Electro-mechanical release device for percussion priming of cartridges

Claim 2

A release device for percussion priming of a propellant charge contained within a cartridge, comprising a holding magnet, an armature for the magnet, a striker pin assembled with said armature, said armature being normally attracted to said magnet by the force of the magnetic field produced bY it thus to hold said armature and striker pin in a position of rest away from a detonator cap used to prime the cartridge, spring means coupled to said armature and striker pin assembly, said spring means being stressed when said armature and striker pin assembly is in said rest position thereby to store a counter mechanical force tending to displace said armature and striker pin assembly in the direction of said detonator cap, and means for temporarily weakening the magnetic force produced by said holding magnet thereby resulting in a release of said armature and striker pin assembly which then moves under the action of the counter force stored in said spring means to strike and detonate the cap.

Claim 3

A release device as defined in claim 1 for percussion priming of a propellant charge contained within a cartridge wherein said holding magnet is of the permanent type and wherein said means for temporarily weakening the magnetic force produced by it is constituted by coil means surrounding said holding magnet and energizable to electrically produce a magnetic force having a direction counter to that produced by said holding magnet.

Claim 4

A release device as defined in claim 1 for percussion priming of a propellant charge contained within a cartridge and which further includes means for applying a portion of the gases produced by explosion of the propellant charge against said striker pin which then functions as a piston to effect return movement of said striker pin and armature assembly to said rest position and re-stress said spring means.

Claim 5

A release device for percussion priming of a propellant charge contained within a cartridge by means of a detonator cap, comprising a holding magnet structure including a base plate of magnetic material, a permanent magnet and pole shoe thereon supported by said base plate, an armature mounted within an opening through said base plate for attraction into engagement with said pole shoe, a striker pin depending from said armature, a sleeve surrounding said striker pin and likewise depending from said armature, a compression spring surrounding said sleeve, one end of said spring being fixed in position and the other end thereof engaging said sleeve, a tubular housing surrounding said spring means, one end of said housing being secured to said base plate and the other end having a mount secured thereto for receiving the cartridge and detonator cap associated therewith, said mount including a cylindrical bored portion extending partly into said sleeve and receiving said striker pin so as to guide the latter in its movement toward said detonator cap, said striker pin being normally held in a position of rest away from said detonator cap by magnetic attraction of said armature into engagement with said pole shoe against an inferior mechanical counter force stored in said compression spring, coil means surrounding said permanent magnet, means for temporarily energizing said coil means to electrically produce a magnetic force having a direction counter to that produced by said permanent magnet thereby temporarily weakening the magnetic force attracting said armature to said pole shoe and resulting in its release and actuation of said armature and striker pin by the spring force to detonate said cap, said mount for said detonator cap and cartridge further including a passageway leading from the exterior thereof into the cylindrical bored portion thereof under the end of said striker pin by which a portion of the pressurized gases produced by the explosion of the propellant charge in said cartridge are applied against said striker pin then functioning as a piston to thereby effect return movement of said striker pin and armature to said rest position and re-compression of said spring.

Claim 6

A release device for percussion priming of a propellant charge contained within a cartridge by means of a detonator cap, comprising a holding magnet structure including a base plate of magnetic material, a permanent magnet and pole shoe thereon supported by said base plate, an armature mounted within an opening through said base plate for attraction into engagement with said pole shoe, a striker pin depending from said armature, a sleeve surrounding said striker pin and likewise depending from said armature, a compression spring surrounding said sleeve, one end of said spring being fixed in position and the other end thereof engaging said sleeve, a tubular housing surrounding said spring means, one end of said housing being secured to said base plate and the other end having a mount secured thereto for receiving the cartridge and detonator cap associated therewith, said mount including a cylindrical bored portion extending partly into said sleeve and receiving said striker pin so as to guide the latter in its movement toward said detonator cap, said striker pin being normally held in a position of rest away from said detonator cap by magnetic attraction of said armature into engagement with said pole shoe against an inferior mechanical counter force stored in said compression spring, coil means surrounding said permanent magnet, means for temporarily energizing said coil means to electrically produce a magnetic force having a direction counter to that produced by said permanent magnet thereby temporarily weakening the magnetic force attracting said armature to said pole shoe and resulting in its release and actuation of said armature and striker pin by the spring force to detonate said cap, said mount for said detonator cap and cartridge further including a passageway leading from the exterior thereof into the cylindrical bored portion thereof under the end of said striker pin by which a portion of the pressurized gases produced by the explosion of the propellant charge in said cartridge are applied against said striker pin then functioning as a piston to thereby effect return movement of said striker pin and armature to said rest position and re-compression of said spring.