US3844215A

US3844215A - Mine fuze

Info

Publication number: US3844215A
Application number: US00022066A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Rogers; R Thresher
Original assignee: US Department of Army
Current assignee: US Department of Army
Priority date: 1960-04-13
Filing date: 1960-04-13
Publication date: 1974-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1991-10-29

Abstract

3. A land mine including an electrical detonator, first and second fuzes adapted to be buried in the ground; each fuze comprising a housing, a pressure plate carried by and forming a closure for said housing, an induction coil fixed in said housing, a permanent magnet extending through said coil, said permanent magnet being connected to said pressure plate so as to move in said coil in response to operation of the pressure plate, and a switch having a pair of contacts, one contact being carried by said housing and the other contact being carried by said permanent magnet whereby said switch is closed in response to depression of said pressure plate, said induction coil and said switch being electrically connected in series; opposite sides of said induction coil of said first fuze being connected, respectively, to one side of said detonator and to said switch of said second fuze and opposite sides of said induction coil of said second fuze being connected, respectively to the other side of said detonator and said switch of said first fuze.

Description

[451 Oct. 29, 1974 MINE FUZE [75] Inventors: Joseph P. Rogers, Jr.; Richard G.

Thresher, both of Ledgewood, NJ.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC.

[22] Filed: Apr. 13, 1960 [21] Appl. No; 22,066

[52] US. Cl. 102/8, 102/70.2 R [51] Int. Cl. F42b 23/00 [58] Field of Search 102/702, 70 G, 70 GI,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,542 3/1940 Benedetti [OZ/70.2

2,456,657 12/1948 Vagts 102/8 2,569,808 10/1951 Ensign 102/8 2,703,530 3/1955 McGee 102/70.2

Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle Attorney, Agent, or FirmEdward J. Kelly; Herbert T. Berl EXEMPLARY CLAIM 3. A land mine including an electrical detonator, first and second f uz es adapted to be buried in the ground; each fuze comprising a housing, a pressure plate carried by and forming a closure for said housing, an induction coil fixed in said housing, a permanent magnet extending through said coil, said permanent magnet being connected to said pressure plate so as to move in said coil in response to operation of the pressure plate, and a switch having a pair of contacts, one contact being carried by said housing and the other contact being carried by said permanent magnet whereby said switch is closed in response to depression of said pressure plate, said induction coil and said switch being electrically connected in series; opposite sides of said induction coil of said first fuze being connected, respectively, to one side of said detonator and to said switch of said second fuze and opposite sides of said induction coil of said second fuze being connected, respectively to the other side of said detonator and said switch of said first fuze.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures MINE FUZE This invention relates to land mines and more particularly to antitank land mines which will be detonated only after a substantial portion of the tank has passed thereover.

In the use of land mines as an anti-tank weapon the most destructive effect on a tank cannot be obtained if the mine is detonated when first contacted by the tank. Detonation to be most effective should occur directly under the tank which is its most vulnerable point. Time delays between fuze actuation and detonation have not proven entirely satisfactory.

Briefly, our invention comprises a land mine having a pair of spaced fuzes which must both be operated before detonation will occur. Further, the second fuze must be operated while the operating means, i.e. tank, is still in contact with the first fuze. Thus, it will be sen that by properly spacing the fuzes and correctly positioning the mine with respect thereto the mine can be made to explode directly beneath a tank at its most vulnerable point. Further, since the tank must be in contact with both fuzes at the same time the mine cannot be detonated by the sequential operation of the fuzes by personnel or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a land mine which will explode directly underneath a tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide a land mine with spaced fuzes, both of which must be operated before the mine will be detonated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a land mine having spaced fuzes which must be contacted at the same time in order to detonate the mine.

Another object is to provide a land mine having an electrical detonator and in which actuating current is induced upon operation of the fuze by a tank.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mine having an electrical detonator and a pair of fuzes each having an induction power source and switch in circuit with the detonator.

A further object is to provide a mine fuze having an induction power source and switch which are simultaneously operated by contact with a tank or the like.

These and other objects will become more apparent when reference is had to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one of the fuzes of my invention showing the induced current power source and switch, and

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the two fuzes and the manner in which they are connected to the mine detonator.

The land mine of the present invention utilizes two fuzes, one of which is shown in detail in FIG. 1. Each fuze constitutes an electrical power source for the mine detonator and includes an induction power source and switch.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fuze is indicated in its entirety by reference character 1 and includes the housing 2 which is adapted to be buried in the ground. The housing is cup shaped as shown and is provided in its bottom wall with annular channel 3 and the two upstanding webs 4. Supported by and connected across the tops of the webs 4 is the magnet support bar 5 which carries the pivot pin 6. Pivotally mounted on the pin 6 is the yoke 7 which carries the pin 14 andmagnet support wires 9. Connected between the magnet support wires 9 is the permanent magnet 10.

Slidably mounted on the housing 2 is the pressure plate 11 which has the annular flange 12 to slidably engage the housing. The pressure plate carries the pivot 13 which is provided with the opening 14 to loosely receive the pin 14. The head 15 on the pin 14 prevents withdrawal of the pin from the pivot 13. The resetting spring 16 is received in the groove 3 and acts to urge the pressure plate 11 upward.

Mounted within the housing 2 by means of the mounting pads 17 is the coil 18 which surrounds the magnet 10. The bottom wall of the housing is provided with an aperture which threadedly receives the adaptor l9 and insulating gasket 20. One lead wire 21 from the coil is led directly through the gasket 20. The pivoted yoke 7 carries one contact 22 of a switch, and the second coil lead 23 is led from the coil to the switch contact 22 and then out through the gasket 20. The second switch contact 24 is fixed to the web 4 and has lead wire 25 connected thereto. The lead 25 is conducted from the switch contact out of the housing through gasket 20.

The operation of each individual fuze should now be apparent. When pressure is applied to the pressure plate 11, the plate is depressed against the action of the spring 16. This pivots the yoke 7 and the permanent magnet 10 carried thereby. The lines of flux of the magnet then cut the turns of the coil 18 and induce a current therein and hence in

leads

21 and 23. At the same time, the

switch contacts

22 and 24 are closed connecting the

leads

23 and 25.

The schematic diagram of FIG. 2 illustrates the manner in which a pair of fuzes similar to the one shown in FIG. 1, may be used with a single mine so that both fuzes must be operated to cause detonation. The electrically operated detonator of the mine is indicated at 26. The fuze units are indicated as fuze No. l and fuze No. 2. One side of induction power source 27 of fuze No. l is connected to the detonator 26 and one side of induction power source 28 of fuze No. 2 is also connected to the detonator 26. The opposite side of induction power source 27 is connected to switch contact 24 of fuze No. 2 while the opposite side of induction power source 28 is connected to switch contact 22 of fuze No. I. In the operation of a mine with two fuzes, let it be assumed that a tank first operates fuze No. 1, causing power to be generated by power source 27 and

closing switch contacts

22 and 24. Switch

contacts

22 and 24 of fuze No. 2 are still open, however, and the detonator 26 is thus not in circuit, and the mine does not explode. The electrical pulse generated by source 27 is not stored and dissipates. If now the tank proceeds and operates fuze No. 2 while still being in contact with fuze No. 1 so that

switch contacts

22 and 24 on fuze No. 1 remain closed, power is induced in power source 28 and

switch contacts

22 and 24 of fuze No. 2 are closed. Inasmuch as

switch contacts

22 and 24 of fuze No. 1 are also closed and no further current is being generated by source 27, the detonator is in circuit and the mine is exploded. It will be noted, however, that if the pressure of the tank is removed from fuze No. 1 allowing

switch contacts

22 and 24 of fuze No. 1 to open before fuze No. 2 is actuated, the mine will not detonate upon actuation of fuze No. 2. Obviously the mine would also be detonated by a reverse operation, i.e., ac-

tuation of fuze No. 2 and then actuation of fuze No. 1 while the switch of fuze No. 2 is still closed.

it will thus be seen that a mine having two fuzes connected as shown in FIG. 2 will be effective to explode only after a substantial part of the tank has passed thereover depending on the spacing of the fuzes. The application and release of a load to one fuze before the application of a load to the second fuze will not detonate the mine.

While we have shown in FIG. 2 the use of two fuzes with a mine, it will be apparent that one fuze could be assembled to a mine with the induction power source and switch in series with the detonator to provide a contact mine fuze. Depending on the strength of the return spring, the mine could then be used for anti-tank, anti-personnel or general purposes.

it will be apparent that the embodiment shown is only exemplary and that various modifications can be made in construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a land mine, an electrical detonator, first and second fuzes adapted to be buried in the ground and operated by external pressure, each fuze comprising an electrical power source and a switch connected in series, one side of the power source of the first fuze being connected to said detonator and the other side of said power source being connected to the switch of said second fuze, one side of the power source of said second fuze being connected to said detonator and the other side of said last named power source being connected to the switch of said first fuze whereby said detonator will not operate unless both said switches are closed.

2. In a fuze for a land mine adapted to be buried in the ground as defined in claim 1, each said electrical power source being of the induction type and generating power in response to operation of said fuzes whereby both of said switches must be closed one at a time to cause detonation.

3. A land mine including an electrical detonator, first and second fuzes adapted to be buried in the ground; each fuze comprising a housing, a pressure plate carried by and forming a closure for said housing, an induction coil fixed in said housing, a permanent magnet extending through said coil, said permanent magnet being connected to said pressure plate so as to move in said coil in response to operation of the pressure plate, and a switch having a pair of contacts, one contact being carried by said housing and the other contact being carried by said permanent magnet whereby said switch is closed in response to depression of said pres- 'sure plate, said induction coil and said switch being electrically connected in series; opposite sides of said induction coil of said first fuze being connected, respectively, to one side of said detonator and to said switch of said second fuze and opposite sides of said induction coil of said second fuze being connected, respectively to the other side of said detonator and said switch of said first fuze.