Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
~6~
The invention relates -to a de-tonating device for mines,
in particular training mines.
It is a general object of the invention to provide a
detonator for mines, in particular training mines, that is of
simplified construction so that it is inexpensive to manufacture.
The invention provides a detonator for mines, comprising
a housing in which a striker pin and an actuating lever are
arranged in axial alignment; striker pin mounting means being
formed by clamping elements that at least partially surround the
striker pin and the actuating lever, said clamping elements defin-
ing between them an axial recess that has an enlarged lower region
which is tapered upwardly and downwardly in a vertical direction,
said actuating lever having a thickened ex-tension matingly
received in said enlarged region of said axial recess; said clamp-
ing elements being fixed axially with respect to said housing and
being held together at their upper ends, the lower ends of said
clamping elements being separable against the force oE a spring
means to free said striker pin; said axial recess having a second
section, having a polygonal horizon-tal cross-section, extending
upwardly from the lower enlarged region and merging into a third
cylindrical section having a larger diameter; said actuating lever
having a portion whose cross-section matingly fits said second
section of the axial recess of the clamping levers and is connected
to the thickened extension of the actuating lever, said portion
connecting to a cylindrical region whose diameter is smaller than
the diameter of the third cylindrical section of the axial recess.
The mechanically mounted striker pin can coact with, for
example, a pyrotechnical charge. This charge in -turn can coact
- 1 - I ~
i6
wlth a smoke and/or sound signal emitting charge of a training
mlne .
The detonator of the invention preferably is universally
applicable to different types of mines, in particular training
mines, by responding to differently oriented Eorces, for example
pressure, tension, torsion and tilting forces. In particular when
using the device with training mines an additional requirement
exists, tha-t is the detonator must be as inexpensive as possible.
This requirement is particularly advantageously met by means of
the detonator of the invention which device is nevertheless quite
safe.
6~
Other advantages of the invention will become apparent
from the following detailed description and drawingr in which:
Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view of the
detonator of the invention;
Fig~lre 2 is a cross-sectional view through the detonator
on the line 2~2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is an elevational view of one part of a two-
pa:rt striker pin mounting;
Figure 4 is a side view in which only the release lever
.lO of the detonator of Figure 1 is partially illustrated;
Figure 5 is an exploded view in perspective of a training
mine including the detonator of Figure 1;
Figure 5a shows how the detonator can be re-cocked;
Figure 6 is a sectional view of an alternate version of
the detonator which also can be used in conjunction with -the
training mine illustrated in Figure 5; and
Figures 7 to 10 show various modes of detonation by
applying diEferent forces to the lever thereof as indicated by the
arrows.
Referring now to the drawing, Figure 1 illustrates in
longitudinal section a first embodiment of the detonator 1. This
device consists of a mechanically actuated portion to which, for
example, a pyrotechnical charge is operatively connected. The
mechanically actuated portion encompasses a substantially cylindri-
cal housing 10 in which a striker pin 12, preloaded by a coil
spring 11, is releasably mounted. A mounting means for the pin 12
is formed by two half shells 14, 14' divided in a diametri.cal
plane as described in detail hereinafter. The mounting means can,
-- 2
6~i
however, be of more complex cons-truction (see the embodiment of
Figure 6), but is at all times symme-trically divided. For example
it may be divided into three, four or more parts.
Figure 3 is a side elevational view of one half shell 14
or 14'. The operation of the mounting means 14, 14' is enclosed
by a cover 15 having a central bore such that the mounting means,
which is positioned within a central bore of the detonator 1 is
held therein by the threadably mounted cover 15 so that no motion
in an axial or radial direction is possible. The lower regions of
-the mounting means half shells 14~ 14' are pressed radially inward-
ly against each other by inwardly acting biasing means for example,
in the form of an elastic O-ring 16. The pin 12 is thus fixed,
and is acted on by the force of the coil spring 11 when in the
inoperative position. The upper end of the pin 12 extends into a
blind bore 42 of the actuating lever 40 and the pin 12 is held in
an axial vertical position by means of a collar 30 formed at the
lower end of each half shell 14, 14', which forms a cup-like recess
into which the upper end of the pin 12 extends.
In the embodiment of Figure 1 the means for pressing
together the two half shells 14, 14' of the percussion bolt mount-
iny means i.e. the O-ring 16, is disposed within an annular recess
17 in the outer periphery of the half shells 14, 14', The O-ring
16 represents a particularly inexpensive but yet reliable biasing
element. It is, of course, understood that other biasing means
can be used with equal effectiveness, for example a ring spring
can be used. Alternately, pressing together of the two half shells
14, 14' can be effected by spring means such as for example coil
springs, which bear ayainst the inner wall of the cylindrical
-- 3
~2~6~6;
housing 10 at one end and against the corresponding half shell at
the other end. However, using such biasing means this leads to
higher manufacturing costs.
The mounting means half shells 14, 14' form a composite
central bore, or recess 18, the configuxation of which can be
clearly seen from Figure 3. The portion of bore 18, in the lower
region of the half shells 14, 1~' has first a relatively reduced
diameter, which then merges into a portion of the bore with a
larger diameter to define the collar 30 on which the head portion
lQ 12a of the pin 12 abuts when in the armed or inoperative position.
The portion of the bore 18 of a larger diameter then merges into a
recess 18~ which, for example, is in the shape of a hollow sphere
or ellipsoid. The recess 18' is followed by a bore 18'' of reduced
polygonal profile followed by a cylindrical bore portion 18''' of
an enlarged diameter. In the bore 18 extends an actuating lever
40 which is illustrated partially ln cross-section in Figure 4.
The lever 40 includes a plurality of portions of dif:Eerent con~
figuration, which will be described in detail herei.naf-ter. In the
lower region the actuating lever 40 is formed as a partially
spherical portion 41 which matingly fits into the partially
spherical bore portion 18'. The lever portion 41 and the corre-
sponding bore portion 18' may also be ellipsoidally shaped. As
mentioned above, the lever portion 41 has a blind bore 42 in which
the upper end 12a of the percussion bolt 12 projects above the
collar 30. The spherically or ellipsoidally shaped lever portion
41 is adjoined by a polygonal, e.g. hexagonally profiled region 44
which in turn is adjoined by a cylindrical portion 43. The cylin-
6~i
drical portion 43 in turn ends, as can be seen from Figure 1, in a
disc 45 which is disposed in a plane normal to the longitudinal
axis of the detonator. When in an operatively mounted condition
(Figure 1) the spherically shaped portion ~1 of the actuatiny lever
40 is arranged in the hollow spherically shaped recess 18', where-
as the hexagonal region 44 of the actuating lever 40 is disposed
in the bore portion 18'' of polygonal cross-section in the mount-
ing means. In the illustrated embodiment the bore portion 18''
has a square cross-section, whereas the cornered region 44 of the
actuating lever 40 has an octagonal shape. There is illustrated
in Figure 5 a training mine system which uses a detonator 1 in
accordance with this invention.
In Figure 6 there is illustrated schematically in cross-
section a slightly modified version of the detonator of this
invention forming part of a complete detonator device with two
safety means 50 and 51. These safety means 50 and 51 are also
illustrated in Figure 5. The first safety means includes a ring
50, which is slidably movable between a safety position and an
armed operative position as illustrated by the arrows 50b and
50a respectively, in Fiqure 6. In the safety position -the safety
ring 50 is slid downwardly thereby pressing two balls 52, disposed
in mating bores of the housing 10, against the striker pin mounting
means 14 r 14' so that the latter cannot be radially moved outwardly.
A rubber boot 54 and an O-ring 55 seal the detonator against
moisture. The second safety means consists of a cotter pin 51
inserted in a bore that extends -transversely with respect to the
longitudinal axis of the housing 10 and blocks the path of the
-- 5 --
~2~46~
striker pin 12 so that it cannot impinge on the pyrophoric
detonating charge lOl. In contrast to known safety arrangements,
the first safety device S0 makes possible subsequent re-arming and
thereby re-use of a first disarmed ignition device. The ring 50
can be simply slid into the safety position to disarm the device.
Figures 7 to lO illustrate the various motions that can
be imparted on the actuating lever 40 in order to release the
ignition device. These various motions are illustrated by arrows
at the top of the actuating lever 40.
The aforedescribed embodiments of the detonator of this
invention are universally applicable to different types of mines,
in particular training mines. They comprise only a small number
of parts which are simply and inexpensively constructed. Thereby
it is possible to manufacture a very inexpensive detonator. The
pyrotechnical ignition means are not in all cases necessary. An
electric, optical or acoustic indication of the mine function,
after release of the detonator, is also realizable in other ways.
The ignition device of this invention operates as follows:
By applying pressure or pull on the actuating lever 40
in one of two directions illustrated by the double-arrow 100
(Figure 1), the exterior peripheral surface of the spherically
shaped lever portion 41 of the actuating lever 40 is pushed against
the inner wall of the hollow spherically shaped bore portion 18'
and presses the half shells 14, 14' apart from each other against
the force of the O-ring 16 in the lower region thereof. This has
as a consequence that first the striker pin head portion 12a which
rests against the collar 30 is released, and the pin 12 under the
"~
6~i
action of the now released coil spring 11 is propelled in the
direction of the pyrotechnical ignition means 101. Release of the
pin 12 can also be effected by means of a tilting motion at any
one of randomly selected directions, which motion is illustrated
schematically by the double arrow 102 i.n Figure 1 and by the
double arrow in Figure 7. Finally, torsional motion, illustrated
by means of the double-arrow 103 (Figure 1) and also in Figure 8
can be imparted onto the actuating lever 40, which force is
applied preferably tangentially via the disc 45 and which leads to
a release of the pin 12. This is effected by virtue of the fact
that in the interior of the polygonal bore portion 18'' the
hexagonal or octagonal lever portion 44 of the actuating lever 40,
which is rotated about the longitudinal axis thereof, applies a
force against the wall of this bore portion 18'' which causes the
half shells 14, 14' to be spread apart.
Figure 5 also shows various other features of the con-
struction. The lever 40 may include or be replaced by a pressure
plate 56 or a wire actuated rotatable star 57, with the lever 40
being preferably connected with the part 43 by means of a socket
joint and pin 58. Other actuating devices can be provided coupled
with the part 43. A red colour ring 59 may be included on the
housing 10, this ring being exposed when the part 50 is in the
armed condition. The O-ring 51a normally lies in the upper
position shown, and is rolled down on the pin 51 before same is
withdrawn.
The detonator couples with a smoke emitting training
mine 60.
~2~61~
Figure 5a shows the detonator housing 10 and a re-
cocking ~ool 60 of which end 61 is used to push back the striker
pin 12. The ring 50 must be in the armed position to effect
:-e-cocking and may then be reset to the sa~e condition.
Although a limited number of embodiments of the invention
ha~e been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described
in the foregoing specification, it is to be especially understood
that various changes, such as in the relative dimensions of the
parts, materials used, and the likel as well as the suggested
~0 manner of use of the apparatus of the invention, may be made there-
ir~ without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,
as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.
