Improvements in Hollow Projectiles, and in Fuses therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hollow Projectiles, and in Fuses therefor.
1, HUDSON MAXIM, of 41 Wall Street, in the City County and State of New
York, United States of America, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates particularly to that class of fuses employed for the
detonation of shells containing a charge of high or other explosives.
The principal object of the invention is to provide means by which the charge of
the shell is protected from any accidental or premature explosion of the detonating
material. A further object of the invention is to provide means by which the fuse
is prevented from detonating immediately upon the occurrence of the shock of
retardation, arising from the striking of the shell upon the armor, embankment or
other target, and by which such detonation and the explosion of the shell is
delayed until the armor or target has been penetrated, and by which at the same
time, the charge of the shell is protected from any premature explosion of the
fuse. A further object of the invention is to relieve the movable portion of the
fuse, or the fuse charge, as far as possible from any resistance when it has been
started in forward motion relative to the shell to effect the explosion of the same.
A further object of the invention is to locate the fuse charge normally outside the
shell or powder charge and permit it to travel forward into the powder charge,
upon the retardation of the shell, preliminarily to its detonation.
With such objects in view the invention consists in a shell, the base, or other
suitable portion of which carrying or containing the fuse is so constructed as to be
weaker and to be burst more readily (provided the fuse charge be in its normal
position) than is that part of the shell or fuse carrier which separates the fuse from
the explosive charge of the shell; but when the fuse charge has, by the retardation
of the shell, been shifted to that position in which it is intended to be detonated,
the enclosing portion of its carrier which at such time and in such position
separates it from the charge of the shell, will be weaker and more readily burst
than that part of the said carrier which separates the fuse charge from the atmo-
sphere. The invention further consists in a hermetically sealed fuse carrier or
container in which the forward end of the fuse charge is relieved from resistance
by grooving the container or the casing of the fuse-charge to allow the backward
passage of air past the fuse-charge, or by producing and maintaining a vacuum or
partial vacuum in the container, or by both of such means.
The invention further consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter
set forth and claimed.
Such being the general nature of the invention, in order to make the same more
clearly understood, there are shown in the accompanying drawings means for
carrying it into practical effect, without limiting the improvements in their useful
applications, to the particular construction which, for the sake of illustration, have
been delineated.
Referring to the drawings:
--
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a shell and fuse embodying the invention,
na simple form.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a similar view, on a larger scale, the forward portion of the shell being
omitted, showing another embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 4 is a similar view showing another form of the invention.
Referring to the drawings, A. indicates the body of the shell or projectile, which
may be of any usual or preferred form. It contains an interior space or chamber B
for the powder or explosive charge, herein termed the shell-charge. C is the base
of the shell, screwed into the end thereof or otherwise secured thereto.
The fuse container, carrier, guide or tube, is shown at D, preferably formed with
or carried by the base C, and extending forward into the shell-chamber B. The
predetermined length of this tube, within the limits of the shell, will govern the
interval of time between the striking of the shell and the detonation of the fuse
and shell-charge. A packing groove c around the head of the base serves to more
effectually occlude its joint with the shell body against penetration by the propelling
gases of the gun.
E is the fuse-charge in the form of a plunger body comprising a detonating
material in a suitable casing which is adapted to slide bodily like a plunger in the
tube D. It is held in its normal rearmost position, as seen in Fig. 1, by one or
more pins or stops g of such softness or weakness as to be readily sheared by the
fuse charge acting under its inertia, upon the retardation of the shell. When
the fuse-charge thus frees itself and strikes the forward end of the tube D it may
be detonated by a pin fixed in the latter. The stop g may be situated in front of
the fuse charge, or may engage a groove in its casing as in Fig. 3.
- One of the most convenient meaus for causing any premature detonation of the
fuse-charge, while it is in its normal or outermost position in its carrier, to burst
outward into the atmosphere and leave intact the shell charge, is to greatly
strengthen the fuse coutainer D at a point in advance of the normal position of the
fuse-charge, leaving the outer or rear end of such container relatively weaker..
This may be done as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, by surrounding the
tube D in advance of its rear end with a thick and solid annulus or body of metal e,
leaving the outer end d of the tube comparatively thin and not reinforced. If,
when the fuse-charge is in its normal position as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the
drawings, it should be detonated, it would burst through the part d of its container,
leaving the forward portion of the tube and the shell-charge intact. The
reinforcement e may be integral with the tube D and base C as seen in Figs. 2
and 3, or with the shell as in Fig. 4. In Fig. 2 the rear end of the tube is within
the shell base, and is weakened by forming around it in the base a deep groove h.
In Fig. 3 the tube-end d is without the base and is thereby left unreinforced.
The end d may extend through and behind the reinforcement e (Fig. 4), and still
be within the rear end of the shell. In such case the shell base or cap may be
separate from the tube and be formed with a chamber i enclosing the end of the
latter. Where the end d is thus protected against accidental outside blows it may
be made much thinner than when left exposed as in Figs. 2 and 3.
For the detonating material of the fuse it is preferred to employ one which is
local in its effect, acting with great force within and without a limited area.
It is desirable that the fuse-charge, when once started into motion, relative to
the shell, shall meet with as little resistance as possible in its tube D. If air be
left in the tube the interior of the latter is formed with a longitudinal groove m
through which the air may pass from in front of the charge E when the latter
moves forward. In place of or in connection with the use of the groove m, the
casing of the charge E may be exteriorly grooved, as shown at n.
With or without the use of the grooves m, n, or either of them, the tube D may
be exhausted wholly or partially of air from in front of the charge E, and its front
end hermetically sealed in any well known manner.
In order to better confine, tamp and direct forward and outward the force of the
fuse charge when and as it is exploded, a follower j of steel or other metal or
substance may be attached to the rear end of the fuse charge (Fig. 2).
In Fig. 1 the invention is shown in somewhat simpler form, the guide or tube D

page_text: for the plunger body E of detonating material is screw-threaded to the base C of¨
the shell so as to be removable outward from the chamber of the shell. In full
lines the guide or tube is shown extending to about midway of the shell chamber,
and by dotted lines extending to the front of the shell, the length of the tube
being made shorter or longer according as it is desired to delay the detonation of
the detonating material for a shorter or longer interval.
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 shell or projectile having a plunger body of detonative material mounted
to move longitudinally of the projectile to prevent immediate detonation upon the
striking of the projectile, as set forth.
2. In a shell having a chamber for an explosive charge or the like, a guide
extending forward into said chamber, and a plunger body or mass composed of
detonative material free to move longitudinally in the guide by the inertia of the
material to prevent immediate detonation and that of the explosive charge upon-
the striking of the shell, as set forth.
3. In a shell, a closed tube extending from its base towards its end, a holder of
thin material to contain a plunger body composed of detonative material mounted
in said tube and free to move longitudinally in the tube by the inertia of the
material to prevent immediate detonation and rupture of the tube upon the striking
of the shell, and a shear pin normally holding the holder against longitudinal
movement, as set forth.
4. In a hollow shell, a guide tube extending longitudinally through the chamber
of the shell, a holder for a mass of detonative material supported loosely at the rear
of the tube and independent of the rotation of the shell and movable in the tube by
the inertia of the material to prevent immediate detonation, and means at the
forward end of the tube to detonate the material, as set forth.
5. The combination with a fuse charge, of a tube or container therefor, which is-
strengthened or reinforced, and left relatively weaker at its rear end, substantially
as set forth.
6. A fuse container or tube adapted to carry a fuse charge in its rear end and
reinforced in advance of the normal position of said fuse charge, substantially as
set forth.
7. The combination with a shell, of a fuse tube or container within the same, and.
a reinforcement in advance of the rear end of said container and between the same
and the body of the shell, substantially as set forth.
8. A fuse tube or container for shells provided in advance of its rear end with a
closing base for the shell adapted to reinforce said container, substantially as
set forth.
9. The combination with a shell, and a fuse tube or container within the same,.
of a fuse charge in said container and adapted to move longitudinally within the
same, and a follower or tamping device at the rear of said charge and adapted to
move forward with the same, substantially as set forth.
10. A fuse tube or container, a detonating charge within the same, and longi-
tudinally movable therein, and means for temporarily holding said charge at or
near the rear end of the container, said container having a vacuum or partial
vacuum in its forward end, substantially as set forth.
11. A fuse tube or container having a detonating charge longitudinally movable.
therein, said container being adapted to be attached to a shell and having a vacuum
or partial vacuum in front of said charge, substantially as set forth.
12. A fuse tube or container adapted to carry a longitudinally movable.
detonating charge, having a reinforcement adapted to close the base of a shell,
and formed with a groove h by which the rear end of the container is weakened,.
substantially as set forth.
13. The combination with a shell having a space or chamber for an explosive.

page_text: charge, of a fuse tube or container extending from without the charge chamber
and shell thereinto, and a fuse-charge in said container and movable from the outer
to the inner portion of the latter, substantially as set forth.
H. MAXIM,
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent.