# US 5,753,849 A · Gas-operated timing demolition delay

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- Number: US 5,753,849 A
- Document ID: US5753849A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/724,302
- Filed: 1996-09-19
- Granted: 1998-05-19
- Earliest claimed: 1996-09-19
- Assignees: Propellex Corporation
- Inventors: B. Kelley Posey; Bradley Q. Niemann; M. Russel Phinney
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5753849A

## CPC

- F42C 9/06: by flow of fluent material, e.g. shot, fluids
- F42C 15/32: operated by change of fluid pressure (F42C5/00, F42C15/29 take precedence)
- F42C: AMMUNITION FUZES (blasting cartridge initiators F42B3/10; chemical aspects C06C); ARMING OR SAFETY MEANS THEREFOR (filling fuzes F42B33/02; fitting or extracting primers in or from fuzes F42B33/04; containers for fuzes F42B39/30)

## Abstract

Time delay apparatus for providing a firing action at the end of a predetermined time-delay period. It is used with a source of fluid under pressure, and defines a fluid-receiving chamber for accumulating the fluid when released from the source. A flow controller is connected between the source and the fluid-receiving chamber for providing fluid communication between the source and the fluid-receiving chamber. A triggering assembly initiates flow of fluid from the source through the flow controller and into the fluid-receiving chamber. A piston-form firing pin in the fluid-receiving chamber is actuated by shear pin release for movement to an actuating position for desired firing action when a predetermined pressure has accumulated in the fluid-receiving chamber at the end of the predetermined time-delay period.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A time delay apparatus for providing a firing action at the end of a predetermined time-delay period, comprising:
means for providing a source of fluid under pressure;
a fluid-receiving chamber contained by the time delay apparatus for accumulating the fluid when released from the source;
a flow controller connected between the source and the fluid-receiving chamber for providing fluid communication between the source and the fluid-receiving chamber;
means for initiating the flow of fluid from the source through the flow controller and into the fluid-receiving chamber, comprising a valve assembly including a piercing element for piercing the source for releasing the fluid for flow through the communication upon triggering of the means for initiating the flow of fluid from the source; and
a pressure-responsive actuator in communication with the fluid-receiving chamber for being actuated when a predetermined pressure has built up in the fluid-receiving chamber at the end of the predetermined time-delay period.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A time delay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is gas and the source is a gas cylinder for providing the gas under pressure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A time delay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source is removably connected to the apparatus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A time delay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow controller is precalibrated to provide a preselected rate of flow for permitting a flow of fluid from the source into the fluid-receiving chamber over a predetermined period of time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

Time delay apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a triggering percussion primer for driving the piercing element for piercing the source.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A time delay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-responsive actuator comprises a firing pin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Time delay apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the pressure responsive actuator is in the form of a piston maintained in a first position by a releasable element and is displaced from the first position to an actuating second position at the end of the time delay period by pressure build-up in the fluid-receiving chamber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

Time delay apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the releasable element is a shear pin.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

Time delay apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the pressure-responsive actuator further comprises an actuating percussion primer for being fired by movement of the pressure responsive actuator to the actuating second position, for carrying out desired firing action.