Ammunition and explosives – Igniting devices and systems – Multiple mode fuzes
Patent
1986-10-01
1988-04-12
Brown, David H.
Ammunition and explosives
Igniting devices and systems
Multiple mode fuzes
102265, F42C 916
Patent
active
047366826
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a warhead having a warhead housing containing a charge, such as a shaped charge; and a primer housing connected with the warhead and containing an impact detonator having a firing pin cooperating with a detonator.
Such a warhead is known from German Offenlegungsschrift DE-OS No. 22 42 930. The known warhead includes a warhead housing containing a shaped charge as well as an impact detonator connected with the warhead housing and having a firing pin movable in an axial direction. Large numbers of these warheads are transported by means of missiles or projectile carriers to a target area and are discharged there. When impacting on the target, the firing pin is pushed forward because of its inertia and fires the detonator which, in turn, detonates the charge in the warhead, preferably a shaped charge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to expand the known warhead by giving it the ability to self-destruct.
This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the warhead has a longitudinal axis comprising a housing containing an explosive charge and an axially displaceable firing pin assembly. The latter has a hollow body, as well as an initial fuse, a final fuse and a pyrotechnical delay segment installed in the hollow body. An axially oriented point projects from the pin body, and a needle is affixed to the housing and is oriented axially in a direction toward the initial fuse. A first safety slide is radially displaceably held in the housing for blocking an axial motion of the firing pin assembly towards the needle, and a second safety slide is radially displaceably held in the housing for blocking an axial motion of the firing pin assembly in a direction away from the needle. A detonator is held in the second safety slide such that in one position of the second safty slide it is out of axial alignment with the point and in another position thereof it is in axial alignment with the point for allowing contact between the point and the detonator.
The invention has the advantage of avoiding duds which might endanger friendly troops, since the self-destructive device activates the charge of the warhead even in case the impact detonator malfunctions and thereby makes it innocuous. In addition this increases the reliability of the warhead, since even in case the impact detonator should malfunction the self-destruct device will detonate the charge and thereby makes the warhead target-effective.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a warhead incorporating the invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows schematically a side view of a warhead 10. The warhead 10 consists of a warhead housing 11, containing a charge, preferably a shaped charge. A primer housing 12 is connected with the warhead housing 11 and is disposed towards its rear and contains an impact detonator. A spin brake 13 is fastened to the primer housing and reduces the spin after the warhead 10 has been discharged from the spin-stabilized projectile carrier and thereby improves the flight stability of the warhead 10 as it descends into the target area.
Turning now to FIG. 2, the impact detonator includes a firing pin 1, immobilized in the safe position but disposed axially movably when activated, when it cooperates with a detonator 8 which detonates the charge 10a via a transfer charge 9, when required.
The firing pin 1 includes an axially hollow pin body 4 which contains in its interior, starting from its rear, an initial fuse 1a, a pyrotechnical delay segment 1b and a final fuse 1c. Furthermore, a needle 7 is disposed fixedly in the primer housing 12 and cooperates with the initial fuse 1a.
The self-destruct and fuse device functions as follows: FIG. 2 shows the safe position wherein the firing pin 1 is immobilized by means of the safety means 5, wh
REFERENCES:
patent: 1531717 (1925-03-01), Remondy
patent: 2838999 (1958-06-01), Corsi
patent: 3115094 (1963-12-01), Simmen
patent: 3422764 (1969-01-01), Kaiser
patent: 3633510 (1972-01-01), Bernardin
patent: 3838644 (1974-10-01), Prochnow et al.
Brown David H.
Rheinmetall GmbH
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