Squib (explosive)
A squib is a miniature
A squib generally consists of a small tube filled with an explosive substance, with a detonator running through the length of its core, similar to a stick of dynamite. Also similar to dynamite, the detonator can be a slow-burning fuse, or as is more common today, a wire connected to a remote electronic trigger.[3] Squibs range in size from ~2 to 15 mm (0.08 to 0.6 in) in diameter.[2]
Film industry
In the film industry, the term squib often refers to
Automotive industry
Squibs are used in
Aerospace industry
In
Other uses
Squibs are also used in automatic fire extinguishers, to pierce seals that retain liquids such as halon, fluorocarbon, or liquid nitrogen.
History
Squibs were originally made from
Squibs were once used in coal mining to break coal away from rock. In the 1870s, some versions of the device were patented and mass-produced as "Miners' Safety Squibs".[6]
The famous "Squib Case"
Squibs are mentioned in the prominent tort case from eighteenth-century England, Scott v. Shepherd, 96 Eng. Rep. 525 (K.B. 1773). A lit squib was thrown into a crowded market by Shepherd and landed on the table of a gingerbread merchant. A bystander, to protect himself and the gingerbread, threw the squib across the market, where it landed in the goods of another merchant. The merchant grabbed the squib and tossed it away, accidentally hitting a man in the face, putting out one of his eyes.
Squibs in films
The first documented use of squibs to simulate bullet impacts in cinema was in the 1943 US war film Bataan.[7]
Other early films using squibs include the 1955 Polish film
However, the American western, River of No Return, filmed in 1953 and released in 1954, used a blood squib to simulate realistic bullet impact in the story's climax, when the story's antagonist is shot dead[citation needed]. As such, this film precedes Run of the Arrow (1957) – often credited with being the first to use blood squibs – by three years, and Pokolenie by one.
Origin of the phrase "damp squib"
While most modern squibs used by professionals are insulated from moisture, older uninsulated squibs needed to be kept dry in order to ignite, thus a "damp squib" was literally one that failed to perform because it got wet. Often misheard as "damp squid",[9] the phrase "damp squib" has since come into general use to mean anything that fails to meet expectations.[10] The word "squib" has come to take on a similar meaning even when used alone, as a diminutive comparison to a full explosive.[11]
See also
References
- ^ Thibodaux, J. G. (July 1, 1961). "Special Rockets and Pyrotechnics Problems". Langley Research Center. NTRS. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions". Fantasy Creations FX. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
- ^ a b US 5411225, Lannon, Robert G. & Weldon, William F., "Reusable non-pyrotechnic countermeasure dispenser cartridge for aircraft", published 1995-05-02
- ^ Fantasy Creations FX. "Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions".
- ^ Calvert, James B. "Cannons and Gunpowder". University of Denver. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01.
- ISBN 978-0-8014-9900-5.
- ISSN 1934-9688.
- ^ "Pokolenie". Gazeta Wyborcza. 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-06-03.
- ^ "Damp Squid: The top 10 misquoted phrases in Britain". The Daily Telegraph. London. 24 February 2009.
- ^ "Definition of damp squib". Allwords.com.
- ^ "squib: Definitions, Synonyms". Answers.com.