Year: 1886

page_text: .We HENRY AUGUSTUS SCHLUND, of the Kynoch Gun Factory, Aston, in the
county of Warwick, Engineer and ABRAHAM MARTIN also of Aston aforesaid
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in percussion fuzes for use with shell,
torpedoes, and the like the improvements having for object to simplify and cheapen
the construction, to afford greater security, and at the same time to provide a fuze
which is self-arining and capable of being adjusted to act within clearly defined.
limits.
According to our invention we construct the improved fuze as follows:-
We employ an ordinary fuze case, provided with a primer or detonating cap; we
place within the case a thin metal tube open at one end, the other end being closed
with the exception of a small central hole which has for object to allow the striker
point to reach the primer, or instead of the said perforated bottom we can employ
a separate disc. The striker is cylindrical in form and is adapted to slide easily in
the said metal tube; one end of the striker is provided with a striking point, and
the other end with a conical shaped pin or stud adapted to receive at its outer end
a soft metal disc or flanged disc; the fuze is closed by a suitable screw cap or its
equivalent.
By this construction if a shell or other body provided with our improved fuze be
discharged from a gun or otherwise moved from a state of rest the striker will
move in an opposite direction as usual, whereby the conical pin or stud will open
the hole in the disc and liberate itself allowing the striker when the flight of the
shell is arrested to move forward to strike the primer.
By the use of a soft metal disc and the conical pin or stud as above named, we
are enabled in the manufacture of our improved fuzes to adjust them to a much
finer degree than hitherto by varying the thickness or composition of the said
disc: Another important advantage resulting from our improved construction, is
that the striker is prevented from prematurely striking the primer.
G. F. REDFern,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: .
Improvements in Percussion Fuses.
We, HENRY AUGUSTUS SCHLUND of the Kynoch Gun Factory, Aston, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, and ABRAHAM MARTIN also of Aston aforesaid,
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 :—
This invention relates to improvements in percussion fuses for use with shell,
torpedoes, and the like, the improvements having for object to simplify and cheapen
the construction, to afford greater security, and at the same time to provide a fuse
which is self-arining and capable of being adjusted to act within clearly defined
limits.
According to our invention we construct the improved fuse as follows;
We employ an ordinary fuse case and primer or detonating cap; we place
within the case a thin metal tube open at one end, the other end when the fuse is
to be placed in the base of the shell or the like being closed with the exception of a
small central hole which has for object to allow the striker point to reach the
primer, or instead of the said perforated bottom we can employ a separate disc.
The part carrying the striker is cylindrical in form and is adapted to slide easily in
the said metal tube; one end of the said cylindrical part is provided with the
striking point, and the other end with a conical shaped pin or stud adapted to.
receive at its outer end a ring or disc of soft metal such as copper; the fuse is
closed by a suitable screw cap or its equivalent. When the fuse is to be placed in
the head of the shell or the like the thin metal tube is fully open at both ends and
we fix the striker in the fuse case and the primer or detonating cap is carried by
the hereinbefore described sliding cylindrical part the said striker serving also to
close the fuse.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings in which figure 1 is a
vertical section of a shell provided with a percussion fuse constructed according to
our invention, fixed in the base of the shell; figure 2 is a similar view to figure 1
but showing the fuse fixed in the head of the shell; figures 3 and 4 are detached
vertical sections of the fuses drawn to a larger scale. Similar letters in all the-
figures represent similar or corresponding parts.
Referring to figure 1, A represents the shell and B the fuse case which are of
ordinary construction, and C is the usual primer or detonating cap which when
struck by the striker in the manner hereinafter described ignites the charge in the
shell A through the hole D in the fuse case in the usual manner.
a, (figures 1 and 3) is the thin metal tube which we place within the fuse case B,
the said tube before being fixed in the fuse case being open at its lower end; its
upper end as will be seen by reference to the drawings is closed with the exception

page_text: of the small central hole b, and is formed into a recess in which the priming or
detonating cap O is placed; through the hole b, the striker c reaches and fires the
primer C when the flight of the shell is arrested as hereinafter described; d, is the
cylindrical part which carries at one end the striker c, and is adapted to hide easily
within the tube a; e, is the pin or stud at the opposite end of the sliding
cylindrical part d; the said pin or stude, is formed conically-as shewn at f, and
cylindrically as shewn at fl; h, is the copper or other soft metal ring or disc which
embraces the outer end of the pin or stude; the ring or disc h, is passed over the
end of the pin or stud e, before the part d, is placed in the fuse case, the said end
being formed cylindrically for that purpose: the said end is then expanded into a
conical form as shewn in the drawings at
the purpose of retaining the soft metal ring or by means of a suitable machine, for
disc h, the base of the cone g, being
of smaller diameter than the cylindrical part f¹; the ring or disc h, is fixed between
the lower or open end of the tube a, and the screw cap i, serving to close the fuse
and 6xed in position in an annular groove in the shell by the screwed cap or cover
of the shell as shewn.
By this construction if a shell or other body provided with our improved fuse be
discharged from a gun, or otherwise moved from a state of rest the striker c, and
part carrying the same will by reason of their inertia allow the soft metal ring or
dist, to ride over the cone f, onto the cylindrical part f¹, whereby the hole in the
ring or disc h, will be opened or enlarged to the diameter of the said part f-the
base of the conical part g, being smaller than the part fl, can then pass forward
through the hole in the ring or disc when the flight of the shell A is arrested,
thereby allowing the striker c, to move forward to strike the primer C.
In figure 2, in which the fuse is shewn placed in the head of the shell A, the
construction of the fuse is similar to that hereinbefore described and shewn in
figures and 3, with the exception that the thin metal tube a, before it is fixed in
the fuse case B is fully open at both ends, the upper end being closed by the
striker c, which is fixed in the fuse case B and extends into the suid tube; the
primer C instead of being fixed at the end of the tube a, is carried by the sliding
cylindrical piece d, which is bored longitudinally so as to form the necessary
communication between the primer C and the charge in the shell A.
In this case
it will be obvious that when the flight of the shell is arrested the primer C will
move forward and come into contact with the striker c, instead of the striker c,
moving forward as described when referring to figure 1.
By the use of a soft metal ring or disc h, and the conical pin or stud e, as above
named, we are enabled in the manufacture of our improved fuses to adjust them to
a much finer degree than hitherto by varying the thickness or composition of the
said ring or disc. Another important advantage resulting from our improved
construction is that the striker is prevented from prematurely striking the primer.
By using certain metals in the composition of this disc and not having to employ
lead, the oxidation and contraction caused by heat and cold is avoided and the fuse
is more reliable.
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 percussion fuse having a striker for ned with a conical pin or stud, which is
held (by being coned or rivetted) by a soft metal ring or dise until the projectile is
discharged, the said conical pin or stud then opening or enlarging the hole in the
said ring or disc so as to liberate the striker substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and represented in figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
2. A percussion fuse having a fixed striker and a loose sliding piece such as d,
carrying the priming which piece is formed with a conical pin or stud held by a
soft metal ring or disc until the projectile is discharged, the said conical pin or stud
then opening or enlarging the hole in the said ring or disc so as to liberate the

page_text: part carrying the primer substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described
and represented in figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. Jn percussion fuses the use of a soft metal ring or perforated disc in com-
bination with a conical stud on the striker or on the part carrying the primer.
4. The improved percussion fuses herein before described and represented in the
accompanying drawings.