Improvements in and relating to bombs and projectiles for use in aerial warfare

摘要

541,277. Bombs and projectiles; aerial warfare. MOTLEY, L. June 21, 1940, No. 10690. [Classes 9 (i) and 9 (ii)] Bombs and projectiles for aerial warfare and of the kind described in Specification 498,595, comprising a parachute and two or more explosive containers adapted to be separated from one another in the air and suspended from the parachute, are arranged so that the parachute is first separated from the container units which are separated from each other afterwards. The projectile shown comprises a container 1 for a packed parachute and two containers 2, 3 of high explosive. The container 1 is separated from the other units by a separating charge fired by a fuze 8 ignited by a cap 9 which is struck by a striker 14. The latter is carried by a piston 13 slidable in a cylinder 12 at the base of the projectile and propelled forwards by compressed air used to discharge the the projectile from the mortar. The units 2, 3 are mounted on a hollow rod 6, enclosing the fuze-cord 8, and are normally secured thereon by a pivoted spring latch 7 on unit 2. The latch is connected to the parachute (not shown) by cords 4, and it is the jerk on the cords that releases the latch and allows the two units to become separated, through inter-connected by a cord 5. The ends of the cord 5 are attached to striker levers 19 (one only being shown) each of which is pivoted at 20 on its unit and fixed by a shear-pin 22. The jerks due to separation are insufficient to shear the pins 22, but should an aircraft foul the cable 5, the pins will be sheared and the strikers 19 caused to fire detonators 21 and explode the units. The projectile has a gas-check ring 11 as described in Specification 541,274. The application of the invention to a stream-lined projectile having the parachute housed in the rear container is also described.