US3713394A

US3713394A - Smoke signal device

Info

Publication number: US3713394A
Application number: US00119765A
Authority: US
Inventors: S Dare; D Haas; T Patterson; R Sloan; S Herold; S Norris
Original assignee: US Department of Navy
Current assignee: US Department of Navy
Priority date: 1971-03-01
Filing date: 1971-03-01
Publication date: 1973-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 1990-01-30

Abstract

A smoke signal device adaptable for attaching to a pistol and being launched by firing the pistol. An adapter is provided which slip-fits onto a pistol barrel and a base having a percussion primer therein is removably attached to the adapter. A case having a quantity of smoke-producing composition therein is attached to the forward end of the base and an ignition train is provided to ignite the smoke-producing composition upon detonation of the percussion primer. The case is separated from the base upon ignition and a trailing smoke signal is emitted from the case during flight.

Description

United States Patent n91 Dare et a1.

1 1 Jan. 30, 1973 154] SMOKE SIGNAL DEVICE [75] Inventors: Sherman E. Dare, Wheatland;

Davey S. Haas, Bloomington; Stanley J. Herold, Switz City; Steven R. Norris, Wheatland; Terry V. Patterson, Bloomington; Robert E. Sloan, Linton, all of 1nd.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed: March 1, 1971 App1.No.: 119,765

[73] Assignee:

US. Cl. ..102/90, 42/1 F, 102/652 Int. Cl ..F42b 11/24 Field of Search ..102/65.2, 90, 87, 66; 42/1 F References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1971 Grail et a1 ..102/90 X 11/1971 King ..42/1 F 9/1962 Butler et a1. ..149/84 X 1,900,790 3/1933 Brandt ..102/652 X 3,007,271 11/1961 Brand ..102/65.2 X

2,415,803 2/1947 Abcll ..102/652 3,338,763 8/1967 Krist ct a1. ..149/84 X 2,995,526 8/1961 DeMent ..149/85 X Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-H. 1. Tudor AttorneyR. S. Sciascia et a1.

57 ABSTRACT 4 A smoke signal device adaptable for attaching to a pistol and being launched by firing the pistol. An

adapter is provided which slip-fits onto a pistol barrel I 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDmao I973 lllll Fig.2

INVENTOHS. SHERMAN E. DARE, DAVEY .s. HMS,

STflNLE Y J: HEROLD .S'TEVEN NORRIS, ROBERT E. .54 on/v TERRY M PATTERSON ATTORNEYS.

SMOKE SIGNAL DEVICE STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a signalling device and more particularly to a signaling device which can be launched by firing a pistol.

Various devices have been employed in the past to launch a pyrotechnic flare by a hand-held device. One relatively small device for launching flares is shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,044,360, which issued July 17, 1962, to Russell 0. Stefan and Anton G. Lang. A guide tube having a bore therein is provided with a cylindrical firing pin that is spring biased by an expansive coil spring. The lower end of the tube is closed by a threaded plug and the opposite, or upper end, is threaded. A flare cartridge is provided with an externally threaded nipple which is threadedly engageable in the upper end of the tube.

In U. S. Pat. No. 3,102,477, which issued Sept. 3, 1963, to Russell 0. Stefan and Anton G. Lang, there is shown a device similar to that shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,044,360, except there is shown an improved flare cartridge. In this patented device, the fuse charge is ignited in a manner to delay its burning and thus assure that a substantial portion of the mass of the fuse will remain unconsumed during a considerable portion of the upward flight of the projectile, thereby contributing to the momentum aiding in the ascent of the projectile and deferring the ignition of the signal charge until the projectile has reached an altitude where it will be an effective signal. The device of U. S. Pat. No. 3,102,477, like that of U. S. Pat. No. 3,044,360, threadedly connects the projectile to the launcher.

While the devices of the above-mentioned patents perform adequately, they have a disadvantage in that the operator needs both hands to assemble the projectile to the launcher and also to disassemble the projectile after firing. Also, the time required to threadedly attach and disconnect the projectile to the launcher is relatively long and flares or signals cannot be rapidly launched.

In U. S. Pat. No. 3,315,397, which issued Apr. 25, 1967, to Clarence W. Gilliam et al, a launching device is shown having a circumferential groove on one end that engages with a quick disconnect device that is provided on the outer end of the projector tube. The quick disconnect consists of a plurality of balls that are separately retained in tapered holes that are of such dimensions that a portion of the balls extend into the inner diameter of the tube. A spring-biased sleeve is provided on the outer diameter of the tube and the inner bore of this sleeve is provided with a tapered portion that is engageable with the balls. Lateral movement of the sleeve causes the balls to move inwardly or outwardly, depending upon the direction of travel of the sleeve. The balls are engageable with the circumferential groove to lock the projectile case to the projector tube.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a signaling device which can be attached to barrel of a pistol and is launched by firing the pistol. An adapter is provided for fitting the signaling device onto a barrel and a base having a percussion cap therein is connected to the adapter. A case having a quantity of smoke-producing composition is attached to the forward end of the base and an ignition train is provided to ignite the composition upon detonation of the percussion cap by a projectile fired from the pistol. During flight, the case is separated from the base and a trail of colored smoke is emitted from the aft end of the case.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a signaling device which can be fired from a pistol and thus eliminate the need for a special launching device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a signaling device attached to a hand-held pistol; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention wherein a smoke signaling device 11 is shown attached to a pistol 12. Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawing, the smoke signaling device 11 has an adapter 13 that has a bore 14 on one end to slip-fit onto the outside of a pistol barrel 15. A pair of slits l6 and 17 are provided to permit clearance for the front sight 18 and locking lug 19 on pistol 12. A pair of holes 21 are provided in adapter 13 forward of bore 14 to permit escapage of gas generated by firing pistol 12.

A base 22 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 23 which fits into a second bore 24 of adapter 13. A groove 25 is provided in reduced diameter portion 23 and a bead 26 is provided on the forward end of adapter 13 and snaps into groove 25 to hold base 22 to adapter 13. A central bore 27 is provided in base 22 and 'a percussion primer 28 is positioned in bore 27. Percussion primers are commercially available and, by way of example, might be obtained from the Federal Cartridge Corp., Anoka, Minn. (Part No. 210) or from Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp., Winchester-Wester Div., East Alton, 111., (Part No. M).

A case 29 is attached to the forward end of base 22 and a quantity of smoke-producing composition 30 is provided within case 29. As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, a groove 31 is provided in the forward end of base 22 and accommodates the aft end of case 29. Ba]- last 32, such as a quantity of lead, is provided in the forward end of case 29 to provide stability during flight. An ignition agent 33 and transfer agent 34 are provided in the aft end of case 28 near percussion primer 28. An ignition fuze 35 is provided to ignite the smoke-producing composition upon ignition of transfer agent 34. An orifice 36 is provided in base 22 to permit passage of heat and flame produced by the detonation of primer 28. By way of example, the smoke-producing composition 30 might be comprised, by weight, of about 15.1

percent of Disperse Red 9 dye, about 15.1 percent of Fluorescent Red dye, about 22.6 percent of potassium chlorate, about 2.0 percent of potassium bicarbonate, about 1 1.0 percent of sugar and about 34.2 percent of a binder solution comprised, by weight, of about 8 percent of cellulose nitrate camphor and about 92 percent of acetone. Also by way of example, ignition agent 33 might be comprised, by weight, of about 80 percent of red lead, about 16 percent of powdered silicon and about 4 percent of a copolymer binder comprised of about 79 mole percent of vinylidene fluoride and about 21 mole percent of hexafluoropropylene. Transfer agent 34 might be comprised, by weight, of about 60.7 percent of potassium nitrate, about 8.8 percent of powdered amorphous boron, about 27 percent of atomized aluminum and about 3.5 percent of the same copolymer binder used in the ignition agent.

OPERATlON In operation, the smoke signaling device 11 is first positioned on pistol 12, with slits l6 and 17 being aligned to provide clearance for front sight l8 and locking lug 19 on pistol l2. Pistol 12 is then aimed and fired, and the bullet which is fired strikes percussion primer 28. The momentum of the striking bullet will cause the entire assembly of smoke signaling device to be projected from the pistol, however, detonation of percussion primer 28 will cause adapter 13 to be separated from base 22 and adapter 13, which is light weight, will travel only a short distance from the pistol.

The detonation of percussion primer 28 causes ignition agent 33 to be ignited which, in turn, ignites transfer agent 34 and smoke-producing composition 30. The gases generated by the combustion of these burning products causes case 29 to be separated from base 22 and a smoke trail is emitted from the aft end of case 29 as it travels through the air. It should be noted that the flight of case 29 is due mainly to the impact of the bullet fired from pistol 12, rather than from any propulsion due from the burning of the smoke-producing composition 30. Devices embodying the present invention have been made and tested at the Naval Ammunition Depot, Crane, Ind., and have been observed to travel between 450 and 550 feet.

We claim:

1. A smoke signal adaptable for being launched by a projectile fired from a pistol comprising:

an adapter for receiving the barrel of a pistol,

a base separably attached to one end of said adapter and having a central cavity therein, said base being adaptable to be separated from said adapter during launch,

a percussion primer positioned in said central cavity of said base at a position opposed to the juncture of said adapter and said base and positioned to be detonated by a projectile fired through said barrel of said pistol, whereupon detonation of said primer separates said base from said adapter,

a cylindrical case separably attached to said base,

said cylindrical case having a domed-shaped forward end,

a quantity of smoke-producing composition in said cylindrical case, and

fuze means for igniting said smoke composition upon detonation of said percussion printerby a projectile fired by said pistol whereby ignition of said smoke composition causes said case to be separated from said base.

2. A smoke signal as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adapter has at least one hole for venting gas generated by firing said pistol.

3. A smoke signal as set forth in claim 1 wherein said smoke-producing composition is comprised, by weight, of about 30.2 percent of red dye, about 22.6 percent of potassium chlorate, about 2 percent of potassium bicarbonate, about 1 1 percent of sugar and about 34.2 percent of binder.

4. A smoke signal as set forth in claim 3 wherein said binder is comprised, by weight, of about 8 percent of cellulose nitrate and about 92 percent of acetone.

Claims

1. A smoke signal adaptable for being launched by a projectile fired from a pistol comprising: an adapter for receiving the barrel of a pistol, a base separably attached to one end of said adapter and having a central cavity therein, said base being adaptable to be separated from said adapter during launch, a percussion primer positioned in said central cavity of said base at a position opposed to the juncture of said adapter and said base and positioned to be detonated by a projectile fired through said barrel of said pistol, whereupon detonation of said primer separates said base from said adapter, a cylindrical case separably attached to said base, said cylindrical case having a domed-shaped forward end, a quantity of smoke-producing composition in said cylindrical case, and fuze means for igniting said smoke composition upon detonation of said percussion primer by a projectile fired by said pistol whereby ignition of said smoke composition causes said case to be separated from said base.

3. A smoke signal as set forth in claim 1 wherein said smoke-producing composition is comprised, by weight, of about 30.2 percent of red dye, about 22.6 percent of potassium chlorate, about 2 percent of potassium bicarbonate, about 11 percent of sugar and about 34.2 percent of binder.