July 7, 1964

EXPO
D. C. SAYES 3,140,209
TOR-BOOSTER CONTAINING DIETHYLACETYLENE

OZ

INVENTOR.
D AVD C. SAYLES

*P 4 ???? ??
~?
ATTORNE*?
 3,140,209
United States Patent Office Patented July 7, 1964
2
1.
3,140,209
lustrative detonator is mercury, a suitable amalgam that
EXPLOSIVE INITIATOR-BOOSTER CONTAINING releases mercury on impact or the like. An amalgam is a
DETHYLACETYLENE AND A PERCHLORATE solution of a metal in mercury.
SALT The rotatable member 10 illustratively may be made of
David C. Sayles, Huntsville, Ala, assignor to the United a refractory material, as indicated by the dashed section
States of America as represented by the Secretary of lines. The rotatable member 10 contains a cylindrical
the Air Force detonator cup 1 that is of a material that is inert to
Filed Sept. 26, 1961, Ser. No 141,269 mercury, such as glass, or the like. The member 10 is
2 Claims. (Cl. 149-75) shown in full lines in its unarmed position and in dotted
(Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) O outline in its armed position. In its unarmed position the
The invention described herein may be manufactured rotatable member 10 has a firing pin plunger retention
and used by or for the United States Government for hole 2 in its peripheral surface that receives and retains
governmental purposes without the payment to me of any the tip of the frusto-conical plunger end 17 of the firing
royalty thereon. pin 18. The firing pin 18 slides axially of the assembly
This invention relates to an explosive initiator-booster 5 in a cylindrical hole in the forward end of the outer
device serving as a fuze point detonating apparatus when sleeve.
mounted in the forward end of warheads, projectiles and The cup 11 has a bottom 12 that is of a mercury inert
the like, and a new and improved explosive material for frangible material, such as a thin disc of glass, a scored
the explosive charge within projectiles of a variety of disc of phenol-formaldehyde resins or the like, that is
kinds. 20 sealed in plastic with cement against the inwardly flared
Booster devices which are currently used to detonate bottom flange 13 of the cup 11 in leakproof relation there
high explosive charges in projectiles or warheads may with to avoid the loss of the contents of the cup 11.
contain lead azide of the composition Pb(N3)2 as the The cup 11 contains a cushion 14 of resilient rubber or
initiator for a booster charge which may contain RDX, plastic that compensates for the expansion and contraction
1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane, which has been de 25 of the contents of the cup from the temperature change
sensitized with selected wax compositions. This ex to which the device is subjected. Above the rubber cush
plosive train provides the energy to detonate the high ex ion 14 is a top disc 15 of frangible material that is inert
plosive filler in the projectile or warhead. Problems to be toward mercury. The peripheral edge of the cup top disc
overcome in booster devices are the unintentional initiating 15 is cemented against leakage to the upper flange 16 of
of fuze explosions by environmental conditions such as 30 the cup 1.
the heat encountered in automatic weapons and in aero The upper flange 16 of the cup 11 in its armed position
dynamic heating, heat generated by inductive couplings is dimensioned to progressively closely fit and preferably
with electrical apparatus and the like, and abnormal pre as nearly as possible to seal its engagement with the frusto
launch shocks and rough jolts from transportation and conical plunger end 17 of the firing pin 18 when the firing
handling. 35 pin plunger end is rammed into the orifice defined by the
The objects of the present invention are to provide a target. cup 1 upper flange 16 on impact of the device against its
new and improved point initiating non-delay fuze for
detonating the high explosive in a warhead or a projectile 25The rotatable member 10 has a pair of shoulders 24 and
that are engaged by a retaining leaf spring 26 to posi
filler; a device that materially reduces the unintentional 40 tively secure the rotatable member 10 against rotation in
initiating of fuze explosions; the use of mercury or an its unarmed
amalgam of comparable function to react with a mixture ... ends abuttingposition. The spring 26 is positioned with its
against the outer sleeve shoulder 27 and the
of silver perchlorate and 3-hexyne as replacement for the firing pin shoulder 28. The rotatable member 0 is held
earlier loading increments of a primer mixture, lead azide in its unarmed position by the engagement of its shoulders
and an RDX wax explosive; etc. 45 24 and 25 bearing against the edge of the spring 26. The
The booster device that is illustrated in the single figure rotatable member shoulders 24 and 25 are shown to be
of the accompanying drawing comprises a hollow cylin spaced away from the inturned flange 16 that is turned in
drical inner core 1 made of steel or the like. The core
bears external threads 2 that thread axially into internal along the edge of the upper end of the cup 11 to secure
threads 3 of a booster holder assembly outer sleeve 4. A the cup 11 in place within the rotatable member 10 during
flange 5 of the inner core 1 abuts axially the left hand end 50 the assembly of the device. A ring 32 arrests the motion
of the outer sleeve 4. The outer sleeve 4 may be made of of the right hand end of the spring 26 during the assembly
steel and is provided with external threads 20 for thread of the device.
ing the device into the front end of the warhead or pro The firing pin 18 flange 33 abuts the right hand end of
jectile with which it is to be used. the outer sleeve 4 and, together with the spring 26 exerts
The inner core 1 is apertured centrally to contain a 55 a dual safety provision for the device.
thin inert metal or piastic fuze booster can 6 that is secured The fuze cover 34 is of thin metal such as aluminum,
in its compartment by beads 7 of cold solder or the like. steel or the like and terminates to the left in an inturned
The fuze booster can 6 contains a suitable fuze booster, flange 35 that overlies the outwardly extending outer
such illustratively as a mixture of silver perchlorate sleeve flange 36 that is intermediate between the ends of
AgCIO, and 3-hexyne or diethylacetylene C2H5C=CC2H5 60 the device.
in the weight proportion of 16.1 grams of silver per The theory of operation of the point detonating fuze
chlorate to 7.2 grams of 3-hexyne. The front end 8 of the that is shown in the accompanying drawing mounted in
fuze booster can 6 is frangible and illustratively may be the front end of a warhead or a projectile starts with
made of glass, a thin, prescored plastic, such as a phenol inertial forces acting on the members of the fuze assem
formaldehyde resin or the like. 65 bly. The leaf spring 26 acts as a strut and together with
the firing pin flange 33 prevents the firing pin plunger 17
The front end socket 9 of the inner core 1 is shaped as from damaging the rotary member 10 during acceleration
a concave part of a sphere or a cylinder, as preferred, to within the gunbore.
house a freely rotatable member 10. The rotatable mem During the launching operation with the fuze in the gun
ber 10 contains a detonator containing cup 1. The cup bore the rotary member 10 remains as shown in the draw
11 contains a detonator that is explosively reactive when ing with the axis of the cup 11 out of incidence with the
mixed with the fuze booster contents of the can 6. An ill central axis of the fuze during acceleration. The rifling
 3,140,209
3 4.
in the gun bore from which the projectile is launched im acetylene HC=CH here of interest include 2-pentyne or
parts rotary motion to the fuze. Increasing centrifugal ethylimethylacetylene H3CC=CCH CH3.
force causes the spring 26 to move out to its dotted line Amalgams that function interchangeably with mercury
position and free the rotary member 10 and the firing illustratively are those of gallium, indium, tin, bismuth,
in 18. 5 cadmium, lead, zinc, tellurium, antimony, aluminum, gold,
? The emission of the fuze from the gunbore removes the and copper.
initial acceleration and the firing pin moves axially for The chemical complex of inorganic perchlorates with
wardly of the assembly and permits the unbalanced ro disubstituted alkynes and low melting point metals impart
tatable member 10 to assume its balanced position with the an improved performance to the device that is disclosed
central axis of the detonator cup 11 coincident with the 10 herein. In this initiator the mercury replaces three load
central axis of the fuze assembly. The fuze is then armed ing increments in earlier devices, namely the primer mix
and awaits impact. . ture, lead azide and the RDX wax explosive. The ex
On impact the velocity of the firing pin 18 is arrested, plosive components that are disclosed herein provide uni
driving its conical plunger end 17 through the orifice in the formly reproducible results. -
front end of the cup 11 and, acting as a piston, the firing 15. It is to be understood that the device and the charge
pin plunger end 17 crushes the detonator cup frangible that are described herein are submitted for the purposes
top disc 15 and advances the rubber plunger 14 axially of of describing this invention and that similarly function
the cup 11. r ing modifications may be made therein without departing
The resulting pressure applied to the mercury or amal from the spirit and scope of the invention.
gam in the cup 11 ruptures both the rear frangible disc 12 20 I claim:
in the detonator cup 11 and the top frangible disc 8 in 1. The booster can contents as a charge proportionally
the booster can 6. The contents of the booster can 6 by Weight consisting of 7.2 grams of diethylacetylene;
detonates on contact with the mercury from the cup 11 mixed with the equivalent of 16.1 grams of silver per
and the force of the resultant explosion is directed through chlorate of a perchlorate of a metal selected from the
the bottom of the can 6 directly into the high explosive 25 group consisting of silver, aluminum, gold and copper
filler in the warhead or in the projectile. and the mixed material cooperating to produce the uni
The melting point of an element or a compound is the tary result of causing the detonation of an explosive
temperature at which its liquid and solid phases exist to charge.
gether at one atmosphere of pressure. Mercury melts at 2. The fuze booster material consisting of silver per
-39 C. or -38 F. Gallium melts at 30° C. Indium 30 chlorate; mixed with diethylacetylene in the weight pro
melts at 156 C. Tin melts at 232 C. Bismuth melts at portion of 16.1 grams of silver perchlorate to 7.2 grams
271 C. Cadmium melts at 321° C. Lead melts at 327 of diethylacetylene and the mixed material cooperating
C. All of these melting points are depressed or lowered to produce the unitary result of causing the detonation of
when mecury is alloyed with the element as an amalgam an explosive charge.
of the element. The same is true for other elements such 35 - V- -

as zinc, tellurium, antimony, aluminum, gold, copper etc. References Cited in the file of this patent
The silver perchlorate disclosed herein may if preferred UNITED STATES PATENTS
be replaced for an equivalent function by perchlorates of 2,824518 Piskorski et al. ---------- Feb. 25, 1958
aluminum, copper and gold. The triple bond between
carbon atoms in 3-hexyne or C2H5C=CCH5 imparts a 40 2,850,980 Stevenson et al. --------- Sept. 9, 1958
high performance initiating system to the silver per FOREIGN PATENTS
chlorate 3-hexyne complex in the booster can 6 since the 18,659 Great Britain ------------1912???? --- ?? ?? ?
triple bond energy per mole is 123 kilocalories, as com
pared with single bond at 58.6 kilocalories. Bombs con OTHER REFERENCES
taining comparable charges in glass or plastic frangible 45 Sidgwick: Chemical Elements and Their Compounds,
containers that mix the reagents on impact fall within Vol. 1, pp. 288, 289, Oxford Press, London. .
this disclosure. Amalgams are solid or liquid depending Ehret: Smith's College Chemistry, p. 557, sixth edition, D.
on the proportion of mercury present. Prestressed alum Appleton-Century Co., Inc., New York. -
inum dissolves promptly in mercury. Homologues of