Safety fuze for a hand grenade

A fuze for a hand grenade comprising:

• (a) a fuze body having a top, a bottom, a head adjacent said fuze body top, a stem adjacent said fuze body bottom, and a central portion intermediate said fuze body head and stem, and a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, said head having a pair of opposed front and back walls and a pair of opposed side walls, said side walls including a pair of opposed, parallel extensions, and said extensions having a pair of opposed, elongated slots therein;
• (b) a primer positioned in said bore at said top of said fuze body;
• (c) an initiator lever assembly mounted on said fuze body and rotatable between an unprimed position and a primed position, comprising:
• an elongated initiator lever being rotatable between a first position corresponding to said unprimed position and a second position corresponding to said primed position, said initiator lever having a longitudinal plane of symmetry, a distal end, a proximal end positioned between said extensions of said fuze head, a firing pin positioned on said proximal end to engage said primer when said initiator lever assembly is in said primed position, and a raised projection on said proximal end spaced from said firing pin;
• mounting means for mounting said proximal end of said initiator lever to said fuze body head adjacent said fuze body top for rotation about an axis perpendicular to said plane of symmetry of said initiator lever between said first position and said second position;
• and
• biasing means for biasing said initiator lever in said second position;
• (d) a cover assembly comprising:
• a cover piece having a top portion covering said fuze body top and a bottom portion extending over said back edges of said fuze body side walls and covering said extensions;
• and
• safety latch means mounted on said bottom portion of said cover piece movable between a first position for retaining said initiator lever in said first position by engaging a portion of said elongated apertures in said extensions and a second position for permitting movement of said initiator lever into said second position, said safety latch means engaging said projection when in said first position.

A fuze for a hand grenade comprising:

• (a) a fuze body having a top having a recess therein, a bottom, a head adjacent said fuze body top, a stem adjacent said fuze body bottom, and a central portion intermediate said fuze body head and stem, and a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, said recess having an opening therein, said opening in said recess defining the top of said bore and said fuze body bottom defining the bottom of said bore, said central portion of said fuze body having a bottom wall, said bottom wall having an annular channel formed therein, and said fuze body further having sealing means therein for forming a seal between said fuzed body and the grenade;
• and
• (b) a delay case assembly matingly received in said bore and comprising:
• a delay case having a top and a bottom, a primer portion adjacent said top, and a delay portion adjacent said bottom;
• a primer holder positioned in said primer portion, said primer portion having an upper surface, said upper surface having a recess therein, and said recess having a base;
• a primer holder seal positioned between said primer holder and said primer portion of said delay case;
• a primer seal positioned in said base of said recess;
• a primer positioned in said primer holder above said primer seal;
• at least one charge positioned at said bottom of said delay case;
• and
• an air gap separating said primer seal from said at least one charge.