US2002056A - Automatic fuze setting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1935. A. GIETMANN AUTOMATIC FUZE SETTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1934 Patented May 2l, i935 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC roza SETTING APPARATUS Anton Gietmann, Dusseldorf, Germaliylassignor to Rheinische Metallwaarenund Maschinenfabrik, Dusseldorf-Derendorf, Germanyra corporation of Germany Appelation January 5, 1934, seriai'NmvosAis in Germany June 26, 1931 9 Claims.

The invention relates to automatic fuze setting apparatus, in which the fuze timing settings are transmitted by sequence indicating device, and to which by means oi a further signal device vvhich is connected with the signal device of the gun .giving the nre orders, the order for removing ythe projectile from the automatic fuze setting apparatus and for inserting itinto the gun is given.

In the automatic fuze setting apparatus a1- ready known the bolting device which prevents the Vremoval of theprojectile from the setting `socket is influenced Vonly by partsof the auto- `matic fuze setting apparatus itself, that is the 16 bolting device is disengaged as soonl as-after a projectile has been inserted in the fuze setting socket-the fuze vsetting member which is turned when the fuze is being set, has carried out two revolutions. Thus the order transmitting devices 2Q do not control thebolting device.

,f In automatic fuze setting apparatus of this type vmistakes are liable to occur, particularly -When fire is directed at rapidly moving and turning 4targets which frequently change their course (as for instance air craft).

the target changes its course during the time fire orders are being given, it may be useless to fire Ain accordance with an order received. In .such a case before a shot is fired in accordance 30 with orders just given, new firing orders may be transmitted and when the course of the target changes repeatedly, it may be necessary to change the rire orders several times in succession before a shot is actually red.

Now, if a projectile is removed from the automatic fuze setting apparatus as soon as the fuze has been correctly set in accordance With the rst setting order and before orders have been given for later altered fuze settings and before the order to fire is given, the changed fuze settings can not be given, to the projectile prematurely removed from the automatic fuze setting apparatus, and the projectile is red with the previously ordered, but now incorrect, time setting.

Another source of error may occur when the projectile is not removed from the automatic fuze setting apparatus until the firing order has been given, for instance if the gunner adjusting the sequence indicator of the transmitter and the receiver does not immediately obey a newly transmitted command, and the firing order is given before the sequence indicator has been adjusted to agree with the receiver, then, at lthe moment when the projectile is removed from the automatic fuze setting apparatus, the fuze setting member is not correctly adjusted.

In the automatic fuze setting' apparatus according to the invention there are provided means, controlled bythe re order signal device, `5 which actuate the locking device which bolts the vprojectilewin the apparatus when the signal forming thesunis given,

Further, in the fuze setting apparatus accord- `ing tothe invention means are provided for mak- 10 ing theactuationoi' the said locking device de- 1pnient-rqncth;correct adjusting@ 0f, the., 'er quema-indicar. te thaise@ 'Setting ,Orestes ,by the transmitterso that-:unless this adjustment is Acorrectly* made the projectile remains( bolted in the apparatus: Even. if U1? .adjustment has been correctly vmade theprojectiledremains bolted in the receiver militie 111i@ Order-is given i The pmpehyins drewinsiillutrateadiagrammatioally atypicalzembpdiment of the in- Vil'gn- I. i; I n The transmissionuofprderslto lthe automatic fuze setting apparatus is effectedbyhadsequence ndagdYie,haV.mS a lamp Tecver ,In the lampllreceiverp, there .are arranged, for, ex- 25 ample, pnthre concentricI circles, thirty electriiendescsntlamps 221 thembeing n n each Lconcentric. (circled A ten lamps corresponding to 4the reference figures `ILS. The illuminating lamps of the inner circle may, for instancagde- ,30 note the number of units, the illuminating lamps of the middle circlethe number of tens, and the 4illuin mating lamps of the outer circuit the number ofthe hundreds of a three-place number which represents the particular fune-setting ordered.

The transmitter o consists of a disc in which thirty insulated contacts or are inserted and arranged in the samemanneras the lamps of the receiver. Each lamp p1 of the receiver p is connected with the similarly arranged contact o1 of the transmitter o by an electric conductor s. Corresponding to the thirty lamps p1 and the thirty contacts 01 there are thirty Wires s available, only three of which, however, are shown in the diagram.

The source 'of electric current q which feeds the sequence indicating device with vcurrent is connected by a wire q1, to the lamp holder of the receiver p and by awire q2 to the three slid- 50 ing contacts 1', r1, r2 of the transmitter o. Of the sliding contacts of 'the transmitter, the rst slides on the contacts of the inner contact circuit, the second on the contacts of the middle contact circuit and the third on the contacts of the outer contact circuit. If the sliding contacts of the transmitter are brought into contact with any three contacts, the correspond ingly arranged lamps of the receiver are illuminated.

In the example shown in the drawing the fuze setting order is denoted by the number 684.

Over the lamps of the receiver there swing three sequence indicators i, i1, i2 which are pivotally mounted at the common central point of the concentric circles on which the lamps are arranged. These sequence indicators are connected with the fuze setting members, not shown in the drawing, in such a manner that when the indicators cover the lamps illuminated at the time the fuze setting members are correctly adjusted according to the command.

The order for iiring the gun is given by means of the electric bell u on the gun, which bell is energized from the source of current u1, its circuit being closed by means of the switch u2. The projectile a is bolted by means of the bolt b in the setting socket of the automatic fuze setting apparatus. The bolt, which is provided with an inclined surface b1 can be moved Vfrom its locking position to release the projectile, for example by a double-lever c provided withva correspondingly inclined surface c1, and is moved by the armature of the bolting magnets d. The bolting magnet is disposed in the circuit of a source of current e. In this circuit there are disposed in series four interrupter switches f, m, m1, m2 which switches are acted 'in by springs, not shown in the drawing, n such a manner that each of themopens the circuit and are actuated to close the circuit when electromagnets f1, Z, l1, l2 are excited.

The magnet f1 of the interrupter f is connected to the circuit ofthe re order bell u and is excited as soon as the latter lis energized.

The other electromagnets Z, Z1 and Z2 are controlled by a control switch k1 which, similarly to the transmitter o, consists of a disc with thirty insulated contacts k1 arranged in the-same lway as the lamps p1 of the receiver p and the fixed contacts o1 of the transmitter o. Over the con- 'tacts k1 of the control switch lc there slide three `counter-contacts n, n1, n2 which are arranged -in the same way as the movable contacts of the transmitter 0.

These counter-contacts n, m, n2 are positively connected with the sequence indicators i, i1, i2 by gear wheels I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 'l and are moved synchronously therewith by the crank y. The indicator i is connected with the indicator i1 by means of a transmission 1:10 and with the indicator i2 by means of a transmission 1:100. In the same manner the counter-contacts n, n1, 'n2 are interconnected.

From each of the electric wires s there branches oi a wire t to the particular contact k1 of the control switch lc which is arranged in similar disposition as the corresponding lamp on the receiver p and the corresponding contact o1 on the transmitter o.

The counter contacts n, nl, n2 which are moved synchronously with the sequence indicators i, i1, i2 are connected by way of brush ring contacts and wires o, v1, 'v2 to the electromagnets Z, Z1, Z2, the other terminals of which are connected by the wires w, w1, w2 and the wires :c to the wire q1 and the source of current q.

source of current q which are associated with the lamps of the receiver switched in, in each particular case by the transmitter o, and the counter contacts n, n1, n2 of the control switch k come into contact with these contacts connected with one pole of the source of current only when the sequence indicators i, i1, iz with which the counter contacts n, m, n2 are moved synchronously to register with the lamp switched on at the time. The electromagnets Z, l1, lz are thus excited and the interrupters m, m1, m2 closed only when the sequence indicators i, i1, i2 register with the lamps switched on at the time. As, moreover, as explained above, the electromagnet f1 is excited only when the iire order bell u is energized, it will be seen that all the interrupter switches f, m, m1 and m2 located in the circuit of the unbolting magnet d are closed only when, at the same time, the sequence indicators register with the particular lamps of the receiver illuminated at the time and the re order bell is energized.

I claim:-

l. An automatic fuze setting apparatus for projectiles comprising a lock adapted to engage and retain the projectile in the apparatus while the fuze is being set, a device for operating the lock, a iire order transmitting system, and means rendered effective on transmission of a iire order in said system for causing said device to operate the lock to release the projectile.

2.' Anautomatic fuze' setting apparatus for vprojectiles comprising a lockadapted to engage and retain theprojectile in the apparatus while the fuzeis being set, a device for operatingthe lock, a system for signalling fuze setting sequences comprising a receiver and a transmitter, and means rendered effective only when the received signals agree with the transmitted signals to operate the lock to release the projectile. '-7

3. An automatic fuze setting apparatus for projectiles comprising a lock adapted to engage and retain the projectile in the apparatus while -the fuze is being set, a device for operating'the lock, a ire order transmitting system, a system for signalling fuze setting sequences comprising a receiver and a transmitter, and means rendered effective to operate the lock to release the projectile only on transmission of a fire order when the received signals agree with the transmitted signals.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the receiver comprises sequence indicating means in accordance with the position of which the fuze setting is determined and in which the lock is operated to release the projectile only when the sequence indicating means are in agreement with the transmitted signals.

5. An automatic fuze setting apparatus for projectiles comprising a lock adapted to engage and retain the projectile in the apparatus while the fuze is being set, an electromagnet, a device operated by the electromagnet for operating the lock to release the projectile, an electrical control circuit for the electromagnet, a plurality of switches disposed in series in said circuit, a system for signalling fuze setting sequences, and means for operating the switches under the control of the signalling system.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including a re order signal device and in which the switches in the lock control circuit include a switch under the control of the fire order signal device.

'7. An automatic fuze setting apparatus for projectiles comprising a lock adapted to engage ilo and retain the projectile in the apparatus while the fuze is being set, an electromagnet for operating the lock to release the projectile, an electrical control circuit for the electromagnet, a signalling system comprising a transmitter of fuze setting sequences and a receiver in whichthe received sequences determine the fuze settings, said transmitter and receiver being electrically connected with each other, a plurality of switches in series in said electrical control circuit and each switch having an electromagnet for operating the same, a common source of current for the switch electromagnet and the signalling system, and means effective upon agreement between the transmitted and the received sequences for enabling said source to energize the electromagnets of the series switches with resulting release of a projectile with its fuze correspondingly set.

8, An automatic fuze setting apparatus for projectiles comprising a lock adapted to engage and retain the projectile in the apparatus while the fuze is being set; an electromagnet for operating the lock to release the projectile; an electrical control circuit for the electromagnet; a system for electrically signalling fuze setting sequences comprising a transmitter switch having a plurality of arms movable over contact banks to select settings to be transmitted, a receiver with means for visually registering the received sequences which determine the fuze settings, and a plurality of indicators corresponding to the arms of the transmitter switch movable to posi-` tions in accordance with the visually registered sequences; a control switch with movable arms and contact banks corresponding to those of the transmitter switch, said arms being positively coupled to the indicators of the receiver; circuit connections between said visual registering means and both said banks of contacts; a plurality of switches in series in the said electrical control circuit and each switch having an electromagnet for operating the same; a common source of current for the series switch electromagnets and the circuit connections of the signalling sys` tern; and connections branching from said circuit connections to the arms of the control switch and thence to the electromagnets of the series switches and the source of current.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 including a re order control circuit and an additional series switch in the electrical control circuit with its operating electromagnet arranged in the circuit of the fire order control switch.

ANTON GIETMANN.

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