US2447036A - Grenade - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug. 17, 1948 GBENADE Frank Short, East Berlin, Conn.

Original application March 1, 1943, Serial No. 477,583. Divided and this application Decemher 2, 1946, Serial No. 713,446

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

Claims.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to grenades, particularly a hand-thrown grenade equipped with a stabilizer device to insure impact of the grenade with a target at or within the proper angle thereto.

A grenade that is hand-thrown lacks stability in that it will tumble end over end and very seldom will it strike its target in an end or headon position. Hence, a hand-thrown grenade equipped with an impact-type of fuze or one having a shaped explosive charge, to be efiective, must strik an intended target within a, definite angle or cone of impact. The grenade, therefore, must be equipped with a stabilizer device to provide stability during its flight toward the intended target so that the grenade will strike the target head-on, or substantially so, to actuate the impact-type fuze, and when shaped charges are employed, to focus the explosi e l formed by the detonation of such charges, in the proper direction for the most efiective penetration of the target.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a hand-thrown grenade with a stabilizing device to insure the grenade striking a target at the proper angle of impact.

Another object is to provide a hand-thrown grenade with a detachable stabilizer device which can be removed from or retained with the grenade depending upon conditions of combat, making such removal or retention desirable.

A further object is to provide a grenade with a stabilizer device that can be removably attached thereto in one position without substantially increasing its overall size and in another position to provide stability during flight.

An additional object is to provide a handthrown grenade with a revers'ble stabilizer device for adapting the grenade for either antipersonnel or anti-tank use, whichever the requirements may be, depending upon conditions encountered in combat.

The present invention is intended to be used with, but not necessarily limited to, the type of grenade illustrated in U. S. application Serial No. 477,583, filed March 1, 1943, for Grenade, now U. S. Patent Number 2,413,004, granted December 24, 1946, of which the present application is a division.

The above and other objects, as well as a complete understanding of the invention, will be come apparent from the following description of the attached drawings in which:

Figure l is a elevational view of the grenade modified to receive a stabilizer device;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the grenade enveloped by the stabilizer device and with certain parts in section; and

Figure 3 is a view showing the stabilizer device, in central vertical section, attached to the grenade, trailing end of which is in similar section, for maintaining it in a substantially headon position while in flight.

The main body I of the grenade, which may be conical in shape, contains the necessary firing pin assembly, primer, detonator and explosive charge. The forward end of the body I is provided with a safety cover 2 which holds a firing pin assembly in an unarmed position. The safety lever 3 is slotted through which projects an apertured lug 4 on the periphery of grenade body for receiving a cotter pin 5 for locking the safety cover 2, and is removed prior to the throwing of the grenade. These elements form no part of the present invention and are fully disclosed in the said parent application, Serial No. 477,583, now U. S. Patent Number 2,413,004, granted December 24, 1946. The cover 2 and the lever 3 are detached from the grenade, as explained in the:1 parent application, during flight of the grena e.

The rear end of the grenade body I is reduced to form a hollow cylindrical projecting tube 6. Extending transversely through the tube I5 is a pin I for retaining an expansible latch spring 8.

The latch spring 8 is substantially V-shaped, having a bight portion 9 about the pin 1 and a pair of diverging arms I0 terminating in laterally extending curved portions II projecting beyond the tube 6 and abutting the rear end thereof.

The stabilizer device consists of a hollow truncated cone I2 of wood, plastic or Other suitable material and formed similar to the grenade body proper so that it may be telescoped thereover as shown in Figure 2.

The cone I2 has secured within it at its lower end, a annular ring I3 formed of material similar to that of the cone I2 and is provided with a central opening It for receiving the projecting tube 6.

When it is necessary to ship or carry the grenade, the stabilizing cone I2 is telescoped over the grenade body I, as shown in Figure 2, in which case the annular ring I3 is forced over and past the curved portions II until the same are cleared by the ring I3 after which the portions I I spring outwardly over the ring I3 to lock the same, thereby holding the cone I2 against separation from the grenade body I, as shown in Figure 2.

same happened to be removed when the occasion grenade against tanks or Other armored struc- I tures, it is necessary that the grenade strike the object head-on or substantially so to set oi the impact-type of fuze, and, in the case of shaped charges, to direct the explosive force in the desired direction. Therefore, the stabilizer cone -I2 is slipped off the grenade body by forcing the cone I2, and thereby the annular member 13, over the projections i l. The cone I2 is then inverted and reattached to the rearward end of the grenade body I by slipping the ring I3 over the tubular projection 6 to be retained in place by the projections II, as shown in Figure 3. The stabilizer cone l2 in this trailing position provides the grenade with the necessary stability during flight to insure the grenade striking an intended target head-on or substantially so.

In use, the grenade, with the stabilizer cone l2 attached as in either Figure 2 or 3, is grasped around the body, including the safety lever 3, the cotter pin removed and the grenade is thrown, all in the usual manner.

I claim:

1. The combination of a grenade and a stabilizing device, said grenade having a body portion and a rearwardly extending centrally positioned tubu- -lar member, a V-shaped expansible latch member anchored in said tubular member and having curved projections extending laterally and transversely over the rear end of said tubular member sidewalls, a hollow truncated cone member having a configuration similar to that of said grenade to provide for the former to telescope the latter, an

smaller end of said cone member and having an aperture with its axis coincident with the central axis of said cone member, said tubular member and said annular member aperture being so constructed and arranged to provide for said tubular member to be slidably received within said aperture whereby said hollow truncated cone can be mounted upon said tubular member either in a first position to telescope said grenade body or in a second position to trail said grenade body for stabilizing the same during flight of same; said V-shaped expansible latch member lateral projections cooperating with said annular member to hold the same on said tubular member in either of said positions of the hollow truncated cone.

2. The combination of a grenade and a stabilizing device, said grenade having a body portion and a rearwardly extending centrally positioned tubular member, a V-shaped expansible latch member anchored in said tubular member and having curved projections extending laterally and transversely over the rear end of said nular member aperture being so constructed and arranged to provide for said tubular member to be slidably received Within said aperture whereby said hollow truncated cone can bemounted upon said tubular member eitherin a first position to telescope said grenade body or in a second position to trailsaid grenade body for stabilizing the same during flight of same.

. tioned tubular member, an expansible latch mem- :ber anchored in said tubular member and having curved projections extending over the rear end of said tubular member sidewalls, a truncated cone member having a configuration similar to that Of said grenade to provide for the former to telescope the latter, an annular member secured to said cone member and having an aperture with its axis coincident with the central axis of said cone member, said tubular member and said annular member aperture being so constructed and arranged to provide for said tubular member to be slidably received within said aperture whereby said truncated cone can be mounted upon said tubular member either in a first position to telescope said grenade body or in a second positionto trail said grenade body for stabilizing the same during flight of same; said expansible latch member lateral projections cooperating with said annular member to hold the same on said. tubular member in either of said positions of the hollow truncated cone.

4. A grenade body associated with a hollow body substantially the same internal shape as the external shape of the grenade body and having engaging means in its upper end, the grenade body being provided with a hollow extension at its lower end for the reception of the upper end of the hollow body, a spring catch in the extension and having arms in engagement with said engaging means for holding bodies together, the hollow body being adapted to be inverted and telescoped upon the grenade body, the spring catch serving to detachably connect the two bodies in both their positions.

5. The combination of a grenade and a detachable stabilizing device, said grenade having a rearwardly extending centrally positioned tubular member, a V-shaped expansible latch member anchored in said tubular member and having projections extending laterally over the rear end of said tubular member, a hollow truncated cone member having a configuration similar to that of said grenade to provide for the former to telescope the latter, an annular member secured internally of and to the smaller end of said cone member and having an aperture with its axis coincident with the central axis of said cone member, said tubular member and said annular member aperture being so constructed and arranged to provide for said tubular member to be slidably re- V-shaped expansible latch member lateral projections cooperating with said annular member to detachably hold the same on said tubular member.

FRANK SHORT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

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