Improvements in and relating to Hand Grenades.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1805
VMI UMIE FECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Hand Grenades.
1, GEORGE MALTBY HATHAWAY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing
at Wellsborough, in the County of Tioga, and State of Pennsylvania, one of the
United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to certain improvements in hand grenades and it consists of
a hollow vessel of metal, or other material, of suitable size and shape, charged with a
high explosive and provided with a primer or fuse having at one end-which may be
conveniently exposed a water-proof pellet, or coating of material capable of being
ignited by friction, and at the inner end a percussion cap, the capped end extending
into the vessel and its contents and being adapted to ignite and explode the same
when fire is communicated to it through the fuse, as will be hereinafter more fully
explained.
The invention has for its object to furnish a weapon of offense and defense that will
be perfectly safe during storage and can be handled without danger to the user, but
which will be thoroughly certain and effective, and destructive when used against an
enemy, and in carrying out this object I propose to provide a hand grenade of such
simple construction that it can be employed without particular instructions to those
who uit
The invention is especially designed as a military or taval
that on he used!
effectively, from an elevation against an enemy, as, for instance, from the walls of a
fortification or breast-work; from the "crows-nest or rigging of a vessel; or from
any position from which it may be cast or hurled into the midst of a body of men,
but it is also designed as a means of defense for the train-men or employees of a rail-
road against train robbers.
The objects above mentioned are attained by means of the device illustrated in the
accompanying drawing, in which-
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred form of my improved
hand grenade, charged and primed ;
Figure 2, a plan view of another form of hand grenade; Figure 3 a longitudinal
sectional view of the same showing it charged and primed;
Figure 4 a top plan view of still another form of my improved hand grenade;
Figure 5 a vertical sectional view of said modification, showing it primed and
ready for use,
and
Figure 6 a detail modification of Figure 1.
Referring to the drawing-
The numeral indicates a vessel constructed of metal and of suitable shape. In
Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the drawings it is represented as of ovoid shape, and at each
end it is provided with a screw-threaded opening 2, one of which serves as a passage
through which the vessel is charged, said opening being closed by a screw-threaded
cap 3, and the other as a means by which a tubular handle 4 is attached. This handle
may be made detachable, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, or it may be formed integral
with the vessel, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. When the handle is made detachable
the vessel may be charged through the opening into which said handle is screwed,
and the opening at the opposite end dispensed with. The longitudinal passage at the
inner end of the handle is counter-sunk to receive a closure-disk 5, of fracturable
material, preferably of asbestos, the object of said disk being to prevent the explosive
Did 7

page_text: compound, with which the vessel is charged, from being spilled in the ordinary
handling of the grenade.
The numeral indicates a wooden sheath bored longitudinally to receive and hold
a fuse, 7, which is constructed of suitable material to buin a predetermined time, from
the point of ignition to the capped end at the inner end of the sheath within the
vessel, when the percussion cap 8 is fired to explode the charge. The outer end of
the fuse is provided with a friction igniting water-proof compound 9, which is ignited
by scratching or rubbing it. To the outer surface of the sheath is secured one end of
a triction spring, 10, the other or free end of said spring working in slot 11. This
spring serves to hold, by frictional contact with the inner surface of the longitudinal
bore of the handle, the sheath with said handle against accidental displacement in the
handling or throwing of the grenade.
In the modifications shown in Figures 4 and 5, the vessel is represented as com-
posed of two concavo-convex disks, of suitable material, united at their edges in any
convenient matter. One of the disks is provided with a central recessed opening, 12,
which forms a seat for the fuse which is in the shape of a convolute, with a straight
branch or continuation extending from the centre and provided with a percussion cap.
and the outer end of this coiled portion is provided with the friction igniting water-
proof compound. In this form of grenade the fuse is applied only when required for
nse. The convolution of the fuse, it will be observed, fits readily in the central
recess, with the straight central extension extending through the central opening in
the bottom of the recess, well down into the body of the charge within the vessel in
order to insure its explosion at the proper time. When inserted, the remule is ready
for use without further manipulation other than to set fire to the friction compound at
the outer end of the fuse by scratching or rubbing it. The fuse may be carried about
the person of the user, either in the belt or other receptacle, and employed as each
grenade is required, similarly to the cartridges of a gun. Thus, trainman, soldier or
marine may carry sufficient fuses about his person to apply to a number of grenades
which may be kept in general stock or storage and supplied to him in an emergency.
By this means it will be seen that it impossible to explode the grenades under
ordinary circumstances until they are required for use, as the fuses and charged shell-
are kept separate.
In the form of grenade shown in Figure 1 the sheath carrying the fuse is designed
to be kept detached from the grenade and inserted just previous to the moment it is
required for 4. In the form shown in Figures 2 and 3 the fuse itself is kept
detached from the handle of the grenade, but it is evident that the fuse may be
retained in the handle, which serves as a sheath for the same, so as to furni-h a
complete weapon ready for use. The detachable sheath, with its fuse, is readily
inserted by pushing it down into the longitudinal bore of the handle, rupturing the
disk 5, and when inserted the grenade is ready for throwing or hurling as soon as the
outer end of the fuse has been ignited.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the saine is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim, is :-
1-
1. A hand grenade, comprising a vessel containing an explosive compound, a
tubular extension or handle, and a capped and primed fuse extending through said
handle, the capped end of said fuse extending into the charge in the vessel, and the
primed end extending out of the end of the handle, and provided with a
water-proot igniting pellet whereby the grenade may be fired by the frictional ignition
of the outer end of the fuse and the percussion action of the cap at the inner end of
said fuse, substantially as specified.
2. The combination, in a hand grenade, with a vessel containing an explosive
compound, of a detachable handle, carrying a detachable fuse having one end provide
with a percussion cap, adapted to be inserted within the charged vessel, and the other
end provided with a water-proof pellet or coating of composition, adapted to be ignited
by frictional contact, substantially as specified.

page_text: 3. The combination, in a hand grenade, with a vessel for containing an explosive
compound and provided with a detachable handle, of a detachable sheath carrying
a fixed fuse having at one end a frictional igniting pellet and at the other end a
percussion cap, substantially as specified.
4. The combination, in a hand grenade, with a vessel for containing an explosive
compound and provided with a detachable handle, closed at one end by a rupturable
disk, of a detachable sheath carrying a fixed fuse, having at one end a frictional
igniting pellet and at the other end a percussion cap, said sheath being held within
the handle by a frictional contact, substantially as specified.
Dated this 15th day of October 1895.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.