Safety element particularly for a fuze of a substantially...

Details Safety element particularly for a fuze of a substantially... Safety element particularly for a fuze of a substantially...

2000-06-30

2001-11-20

Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)

Ammunition and explosives

Igniting devices and systems

Arming devices

C102S233000, C102S235000, C102S251000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06318270

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority of German Application No. 199 30 045.3 filed Jun. 30, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a safety element for a fuze of a projectile to which no spin or only slight spin is imparted upon firing.
STANAG 4187 (NATO military standard) and MIL-STD 1316 (German military standard) require that fuze safety systems comprise at least two mutually independent safety devices, each of which prevents an unintentional safety release and thus a detonation of the ammunition by the fuze system. The conditions which make possible for at least two safety elements to respond must be derived from different, external environmental forces.
According to the classical case for ammunition fired from weapon barrels with a spin, the acceleration upon firing and the centripetal force are used as the safety release criteria. These two environmental forces are very large in relation to other forces which may be produced during storage, transport or similar effects and are entirely sufficient to provide for the safety of such fuze systems. An example is the 35 mm barrel ammunition having a firing acceleration of approximately 70,000 g and a rotary velocity of approximately 70,000 rpm.
Fuzes contained in ammunition which is fired without spin or only with a very slight spin are more difficult to secure. For example, in case of mechanical mortar fuzes an insert is used as the second safety release which is removed by the crew prior to loading. Thus, from the moment of such removal until firing only a single safety is operative (such as a dual pin system) and thus the above noted requirements are not complied with.
The case is similar for a DM 781 fuze of the 120 mm multipurpose tank ammunition. In such a fuze the carrier of the transfer charge is secured only with a dual pin system which again does not satisfy the above-discussed requirements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved, inexpensive safety element of the above-outlined type which is released by the gas pressure and the heat generated by the propellant. It is a further object of the invention to provide a safety element which also serves as a muzzle area safety.
This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the projectile fuze includes a detonator carrier having a safety position and an armed position; a pin having a blocking position in which it holds the detonator carrier in the safety position and a releasing position in which the pin allows the detonator carrier to move into the armed position; a spring urging the pin into the releasing position; a pyrotechnical delay element exposed to hot propellant gases for causing ignition and combustion of the delay element; and a pin-supporting component maintaining the pin in the blocking position against a force of the spring. The pin-supporting Component is held in the pin-maintaining state by the delay element until combustion thereof, whereby the pin is allowed to move into the releasing position upon combustion of the delay element.
The safety device according to the invention may additionally function as a muzzle area safety and thus, for example, in the fuze DM 781 (and similar fuzes) a conventionally used clockwork mechanism may be dispensed with.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3744425 (1973-07-01), Grimm
patent: 4018164 (1977-04-01), Breed et al.
patent: 4811664 (1989-03-01), Levy et al.
patent: 4901643 (1990-02-01), Rudenauer et al.

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