Claims
- 1. A firing mechanism for firing a percussion cap, said mechanism comprising:
- a percussion cap;
- a percussion cap support having a position in which said percussion cap is located;
- a leaf spring fixed at one end thereof to said support and extending across said percussion cap position;
- a firing pin protruding from one side of said leaf spring towards said percussion cap;
- a mass disposed on said leaf spring to back up said firing pin;
- an engagement device engaged under said leaf spring, on the firing pin side of said leaf spring and at the end thereof opposite from said fixed end, for preventing access of said firing pin to said percussion cap when in the rest position prior to firing; and
- means for withdrawing said engagement device to fire said percussion cap, said withdrawal means being manually actuable to move said engagement device, thereby flexing said spring, to a certain position wherein said engaged end clears said engagement device and there is sufficient energy stored in said spring by flexure that on release of said spring it drives said firing pin into and fires said cap.
- 2. A firing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said spring is lightly stressed against said engagement device when in the rest position, but the energy stored in said spring is insufficient to fire said percussion cap in the event of breakage of said engagement device.
- 3. A firing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mass is disposed on the opposite side of said leaf spring from said firing pin.
- 4. A firing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said percussion cap support is a housing, said mechanism includes a lever attached to said housing and said engagement device is a catch portion of said lever, said lever being manually operable to flex said spring until said catch portion clears said spring to release said spring and fire said percussion cap.
- 5. A firing mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said catch portion is constituted by part of said lever itself.
- 6. A firing mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said lever is flexible and is raised by flexing.
- 7. A firing mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein said lever extends laterally of said leaf spring and said catch portion is a side edge of said lever.
- 8. A firing mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said lever is rigid and is pivoted with respect to said housing at a pivot axis.
- 9. A firing mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said lever includes an extension extending beyond said pivot axis, which extension can be depressed to urge said lever proper upwardly.
- 10. A firing mechanism according to claim 8, wherein said lever is aligned with said leaf spring.
- 11. A firing mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said lever is pivoted with respect to said housing at a position directly opposite said fixed end of said spring.
- 12. A firing mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising location means for locating said percussion cap support, flexure stress in said spring being reacted via said percussion cap support to said location means during withdrawal of said engagement device to fire said percussion cap.
- 13. A firing mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the said percussion cap support is a rocket jet plate and said location means is a rocket launcher.
- 14. A firing mechanism according to claim 13, wherein said engagement device is a catch pivoted in said launcher.
- 15. A firing mechanism according to claim 13, further comprising an inner tube; an outer tube which partially surrounds and is slidable relative to said inner tube and which together with said inner tube constitutes said rocket launcher; an abutment provided within said inner tube for said rocket jet plate to abut against prior to firing; and a catch constituting said engagement device within said outer tube for engaging said remote end of said spring.
- 16. A firing mechanism according to claim 15, wherein said catch is an annular rim secured in said outer tube, the arrangement being such that said spring retains said rocket jet plate on said abutment.
- 17. A firing mechanism according to claim 13, including means for positively aligning said spring with respect to said rocket jet plate.
- 18. A firing mechanism according to claim 17, wherein said positive locating means is a groove in said rocket jet plate.
- 19. A rocket and launcher combination comprising:
- a percussion cap;
- a rocket jet plate having a position wherein said percussion cap is supported;
- a leaf spring fixed at one end thereof to said rocket jet plate and extending across said percussion cap position;
- a firing pin protruding from one side of said leaf spring towards said percussion cap;
- a mass disposed on said leaf spring to back up said firing pin;
- a rocket body having said rocket jet plate at one end thereof;
- a rocket launcher at least partially surrounding said rocket body;
- an engagement device provided in said rocket launcher engaged under said leaf spring, on the firing pin side of said spring and at the end thereof opposite from said fixed end, for preventing access of said firing pin to said percussion cap when in the rest position prior to firing;
- abutment means in said rocket launcher for said rocket jet plate to abut against prior to firing; and
- means in said rocket launcher to allow withdrawal of said engagement device to fire said percussion cap, said withdrawal means being manually actuable to move said engagement device, thereby flexing said spring, flexure stress in said spring being reacted via said rocket jet plate to said abutment means and said rocket launcher, to a certain position wherein said engaged end clears said engagement device and there is sufficient energy stored in said spring by flexure that on release of said spring it drives said firing pin into and fires said cap.
- 20. A rocket and launcher combination according to claim 19, further comprising an inner tube; an outer tube which partially surrounds and is slidable relative to said inner tube and which together with said inner tube constitutes said rocket launcher; said abutment means being provided with said inner tube for said rocket jet plate to abut against prior to firing; and a catch constituting said engagement device within said outer tube for engaging said engaged end of said spring.
- 21. A rocket and launcher combination according to claim 20 wherein said catch is an annular rim secured in said outer tube, the arrangement being such that said spring retains said rocket jet plate on said abutment.
- 22. A rocket and launcher combination according to claim 20, wherein said engagement device is a catch pivoted in said launcher.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8791/76 |
Mar 1976 |
GBX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 773,116, filed Feb. 28th, 1977, now abandoned, and the invention relates to a firing mechanism for firing a percussion cap, as may be used to activate a pyrotechnic device, fire extinguisher or pressure inflator or rocket or the like.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1228165 |
Oct 1962 |
DEX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
773116 |
Feb 1977 |
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