US1509329A - Fuse - Google Patents

Description

J. H. WOODBERRY Sept. 23 1924.1

FUSE

Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED vSTATES 1,509,329 PAENT -FFHCE.

JOHN I-I. WOODBERRY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

FUSE.

Application filed October 22, 1919. Serial No. 332,564.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L., 625.)

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN H. lVooDBnRRY, a citizen of the United States, stationedat lNashington, District of Columbia, have 'invented an Improvement in Fuses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employes in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment of any ro-yalty thereon.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a construction of fuse in which the tiring-pin-driving spring is compressible upon impact of the projectile carrying the fuse.

The accompanying drawing disclosesan exemplary embodiment of the underlying principles of the invent-ion. Briefly described zt n n Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal axial section o-f a fuse embodying my improvements, showing the normal position of the parts thereof;

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the position the parts assume upon impact;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view, in side elevation, of the tiring-pm carrier or housing.

Referring, now, in detail to the drawin dy invention is shown applied'to the type o-f fuse (shown in my copending application filed September 20, 19,19, Ser. No. 325,277) embodying a longitudinally movable plunger 1, carrying, at opposite ends thereof, a p-rimer 2 and a detonator 3. The plunger is normally maintained iii safety or unarmed position by suitable means, such as spring-pressed loclringebolts 4, which are centrifugally movable to release the plunger in a manner well known in the art. Upon impact, the plunger, by its inertia, moves toward the tiring-pin.

5. designates a tubular firing-pin housing carrying' a head 6, and provided with diametrically oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending slots 7 7, having lateral offset portions, or curved terminals, 12, for a purpose presently appearing. b

Movable in said housing 5 is a iring-pin, comprising, in this instance, a shank o r stem 8, a pointed extremity 9, and a circumferential enlargement 10.- Extending diametrically thro-ugh the circumferential enlargement is a peg 11 projecting at both ends thereof beyond the circumferential. Obviously, however, the circuinferential enlargement and peg may be integral, that is to say, the circumferential enlargement may be provided with integral projections coi-responding to the projecting ends of the peg 11. The projecting ends of lthe peg 11 are disposed in the slots 7, 7 and,

at the limit o-f movement of the firing-pin in one direction, are adapted to enter lateral off-set portions, or curved terminals, 12 of the slots 7, 7. Encircling the shank 8 of the iiring-pin is a coiled driving-spring 13 bearing against the collar 10 at one end, and at its other end against an interior annular wall 14 in a screw closure 15 provided with an axial recess 16 for the reception of the the stem or shank 8 of the tiring-pin when the latter moves in the direction thereof.

The normal position of the parts is as shown -in F ig. 1, in which the firing-pin spring is uncompressed, and enlargement 10 bears against head 6.

In operation, upon impact of the projectile carrying the fuse, the plunger 1 moves toward the firing-pin. Simultaneously, the firing-pin by its inertia, moves forward, thereby compressing the spring 13. In such movement, the projecting ends ofthe peg 11, move in the slots 7, 7 until they reach the off-set portions or curved terminals 12, 12 whereupon the firing-pin twists, so that the projecting ends of the peg enter said oft'- set portions.

So long as the resistance is such as to cause the inertia of the firing-pin to produce a force greater thanv and counter to the force of the spring 13, thefiringpin spring remains compressed. When the resistance becomes insufficient to keep the tiring-pin spring compressed, the spring extends itself with a force equal to the diierence between the force due to the inertia of these parts and the force of the spring. If the cessation is sufficiently sudden, the firing pin will be projected into the primer with suflicient force to explode the same. If, however, the resistance should cease gradually, the tiring-pin spring would also extend gradually, and, consequently, the ring pin, moving thus slowly under the in` tluence of the slowly-expanding spring, will not have sufficient force to fire the primer. To obviate suoli occurrence, means are provided for retaiding the extension of the spring until sufficient orce'is stored therein to fire the primer when the spring eXtends.

This retardation of action of the spring isaccomplished by cutting the inclined Walls 17 of the curved terminals 12, in Which the projecting ends of the peg 11 rest, at -such an angle to the slots 7, 7 that it Will require a Jforce sufiiciently great to lire the primer to overcome friction between the peg ends and said curved Walls' 17 and drive the projecting ends of the peg into the longitudinal slots 7 7. It Will thus be seen that a gradual cessation of resistance to penetration will not canse the spring 13 to eX- tend gradually, but with sufficient force, in all cases, to ire the primer. The projecting ends of the peg 11 rotate out of the branches' or curved terminals 12, 12 and then, with a longitudinal movement, the firing-pin is propelled, under the action of its driving spring, `against the primer.

It Willthus be seen that the fuse gives an automatic selective delay in firing, through mechanical means, the delay, in all cases, being proportional to the resistance encountered.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A fuse embodying, liring elements normally held spaced apart from each other and movable upon impact in the same direction, one of said elements carrying a detonator normally remote from the main explosive charge and moved upon impact to a position adjacent said charge, means energized by movement of the other element on impact for impellingsaid element toward its normal position rafter impact, and means for delaying the action of said irnpelling means.

JOHN H. VOODBERRY.

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