improvements relating
Year: 1899

page_text: improvements relating 10 apivo
1, JAMES COULTHRED THOMPSON, of Chilton House, Rosherville, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention refers to improvements in distance or time fuses for explosive
projectiles or shells, and consists essentially in providing means adapted to be
operated by the shock to the projectile on discharge of the gun, whereby the
dome of the fuse case or body is locked to the base thereof and the necessity
for a clamping screw or similar device for preventing the dome shifting on
the base after the fuze is set is thereby obviated.
According to my invention one or more rods or bars, preferably of hardened
steel, are adapted to slide in longitudinal grooves formed in the dome of the
fuse case or body. These rods or bars are retained in position by means of one
or more rings or bands, the whole fitting the dome so as to be capable of sliding
longitudinally thereon. The ends of the bars or rods may or may not project.
beyond these rings or bands, and the lower end of each of the said rods is
provided with a cutting edge.
In some cases may omit the rods or bars and provide the band or ring with
projections having points or cutting edges and fitting the grooves in the dome.
The fuse is set to explode in the well known manner. Upon firing the gun
the shock of discharge causes the bands or rings to slide along the dome and
force the cutting edges of the rods or bars, or the points or cutting edges
carried by the projections on the band or ring, into the base of the fuse and
thereby locks the said dome and base together in the position they relatively
occupied before firing.
A suitable stop or stops are provided to limit the outward movement of the
bands or rings to prevent their being removed from the fuze, and soft copper
or other suitable stops may also be fixed to the dome to prevent the cutting
edges of the rods or bars, or the points or cutting edges of the projections on
the band or ring, from locking the dome to the base before the gun is fired.
The shock of discharge causes a band or ring to cut or shear off these soft copper
or similar stops and thereby permits the cutting edges of the rods or bars, or
the points or cutting edges of the projections on the band or ring, to be forced
into the base of the fuse body as aforesaid.
The bands or rings may consist of any suitable metal, or may consist of split
rings, or springs, or may be of other convenient form.
My invention may be adapted to any form of fuse and when employing it
with the fuse described in the Specification of prior Patent No. 15159 of 1888.
I arrange the upper ends of the rods or bars to lie in the path of the blade or
vane employed to prevent the rotation of a central axis in the fuse case or body,
and thereby prevent the accidental rotation of said blade or vane before the
ר....D

page_text: gun is fired. When the gun is fired the rods or bars move towards the base of
the fuse case or body as aforesaid and liberate the blade or vans.
Dated this 21st day of November 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements relating to Fuses for Explosive Projectiles.
I, JAMES COULTIRED THOMPSON, of Chilton House, Rosherville, in the County
cf Kent, 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:-
This invention refers to improvements in distance or time fuses for explosive
projectiles or shells, and consists essentially in providing means adapted to be
Operated by the shock to the projectile on discharge of the gun, whereby the
rotary dome or other adjustable part of the fuse case or body is locked to the
base thereof and the necessity for a clamping screw or similar device for pre-
venting the dome or other adjustable part shifting relatively to the base after
the fuse has been set, may be thereby obviated.
According to my invention one or more pins rods or bars, preferably of steel,
are adapted to slide in longitudinal grooves formed in the dome. These rods
or bars are retained in position by means of one or more rings or bands, the
whole fitting the dome so as to be capable of sliding longitudinally thereon.
Upon the shock of discharge the bands or rings slide along the dome and force
the pins rods or bars into engagement with the base of the fuse and thereby
lock the said dome and base together in the position they relatively occupied
before firing.
In some cases I may omit the pins rods or bars and provide the band or ring with
projections having points or cutting edges and fitting the grooves in the dome.
A suitable stop or stops are provided to limit the outward movement of the
bands or rings to prevent their being removed from the fuse, and soft copper
or other suitable stops may also be fixed to the dome to prevent the pins rods
or bars, or the projections on the band or ring, from locking the dome to the
base before the gun is fired. The shock of discharge causes the bands or rings
to cut or shear off these soft copper or similar stops and thereby permits the
pins rods or bars, or the projections, to be forced into engagement with the
base of the fuse body as aforesaid.
The bands or rings may consist of any suitable metal, or may consist of split
rings, or springs, or may be of other convenient form.
My invention may be adapted to any form of fuse and when employing it
with a fuse of the kind described in the Specification of prior Patent No. 15159
of 18SS, I arrange the upper ends of the pins rods or bars to lie in the path
of the blade or vane employed to prevent the rotation of a central axle in the
fuse case or body, and thereby prevent the accidental rotation of said blade
or vane before the gun is fired. When the gun is fired the pins rods or bars
move towards the base of the fuse case or body as aforesaid and liberate the
blade or vane.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which

page_text: Specincation above stated, provided with my improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, and
Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 1, 1 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a detail view of the pins, rods or bars.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of an ordinary service fuse provided with
my improvements.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a similar fuse provided with a modified
form of my improvements.
A is the dome and B the body of the fuse.
:
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 3-CC are the pins rods or
bars of steel which are carried by the rings or bands D D that fit around the
dome A. The said pius lie in the longitudinal grooves a a in the dome and are
cut away at their ends adjacent to the ring D so as to fit against the interior
of the latter to which they are connected by rivets d. The opposite ends of
these pins are formed with lateral projections (Figure 3) above which the
ring is supported by rivets d. The two rings and the various pins are thus
connected so as to move together. a is the stop carried by the dome A for
limiting the outward movement of the said rings and a² a² are the soft copper
or other suitable stops projecting from the said dome and adapted to be sheared
on shock of discharge, to permit the rings and their pins to move inward and
lock the dome to the body by the ends of the pins engaging with the latter.
The fuse is set to explode in the well known manner.
The ends of the said pins C adjacent to the ring D occupy such a position,
when the rings are in the position represented in the drawings, that one of said pins
lies in the path of the vane E and prevents the latter from rotating until after
shock of discharge has caused the rings to move inwardly as above explained.
The fuse represented by Figure 4, being unprovided with a vane E, does
not require the upper movable ring D which is therefore omitted. This fuse
is of the ordinary service kind in which a ring B carrying the composition
for exploding the charge within the shell, is adapted to be shifted relatively
to the body B of the fuse for adjusting the timing of the fuse, instead of by
adjusting the dome as in Figures 1 to 3.
In the fuse represented by Figure 5 which is also a service fuse I have shown
a modification of my improvements in which the pins C are arranged within
the interior of the dome and fixed to the rotary disc B and the ring D¹ is
made in the form of a washer of soft metal which is mounted upon the screw
stem B forming part of the body B and carrying the nut 133 for securing the
dome and the disc B in the adjusted position, as is usual with the service
fuses. The said ring or washer D¹ is adapted to slide on said stem without
turning thereon by making its central hole of the shape represented in Figure 6,
the stem being made of similar shape to engage therewith. The said ring or
washer is normally kept in a position of disengagement with the said pins C
by the transverse pin or stop carried by the said stem B', a washer of
harder metal then the ring being sometimes interposed between the latter and
the pins C. On shock of discharge the soft metal ring D¹ causes the washer dr
to shear this stop a and the soft metal ring then engages with the pins C
thereby locking the rotary ring 1 to the body.
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 fuse provided with a movable ring or rings and with pins or projections
which on shock of discharge are caused to lock the adjustable part of the fuse
to the body portion by the movement of the said ring or rings substantially as
described.

page_text: 2. A fuse provided with means for locking the adjustable part to the body,
on shock of discharge, substantially as described with reference to any of the
examples illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of August 1900.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.