US 4,455,940 AGranted

Random time delay fuze

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army

InventorHaruo H. Furuike

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Abstract

A random time delay fuze includes a fuze base member containing a cylindrl cup guide carrying a slidably mounted cylindrical cup. The cup contains a piston which has a recess slidably mounted on a cylindrical firing pin guide which is also attached to said fuze base and contains a spring biased firing pin. The cup has a ribbon stabilizer, which when exposed to an airstream pulls the cup forward a limited distance, thereby forming a space within the cup between the piston and the cup. The piston is provided with a "floating" O-ring seal, which allows air to flow into but not out of said space, and an air restrictor, which restricts the flow of air out of said space. A biasing spring forces the piston forward in said space, causing air to be vented through the restrictor and thereby retarding the forward movement of the piston. When the piston has moved forward sufficiently, it permits locking balls to release the firing pin. The fuze base includes a detonator slider containing a detonator, which is not aligned with the firing pin in the safe position. Centrifugal force causes the detonator slider to move laterally to align the detonator with the firing pin.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A time delay fuze comprising:

a cylindrical firing pin guide having an open end;
a detonator slider including a detonator mounted adjacent to said open end of said firing pin guide;
a firing pin slidably mounted in the open end of said guide for firing said detonator;
spring means urging said firing pin toward said detonator;
means for releasably locking said firing pin to said firing pin guide;
a cylindrical cup guide means concentric with said cylindrical firing pin guide;
a cylindrical cup slidably mounted on said cup guide;
means for limiting travel of said cup on said cup guide;
a piston having an inner recess slidably mounted between said firing pin guide and said cup guide, said piston being movable in said cup to form a fluid volume space in said cup and having means for forming a unidirectional seal between the perimeter thereof and the inner wall of said cup, said seal permitting passage of fluid therethrough into said space but not in the reverse direction;
means for releasably locking said piston to said cup guide;
means defining a fluid restrictor for venting fluid from said space in a restricted manner;
biasing means connected to said piston for moving said piston to reduce the volume of said space and cause fluid in said space to move through said fluid restrictor and thereby retard movement of said piston;
whereby movement of said piston to a selected position in said cup releases said firing pin locking means.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.