076 gum manufactured by the French firm Societ des Usines Chimiques Rhone- Poulenc, a catalyst (for instance peroxide of benzoyl in the state of a paste), a charge (for instance silica in the powder state) and possibly a coloring material and an additional body for the reduction of the rate of compres sion (mercurous oxide for instance).
  • a silicone gum for instance Rhodorsil 13076 gum manufactured by the French firm Societ des Usines Chimiques Rhone- Poulenc
  • a catalyst for instance peroxide of benzoyl in the state of a paste
  • a charge for instance silica in the powder state
  • a coloring material for instance silica in the powder state
  • the chief feature of the present invention consists in constituting the delay means intended to brake the movement of element 7 belonging to the locking means 4 by means of a silicone gum elastomer 8 disposed in such manner, with respect to movable element 7, that the latter is compelled, during at least part of its displacement, to drive off said elastomer by deforming it, preferably against the action of resilient means compelling said elastomer initially to occupy the whole of its housing.
  • this elastomer will permit, owing to its hysteresis against deformation, of obtaining the desired delay in the displacement of movable element 7, which in turn releases element 4.
  • This delay will be independent of the temperatures of utilization of the fuze due to the stability of elastomer, in particular from the point of view of its plasticity, within a very wide temperature range.
  • the delay mechanism will be always operative, even after the fuzes have been stored for a very long time, in any position whatever, due to the fact that the elastomer has no tendency to leak out and may be kept in its housing by ordinary means for ensuring fluidtightness, and also owing to the fact that it is not alterable by moisture.
  • the force urging movable element 7 in the release direction is a force brought into play when the shot is fired, to wit the centrifugal force
  • said movable element consists of a finger mounted slidable in a radial passage provided in plug 6, one of the ends of said movable element 7 fitting along a given length in a housing provided for this purpose in element 4.
  • One of the ends of element 7 is engaged over a given length in a housing provided in element 4 whereas the other end of element 7 projects into an axially extending variable volume chamber wherein elastomer 8 is kept under pressure by a piston 9 subjected to the action of spring 10.
  • finger 7 tends to move radially away from element 4 while projecting into the elastomer and driving out the latter against the action of spring 10.
  • the hysteresis to deformation of elastomer mass 8 slows down the movement of finger 7 and retards the time when the inner end of finger 7 is wholly retracted from element 4 which is then released and can in turn retract, under the effect of the centrifugal force, which permits firing pin 1 to slide rearwardly in case of impact of the projectile on an obstacle.
  • the time necessary for clearing finger 7 from element 4 constitutes the safety of the fuze and this time can be adjusted easily and accurately when manufacturing the fuze, for instance by suitably choosing the plasticity of the elastomer or upon the relative masses of finger 7 and elastomer 8, or the length of the portion of finger '7 engaged in element 4.
  • variable volume chamber containing the elastomer extends radially and is limited by a movable wall consisting of a ring 11 slidable on finger 7 and applied against the elastomer by a spring 12 bearing against a shoulder 13 rigid with said finger 7.
  • the delayed deformation of elastomer 8 has for its effect to push ring 11 toward shoulder 13 which itself moves toward said ring 11 under the effect of the centrifugal force, this double movement being simultaneous with a compression of spring 12 and going on until the inner end of finger 7 is wholly cleared from element 4.
  • the force acting on movable element '7 is a resilient force kept out of action until the shot is fired and permitted to act only from this time on.
  • Movable element 7 consists of a finger for locking element 4 and slidable axially under the action of spring 14 hearing against a fixed abutment and against a shoulder 15 carried by said finger 7.
  • the fuze is of the shutter type, that is to say comprises a primer 19 diametrally housed in a disc 20 kept, before the shot is fired, in a position such that primer 19 is then out of line with firing pin 1.
  • This disc 20 has an cecentrically located center of gravity so that the centrifugal force due to the gyration of the fuze tends to swing said disc 20 into a position where primer 19 is located on the trajectory of firing pin 1.
  • Disc 20 is maintained in its safety position, illustrated by FIG. 6, until the shot is fired by the following means:
  • a split ring 21 preventing disc 20 from rotating as long as the centrifugal force has not caused said ring 21 to be retracted by radial expansion
  • a push piece 22 bearing upon the fiat surface 20a of disc 20, said push piece being mounted slidable in the direction of the axis of fuze body 2 and being provided with an axial bore for the passage of firing pin 1.
  • This push piece is provided with a head 22a of enlarged diameter projecting partly into a radial bore 23 in which is fitted a piston 24 subjected to the action of a spring 25 bearing upon a plug 26 fixed in the fuze body.
  • the chamber into which the head 22a of push piece 22 projects is filled with elastomer 8.
  • Push piece 22 acts in the same manner as the holding finger 7 of the preceding embodiments.
  • head 22a in order to enable disc 20 to pivot and to come into active position, head 22a must be pushed into the chamber occupied by elastomer 8, the hysteresis to deformation of said elastomer then producing the desired safety.
  • the operations of machining the housing of said elastomer may be performed with a precision lower than in the case of a fuze where the damping element is a liquid, thus reducing the cost of the fuze.
  • a supplementary safety against possible leak may be obtained by housing the elastomer 8 in a resilient bag, for instance of a plastic material which will be punctured at the beginning of the operation of the delay mechanism.
  • the device might also be arranged in such manner 5 that when it is brought into play, the elastomer is expelled through an orifice kept closed until the shot is fired.
  • the delay mechanism according to the present invention might be applied to fuzes in order to produce an automatic destruction thereof after the projectile has travelled over a predetermined distance, or again in order to ensure a delay of the operation of the fuze for a predetermined time after an impact.
  • a device for delaying the retraction movement thereof consisting of a mass of deformable material housed in said casing in contact with a portion of said means so as yieldingly to oppose said retraction movement thereof, said material being an elastomer gum having a substantially complete hysteresis to deformation upon the initial impact of a predetermined force capable 0f deforming it, but deformable under the action of a force llower than said predetermined force when the latter is applied for a predetermined period of time longer than said initial impact.
  • said material is a silicone gum elastomer.
  • a combination according to claim 2 further including resilient means for compressing said mass in its housing provided in said casing.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Portable Nailing Machines And Staplers (AREA)
  • Binders And Loading Units For Sheaves (AREA)
  • Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
  • Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
  • Vibration Dampers (AREA)
US525450A 1965-02-09 1966-02-07 Explosive appliances with a delay mechanism Expired - Lifetime US3376819A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
LU47947A LU47947A1 (de) 1965-02-09 1965-02-09

Publications (1)

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US3376819A true US3376819A (en) 1968-04-09

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US525450A Expired - Lifetime US3376819A (en) 1965-02-09 1966-02-07 Explosive appliances with a delay mechanism

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US (1) US3376819A (de)
BE (1) BE675036A (de)
CH (1) CH442080A (de)
ES (1) ES322740A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1093742A (de)
LU (1) LU47947A1 (de)
NL (1) NL6601316A (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT8322212V0 (it) * 1983-06-24 1983-06-24 Valsella Meccanotecnica Spa Avvenditore meccanico per mina comandato mediante dispositivo di inciampo.

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2363562A (en) * 1941-01-24 1944-11-28 Wilfred E Thibodeau Firing mechanism barrier
US2721913A (en) * 1950-07-17 1955-10-25 Jr Raymond C Kent Shock and static pressure discriminating switch
US2750890A (en) * 1946-10-01 1956-06-19 George H Leonard Time delay fuze for a mine
US2896540A (en) * 1954-12-06 1959-07-28 Voland Andre Control device for the percussion pin of a projectile fuse
US2961959A (en) * 1956-10-01 1960-11-29 Gen Electric Torpedo actuating lanyard seal
US3261293A (en) * 1963-11-22 1966-07-19 Avco Corp Time delay fuze

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2363562A (en) * 1941-01-24 1944-11-28 Wilfred E Thibodeau Firing mechanism barrier
US2750890A (en) * 1946-10-01 1956-06-19 George H Leonard Time delay fuze for a mine
US2721913A (en) * 1950-07-17 1955-10-25 Jr Raymond C Kent Shock and static pressure discriminating switch
US2896540A (en) * 1954-12-06 1959-07-28 Voland Andre Control device for the percussion pin of a projectile fuse
US2961959A (en) * 1956-10-01 1960-11-29 Gen Electric Torpedo actuating lanyard seal
US3261293A (en) * 1963-11-22 1966-07-19 Avco Corp Time delay fuze

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CH442080A (fr) 1967-08-15
BE675036A (de) 1966-06-16
ES322740A1 (es) 1966-11-16
GB1093742A (en) 1967-12-06
LU47947A1 (de) 1966-08-09
NL6601316A (de) 1966-08-10

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