Friction ignition screw
A friction ignition screw is a special type of ignition of (mostly heavy) guns .
history
The first cannons were all ignited with a fine powder, the so-called detonator, and with a fuse . This method was relatively unsafe, so attempts were made early on to mechanize the firing of a cannon. All types of ignition, as they were also known from handguns, e.g. B. wheel lock or flint ignition were used. Ultimately, however, the fuse ignition was not replaced by the percussion ignition until around 1820 . This very safe and reliable type of ignition quickly established itself in general weapon technology.
In addition to the impact tube , the friction ignition screw was also used to fire guns. The structure of the friction ignition screw hardly differs from the impact tube. Only the firmer brass body and the incised thread indicate that this is a more robust type of gun ignition. The friction set was ignited by pulling out the grater, a corrugated or roughened wire. This in turn ignites a powder charge. The resulting pilot jet then shoots into the cartridge pouch located under the pilot hole . In contrast to the beater, the used friction ignition screw could be recycled. It was mainly used in mortars and howitzers towards the end of the 19th century .
literature
- Hein: The small book of the German army , reprint of the edition of 1901 Verlag Lipsius u. Fischer, Weltbild Verlag GmbH Augsburg, 1998, ISBN 3-8289-0271-5 .