A New or Improved Fuse for Igniting the Explosive Charges of Shells and other Projectiles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Fuse for Igniting the Explosive Charges of
Shells and other Projectiles.
I, NAOMI ERBSLOH of The Old Cottage Walton-on-Thames Married do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new or improved fuse for igniting the explosive charges
of shells and other projectiles whereby the distance at which the shell is required to
explode can be adjusted beforehand in such a manner as to take place after a given
number of rotations of the projectile in the air.
In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a casing which contains the
fuse proper, and I fix the same above the percussion part of a shell, this casing
being formed with a base plate carrying a bracket, the arms of which support the
two ends of a spindle free to rotate thereon. The spindle carries a fan at its upper
part and a worm below the latter gearing with a cog wheel upon the outer end of
the axis of which is mounted a disc provided with a projection or stud which
engages with the inner serics of teeth of a wheel held in any suitable manner in the
casing aforesaid, and provided on both edges of its periphery with two circular
rows of ratchet teeth. This stud moves the ratchet wheel one tooth at each
revolution of the said disc while a spring pawl engages in the outer row of teeth of
the former and prevents the ratchet wheel moving more than a tooth at a time, this
pawl being raised to release the wheel, by a small lever bearing against its outer
end and projecting outside the casing. The said ratchet wheel can be turned from
outside by a milled headed screw carrying a pointer moving on a convex dial
arranged on the casing by means of which pointer the distance at which the shell
is required to explode, can be accurately adjusted this distance being gauged by
the number of revolutions of the latter and hence of the said ratchet wheel. The
latter carries a stud on its surface arranged so that when the said wheel has
accomplished the required number of revolutions the stud comes to bears upon a
trigger, which releases a needle arranged in a spring box and driven into the
detonating composition contained in a small concave plate fixed upon the base
plate aforesaid. I further provide a bolt which is arranged to pass under the lower
arm of the trigger and is withdrawn automatically by the action of centrifugal force.
when the shell is rotating.
Dated this 2nd dex of February 1891.
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Fuse for Igniting the Explosive Charges of
Shells and other Projectiles.
I, NAOMI ERBSLOH of The Old Cottage Walton-on-Thames Married 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:
My invention relates to a new or improved fuse for igniting the explosive charges
of shells and other projectiles whereby the distance at which the shell is required
to explode can be adjusted beforehand in such a manner as to take place after a
given number of rotations of the projectiles in the air.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a casing or dome which contains

page_text: the fuse proper and I fix the same above the percussion part of a shell, this casing
being formed with a base plate carrying a bracket the arms of which support the
two ends of a spindle free to rotate thereon.
The spindle carries a fan at its upper part and a worm below the latter gearing
with a cog wheel upon the outer end of the axis of which is mounted a disc provided
with a projection or stud which engages with the inner series of pins of a wheel held
in any suitable manner in the casing aforesaid and provided with ratchet teeth.on
its periphery. This stud moves the ratchet wheel one tooth at each revolution of
the said disc while a spring pawl engages in the teeth of the former and prevents
the same from moving more than a tooth at a time, this pawl being raised to
release the wheel, by a small lever bearing against its outer end and projecting
outside the casing. The said ratchet wheel can be turned from outside by a milled
headed screw carrying a pointer moving on a convex dial arranged on the casing by
means of which pointer the distance at which the shell is required to explode can
be accurately adjusted, this distance being gauged by the number of revolutions of
the latter and hence of the said ratchet wheel. The latter carries a stud on its
surface arranged so that when the said wheel has accomplished the required number
of revolutions the stud comes to bear upon a trigger which, releases a needle
arranged in a spring box and driven into the detonating composition contained in a
small concave plate fixed upon the base plate aforesaid. I further provide a bolt
which is arranged to pass under the lower arm of the trigger and is withdrawn
automatically by the action of centrifugal force when the shell is rotating.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is an outer view of my improved fuse ready to be screwed into a shell.
Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a plan and an elevation of the mechanism of my
improved fuse the outer casing or dome of which has been removed.
ratchet wheel pawl has been removed for the sake of clearness.
In Fig. 2 the
My improved fuse consists of a base plate p below which is arranged a screw.
threaded extension whereby it is screwed into a shell or other projectile. This bed
plate carries a bracket holding a spindles upon which is mounted a fan and
which is furnished with a worm w towards its lower end. This worm w gears with
a toothed wheel c on the outer end of the axis of which is mounted a disc d furnished.
with a projection gearing with the pins t¹ of a wheel W. furnished with ratchet
teeth on its periphery; these pins are arranged upon the inner surface of the said
wheel W. A spring pawl e gears with the ratchet teeth of the wheel W and
controls the latter when rotated by the fan. This spring pawle can be raised so.
as to release the ratchet wheel W by means of a small lever y¹ which bears against
its outer end and can be worked from outside the dome a.
The wheel W can be turned from outside by a milled headed spindle, m on which,
is a pointer n that can be turned to any of the divisions marked on a convex dial o
on the dome a; these divisions correspond to the teeth of the ratchet wheel which is
furnished outside with a small stud y arranged in such a manner that when the said
wheel has turned sufficiently it will bear down upon a trigger which is retaining a
spring needle with the aid of a pin u; this needle being arranged in a spring
box fixed to the base plate p. When the trigger is depressed by the piny of the
ratchet wheel W the projection is released and the needle is forced into the
detonating composition contained in a small concave plate erected on the base
plate p and from which fire holes primed with meal powder, lead into the percussion
chamber of the shell (not shown on the drawings). A centrifugal bolt y passes
under the lower arm of the trigger and is not withdrawn until the projectile.is.
rotating.
こ
To adjust the fuse, the lever y' is depressed thus raising the spring pawl-and the.
index n is turned to the division required.
The wheel W has 50 ratchet teeth and 50 corresponding pin teeth.
When the sheel rotates the centrifugal bolt is withdrawn, the fan is held steady
by the atmospheric pressure, and the fuse rotating the small wheel c is turned,,by.
the worm w at every twenty two revolutions of the fuse, the wheel W.is turned c

page_text: one tooth until the study bears against the trigger r and releases the spring needle
which ignites the detonating composition the flash passing through the fire holes
into the percussion chamber and thus into the burster.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved fuse capable of being adjusted to explode after the projectile to
which it is applied has travelled a predetermined distance, arranged and constructed
substantially as herein described and shewn.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1891
RAYNER & CASSELL,
37, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.