US527222A - Time-fuse - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet'l. W. J. SMITH..-

TIME FUSE.

120.527,222. Patented oct. 9, 1894.

No Model.) I l 2 sheets-sheet 2.

W. J. SMITH.

TIME FUSE.

N0. 527,222. Patented 001;. 9, 1824.

. 4' .IES-Z- A TES lhtrrnnrr ilirricn.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Le 't Fuse ers 'tent No. 527,222, dated October 9, 1894.

^nplication Filed October Z5, lSQS. Serial No. 489,120, l/Nu modell '/'o alt ufl/.011% it may concern.-

I -e it known that I, WinLLui: .Tous Snrrn, a citizen of the lfnited States, residing at New llave-min thocountyof Nc'wllaven and State I of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explotlers for lrojectiles, ofv which the followinpr is aspccification.

)Iy invention relates to exploders for projectiles, and my invention consists of an cxploder in which there is a spring actuated hammer, a lock therefor, a detent for said lock, and means for regulating the movement of the lock, all as sot forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in'

which- Figure l illustrates a projectile in part section sufiicient to show my improved exploder.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the case of the exploder. Fig. 5 5 is a View showing the parts in position after firing; Fig. et, an enlarged section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1.

lVithin-a case A, which is fitted neatly to an opening in the exterior of the projectile, 1s arranged a spring,r actuated hammer B, sliding in an opening beneath which is a nipple for the reception ot' acap or other igniter to, and pressed toward said cap by a spring 4. A lock ot' any suitable character serves to hold the hammer B in position with the spring compressed so thatcn the 'release of the hammer by the action of the said lock, the hamme1 will be forced percussively against the cap and explode the charge of the shell.

'Phe lock that holds the hammer maybe of any suitable character. As shown, it is a rod J, sliding in an opening which crosses the. opening in which the hammer slides and servn lng when beneath the hammer to hold it in position with the spring' compressed.

With the lock 5' is combined a spring 7 which tends to throw the lock in a position to unlock the hammer, but as it is not desired that the lock shall thus be -moved until the gun is fired and sometimes until the shell is to explode, I make use of a detent which holds the lock in place until the charge is to be eX- ploded, or in the cascof a time exploder, until the lock is to begin to move from beneath the hammer.

The arrangement of parts in connection with a time exploder started inaction on l firing the i;un is illustrated in a separate application for Letters Patent, SerialNo. 863039, liled on the fl-lth day of October, 1893, the special arrangement herein shown servinf.;V for an exploder in which the locking device is caused to release the device that locks the hammer on the striking of the shell against any object. In this construction the lock 5 is combined withadetent which tends to hold the lock in position with the spring 7 compressed until the said detent is distnrhed by the concussion resulting from the contact of the projectile with an object.

Different detents maybe employed to hold and release the lock 5. As shown, there isa cylindrical bolt l) which slides in an opening` transverse to the axis of the rod 5, and with a transverse opening 5, which, when the detent is in its normaposition is outof line with the axis of .tho rod, but which Will be brought into line with the rod when the detent is shifted bythe concussion of the shell. As shown, the sprinfr 7 is in a cylinder or chamber y and hears against a piston` C upon the rod 5, tending to move the rod toward the detent D, which is in the form ota cylindrical block sliding in a ovlindrical chamber in the block A, the face oi' the detcnt where the end ol' the rod 5 hears against it being flattened to prevent the dctont from turning. 'lhore alsoalongitudinnl openi the detent which willennble it to move freely from end to end of the chamber which is longer than the detent which is situated in it. These parts are so arranged that the detent will be shifted by the concussion. As shown, the head of the detent is toward the `rear of the shell when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l, and when the shell strikes any object the momentum will cause the detent to move forward -mgitudinally in the shell and bring the opening f5 in line with the lockingr rod 5.

The parts arranged as above described may be used .for an exploder where the explosion is to take place the moment the projectile strikes the object. In many cases, however, it is desirable that there shall be an interval of time between. the striking ol' the shell and the explosion and to this end, I provide meansf'or retarding themovement of the' lock evenafter the detent D has shifted in v,position to release the lock. To this end, I make use of a dash pot. The dash pot may be constructed in dierent ways,'but as shown, I utilize the piston C and the chamber y in which the piston and 'spring and rod 5 are arranged, placing a body of oil in the chamber, and connecting -the opposite ends of the chamber by a by-passage j", and in order to regulate the iiow and consequently the interval between the striking and explosion, I make use of a valve which more or leSS throttles this by-passage, Y

The yalve may be of any suitable character. Asshown, it is a plug 8 having an opening s which by the turning of the plug may be broughtto coincide more or less with the channelf, and on the end of'the plug is an arm or pointer d which extends. to a gradu- Vated arc u, so that by setting the pointer to different positions and more or less throttlingI the channelf, the movement of the piston of the dash pot after the detent' D has been shifted may be predetermined and regulated to any desired extent.

The liquid .used -may be oil, glycerine, vWater, mercury, or any other liquid which may b e found t6 be available or desirable.

Although I have shown a hammer and a de tent in .the form of .a cylindrical block sliding in an opening, it will be4 evident that the.

formsof'these parts may be varied to a'very considerable extent without departing from the mainv features -oEV my invention; and although I have 'shown a dash pot of a certain form, it will be evident that diifepent forms of dash pots or liquid retarding devices may be employed..

I do not limit myself to the particular means described ofshifting the detent D, that is by the ccncussion,inasmuch as it may be shifted eitherby concussion or by direct action of the gases when the charge in the gunis fired'and before the projectile leaves the gun, as set forth in my aforesaid other application for Letters Patent.

Vithout limiti-ng myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I

1. An exploder for projectiles provided with a spring actuated hammer, a lock for holding the hammer in position with the spring compressed, a spring for moving the lock in one direction to release the hammer, and a detent for holding the lock in position with its spring compressed, substantially as set forth.

The combination in/an exploder for projectiies, of a spring actuated hammer, a lock therefor, a detent for holding the said lock, a spring for actuating-the lock, and a dash pot for regulating the movement of the loclr, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a projectile havy ing a recess, of a case fitted to said recess, a cylinder in said` case provided with a piston and piston rod, spring for .moving the piston in one direction, an escape port ,and valve,

and a liquid filling the cylinderon one side of thefpiston, a hammer andlock therefor -`connected with the piston,`,andv a detent for locking the lock in its position with' the actuating springcompressed, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in an ex-ploder for projectiles, o t a spring actuated hammer, a lock, a spring for actuating the lock, and a detent consisting of ablock arranged to lmove longitudinally in the shellvon striking an object -and constructed to release the lock when so shifted and a dash pot controlling the movement of said lock, substantially as set forth.

6. The combinationl in an exploder for prot jectiles,of aspring actuated hammerya lock, a detent therefor, a spring acting on the lock, and a dash pot and valve for regulating the movementiof the liquid from the dash pot, the said detent arranged tol move longitudinallyin the shell when theshell strikesan object', substauti'allyas Set-furtif.'

7. The combination with a recessed sheli, of a block or frame A'containing .a hammer and spring for actuating the same, a lock for holding the hammer in its retracted position, a spring for moving the lock in-onedirection, a dasli pot for regnlatingthe movement ot' t'ne lock, and a detent consisting of a sliding block arranged to constitute a bearing for a part of the lock and to release the lock when theblock moves forward, substantially as set forth. l i

8. The combination in an exploder for pro- IOO IIO

jectiles, of a case or block containing a vspring actuated hammer, a sliding rod extending beneath said hammer when the spring is compressed and provided with a piston sliding in a cylinder, a spring bearing against said piston,a passage extending between the ends of the cylinder and provided with an adjustable valve, and a detent for the rod 5, arranged to move longitudinally in the shell,

`substantially as set forth.

In .testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ottWo subscribing witnesses. i

- WILLIAM JOHN SMI-TH.

C. C. MoNsnN, GEO. L. Amis/mono.

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