Mechanical initiator for detonation of explosives

Claim 1

A mechanically actuable initiator responsive to direct mechanical actuation by a force about a threshold magnitude along a predetermined axial direction and non-responsive to forces in other directions, comprising: a. an outer housing defining within it an axially extending chamber: b. an inner housing axially movable within said chamber and forming an inner chamber for containing an explosive therein, one wall of said inner chamber forming at least one cavity in communication with said inner chamber for containing a primer charge; c. a bore extending from said cavity through said one wall for slidably mounting a firing pin therein to fire such primer charge and consequently said explosive; d. an actuating member extending from the inner housing and passing through one end of said outer housing for axially moving the inner housing in the outer housing; e. a firing head axially movable within said inner housing; f. locking means (i) for locking the firing head to the inner housing in a first position of the inner housing with respect to the outer housing to prevent relative axial movement between the firing head and inner housing, and (ii) responsive to movement of the inner housing in the outer housing to a second position for unlocking the firing head for axial movement with respect to the inner housing; and g. means biasing the firing head toward said one wall of the inner chamber so that an axial force upon the actuating member moves the inner housing in the outer housing from the first to the second position, unlocking the locking means to permit the means biasing the firing head to drive it down upon the firing pin and thereby detonate the primer charge and thus the explosive.