Improvements in Fuses for Projectiles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1900-Accepted, 14th July, 1900
Improvements in Fuses for Projectiles.
We, Sir W. G. ARMSTRONG, WHITWORTH, & COMPANY LIMITED, Manufacturing
Engineers, and ALBERT GEORGE HADCOCK, late R.A., both of Elswick Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement in time fuses by which the time
ring is clamped to the body of the fuse. It can be applied in somewhat different
forms to different types of fuses, but the essential point is, that a ring, or other
suitable form, of some soft metal attached to the time ring or to a supplemen-
tary ring is pressed into undercut grooves of corresponding shape formed in
the body of the fuse, by ordinary statical pressure, or, preferably, by the shock
of discharge. The ring, or other form, of soft metal may be attached to the
body of the fuse and be pressed into under-cut or counter-sunk grooves formed
in the time ring or supplementary ring.
In one form of our invention the rear end of the body of the fuse is formed to
screw into the nozzle of the projectile and is made hollow to contain the per-
cussion parts. Its forward end is formed with a forwardly projecting stalk in
which is contained the striker of the time fuse.
Around the exterior of the stalk is placed the time ring and in front of this
a supplementary ring held in place by the head of a screw which screws into
the forward end of the stalk. A stem projecting forwards from the striker
enters a hollow in the screw and is retained by a safety pin passed through it
and through the head of the screw.
In the face of the time ring which is towards the supplementary ring an
under-cut groove is made the surface of which is serrated. Around the stalk
another under-cut groove is formed. The supplementary ring may be made
of soft metal and is formed with two thin edges which enter into the above
named grooves.
It is prevented turning on the stalk by keys, or the groove in
the stalk may be serrated.
On the shell being fired the supplementary ring sets back, and the two thin
edges of the soft metal are pressed into the under-cut grooves and so secure the
time ring to the body of the fuse; it also makes this portion of the fuse gas
tight to the escaping gas from the time ring, which escapes from a separate
vent.
The supplementary ring may if desired be made of any hard metal and be
fitted with a soft metal ring or rings.
Doted this 6th day of September 1899

page_text: improvements in Fuses for Projectiles,
We, Sir W. G. ARMSTRONG, WHITWORTH, & COMPANY LIMITED, Manufacturing
Engineers, and ALBERT GEORGE HADCOCK, late R.A., both of Elswick Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, 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 relates to improvements in fuses for projectiles. The improve-
ments have for their object to securely lock the time ring of a time fuse to the
fuse body at the time when or before the projectile is fired from a gun.
According to this invention a supplementary ring placed in front of the time
ring is when moved backwards by the shock of discharge or it might be pre-
viously by ordinary statical pressure caused to act upon and bend rings or edges
or other suitable form of some soft metal and by bending these edges to lock the
time ring as herein after described.
The rings or edges or other suitable form of soft metal may be attached to
the time ring or to the supplementary ring or to the fuse body.
Figures 1 and 2 shew a longitudinal section and end view of one form of fuse
constructed according to this invention, the parts intended for bursting the shell
on its striking the ground are not shewn.
A is the body of the fuse formed to screw into the projectile and made hollow
to contain the percussion parts-A is a stalk extending forwards from the body A
and containing the time fuse striker B. C is a time ring placed around the
stalk, and D a supplementary ring in front of it; these are held in place by
a screw E which screws into the forward end of the stalk. C' is an undercut
groove in the time ring having its bottom surface which is towards the time ring
serrated. A is another undercut groove around the stalk A'. The supplemen-
tary ring in this case is of soft metal and is formed with two thin edges which
enter into the above named grooves, or if desired the supplementary ring might
be of hard metal and fitted with a soft metal ring or rings.
It is prevented turning on the stalk by keys, or by making the groove in
the stalk serrated.
On the shell being fired the supplementary ring sets back and the two thin
edges of the soft metal are pressed into the undercut grooves, the edge pressed
into the groove A2 then retains the supplementary ring in its pressed back posi-
tion whilst the edge pressed into the groove Crestrains the time ring from
turning and also presses it firmly onto its seat thereby securing the time ring
to the body of the fuse and making this portion of the fuse gas tight to the
escaping gas from the time ring which escapes from a separate vent F.
If desired the supplementary ring might be set back by ordinary statical
pressure but preferably it is arranged to be set back by the shock of "discharge
as above described.
At Figures 3 and 4 are shewn a longitudinal section and end view of another
form of the fuse in which the soft rings used for locking the time ring and hold-
ing it firmly against its seat are carried one by the body of the fuse and the
other by the time ring itself. In this construction A is the body of the fuse,
B the striker contained in its stalk. C the time ring, D) the supplementary ring.
E the screw by which the rings are held in place. D¹ is an undercut groove
in the supplementary ring. The bottom of this groove is serrated and the
supplementary ring is restrained from turning as in the fuse first described.
C is a soft metal ring secured to the time ring C and entering the groove D¹

page_text: A3 is a soft metal ring secured to the stalk A¹ which forms part of the body A.
F is the vent for gas escaping from the time ring.
On the shell being fired the supplementary ring sets back, a coned projec-
tion on the supplementary ring 1) expands the soft metal ring A2 and thereby
causes it to overlap and hold down the time ring whilst the ring C which has
the serrated surface of the bottom of the groove D' forced against it restrains
the time ring from turning.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is ―
1. A time fuse having a supplementary ring in front of the time ring and
capable of backward movement when the projectile to which it is attached is
fired from a gun or of being previously set back by statical pressure and in
which the supplementary ring when so moved back acts upon and bends soft
metal rings or parts and by the bending of the soft metal locks the time ring
to the body substantially as described.
2. A time fuse having a supplementary ring in front of the time ring and
capable of backward movement when the projectile to which it is attached is
fired from a gun or of previously being set back by statical pressure and in
which the time ring, the fuse body and the supplementary. ring are all caused
to be locked together by two concentric thin circular rings or edges, each car-
ried by one or other of the parts and which are bent outwardly or inwardly by
the supplementary ring's backward movement substantially as described.
3. A time fuse having a supplementary ring in front of the time ring and
capable of backward movement when the projectile to which it is attached is
fired from a gun or of being previously set back by statical pressure and in
which the supplementary ring when so moved back becomes locked to the time
ring by a ring or other suitable form of soft metal carried by one of them
being then forced into an undercut groove in the other substantially as described.
4. The construction of fuses for projectiles substantially as herein before
described and illustrated at Figures 1 and 2.
5. The construction of fuses for projectiles
described and illustrated at Figures 3 and 4.
בד
·
101 1
35
1000
substantially as herein before
SIR W. G. ARMSTRONG, WHITWORTH & CO., LIMITED,
S. W. A. NOBLE.
Director.
T. M. FALKNER,
Secretary.
A. G. HADCOCK.