IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCUSSION-FUSES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, OWEN JONES, of 18 Southampton Street, Bloomsbury Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCUSSION-FUSES" to be as follows:-
"
Many attempts have heretofore been made to construct a percussion-fuse which
will not be liable to be set in action by handling, either before or after its insertion
into a projectile, but which will nevertheless be free to act when the projectile
strikes an object. All these attempts have been more or less unsuccessful.
My invention is designed to provide a percussion-fuse which, although very
roughly handled, either before or after its insertion into a projectile, will not be
liable to be set in action until the projectile in which it is fitted is discharged from
a gun, but which will then be perfectly free to act by concussion or impact.
My improved percussion-fuse is simple in construction, certain in its action,
and entirely free from any risk of premature explosion under ordinary conditions
of use.
An essential feature of my said invention consists in the provision of means
whereby the plunger or striker will be firmly held in position until the fuse has
been subjected to the action of heat, such as that developed by the explosion of the
powder in a gun, and will then be released so that it is free to act upon the cap or
priming.
My said invention is conveniently and advantageously carried into practice as
follows, that is to say, I provide a hollow cylinder which is open at one end and in
which is inserted the plunger or striker. A screw-plug is fixed in the end of the
said cylinder; this screw-plug has a hole bored through its centre, and is made
with a central projection on its inner side to receive a percussion-cap. A pin or
catch is arranged within a hole or cavity in the cylinder and is adapted to engage
with a notch in the plunger or striker. This pin or catch is held firmly in
engagement with the said notch by means of a pad or wad of gun-cotton, quick-
match, or other substance which will burn or explode when ignited by the heat
developed by the explosion of the powder in the gun. A narrow passage or touch-
hole extends from the rear end of the said cylinder to the hole or cavity in which
the gun-cotton or other substance is packed. I prefer to make the latter hole or
cavity with an internal screw-thread so that a plug can be screwed therein to
[Price 8d 1

page_text: compress the gun-cotton or other substance and thus more effectually ensure the
retention of the pin or catch in engagement with the plunger or striker.
When this percussion-fuse is fitted in a projectile and the latter is discharged
from a gun, the heat developed by the explosion ignites the gun-cotton. As soon
as the projectile strikes an object, the plunger or striker, by reason of its
momentum, readily pushes the pin or catch into the recess or space which has
been left by the burning of the gun-cotton, and moves rapidly forward and strikes
the cap or priming.
It is obvious that, if desired, the fulminate or priming can be carried by the
plunger or striker, an anvil or other suitable device being provided for the plunger
to strike against in order to explode the said fulminate or priming,
I do not confine myself to the use of gun-cotton, quick-match or the like for the
purpose above specified, as I can substitute therefor any other substance which
will be burnt or otherwise removed from the aforesaid hole or cavity by heat..

page_text: .
Improvements in rercussion-luses.
I, OWEN JONES, of 18 Southampton Street, Bloomsbury Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, 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 :-
Many attempts have heretofore been made to construct a percussion-fuse which
cannot be set in action by a fall or by ordinary handling, either before or after its
insertion into a projectile, but which will nevertheless be free to act when the
projectile strikes an object. All these attempts have been more or less unsuccessful
or unsatisfactory.
My invention is designed to provide a percussion-fuse which is simple in
construction, certain in its action, and entirely free from any risk of premature
explosion under ordinary conditions of use.
An essential feature of my said invention is the provision of means whereby the
plunger or striker will be firmly held in place until the fuse has been subjected to
the action of heat, such as that generated by the explosion of the powder in a gun.
Therefore my percussion-fuse, although very roughly handled or permitted to fall,
either before or after its insertion into a projectile or shell, cannot be set in action
until the projectile is discharged from a gun, but will then be perfectly free to act
by concussion or impact.
My said invention is conveniently and advantageously carried into practice as
illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a percussion fuse made according to
my said invention. -
.
Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section of the said fuse, showing the parts in
the positions which they assume when the projectile strikes an object.
Figures 4 and 5 are side elevations showing parts of the said fuse.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal central section, and
:
Figure 7 an end elevation, showing a modification of my invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is a taper box or chamber which is closed at its rear end and is screw-threaded
externally so that it can be screwed into the base of a projectile or shell. bis the
plunger or striker which is fitted to slide freely to and fro in the said box or
chamber. c is a screw-plug which is fixed in one end of the said chamber; this
screw-plug has a central hole c¹ and is formed with a projection c² on its inner end
to receive a percussion-cap d. A ring d¹ is placed over the flange of the cap d to
prevent the displacement of the said cap.
In Figures 1 to 5, e is a pin or block which is fitted to slide freely to and fro
within a hole a¹ in the side of the chamber a, and is adapted to enter a notch or
cavity in the plunger or striker b when the latter is at the rear end of the
chamber a. This pin or block is held firmly in engagement with the plunger or
striker by means of a pad or wad f of gun-cotton, quick-match, or other suitable
material, which is compressed and kept in place by means of a screw-plug 9.
A narrow passage or touch-hole h extends from the rear end of the chamber b to

page_text: the space in which the gun-cotton or other material is packed. In this passage
or touch-hole is placed a strip of gun-cotton, quick-match or other suitable
material. This strip may, if desired, be in one piece with the wad f.
When this percussion fuse is fitted in a projectile and the latter is discharged
from a gun, the heat generated by the explosion ignites the gun-cotton or quick-
match. The combustion of the gun-cotton or quick-match leaves an empty space
between the pin or block e and the screw-plug g. Therefore the said pin or block
is free to move out of engagement with the plunger or striker. As soon as the
projectile or shell strikes an object, the plunger or striker b, by reason of its
momentum, readily pushes the pin or block e into the space left by the burning of
the gun-cotton, and, moving rapidly forward, strikes the cap or priming and thus
explodes the projectile or shell.
I prefer to make the hole a slightly larger in diameter at that part which
contains the gun-cotton than at the part in which the pin or block e is fitted, so
that any deposit resulting from the combustion of the gun-cotton will not impede
the outward movement of the said pin or block.
I sometimes make the pin or block e with a flange or gas-check e¹ which, when
the said pin or block is in engagement with the plunger or striker, bears against
the shoulder a². By this means I prevent the passage of gas around the said pin
or block when the gun-cotton is exploded.
It is obvious that various devices might be substituted for the pin or block e.
In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, I employ a
lever or catch e2 which is pivotted within a suitably shaped cavity a³ in the side of
'the chamber a, and is adapted to engage with the plunger or striker b as shown in
Figure 6. In this modification, the screw-plug 9 for keeping the gun-cotton in
place is inserted in the rear end of the chamber a and is made with a central
hole g¹ to serve as the touch-hole.
:
If desired, the fulminate or priming can be carried by the plunger or striker,
an anvil or other suitable device being provided against which the said fulminate
or priming will be driven by the plunger or striker when the latter moves forward
as above described.
I do not confine myself to the use of gun-cotton, quick-match or the like for the
purpose above specified, as I can substitute therefor any other substance which
will be burnt or otherwise removed by the heat in a sufficiently short space of
'time to ensure the release of the plunger or striker before the projectile has struck
the object aimed at.
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:
First. A percussion-fuse wherein the movement or action of the plunger or
striker is prevented by means of gun-cutton or other material which will be burnt
or otherwise removed by heat, as, and for the purpose, above specified.
Second. The improved percussion-fuse consisting of the parts constructed and
combined substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 5, or to
Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawing, and operating as above set forth.
T