Safety grenade

Claim 2

A grenade having an explosive charge, means including sear means for firing said charge, and control means for controlling the firing of said charge, including a strand having means thereon for normally maintaining said strand in a retracted position, a blocking means carried by said strand for engaging and preventing actuation of said sear means to fire said charge with said strand in normal position, means for moving said strand from normal position in response to free flight of the grenade for a predetermined time, movement of said strand from said normal position moving the blocking means from said blocking position to an armed position with respect to said sear means, interruption of said free flight causing said strand to be retracted to normal position and causing the armed sear means to be actuated to fire the explosive charge.

Claim 3

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein there is a safety means engaging said strand and preventing operation of the control means until the safety means is positively removed.

Claim 4

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the control means includes time delay action means connected to said strand to prevent arming the Device by accidental free flight thereof for a period of time less than the time consumed by the delay action means.

Claim 5

The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein the time delay action means comprises a dashpot for slowing the action of the control means from normal condition to arm the device, said dashpot having vent means to permit the control means to return to a normal condition in the event the free flight ceases before the time delay means has completed its function.

Claim 6

A grenade device comprising a frangible body, a charge of explosive material within the body, means for firing the charge, and control means for the firing means comprising an actuating element normally held in retracted position, a blocking means normally positioned in blocking relation to said firing means and connected to said actuating element, said blocking means being moved from blocking relation to an arming position in response to predetermined movement of said actuating element from normal position as a result of free flight of the device, said actuating element actuating the armed device for firing the charge on return of the actuating element to said normal position in response to interruption of said free flight of the device.

Claim 7

A grenade device comprising a frangible body, a charge of explosive material within the body, means for firing the charge, and control means for the firing means comprising an actuating element normally held in retracted position, a blocking means normally positioned in blocking relation to said firing means and connected to said actuating element, said blocking means being moved from blocking relation to an arming position in response to predetermined movement of said actuating element from normal position as a result of free flight of the device, said actuating element actuating the armed device for firing the charge on return of the actuating element to said normal position in response to interruption of said free flight of the device.

Claim 8

The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein the means for firing the charge includes a spring-urged firing pin and a releasable sear normally holding the firing pin in retracted position and the control means includes a control member for normally preventing release of said sear and movable with respect to said sear to arm the device in response to free flight of the device and for causing the sear to release the firing pin in response to the interruption of said free flight of the device.

Claim 9

The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein the control means for firing the charge comprises a plug mounted on said body, a tubular housing on said plug and having a closed inner end with said primer mounted therein to be disposed in said charge, a firing pin movable in the housing and urged to firing position by resilient means, sear means holding said firing pin in retracted position, and means for actuating the sear means comprising a flexible strand having a weight at one end disposed in and resting on the wall of a cavity larger than the weight and formed in said plug, said strand passing through a pedestal projecting into said cavity and connected to a time delay means and to a control element for the sear and having the other end connected to resilient takeup means for the strand whereby upon free flight of the grenade the resilient takeup means draws the flexible strand downwardly as controlled by the time delay means and moves the weight into a position on the pedestal, the movement of the strand enabling the control element to be moved into operating relation to the sear means and upon interruption of the free flight of the grenade the weight moves back to the original position causing retraction of the strand and moving of the control element to release the sear means from the firing element to enable the firing pin to be moved under the urge of resilient means to firing position.

Claim 10

The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein the means for firing the charge comprises a tubular housing having a closed inner end with said primer mounted therein to be disposed in said charge, a firing pin slidable in the housing and urged to firing position by resilient means, sear means holding said firing pin in retracted position, and control means including means for actuating the sear means comprising a flexible strand having a weighted ball at one end disposed in and resting on the wall of a large cavity in a spherical chamber connected to said housing, said strand passing through a pedestal projecting into said chamber and connected to a time delay means and to a blocking element for the sear and having the other end connected to resilient takeup means for the strand whereby upon free flight of the grenade the resilient takeup means draws the flexible strand downwardlY as controlled by the time delay means and moves the ball into a position on the pedestal, the movement of the strand enabling the blocking element to be moved out of blocking relation to the sear means and upon interruption of the free flight of the grenade the weighted ball moves off of the pedestal and back into engagement with the wall causing retraction of the strand moving of the blocking element to release the sear means to enable the firing pin to move under the urge of resilient means to firing position.

Claim 11

The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein the releasable sear is pivoted intermediate its ends and has a shoulder adjacent the upper end for engagement by the control means, and said control member comprises a resilient actuator movable past the shoulder for arming the device and for engaging said shoulder to move the sears to release position during the firing operation.

Claim 12

The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein the sears comprise arcuate shoes normally urged by spring fingers carried by a slidable sleeve into engagement with a groove on the firing pin to hold the said pin in retracted position, and said control member having a firing ring interlocking with said sleeve in an arming position and moving said ring and spring fingers to release the sears from holding relation with the firing pin to enable the pin to fire the charge.

Claim 13

The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein the control means comprises a flexible strand having a weight at one end resting on the wall of a spherical cavity, a tubular pedestal projecting into said cavity and through which the strand passes, a control member carried by the strand and a resilient takeup for the strand to cause the strand to move in one direction and the ball to be seated on the pedestal and the control member arm the device in response to free flight of the grenade, said ball falling from said pedestal upon interruption of said free flight of the grenade and causing the strand to move in the opposite direction causing the control member to actuate means for firing the armed grenade.