IMPROVEMENTS IN FUZES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Noble, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the
County of Northumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FUZES."
Sealed the 14th February 1871, and dated the 7th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Noble at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th September 1870.
I, ANDREW NOBLE, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northum-
berland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FUZES," to be as follows :-
One part of my Invention consists in the construction of a combined
concussion and time fuze, that is, a fuze that may at will be made to act
either as a concussion fuze or as a time fuze.
In carrying out this arrangement I prefer to apply a concussion
arrangement to the time fuze known as the " Armstrong" time fuze as
shewn in section at Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings. For this

page_text: purpose I remove the detonating arrangement from the body A of the
fuze to the position B, and into the body A. I then introduce the
detonating arrangement C acting by concussion in a similar manner to
the Armstrong concussion fuze. When it is desired to make the fuze
act as a time fuze, the time arrangement is set in the usual manner, and
the fuze fires by time, should the time arrangement be set too long or
fail the shell is burst by means of the detonating arrangement. If it
be desired to burst the shell by the concussion arrangement the time
arrangement is not set at all, the magazine D¹ in the cover D being left
ruzes that the part when nolds the powder penet in position can by
means of a moveable part of the cover be turned from a position in which
it holds the pellet with perfect safety against accidental explosion into a
position in which the parts can be brought into action by the firing of
the gun.
27
Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings shew by way of
example the application of my improvement to the "Armstrong'
concussion fuze. In this fuze, as originally made, the guard ring I is
supported by the pins or projections e, e, on the powder pellet E, which
prevent as long as they are entire the detonating composition from
coming in contact with the needle point F, but the act of firing the gun
causes the guard ring to shear these projections, and the fuze is then in a
position to explode upon receiving the slightest concussion. It has been
found however that the projections e, e, are when the fuze has been
jolted for a considerable time liable to become broken, and the fuze is
then in a dangerous state.
It is the object of my Invention so to arrange the fuze that it shall be
perfectly safe until it is required to be put in action, so that in fact it
can be carried with safety in a loaded shell in a limber box, and yet be
capable of being put in action as soon as it is required.
The manner in which I prefer to carry out this arrangement is as
follows: The cover to the improved fuze is no longer made single, but
double, the portion G being fixed and the other portion G' moveable.
The moveable portion carries two pins g, y, enabling the operator to turn
from the outside the guard ring I through a quadrant of a circle, slits
for the motion of the pins being made in the immoveable portion G of
the cover.
The cover is marked on the outside "safe" and "action,"

page_text: as shewn in plan Figure 4. The powder pellet E is so arranged with
shoulders at opposite points e¹, e¹, as shewn in the section at Figure 2,
that when the cover is set at "safe" the guard ring I rests on the solid
metal of the powder pellet as shewn in this Figure, in which position,
therefore the detonating composition cannot possibly come into contact
with the needle point. When however the cover G³ is turned through a
quarter of a circle to "action" the guard ring by means of the guiding
pins is brought into such a position that it no longer rests upon the
shoulders e¹, e¹, but upon the pins e, e, as shewn in Figure 3, and the
action of the fuze on the firing of the gun is as has been above described.
The pellet E is prevented from turning in the fuze by the pins H, H,
passing into recesses in the metal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Andrew Noble in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
NOBLE, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Andrew Noble, Her special licence that
I, the said Andrew Noble, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Andrew Noble, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FUZES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Andrew Noble, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Noble, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-
One part of my Invention consists in the construction of a combined
concussion-and-time-fuze, that is, a fuze that may at will be made to act
either as a concussion fuze or as a time fuze.
In carrying out this arrangement I prefer to apply a concussion
arrangement to the time fuze known as the " Armstrong " time fuze as
shewn in section to an enlarged scale at Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings. For this purpose I remove the detonating arrangement
of the time fuze from the body A of the fuze to the position B, and
into the body A, I then introduce the detonating arrangement C,
acting by concussion in a similar manner to the Armstrong concussion
fuze. When it is desired to make the fuze act as a time fuze, the time
arrangement is set in the usual manner by turning the cover D, so as to
bring the powder magazine D' in communication at any desired point
with the annular powder channels I and J, of which the latter com-
municates with the lower chamber A through a passage K, should the
time arrangement be set too long or fail the shell is fired by means of
the concussion arrangement. If it be desired to burst the shell by
the concussion arrangement the time arrangement is not set at all,
the magazine D' in the cover D being left at the " zero or dead
point.
32
The construction and mode of operating of the detonating arrange-
ments, both of the time fuze and of the concussion fuze being well
understood, they need not be further described.
Another part of my Invention consists in so arranging concussion
fuzes, that the part which holds the powder pellet in position can by
means of a moveable part of the cover be turned from a position in which
it holds the pellet with perfect safety against accidental explosion into a
position in which the parts can be brought into action by the firing of
the gun.

page_text: Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings shewn by way of
example the application of my improvement to the "Armstrong"
concussion fuze. In this fuze, as originally made, the guard ring I is
supported by the pins or projections e, e, on the powder pellet E, which
prevent as long as they are entire the detonating composition from
coming in contact with the needle point F, but the act of firing the gun
causes the guard ring to shear these projections, and the fuze is then in
a position to explode upon receiving the slightest concussion. It has
been found however that the projections c, e, are when the fuze has
been jolted for a considerable time liable to become broken, and the fuze
is then in a dangerous state.
It is the object of my Invention so to arrange the fuze that it shall
be perfectly safe until it is required to be put in action, so that in fact
it can be carried with safety in a loaded shell in a limber box and yet be
capable of being put in action as soon as it is required.
The manner in which I prefer to carry out this arrangement is as
follows:-The cover to the improved fuze is no longer made single, but
double, the portion G being fixed and the other portion G¹ moveable.
The moveable portion carries two pins g, g, enabling the operator to
turn from the outside the guard ring I through a quadrant of a circle,
slits for the motion of the pins being made in the immoveable portion G
of the cover.
The cover is marked on the outside "safe" and
action" as shewn in plan Fig. 4. The powder pellet E is so arranged
with shoulders at opposite points e¹, e¹, as shewn in the section at
Figure 2, that when the cover is set at "safe," the guard ring I rests on
the solid metal of the powder pellet as shewn in this Figure, in which
position therefore the detonating composition cannot possibly come into
contact with the needle point. When however the cover G¹ is turned
(by means of a key introduced into the recess g¹) through a quarter
of a circle to "action" the guard ring by means of the guiding pins
is brought into such a position that it no longer rests upon the
shoulders e, e¹, but upon the pins e, e, as shewn in Figure 3, and the
action of the fuze on the firing of the gun is as has been above described.
The pellet E is prevented from turning in the fuze by the pins H, H,
passing into recesses in the metal.
I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement of the above described
concussion fuze as the construction of the guard ring and powder pellet
may be variously modified, the essential feature of the Invention being

page_text: the provision of the moveable cover or equivalent external appliance by
moving which an alteration can be effected in the condition of the
internal parts so as to bring them from a state of safety into a state in
which they can be acted on by the explosion of the gun.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, what I claim as the Invention
secured to me under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,--
First. A combined time and concussion fuze, so arranged that the
fuze_may_at_will_be_made_to_explode.either after-a-certain-lapse-of-time,-
or by concussion upon striking an object, substantially as herein-before
described with reference to Figure 1 of the Drawings.
Second. Constructing concussion fuzes with a moveable cover or
equivalent external appliance so arranged in connection with the
internal parts that by moving such cover or appliance an alteration is
effected in the condition of the internal parts, so as to bring them from
a state of safety into a state in which they are acted upon by the
explosion of the gun, substantially as herein-before set forth.
Third. The particular arrangement of such aforesaid concussion
fuzes, herein-before described with reference to Figures 2 to 4 of the 2
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Noble, have hereunto.
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
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