Patent GB-191518180-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Bombs and Means for Throwing the same.
Inventor: CARRERAS ALFREDO
IPC: F42B30/10
Filed: 1915-12-31
Abstract: 18,180. Carreras, A. Dec. 31. Ordnance, mechanical.-Consists in torsional spring apparatus for throwing bombs by impart ing to them rotation with or without a small direct impulse. One form of throwing-apparatus is shown in Fig. 3. It comprises a coiled spring 15 attached at the rear end to a drum 16 provided with a winding-gear 17, 18 worked by a handle 19 in conjunction with a ratchet gear 20, 21 to prevent unwinding. The front end of the spring is attached to a sleeve 22 adapted to engage a square part 14<1> of a spindle 14, and normally locked against rotation by a toothed ring 25, which is moved longitudinally by a pin 27 screwed to an outer sleeve 26 and guided by a slot 28 in the outer casing 13, the sleeve 26 and the ring 25 being pressed forwards by a coiled spring 29. When the main spring 15 is fully wound up, the sleeve 22 is retracted sufficiently to leave the square part 14<1> of the spindle 14. The bomb to be discharged has a central square hole which fits over the square part 14<1> of the spindle 14; the outer sleeve 26 is then pulled back to disengage the ring 25 from the sleeve 22; the sleeve 22, when released, is rapidly rotated, and at the same time moved forwards over the square part 14<1>, thus imparting rotation to the bomb and at the same time ejecting it. The rotation imparted to the bomb causes it to be propelled through the air by helicoidal wings. Another form of throwing-apparatus is shown in Fig. 6. It comprises tandem coiled springs 37, 38 attached at the rear end to a drum 39 provided with a worm wheel 43 in mesh with a winding-screw 44. The front ends of the springs are attached to a drum 43<1>, which is provided with a slotted cup 47 for holding the bomb and is normally locked by a spring-pressed sleeve 49 guided longitu dinally by pins 51 in slots in the main casing 34. This apparatus also includes a firing-pin 59, which is pulled back against it spring 60 by a knob 58 at the rear end of the apparatus, the firing-pin being held in the cocked position by a trigger 64, Fig. 7. formed in one with a loose ring 63 and normally kept in action by a spring 66. The main spring being wound up and the firing-pin cocked, the bomb is placed in the cup 47, and eccentrics 52 provided with suitable handles are then turned to disengage the sleeve 49 from the drum 43<1>; the released drum is at once rotated by the main springs, and at the beginning of this rotation. an eccentric part 68 of the ring 63 strikes against a piece 67 within the sleeve 49, and withdraws the trigger 64 from the firing-pin 59. which, thereupon, strikes a percussion cap on the bomb; as soon as the bomb attains the appointed speed of rotation, it leaves the cup 47 and propels itself through the air by means of helicoidal wings and after a given time is exploded by the time-fuse ignited by the percussion cap. The screw 44 of the winding-gear is actuated by a handle on a flywheel 71, Fig. 9, mounted on the spindle 45 of this screw. The fly-wheel may be loosened from its spindle by pulling out a bolt 72; the flywheel may then be used as a wheel for moving the throwing-apparatus about. These bombthrowing devices may be held in the hand, or may be provided with tubular foldable legs 69, with or without other legs 70. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 14505/15.