Improvements in Combined Time and Percussion Fuses.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Time and Percussion Fuses.
I, FÉLICIEN JOSEPH MAUBEUGE, of Termonde, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Major,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: —
This invention relates to improvements in the fuse described in my former
Patent No. 2144 dated 31st January 1894 the said improvements having mainly
for object to increase the safety of the fuse generally and to simplify the time-
device at the same time making it independent of a novel device for effecting the
ignition of the fuse when the projectile strikes an obstacle.
In the arrangement described in my former patent the hammer or striker
was operated by a spring which arrangement necessitated the employment of a sear
for diminishing the friction of the stop upon the time-plate. According to this
invention I utilize contrifugal force for effecting percussion whereby I dispense
with the percussion spring and the sear hitherto employed. Furthermore the
arrangement heretofore adopted for effecting percussion by the impact of the pro-
jectile necessitated the employment of a spring thereby reducing the rigidity of the
time-disc which is separated from the bottom of the body of the fuse. In order to
dispense with this spring I have made the action resulting from the impact of the
projectile independent of the time-hammer by employing a separate hammer
arranged in the end of the fuse.
To utilize the action of centrifugal force upon the time-hammer the heel of the
said hammer is made larger so that the mass of lead which it carries can be
increased to cause the centre of gravity of the hammer to be in such a position that
the hammer can deliver a sufficiently strong blow to cause the explosion of the
percussion-cap without, however, increasing the pressure of the projection or stop
upon the edge or flange of the time-disc. As above described, I have dispensed
with the sear which, in the fuse as heretofore made, was necessary for reducing the
friction between the projection or stop and the disc resulting from the pressure of
the spring upon the heel of the hammer. It is to be noted that this pressure is at
its maximum when the stop is in contact with the disc and that it gradually
decreases during the movement of the hammer. The moment of the centrifugal
force, on the other hand, is at its minimum during the time the stop is in contact
with the disc and at its maximum the instant the hammer strikes the percussion
cap.
The impact percussion device is arranged in the body of the fuse.
The spring
which held the time-disc away from the bottom of the case is dispensed with so
that the wheel secured thereto rests against the said bottom and makes the disc
more rigid.
My improved percussion device consists of a hammer with a flanged or winged
cap and with a base ring having projecting portions or wings, of a tube or sleeve
with two projections and of a safety device.
The hammer is provided near its lower end with a percussion point. The winged
cap prevents the hammer from sliding towards the percussion cap when during the

page_text: loading of a gun the projectile is suddenly stopped by the rifling of the gun. The
winged ring holds the hammer against the plug of the fuse when the sleeve or
tube has slid upon the wings of the cap to arm or set the fuse.
The tube rests at one end against the wings of the hammer cap and at the other
end against the bottom of the recess in the body of the fuse. The two projections
on the said tube or sleeve engage in two grooves in the body through which grooves
they extend. One of the projections locks the hammer of the time-device by
engaging with a notch or bent in the same. The tube is formed with a hole
through which a safety-pin passes so as to prevent the hammer and the tube from
acting on the wings of the hammer cap during transport.
The safety-pin is held in position by its own elasticity; it passes through the
body of the fuse and the tube and enters the same above the hammer. It prevents
the tube and the hammer from turning back the wings of the hammer cap,
"arming" or setting the fuse and striking the percussion cap.
The case and body of the fuse are fitted together by means of three springs
arranged in a groove in the body. Rounded parts of these springs engage in a
groove of triangular section formed in the case. The pressure of the springs upon
the inclined face of the groove is such that it requires a force of about eight kilo-
grammes to turn the case upon the body.
By employing my improved percussion device it becomes necessary to replace
the cartridge heretofore employed by a detonator having two percussion caps. The
proper, position of the upper cap is ensured by a projection engaging in a recess
or hole formed in the body of the fuse. The internal charge of the detonator is
introduced through a hole which is then plugged by means of wax and varnish.
To regulate the fuse it is only necessary to turn the case upon the body against
the pressure exerted by the spring upon the said case.
The fuse being adjusted or regulated, it is screwed to the projectile, the vane is
placed in position and the safety device is withdrawn. When the projectile is
discharged, the tube, by reason of its inertia, turns back the wings on the hammer
cap, slides on the same and comes in contact with the bottom or foot of the hammer.
The elasticity of the wings causes the tube to remain adherent to the hammer. The
wings on the ring around the hammer hold these two parts against the plug
of the fuse. After the above described recoil movement of the tube, the ends of
its two projections remain in engagement with their grooves, the said movement
of the tube unlocking the time-hammer and the impact hammer so that the fuse
is set for operating as a time fuse or as a percussion fuse.
The fuse is employed as a time fuse similarly to the fuse described in my former
patent with the exception that the time-hammer instead of being operated by a
spring is operated by centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the projectile.
The percussion apparatus is brought into operation the moment the projectile
strikes an obstacle, the impact causing the hammer with its tube to move forward
after bending the wings of the base ring. The point of the hammer strikes the
lower percussion cap and bursts the projectile. The hammer point being cut in a
strip of steel held in the hammer the flame from the detonator, in both methods of
operation of the fuse, passes through the two openings left on each side of this
strip and thus obtains access to the projectile.
100K

page_text: I, FELICIEN JOSeph Maubeuge, of Termonde, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Major,
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 the fuse described in my former
Patent No. 2144 dated 31st January 1894, the said improvements having mainly
for object to increase the safety of the fuse generally and to simplify the time-
device, at the same time making it independent of a novel device for effecting the
ignition of the fuse when the projectile strikes an obstacle.
In the arrangement described in my said former patent the hammer or striker
was operated by a spring which arrangement necessitated the employment of a sear
for diminishing the friction of the stop upon the time-plate. According to this
invention I utilize contrifugal force for effecting percussion whereby I dispense
with the percussion spring and the sear hitherto employed. Furthermore, the
arrangement heretofore adopted for effecting percussion by the impact of the pro-
jectile necessitated the employment of a spring thereby reducing the rigidity of the
time-disc which is separated from the bottom of the body of the fuse. In order to
dispense with this spring I have made the action resulting from the impact of the
projectile independent of the time-hammer by employing a separate hammer
arranged in the end of the fuse.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 is a section through the axis of a combined time and percussion fuse
having my improvements applied thereto:
Figure 2 is an elevation of the fuse:
Figure 3 is a plan view of the fuse with the case thereof removed:
Figure 4 is a similar view with the cap E removed.
To utilize the action of centrifugal force upon the time-hammer the heel of
the said hammer is made larger than heretofore so that the mass of lead which it
carries can be increased to cause the centre of gravity of the hammer to be in
such a position that the hammer can deliver a sufficiently strong blow to cause
the explosion of the percussion cap k without, however, increasing the pressure of
the projection or stop t upon the edge or flange of the time-disc D. As above
described, I have dispensed with the sear which, in the fuse as heretofore made,
was necessary for reducing the friction between the projection or stop and the disc
resulting from the pressure of the spring upon the heel of the hammer. It is to
be noted that this pressure is at its maximum when the stop is in contact with
the disc and that it gradually decreases during the movement of the hammer. The
moment of the centrifugal force, on the other hand, is at its minimum during the
time the stop is in contact with the disc and at its maximum the instant the ham-
mer strikes the percussion cap k with its point a¹. The catch d, Figure 3, is
designed to lock the hammer against the projection or extension m of the tube M.
The impact percussion device is arranged in the body C of the fuse. The spring
which held the time-disc D) away from the bottom of the case is dispensed with so
that the wheel R" secured to the said case rests against the bottom thereof and
makes the disc D more rigid.
My improved percussion device consists of a hammer P with a flanged or winged
cap i and with a base ring having projecting portions or wings ¹, of a tube or
sleeve M with two projections and of a safety device 9.
The hammer P is provided near its lower end with a percussion point a. The

page_text: i to "
"
winged cap i prevents the hammer from sliding towards the percussion cap k¹ when,
during the loading of a gun, the projectile is suddenly stopped by the rifling of the
gun. The winged ring ¹ holds the hammer against the plug 6 of the fuse when
the sleeve or tube M has slid upon the wings of the cap
arm or set the fuse.
The tube M rests at one end against the wings of the hammer cap i and at the
other end against the bottom of the recess in the body of the fuse. The two exten-
sions m and m¹ on the said tube or sleeve engage in two grooves in the body,
through which grooves they extend. The extension m locks the hammer of the
time-device by engaging with a notch or bent in the same. The tube is formed
with a hole through which the safety-pin g passes so as to prevent the hammer
and the tube from acting on the wings of the hammer cap i during transport.
The safety-pin g is held in position by its own elasticity; it passes through the
body of the fuse and the tube and enters the same above the hammer. It prevents
the tube M and the hammer P from turning back the wings of the hammer cap i,
arming" or setting the fuse and striking the percussion cap k¹.
61
The case B and body C of the fuse are fitted together by means of three
springs r, r, arranged in a groove in the body C. Rounded parts of these
springs engage in a groove e, el, ell of triangular section formed in the case B.
The pressure of the springs upon the inclined face e, e¹ of the groove is such that
it requires a force of about eight kilogrammes to turn the case upon the body.
By employing my improved percussion device it becomes necessary to replace the
cartridge heretofore used by a detonator F having two percussion caps k and k¹.
The proper position of the cap k is ensured by a projection engaging in a recess
or hole formed in the body of the fuse. The internal charge of the detonator is
introduced through a hole c which is then plugged by means of wax and varnish.
To regulate the fuse it is only necessary to turn the case B upon the body C
against the pressure exerted by the springs r, r, 1 upon the said case B.
The fuse being adjusted or regulated, it is screwed to the projectile, the vane G
is placed in position and the safety device is withdrawn. When the projectile
is discharged, the tube M, by reason of its inertia, turns back the wings on the
hammer cap i, slides on the same and comes in contact with the bottom or foot of
the hammer P. The clasticity of the wings causes the tube to remain adherent to the
hammer. The wings on the ring around the hammer hold these two parts against
the plug 6 of the fuse. After the above described recoil movement of the tube the
ends of its two extensions m and m¹ remain in engagement with their grooves, the
said movement of the tube unlocking the time-hammer and the impact hammer P
so that the fuse is set for operating as a time fuse or as a percussion fuse.
The fuse is employed as a time fuse similarly to the fuse described in my former
patent with the exception that the time-hammer 7, instead of being operated by a
spring, is operated by centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the projectile.
The percussion apparatus is brought into operation the moment the projectile
strikes an obstacle, the impact causing the hammer P with its tube M to move
forward after bending the wings of the base ring . The point a of the hammer P
strikes the percussion cap k¹ and bursts the projectile. The hammer-point a being
cut in a strip of steel held in the hammer the flame from the detonator, in both
methods of operation of the fuse, passes through the two openings left on each side
of this strip and thus obtains access to the projectile.
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. In combined time and percussion fuses of the kind hereinbefore described,
means for enabling the percussion spring and the sear to be dispensed with, such
means consisting of a hammer pivoted upon an eccentric axis in a plane perpen-
dicular to the axis of the fuse and provided with a mass of lead which brings its
centre of gravity into such a position that the centrifugal force generated by the

page_text: rotation of the projectile tends to project its point against the cap of a detonator
arranged axially in the fuse, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In combined time and percussion fuses of the kind herein before described
means whereby the spring, which held the time-disc away from the bottom of the
case, is dispensed with, such means consisting in effecting percussion, when the
projectile strikes an obstacle, by a special hammer independent of the time-
hammer, the said hammer being arranged in the end of the fuse and acting upon
a suitable detonator substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In a fuse of the kind described in Claim 1, the combination with the hammer
of a notch d adapted to engage with a projection or extension m in such a manner
that the hammer is prevented from turning on its pivot before the discharge of the
gun, substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
4. In a fuse of the kind described in Claim 2, a detonator arranged axially in the
fuse and provided with two caps, one k of which is held by a projection opposite
the percussion point of the hammer 1, the said detonator also having an opening
by means of which powder can be introduced behind the two caps, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
5. In a fuse of the kind described in Claim 2, a hammer P combined with a
winged ring for holding it in position until the projectile strikes an obstacle, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
6. The combination with the hammer described in Claim 5 of a tube having
two extensions m, m³ for causing the said tube to rotate with the projectile, and
one m of the said projections locking the hammer until the projectile is dis-
charged from the gun, the said tube also being provided with a hole in which a
safety pin g engages for preventing the said tube bending back the wings i and
setting the fuse by jarring during transport, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated.
7. The combination with a combined time and percussion fuse of the kind
described, of a safety-pin 9 held in place by its own elasticity and passing through
the body of the fuse and through the hammer tube into which it penetrates above
the said hammer so as to prevent the two parts from being displaced during trans-
port, substantially as herein before described.
8. In a fuse of the kind described the employment of springs r, rl, rll fixed in a
groove in the body of the fuse and exerting a predetermined pressure in a groove
of triangular section formed in the fuse box or case for fixing the said box or case
upon the body of the fuse, substantially as hereinbefore described.
9. In a fuse of the kind hereinbefore described, a body C having a recess with a
support for a detonator F, a groove and projection for setting this detonator, two
grooves for guiding the projections or extensions m, m² of the tube M, a hole for
the pin g and a support for the wings ¹, substantially as herein before described
and illustrated.
Dated the 10th day of March 1898
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.