CA2015773A1 - Fuse - Google Patents
FuseInfo
- Publication number
- CA2015773A1 CA2015773A1 CA 2015773 CA2015773A CA2015773A1 CA 2015773 A1 CA2015773 A1 CA 2015773A1 CA 2015773 CA2015773 CA 2015773 CA 2015773 A CA2015773 A CA 2015773A CA 2015773 A1 CA2015773 A1 CA 2015773A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- housing
- rocket
- piston
- travel
- firing pin
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Landscapes
- Portable Nailing Machines And Staplers (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An avalanche rocket to be fired from a barrel. The rocket has a case with a nose and a tail and is able to receive an explosive charge, adjacent the nose. The rocket includes a firing mechanism having a first housing in the case. There is a piston in the housing able to travel in the housing towards the nose of the rocket and a spring to urge the piston to travel in the housing. The piston can be stopped at the end of said travel. There is a releasable safety catch to prevent movement of the piston in the housing and a device to release the safety means as the rocket is launched. The rocket includes a firing pin and a second housing to receive the firing pin and a detonating charge for the explosive charge in the casing. A pivotal link attaches the second housing to the first housing and the firing pin is retained within the second housing with a predetermined force that can be overcome, for example, when the rocket lands.
An avalanche rocket to be fired from a barrel. The rocket has a case with a nose and a tail and is able to receive an explosive charge, adjacent the nose. The rocket includes a firing mechanism having a first housing in the case. There is a piston in the housing able to travel in the housing towards the nose of the rocket and a spring to urge the piston to travel in the housing. The piston can be stopped at the end of said travel. There is a releasable safety catch to prevent movement of the piston in the housing and a device to release the safety means as the rocket is launched. The rocket includes a firing pin and a second housing to receive the firing pin and a detonating charge for the explosive charge in the casing. A pivotal link attaches the second housing to the first housing and the firing pin is retained within the second housing with a predetermined force that can be overcome, for example, when the rocket lands.
Description
` 201~773 .
The invention relates to an avalanche rocket to be fired from a barrel.
Avalanche rockets have an important part to play in areas of high snowfall. It is desirable to induce an avalanche at a convenient time rather than for a natural avalanche to take place. For this reason it is common on highways in alpine areas and in ski areas to induce an avalanche, typically after a heavy snowfall, before allowing the public on the highway or in the ski resort.
A common way of inducing an avalanche is to fire an explosive charge, contained in a rocket, into a region of ~now. The rocket aetonates on contact and the resulting explosion induces movement in unstable snow at a time when no one i~ put at risk.
The avalanche socket is typically an aerodynamic body with tail fins to ~tabilize it during flight. It is usually fired from the barrel by compressed air.
!
There are disadvantages -to the existing rockets. The detonating system is not entirely satisfactorily and it is, of course, es~ential that the detonating system be entirely satisfactory. The rocket must detonate on contacting snow so that a fairly sensitive system is required to induce movement ..
, ~ , ;
` ~01~773 of the detonating mechanism and thus explosion of the charge.
However, such sen itivity i8, of course, undesirable in ~torage and in the preliminary handling of the rocket, that is preliminary to firing at the avalanche zone.
The present invention therefore addresses the need of producing a rocket that haæ excellent sensitivity but whose sensitivity is not properly set up until the rocket is in flight. ,., ;: :
",,, ' ', , ': ' Accordingly, the present invention provides an avalanche rocket to be fired from a barrel and comprising:
a case having a nose and a tail and able to receive an :
explosive charge, adjacent the nose; .
a firing mechanism comprising:
a first hou~ing in the case;
a piston in the housing able to travel in the housing towards the nose of the rocket;
means to urge the piston to travel in the housing;
means to arrest the piston at the end of said travel;
releasable safety means to prevent movement of the piston in the housing;
release means to release the safety means as the rocket is launched;
a firing pin; . ~ .
a second housing to receive the firing pin and a detonating charge for the explosive charge in the casing;
, a pivotal link to attach the second hou~ing to the firqt housing; and means to retain the firing pin within the second housing with a predetermined force.
The invention is illuætrated, by way of example, in the drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a detail of an avalanche rocket according to the present invention in its safe position; and Figure 2 is a detail similar to Figure 1 but showing the firing mechanism in the position immediately prior to firing.
The drawings show an avalanche rocket 10 to be fired from a ~arrel, not shown, in conventional manner and having a : case 12 with a nose 14 and a tail 16 enahled to receive an explosive charge, adjacent the nose. In this regard the rocket is conventional.
There is a firing mechanism mounted in the tail of the rocket and comprising a first housing 18 received in the ca~e 12 of the rocket 10. A piston 20 i~ located in the housing 18 and is able to travel in the housing towards the nose 14 of the rocket. The start position as shown in Figure 1, the position af-ter travel is shown in Figure 2. There is means to urge the piston 20 to travel in the housing in the for~ of a coil spring 22 ~hown coiled in Figure 1 and uncoiled in Figure 2. The spring 22 is located between the upper surface of piston 20 and the interior of housing 18. Piston ` 201~773 20 is located on a rod 26 which al~o provides a means to arrest the piston 20 at the end of the travel. Rod 26 i8 attached to the piston 20 by a head 28 and has a flange 30 at its distal end. As shown in Figure 2 the flange 30 i8 able to contact the outside of the housing 18 to restrict travel of the piston 20.
There is a firing pin 32 which is housed in a second housing 34 together with a primer 35 in primer holder 36 and ., a detonator 38. The ~econd housing 34 is attached to the piston 20 by a pivotal link in effect providing a pendulum attachment of the second housing 34 and the piston 20. As shown in Figure 2 the second housing 34 may thus æwing relative to the piston 20 and the first housing 18.
There are releasable safety means to prevent inadvertent movement of the piston 20 in the first housing 1~. In the illu~trated embodiment that safety means comprises a rod 40 extending throllgh aligned openings in the first and second housings 18 and 34 and in the case 12 so that the first and second housings and the case are held in fixed, rela-tive position while the rod 40 is present. There is a pin 42 that :
engages in an opening in the rod 40 - see Figure 1. The pin 42 iæ attachable to the barrel from which the rocket 10 is fired. There is a coil spring 44 around the other end of the rod 40, beneath a head 46 to urge the rod 40 outwardly to release the rod 40 ~rom the rocket when the pin 42 is withdrawn.
' ' , ' ' ''', .' ", '"" . ', ' " ' . . ~ ':, ' ' ~ ' ' ' ' , ' '' '.', '' ' " ': ,', "', ' ' ' . ' ' . . '' ' ~' , ' :;` .
.
The firing pin 32 move~ within the second housing 34 immediately prior to explosion of the rocket but i8 normally retained in the position in which it is shown in both Figures 1 and 2 with a predetermined force. That predetermined force is provided by a magnet 48 and, clearly, the firing pin 32 in these circumstances mu~t be of a magnetic material. In addition, there is a spring 50 which also acts to hold the firing pin 32 in position during storage of the rocket and whenever second housing 34 is at least partially within first housing 18. Housing 18 keeps 3pring 50 urged inwaraly so that detent 51 can engage a recess in the pin 32.
Immediately prior to use the rocket will be armed.
There will be a charge 54 of explosive within the casing 12 at a carefully calculated height above nose 14 and having an upper arcuate surface 56 as ghown in both Figures 1 and 2.
That height will be such that when the second housing 34 moves downwardly under the influence of spring 22 it will ~top very close to the upper surface 56 of the charge 54 and, furthermore, the arcuate shape of the upper surface 56 of the explosive charge 54 and the ability of the second housing 34 to swing in the manner of a pendulum will ensure that regardleæs of the angle of contact with the ground the detonator 38 will always be sufficiently close to the explosive charge 54 to ensure proper detona~ion and explosion of the explosive charge 54.
20~5773 ~, `. , .
. ................................................................. ..
When the rocket 10 is fired from the barrel, typically under the influence of compressed air, the pin 42 is removed from rod 40 because the pin 42 i~ attached to the barrel.
Spring 44 urges the rod 40 outwardly so that the ~econd housings 34, under the lnfluence of spring 22, moves from the first position, as shown in Figure 1, to the second position, shown in Figure 2. The second position is controlled by the .
flange 30 acting as a stop by contacting the upper surface of , . . - .
the first housing 18. There is also a stabilizing spring 58, contacting the outer surface of the second housing 34 which ~:
. . , acts to stabilize the second housing during storage and travel and to contact the piston 20 when it emerges from the first housing 18 to hold it reasonably steady during flightl :
The function of the magnet 48 i~ to hold the firing pin ; 15 32 in position again~t vibration during firing and during flight. The predetermined force with which the magnet 48 .
: ,. .
holds the firing pin 32 in po~ition is such that the rapid deceleration produced by contact overcomes the force and the firing pin 32 move~ downwardly to strike the detonator 38 to : 20 explode the charge 54.
~ ' , The device is simple in structure. The detonating mechanism is normally a substantial distance away from the explosive charge 54 so that the rocket is safe to hanale during storage and preparation for firing. Furthermore, because of the pendulum-like activity and the control of the proximity of the detonating charge to the explo~ive charge it ` 2015773 .
, ~
is easy to obtain detonation of the explo~ive at the required time. This in itself is a desirable aspect. It i8 not de~irable that there be unexploded avalanche rockets which must be retrieved by professional crew~; a hazardous occupation. If not retrieved, the unexploded rocket becomes a hazard to the public.
The invention relates to an avalanche rocket to be fired from a barrel.
Avalanche rockets have an important part to play in areas of high snowfall. It is desirable to induce an avalanche at a convenient time rather than for a natural avalanche to take place. For this reason it is common on highways in alpine areas and in ski areas to induce an avalanche, typically after a heavy snowfall, before allowing the public on the highway or in the ski resort.
A common way of inducing an avalanche is to fire an explosive charge, contained in a rocket, into a region of ~now. The rocket aetonates on contact and the resulting explosion induces movement in unstable snow at a time when no one i~ put at risk.
The avalanche socket is typically an aerodynamic body with tail fins to ~tabilize it during flight. It is usually fired from the barrel by compressed air.
!
There are disadvantages -to the existing rockets. The detonating system is not entirely satisfactorily and it is, of course, es~ential that the detonating system be entirely satisfactory. The rocket must detonate on contacting snow so that a fairly sensitive system is required to induce movement ..
, ~ , ;
` ~01~773 of the detonating mechanism and thus explosion of the charge.
However, such sen itivity i8, of course, undesirable in ~torage and in the preliminary handling of the rocket, that is preliminary to firing at the avalanche zone.
The present invention therefore addresses the need of producing a rocket that haæ excellent sensitivity but whose sensitivity is not properly set up until the rocket is in flight. ,., ;: :
",,, ' ', , ': ' Accordingly, the present invention provides an avalanche rocket to be fired from a barrel and comprising:
a case having a nose and a tail and able to receive an :
explosive charge, adjacent the nose; .
a firing mechanism comprising:
a first hou~ing in the case;
a piston in the housing able to travel in the housing towards the nose of the rocket;
means to urge the piston to travel in the housing;
means to arrest the piston at the end of said travel;
releasable safety means to prevent movement of the piston in the housing;
release means to release the safety means as the rocket is launched;
a firing pin; . ~ .
a second housing to receive the firing pin and a detonating charge for the explosive charge in the casing;
, a pivotal link to attach the second hou~ing to the firqt housing; and means to retain the firing pin within the second housing with a predetermined force.
The invention is illuætrated, by way of example, in the drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a detail of an avalanche rocket according to the present invention in its safe position; and Figure 2 is a detail similar to Figure 1 but showing the firing mechanism in the position immediately prior to firing.
The drawings show an avalanche rocket 10 to be fired from a ~arrel, not shown, in conventional manner and having a : case 12 with a nose 14 and a tail 16 enahled to receive an explosive charge, adjacent the nose. In this regard the rocket is conventional.
There is a firing mechanism mounted in the tail of the rocket and comprising a first housing 18 received in the ca~e 12 of the rocket 10. A piston 20 i~ located in the housing 18 and is able to travel in the housing towards the nose 14 of the rocket. The start position as shown in Figure 1, the position af-ter travel is shown in Figure 2. There is means to urge the piston 20 to travel in the housing in the for~ of a coil spring 22 ~hown coiled in Figure 1 and uncoiled in Figure 2. The spring 22 is located between the upper surface of piston 20 and the interior of housing 18. Piston ` 201~773 20 is located on a rod 26 which al~o provides a means to arrest the piston 20 at the end of the travel. Rod 26 i8 attached to the piston 20 by a head 28 and has a flange 30 at its distal end. As shown in Figure 2 the flange 30 i8 able to contact the outside of the housing 18 to restrict travel of the piston 20.
There is a firing pin 32 which is housed in a second housing 34 together with a primer 35 in primer holder 36 and ., a detonator 38. The ~econd housing 34 is attached to the piston 20 by a pivotal link in effect providing a pendulum attachment of the second housing 34 and the piston 20. As shown in Figure 2 the second housing 34 may thus æwing relative to the piston 20 and the first housing 18.
There are releasable safety means to prevent inadvertent movement of the piston 20 in the first housing 1~. In the illu~trated embodiment that safety means comprises a rod 40 extending throllgh aligned openings in the first and second housings 18 and 34 and in the case 12 so that the first and second housings and the case are held in fixed, rela-tive position while the rod 40 is present. There is a pin 42 that :
engages in an opening in the rod 40 - see Figure 1. The pin 42 iæ attachable to the barrel from which the rocket 10 is fired. There is a coil spring 44 around the other end of the rod 40, beneath a head 46 to urge the rod 40 outwardly to release the rod 40 ~rom the rocket when the pin 42 is withdrawn.
' ' , ' ' ''', .' ", '"" . ', ' " ' . . ~ ':, ' ' ~ ' ' ' ' , ' '' '.', '' ' " ': ,', "', ' ' ' . ' ' . . '' ' ~' , ' :;` .
.
The firing pin 32 move~ within the second housing 34 immediately prior to explosion of the rocket but i8 normally retained in the position in which it is shown in both Figures 1 and 2 with a predetermined force. That predetermined force is provided by a magnet 48 and, clearly, the firing pin 32 in these circumstances mu~t be of a magnetic material. In addition, there is a spring 50 which also acts to hold the firing pin 32 in position during storage of the rocket and whenever second housing 34 is at least partially within first housing 18. Housing 18 keeps 3pring 50 urged inwaraly so that detent 51 can engage a recess in the pin 32.
Immediately prior to use the rocket will be armed.
There will be a charge 54 of explosive within the casing 12 at a carefully calculated height above nose 14 and having an upper arcuate surface 56 as ghown in both Figures 1 and 2.
That height will be such that when the second housing 34 moves downwardly under the influence of spring 22 it will ~top very close to the upper surface 56 of the charge 54 and, furthermore, the arcuate shape of the upper surface 56 of the explosive charge 54 and the ability of the second housing 34 to swing in the manner of a pendulum will ensure that regardleæs of the angle of contact with the ground the detonator 38 will always be sufficiently close to the explosive charge 54 to ensure proper detona~ion and explosion of the explosive charge 54.
20~5773 ~, `. , .
. ................................................................. ..
When the rocket 10 is fired from the barrel, typically under the influence of compressed air, the pin 42 is removed from rod 40 because the pin 42 i~ attached to the barrel.
Spring 44 urges the rod 40 outwardly so that the ~econd housings 34, under the lnfluence of spring 22, moves from the first position, as shown in Figure 1, to the second position, shown in Figure 2. The second position is controlled by the .
flange 30 acting as a stop by contacting the upper surface of , . . - .
the first housing 18. There is also a stabilizing spring 58, contacting the outer surface of the second housing 34 which ~:
. . , acts to stabilize the second housing during storage and travel and to contact the piston 20 when it emerges from the first housing 18 to hold it reasonably steady during flightl :
The function of the magnet 48 i~ to hold the firing pin ; 15 32 in position again~t vibration during firing and during flight. The predetermined force with which the magnet 48 .
: ,. .
holds the firing pin 32 in po~ition is such that the rapid deceleration produced by contact overcomes the force and the firing pin 32 move~ downwardly to strike the detonator 38 to : 20 explode the charge 54.
~ ' , The device is simple in structure. The detonating mechanism is normally a substantial distance away from the explosive charge 54 so that the rocket is safe to hanale during storage and preparation for firing. Furthermore, because of the pendulum-like activity and the control of the proximity of the detonating charge to the explo~ive charge it ` 2015773 .
, ~
is easy to obtain detonation of the explo~ive at the required time. This in itself is a desirable aspect. It i8 not de~irable that there be unexploded avalanche rockets which must be retrieved by professional crew~; a hazardous occupation. If not retrieved, the unexploded rocket becomes a hazard to the public.
Claims (10)
1. An avalanche rocket to be fired from a barrel and comprising:
a case having a nose and a tail and able to receive an explosive charge, adjacent the nose;
a firing mechanism comprising:
a first housing in the case;
a piston in the housing able to travel in the housing towards the nose of the rocket;
means to urge the piston to travel in the housing;
means to arrest the piston at the end of said travel;
releasable safety means to prevent movement of the piston in the housing;
release means to release the safety means as the rocket is launched;
a firing pin;
a second housing to receive the firing pin and a detonating charge for the explosive charge in the casing;
a pivotal link to attach the second housing to the first housing; and means to retain the firing pin within the second housing with a predetermined force.
a case having a nose and a tail and able to receive an explosive charge, adjacent the nose;
a firing mechanism comprising:
a first housing in the case;
a piston in the housing able to travel in the housing towards the nose of the rocket;
means to urge the piston to travel in the housing;
means to arrest the piston at the end of said travel;
releasable safety means to prevent movement of the piston in the housing;
release means to release the safety means as the rocket is launched;
a firing pin;
a second housing to receive the firing pin and a detonating charge for the explosive charge in the casing;
a pivotal link to attach the second housing to the first housing; and means to retain the firing pin within the second housing with a predetermined force.
2. A rocket as claimed in claim 1 in which the means to urge the piston to travel in the first housing is a spring.
3. A rocket as claimed in claim 1 in which the means to arrest the piston comprises a rod extending out of the first housing towards the tail of the rocket;
a stop on the rod to abut the outer surface of the first housing.
a stop on the rod to abut the outer surface of the first housing.
4. A rocket as claimed in claim 3 in which the length of the rod is such as to allow the second housing to stop with one end of the second housing closely adjacent the uppermost part of the case to receive the explosive charge.
5. A rocket as claimed in claim 1 in which the safety means comprises a rod extending through the first and second housing and through the case to maintain the first and second housings and the case in fixed relative positions.
6. A rocket as claimed in claim 5 in which the release means comprises a pin engaging said rod and attachable to the barrel whereby the pin is withdrawn from the rod as the rocket travels in the barrel.
7. A rocket as claimed in claim 6 having a spring around the rod to urge the rod outwardly to release the rod from the rocket when the pin is withdrawn.
8. A rocket as claimed in claim 1 in which the means to retain the firing pin in the second housing includes a magnet.
9. A rocket as claimed in claim 8 in which the means to retain the firing pin within the second housing includes a spring.
10. A avalanche rocket comprising a casing having a nose and a tail;
an explosive charge received in the rocket, adjacent the nose;
a firing mechanism comprising a first housing in the case;
a piston in the housing able to travel in the housing towards the nose of the rocket;
means to urge the pi ton to travel in the housing:
mean to arrest the piston after said travel;
safety means to prevent inadvertent movement of the piston in the housing;
release means to release the safety means as the rocket is launched.
a firing pin;
a second housing to receive the firing pin;
a detonating charge received at an outer end of the second housing;
a pivotal link to attach the second housing to the piston;
means to retain the firing pin within the second cylinder with a predetermined force;
whereby launching of the rocket releases the release means to move the second housing to a point adjacent the explosive charge and deceleration of the rocket on landing overcomes the said predetermined force to allow said firing pin to explode the detonating charge to detonate the explosive charge.
an explosive charge received in the rocket, adjacent the nose;
a firing mechanism comprising a first housing in the case;
a piston in the housing able to travel in the housing towards the nose of the rocket;
means to urge the pi ton to travel in the housing:
mean to arrest the piston after said travel;
safety means to prevent inadvertent movement of the piston in the housing;
release means to release the safety means as the rocket is launched.
a firing pin;
a second housing to receive the firing pin;
a detonating charge received at an outer end of the second housing;
a pivotal link to attach the second housing to the piston;
means to retain the firing pin within the second cylinder with a predetermined force;
whereby launching of the rocket releases the release means to move the second housing to a point adjacent the explosive charge and deceleration of the rocket on landing overcomes the said predetermined force to allow said firing pin to explode the detonating charge to detonate the explosive charge.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2015773 CA2015773A1 (en) | 1990-04-30 | 1990-04-30 | Fuse |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2015773 CA2015773A1 (en) | 1990-04-30 | 1990-04-30 | Fuse |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2015773A1 true CA2015773A1 (en) | 1991-10-31 |
Family
ID=4144878
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2015773 Abandoned CA2015773A1 (en) | 1990-04-30 | 1990-04-30 | Fuse |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2015773A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6457416B1 (en) | 1997-10-17 | 2002-10-01 | Rocktek Limited | Method and apparatus for removing obstructions in mines |
-
1990
- 1990-04-30 CA CA 2015773 patent/CA2015773A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6457416B1 (en) | 1997-10-17 | 2002-10-01 | Rocktek Limited | Method and apparatus for removing obstructions in mines |
| US7047886B2 (en) | 1997-10-17 | 2006-05-23 | Rocktek Limited | Method and apparatus for removing obstructions in the mines |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| FZDE | Dead |