Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895-4ccepted, 21st Dec., 1895
I, GEORGE MALTBY HATHAWAY, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Wellsborough, in the County of Tioga and State of Pennsylvania, one
of the United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to shell fuses for that class of explosive shells or projectiles
in which powder is employed as the explosive medium and it consists in providing
the fuse-case with a fuse and firing devices, by means of which said fuse is
ignited by the explosion of a percussion cap or fulminate, as will be hereinafter
more fully explained.
The invention has for its object to insure the proper ignition and combustion of
the fuse and the explosive charge in the shell and prevent the explosive action of
the gases of the exploded fulminate from prematurely exploding the shell; another
object of the invention is to prevent the pressure of the gases either in the gun or
within the chamber of the fuse-case from impacting the powder of the fuse and
thereby prevent its ignition, and another object is to insure the instantaneous and
complete cscape of the gases, arising from the explosion of the percussion cap,
and prevent back-pressure" of the gases arising from the exploding charge in the
gun or from air during the flight of the projectile after the same has been fired
from the gun.
66
These objects are attained by means of the devices illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing, in which-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the breech portion of a shell,
showing my improved fuse and its firing device applied thereto;
Figure 2 a similar sectional view of the fuse-case and firing devices somewhat
enlarged;
Figure 3, a similar view of a modified form of my invention, and
Figure 4 a side elevation of the fuse-case, showing right and left-hand screw-
threads.
Referring to the drawings-
The letter A indicates the breech portion of a shell or projectile of the ordinary
type, and the numeral 1 the chambered fuse-case which is adapted to be secured
into the breech-opening of the shell. The said fuse-case consists of a cylindrical
block of metal, laving its body portion of a length corresponding to the thickness
of the solid breech end of the shell, and is formed with a screw-threaded exten-
sion, 2, of less diameter than its body and which projects into the powder-charge in
the shell. The body of the case is provided at its rear with a beveled annular
shoulder 3 aud with a flange, 4, and forward of the flange it has formed upon its
exterior surface left-hand screw-threads to fit similar internal screw-threads at the
breech aperture of the shell. The extension is formed with right-hand screw-
threads on its exterior surface to receive an internally screw-threaded cap 5,
provided with a central vent 6, the purpose of which will be hereinafter
explained.
The case is provided with a cylindrical axial recess extending from near the rear
portion thereof to the forward end of the same. Within this recess is located the

page_text: fuse-holder 7 consisting of a cylindrical metallic tube which closely fits the bore of
the recess, but is less in length then sail recess, for the purpose hereinafter
expinined. The outer or rear end of the fuse holder is provided with a nipple 8
for the reception of an ordinary pereussion cap, and near said end the fuse-holder
is provided with an annular groove or recess, 9, which communicates with its
interior by means of apertures 10 and with the rear of the recess in the bore by
means of a channel 11, for the purpose hereinafter explained. Extending from
the chamber of the case to the outside thereof is a channel 12, which is located in
such relation to the fuse-holder that its inner and is covered by the rear of said
fuse-holder when the same is fastened in normal position in the shell, by means of
the pins 13 provided for the purpose, but which will register with the annular
groove 9 in the fuse-holder when the shell is fired and the fuse-holder fall- back, so
as to permit the gases caused by the explosion of the fulminate to escape and allow
the fuse to be quietly and surely ignited.
The channel or passage 12 registers normally with a passage 14 in the wali
of the shell or projectile when the fuse-case is seatel therein, and in order that
the gas may escape freely, the opening of the outer end of the passage 14 is in
advat ce of the usual band, near the rear of the shell, as shown in Figure 1.
To charge the fuse-case, a suitable fuse is inserted in the fuse-holder and the
percussion cap is placed on the nipple, the holder is then inserted in the chamber of
the case and the cap 5 is screwed upon the extension 2. After being placed in the
chamber the fuse-holder is fastened in position by means of the pins 13, and the
fuse-case is then ready therewed into the breech of the shell.
In the modifiention shown in Figure 3, the numeral 15 indicates a striker which
is normally held in fixed position within the chamber of the fuse-case by means of
pins 16, and is provided at one end with a tiring-pin 17. Situated within said
chamber, immediately in front of the striker, is the fuse-holder 18 which is bored
longitudinally to receive the fuse 19, one end of which covers the firmng-vent in
the projecting-cap 5, while the other end extends up into the nipple 20 formed on
the rear end of the fuse-holder. The inner wall of the case extension is screw-
threaded, and the exterior of the fuse-holder, for a short distance from its front
end, is also screw-threaded to adapt it to be screwed into the chamber of said case.
The nipple of the fixed fuse-holder is provided with a percussion cap which is
exploded to ignite the fuse, as will be hereinafter explained.
The escape of the gases, developed by the explosion of the percussion cap,
provided for by the passage 21, through the wall of the fuse-case.
This passage
extends cutward from the rear part of the chamber of said case, then longitudinally
at a right angle, and then outwardly through the wall at a right angle to the
longitudinal portion of the passage. The outer end of said passage registers with
the vent or passage 14 through the rear portion of the shell. At the first
mentioned angle of the passage is formed a hemispherical valve seat, 22, for a
ball-valve, 23, the wall of the shell being bored, as indicated, for the insertion of
said ball-valve, said bore being screw-threaded and provided with a screw-threaded
plug 24, which has a hemispherical recess at its inner end against which the valve
abuts and is held when it leaves its sent. When the ball is forced from its sent it
opens the passage 21 and permits the escape of the gases. The ball, when seated,
prevents back-pressure of gas from the gun at its discharge, and of air during the
flight of the shell, which might unseat the percussion cap and prevent the explo-
sion of the cap, upon the impact of the projectile, and consequently the explosion
of the charge in the shell.
The operation of the devices shown in Figures 1 and 2 is as follows:—
When a shell or projectile provided with my improved fuse-case is tired from a
gun, the inertia of the fuse holder is overcome by the momentum of the shell,
hearing or breaking the holding pins, and said fuse-holder, acting as a striker, is
forced into instantaneous and violent contact with the rear wall of the recess,
exploding the cap. The flame of the cap passes through the nipple and quietly

page_text: ignites the end of the fuse, without impacting it or prematurely discharging the
shell, as the pressure which would otherwise occur in the chamber of the fuse-
case, and at the rear end of the fuse-holder, is relieved by the vents formed by
the annular recess and passages of the fuse-holder and the registering passage
through the wall of the fuse-case, thus permitting the gases to escape.
It will be noticed that the fuse-holder being the movable portion of the firing-
device, it acts as the striker to explode the cap.
The operation of the devices shown in Figure 3 is as follows:-
The shell leaves the gun at its discharge with the firing-devices all in normal
position, in which position they remain during the flight of the projectile. At
the instant the gun is fired, the inertia of the striker will be overcome by the
momentum of the projectile, shearing or breaking the holding-pins, and said
striker will be forced backward against the rear wall of its chamber where it
remains during the flight of the projectile. Upon the impact of the shell the
striker is projected forcibly forward, striking the cap and exploding it. The
explosion ignites the fuse quietly and surely, as packing of the fulminate is
prevented by the quick escape of the gases through the passage 21. The fuse is
timed so as to explode the charge in the shell after the impact, consequently
the explosion of the shell takes place within the object which the shell has
entered.
The fuse of the form of firing-device shown in Figures 1 and 2 is timed so as
to explode the shell at any period of its flight.
It will be observed that the extension at the forward end of the fuse-case
projects well into the powder charge of the shell, this is to insure its ignition
and explosion when the fuse burns to a limit.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination, with the body of the fuse-case having a forward extension
and an internal axial recess, of the fuse-holder normaily fastened in aids and
provided with an annular groove near its rear, communicating with its interior
and the recess in the fuse-case by means of suitable passages, the body of the said
case being provided with a passage which is closed by the rear of the fuse-holder
when the same is in normal position, and which registers with the annular groove
in the fuse-holder when the same falls back at the discharge of the shell, to permit
the escape of the gases, substantially as specified.
2. The chambered fuse-case having a combined fuse-holder and striker
Borinally fastened in said chamber, the said fuse-holder being provided with
vents which register with a vent in the fuse-holder when it is displaced at the
discharge of the gun, to permit the escape of the gases developed, substantially
as specified.
3. The combination, with the chambered body and extension of the fuse-case, of
a fuse-holder carrying a fuse and provided with a capped end, said fuse holder
normally held in the chamber of the case and adapted to act as a striker, and a
perforated removable cap seated on the end of the extension to protect the fuse
and its holder, substantially as specified.
4. A shell-fuse, consisting of a cylindrical case formed with an externally
Bcrew-threaded extension and carrying 1 normally restrained striker and a fixed
fuse-holder provided with a nipple having gas-vents, and with an internally screw-
threaded perforated cap screwed upon said extension to protect the fuse, substantially
as specified.
5. A shell-fuse, consisting of a cylindrical chambered block of metal, pro-
vided with a fixed fuse-holder and suitable firing-devices, a passage leading from
the chamber through the wall of the plug, and a valve located in a chamber
connecting with the passage, to close the same normally but to permit the gas

page_text: developed by the explosion of the percussion cap to escape, substantially as
specified.
Dated this 15th day of October 1895.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, Loudon, W.C., Patent Agents.