US2703531A - Fuze for projectiles - Google Patents

Description

March 8, 1955 R. L. GRAUMANN E-rAx.

FUZE FOR` PROJECTILES Filed May 26, 1945 United States Patent FUZE FOR PROJECTILES Raymond L. Graumann, Alexandria, Va., and William J. Donahue, Jr., Washington, D. C.

Application May 26, 1945, Serial No. 596,067

2 Claims. (Cl. 102-73) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) This invention relates to a fuze for a projectile and more specifically to an .impact fuze for an explosive shell particularly adapted for use against aircraft and having a crushable impact member secured thereto and a detonator arranged within the impact member adapted to detonate a bursting charge disposed within the shell in predetermined time delayed relation with respect to the crushing of the member upon impact with a target.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an impact fuze for an explosive shell, having a crushable nose and a detonating charge arranged therein in predetermined spaced relation with respect to the nose and a booster charge in abutting relation with respect to the detonating charge whereby, upon a sudden impact, the nose will be crushed or deformed rearwardly thereby to initiate tiring of the detonator and explosion of the shell after the shell has entered the target.

An object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved fuze for an explosive projectile adapted to be secured interiorly to the impact nose thereof and having a detonator arranged therein in predetermined proximate spaced relation with respect to the end wall of the nose such that the explosion of the projectile will be effected within the interior of the target in response to piercing of the target by the impact nose.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved fuze for a projectile whereby the projectile is made particularly effective for destroying war equipment such, for example, as aircraft engines, fuselages, airplane wings, gas tanks, and the like by exploding the projectile within the target.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved fuze for an explosive projectile having a plurality of explosive charges arranged herein in abutting relation and composed of any suitable substance to insure the explosion of the projectile as the projectile strikes and enters a target.

A still further object is the provision of a new and improved fuze for a projectile which is economical to manufacture, reliable in operation and which possesses the qualities of durability and safety during handling and transportation.

Still further objects, novel features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view of a cartridge case and projectile partly in section and partly in elevation showing the manner in which the new and improved fuze is secured to the projectile;

Fig. 2 is an end View of the fuze;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the fuze taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of an alternative arrangement of the booster charge within the fuze.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing in detail for a more complete understanding of the invention, the fuze disclosed thereon and generally indicated by the reference character is adapted to be secured to a projectile 11. The projectile is of any well known type such, for example, as the type known to those skilled in the art as twenty millimeter type projectile as used by the armed forces for destroying aircraft and the like. As best shown on Fig. 1 of the drawing the projectile 11 is detachably secured to the usual shell casing or cartridge 12 having an explosive charge 13 arranged therein, the projectile comprising a shell 14 secured to the shell casing 12 in the usual manner, the shell having a bursting charge 15 arranged therein.

The fuze 10 comprises a crushable nose or impact member 16 composed of any material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as zinc, or any other relatively soft metal and secured to the forward end of the shell 11 as by an externally screw threaded nipple 17 integrally connected to the nose 16 and having screw threaded engagement with a screw threaded opening 18 provided in the end of the shell 11. Arranged within the nose 16 is an adapter generally indicated by the reference character 19 composed of any material suitable for the purpose and provided with a body 21 having a screw threaded portion 22 adapted to have screw threaded engagement with an internally screw threaded opening 23 provided in the nipple 17 thereby securing the adapter 19 within the nose 16 in proximate spaced relation to the leading end portion thereof.

A reduced extension 24 is integrally connected to the body 21 of the adapter 19 and extends a predetermined distance into a reduced bore 26 provided in the nose 16. A shoulder 26 is provided on the body 21 of the adapter 19 and is adapted to have abutting relation with respect to a shoulder 27 provided within the nipple 17 of the nose 16 thereby to limit the movement of the reduced extension 24 on the body 21 within the reduced bore 25 during the assembly of the parts thereby to provide a space or small air chamber 28 between the outer end of the extension 24 and the flattened or impact end 29 of the nose 16. The reduced extension 24 is provided with a recess 31 adapted to receive a detonator generally indicated by the reference character 32, the detonator comprising a cup-shaped member 33 composed of relatively thin material such, for example, as a sheet copper or the like, the cup-shaped member being flanged as at 34.

A plurality of explosive charges of any well known type such, for example, as lead azide indicated by the reference character 35, and Tetryl indicated by the reference character 36, are enclosed within the cup-shaped member 33: It will be understood, however, that although the charges 35 and 36 are highly sensitive to shock, the set back force developed when the projectile is tired from the gun is insuiicient to cause detonation thereof. A disk 37 composed of lead foil or any other material suitable for the purpose is disposed upon the explosive charge 35 and an annular member 38 is disposed between the disk 37 and the flange 34 on the cup-shaped member 33 whereby the explosive charges 35 and 36 are retained within the cupshaped member in abutting relation with respect to each other and moisture is excluded therefrom.

As shown on the drawing, especially Figs. 3 and 4 thereof, the detonator 32 is secured within the recess 31 as by rolling the end of the extension 24 so as to form a flange 39, the flange being adapted to engage the ange 34 on the cup-shaped member 33, and thus the detonator 32 is clamped within the recess 31. The adapter 19 is provided with a reduced bore 41 communicating with the recess 31 and of such length as to extend substantially through the body 21 thereof. A booster charge 42 is arranged within the bore 41 in proximate relation with respect to the detonator and in predetermined spaced relation with respect to the bursting charge 15 and in such relation with respect to each other that each succeeding charge is red by and under the influence of the explosion of the preceding charge in predetermined time delayed relation. It will be understood from the foregoing that a predetermined interval of time will elapse before the detonator will re in response to impact of the shell with the target.

A thin disk or separator 43 composed of any material suitable for the purpose is disposed within the recess 31 between the end wall of the detonator and the booster charge 42 in such a manner as to seal the booster charge within the bore 41 between the disk 43 and a cushion disk 44, thus preventing shifting of the charge within the bore and the premature ring thereof by friction or shock during assembly, handling and transportation of the fuze.

As hereinbefore described, a small space or chamber 28 is provided between the outer end of the extension 24 supporting the detonator 32 and the flattened or impact portion 29 of the nose 16 whereby the detonator is spaced a predetermined distance from the impact portion 29 in proximate relation therewith such that piercing of a target by the nose of the shell will be effected prior to detonation of the charge and ignition of the charge will be effected within the interior of the target rather than upon the outer surface thereof. It will be understood, however, that upon impact of the shell with a target such, for example, as an airplane wing, gas tank or the like, the impact nose 16 will be crushed, deformed, or forced rearwardly and will initiate explosion of the detonator 32 thereby exploding the booster charge 42 which will detonate the main or bursting charge 15 within the shell after the shell has penetrated the target, thus destroying or rendering maximum damage to the target.

On Fig. 4 of the drawing, the booster charge 42 is replaced by a plurality of explosive pellets 45. The pellets 45 are arranged within the bore 41 within the adapter 19 in any manner desired. It will be understood, however, that the pellets 45 may be composed of any suitable explosive substance and, if desired, the proportions thereof may Vary to accomplish any desired results. As the adapter shown on Fig. 4 is otherwise identical in construction with the adapter shown on Fig. 3, like reference char acters are used to designate like parts thereof.

The many advantages of the fuze constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily apparent from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing and, whereas a preferred embodiment of the device is illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A firing device for an explosive shell comprising a unitary structure consisting of a body having a cylindrical wall, an extension formed on said body and having a wall composed of relatively thin material with respect to the material of said cylindrical wall, said extension having a well formed therein terminating in a bore in the body, a booster charge arranged within said bore, a detonator disposed within said well, a disk disposed between and in sealing engagement with said detonator and booster Cil charge, the wall of said extension being turned to form a flange on the extension in abutting engagement with said detonator for maintaining the detonator within said well and the disk in sealing engagement with the charge thereby to prevent shifting of said charge within the bore and shifting of the detonator within said Well, and means on said body for attaching said tiring device to said shell as a unit in accordance with the unitary structure thereof.

2. A4v firing device for an explosive shell comprising an impact nose having a Well formed therein terminating in a bore of reduced diameter with respect to the Well and an internally threaded portion in said bore of larger diameter with respect to the diameter of said well, an end wall bordering on said bore, an adapter having a cylindrical body portion threadedly engaging said internally threaded portion of the bore, a tubular extension integrally formed on said body portion and disposed within said well with one end thereof in proximate relation with respect to said end wall, said extension having a cavity therein terminating in well means of reduced diameter with respect to the diameter of said cavity, a booster charge arranged within said well means, a detonator disposed within said cavity, a disk disposed within said Well means between and in sealing engagement with said detonator and the booster charge, an inwardly turned ange formed on said extension in abutting engagement with said detonator for locking the detonator within the cavity and maintaining the disk within the well means in sealing engagement with said charge, a shoulder formed at the junction of said well and threaded portion, and a complementary shoulder formed on said adapter at the junction of said body portion and the tubular extension in abutting engagement with said shoulder for maintaining the detonator within said well in proximate relation with respect to said reduced bore and the end wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,955 Moore Nov. 7, 1944 2,396,978 Amthor Mar. 19, 1946 2,446,268 Dawson Aug. 3, 1948 2,459,175 Moore Jan. 18, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 407,644 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1934 809,307 France Dec. 3, 1936

Images