IMPROVEMENTS IN "ELECTRICAL SHELL FUSE FOR PROJECTILES
Year: 1885

page_text: I EDMUND LOUIS ZALINSKI, Lieutenant of Artillery United States Army do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN "ELECTRICAL
SHELL FUSE FOR PROJECTILES " and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention consists in a shell fuse in which an electrical battery or generator
contained within the projectile serves to ignite the firing charge or detonator.
This electrical igniter may be used also in combination with a percussion fuse or
a time fuse or both.
.
Figs 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 are longitudinal sectional views of different modifications
of electrical shell fuses.
Fig 3 is a face view of part x Fig 2 and Fig. 4 is a face view of the cylinder y
fig. 2.
The figures are merely diagrams representing some of the modes in which the
invention may be carried into effect.
Other modifications have been devised and successfully used by the inventor.
It will be understood that any known form of primary or secondary battery may
be used with this fuse.
This fuse has been used successfully in projectiles charged with dynamite and
similar high explosives but may be used with any ordinary form of shell.
The electric battery can be readily made to occupy no more space than the
plunger ordinarily used in percussion shells and may be fixed with a movable
plunger to close circuit, or the battery itself may be movable. Numerous modi-
fications not herein described have been devised, but such will readily suggest
themselves to the electrician or ordnance constructor herein set forth.
Parts not essential to the representation or to the principle of operation are
omitted for convenience of illustration.
It will be understood that the battery. where a chemical battery is used may be
kept ready for immersion in the exciting fluid and only immersed therein
immediately before the fuse is to be used.
In Fig 1 the plates a and b represent respectively the copper and zinc elements
of a voltaic pile or similar battery, one element in contact or metallic connection
with the fuse casing A the other element having hooks c attached.
The fuse is applied at front or rear of a projectile P.

page_text: The short cylinder B contains a detonating charge and has a projecting pin &
with an arrow head. This pin d is insulated from the body of cylinder B but
connects therewith by a platinum wire e which is in contact with the detonating
charge. As the metallic cylinder B is always in contact with the metallic tube A
whenever this cylinder moves forward so as to bring the plate c. d in contact the
electric circuit will be closed through the platinum or other wire c which will be
heated and will thus ignite the charge.
The cylinder B is held from moving forward by slight shocks by the soft metal
wire f which is secured to the cylinder B and passing through a hole in the end of
the fuse case is bent out more or less.
This will hold the plunger sufficiently to prevent accident if the fuse is dropped
but the shock caused by the striking of the projectile when fired from a gun will
throw the part B violently forward closing the electric circuit and igniting the
charge.
In Fig 2 the plunger B' constitutes the battery which is a helix of absorbent
material m and a strip of zinc n rolled together around a central piece of copper
or other metal.
When the paper is moistened with a solution as of chloride of silver a powerful
battery is formed.
The plunger B¹ is held in place by wire for in other suitable manner. The
detonating charge is in chamber g in contact with wire e The metallic pin h is in
the line of movement of the metallic pin ¹ of the battery. A rubber ring i
surrounds pin h and by bearing against the head of pin h¹ will keep the two out of
contact unless the force with which the battery and its pin h' is moved is
considerable when the rubber will be compressed and the pins will come in contact
and close circuit through wire e and the casing A.
The pin also serves as a percussion firing pin and when driven forward by the
movement of the battery ignites a fulminate on anvil k secured to head A² of the
fuse case.
In Fig 7 the case is shown at the rear or base of the projectile; a similar battery
is shown as in Fig. 2 with detaining hooks c as in Fig 1, to prevent backward
movement of the battery after contact.
A time fuse is placed in the rear of this fuse casing The battery B' is held in
the casing by a small pin o of wood lead or other material.
When the gun is fired the plunger breaks away from the pin o and moves back
until the metallic piece p comes in contact with insulated piece q when circuit is
closed through wire e which ignites the slow-burning or time fuse r.
When the projectile strikes its target the battery will move forward and close
circuit at the front end of the fuse case and also act by percussion if desired.
In Fig 6 the battery arrangement is supposed to be similar to that of Fig. 2 but
a safety spring ¹ is substituted for the rubber . The base plate A³ is movable in
the casing so that the battery or plunger B when it is driven back against plate A³
at the rear of the fuse.case may have a greater or lesser distance to move forward
before it will close circuit.
This is to permit a certain amount of penetration of the projectile into the target
before the explosion.
Fig. 5 illustrates a generator on the principle of the solenoid or secondary
battery applied to a shell fuse. The magnet D is held by a leaden screw vin
central position in the helixes E E¹ from which the insulated polar connections 8 t
extend and approach each other in contact with the detonating charge as at u.
When the projectile strikes, the screw v.breaks or is stripped and the forward
movement of the magnet produces a spark at u while acting as a hammer to
explode the fulminate at w Passages a³ are provided through the fuse case when
necessary to conduct the fire to the charge in the projectile.

page_text: . Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1 A projectile having an electric battery or generator contained therein for
firing the charge.
2 A shell fuse having a combined electric and percussion igniting apparatus.
3 A shell fuse having a combined electric and time ignition apparatus.