Abstract: A projectile-sabot assembly includes a projectile rod enclosed by a pluray of sabot pieces and a plurality of heat sensitive shape memory alloy metal shims positioned so that when the assembly is fired, the shims heat up and expand to exert separating forces on the sabot pieces.

Abstract: 3,7,9,9-Tetranitronoradamantane.

Abstract: A gas mask having a facepiece comprised of three separate transparent layers secured around their peripheries in a detachable manner, the inner layer being made of soft material, the middle layer being made of material that flexibly retains its form, and the outer layer being made of material for protection against liquid agents. An eye outsert is formed from the middle layer over the area around the eyes of a wearer, and a nose cone is formed from the middle layer so as to provide space about the nose and mouth. Inhaled air is drawn through channels formed in the middle layer that extend from the periphery of the facepiece to the outsert. After passing through the outsert, inhaled air passes through a channel formed in the middle layer to the nose cone. A passageway is provided for exhaled air to pass from the nose cone. Prescription lenses for the wearer are integrally formed in a member that can be snapped into the eye outsert.

Abstract: A method for measuring the plating on the inside of a gun barrel, including he steps of providing ultrasonic pulses against a gun barrel to be plated, and plating the inside while monitoring the echoes from said waves from the inside and outside diameters of the barrel with a plurality of transducers aligned to reflect ultrasound waves from the outside and the inside surfaces of the gun barrel. Change in time for the return of waves from the inside surface indicates the change in thickness of plating on the inside of the barrel. The change is calculated by measuring the change in time for the wave to return to its source, and multiplying by the sound velocity.

Abstract: A pair of copper rails on which a projectile is mounted forms an electrometic rail gun. One end of the rails is connected across an electrical coil which resides between a pair of Helmholtz coils made of a high temperature superconducting material. The Helmholtz coils are normally held in a superconducting state and carry large currents without the need of a voltage source. A thermal quencher is provided which is capable of removing the superconducting state by heating the superconducting circuit. When the temperature of the superconducting circuit rises above its critical temperature, the resistance of the wires will increase, causing the current to collapse. This sharp collapse of the current will cause a correspondingly sharp collapse of the magnetic field of the Helmholtz coils, thereby inducing a sharp current pulse in the force coil which produces a high-energy electric power pulse on the rails to launch the projectile. A magnetic quencher may be used in place of the thermal quencher.

Abstract: The present invention is a process of degrading 1,4-dibenz-oxazepine with a icroorganism enzymatically capable of converting the 1,4-dibenz-oxazepine into at least o-nitrophenol which is further converted to catechol. The present invention is preferably carried out using a strain of Alcaligenes denitrificans denitrificans. Additional related compounds which can be degraded with Alcaligenes denitrificans denitrificans include: o-nitrophenol, catechol, and 3-methylcatechol.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the flow of fluid, comprising an 8-way switcg valve for directing an inlet stream of air to one of multiple adsorber beds and then to the crew compartment of an air-tight vehicle while simultaneously directing an outlet stream of air to another adsorber bed and then to the atmosphere, whereby the inlet stream may be purified by adsorption on one bed while the other bed is regenerated. The fluid is directed by passageways in rotatable valve spools axially colinearly aligned, connected together so as to rotate simultaneously, and having ports aligned with openings in a sealed valve housing which communicate with inlet and outlet piping and absorber bed piping. Rotating the valve spool aligns various configurations of passageways and piping so as to direct the streams to different beds. The valve spools may be contained in separate housings for safety, avoiding cross contamination during switching.

Abstract: A cartridge case assembly suitable for use in recoilless weapon systems iuding large caliber weapons is provided which includes an elongated cylindrically shaped inner cartridge case having a plurality of spaced perforations substantially about the periphery of the case wall and opposite open ends; an elongated cylindrically shaped shell member mounted about the inner cartridge case to envelope the periphery thereof and provide an annular propellant charge chamber therebetween, the shell member being of sufficient strength to constrain the passage of propellant gases outwardly from about the wall of the cartridge case upon ignition of a propellant charge within said propellant charge chamber; and a plurality of spaced elongated ignitor tubes associated with said cartridge case along the length thereof, each of ignitor tubes having a plurality of spaced perforations therethrough for distribution of ignition gases to the propellant charge.

Abstract: A small arms weapon having a barrel for directing a projectile and a slide riven by recoil when firing. The weapon includes a locking block coupling the barrel and the slide during recoil. The weapon is modified for fatigue release, by selecting either cut-out portions, grooves or notches machined in the slide for controlling the direction of fatigue in the slide caused by the recoil. The weapon incurs fatigue an increase in weapon headspace during firing, so that the wear indicates a time to replace the slide before wear becomes dangerous.

Abstract: A thermally enhanced warhead utilizes a heated tungsten liner to generate explosively formed high velocity coherent molten slug to defeat armor targets.

Abstract: A weapon arranged to travel in a given orientation when in flight, has a body and a ribbon. The body has a payload casing and a spindle rotatably mounted at the rear of the payload casing. The ribbon is formed into a flexible loop for trailing behind the body in flight. This ribbon is attached to the spindle. The ribbon has an impelling surface shaped to apply a torque to the spindle when in flight.

Abstract: The chemical 4-[1-(1-naphthalenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole and a method of mak the same.

Abstract: An improved invention is provided having a propellant charge; propellant-taining bag or propellant-containing container which is coated with a composition for reducing muzzle flash and gun barrel erosion, the composition comprises sodium or potassium water glass and a volatile flash suppressant of NH.sub.4 HCO.sub.3, (NH.sub.4).sub.2 CO.sub.3 and/or KHCO.sub.3.

Abstract: A fluid purification system is provided for contaminated fluids such as air ontaminated with a wide spectrum of chemical warfare agents which includes two adsorption chambers with adsorption medium suitable for effectively removing chemical warfare agents from a stream of air; a valve selection device adapted for directing a stream of contaminated air to one or the other of the adsorption chambers, for directing a stream of contaminant-free air from the adsorption chamber, for directing a stream of regeneration fluid to one or the other adsorption chambers requiring regeneration and for directing a fluid stream with a concentration of contaminants from a regenerated adsorption chamber; a fluid stream diverter device adapted for diverting a portion of contaminant-free fluid from one or the other adsorption chambers for use as a regeneration fluid stream for regeneration of the adsorption medium in one or the other adsorption chambers; and a temperature regulation device for heating the regeneration fluid strea

Abstract: A primer feed mechanism device for use with a carrier assembly of a large liber cannon. The device includes a body for mounting the device to the carrier assembly so as to interface with the carrier assembly to position the device on one side of the breech of the cannon. It further includes a body cam surface and a tray assembly which provides a cam path for movement thereof. The tray assembly includes slide rails for engagement with the body and an injector arm which is operably controlled by the body cam surface. Also included is a control arm assembly housed in the carrier assembly for engaging the cam path at one end and for engaging the tray assembly at its other end. The control arm assembly is adapted to move the tray assembly from a first ready-to-fire position to a primer extract/inject position, the movement being controlled from the control arm assembly and the breech mechanism of the cannon.

Abstract: A system for detecting the approach of a vehicle toward the line of sight an antenna comprises an alerter for receiving an acoustic noise signal from the vehicle and determining whether the signal is increasing or decreasing. The increase of a noise signal indicates the approach of a vehicle and is used to activate a power supply to supply power to a digital signal processor. The digital signal processor receives the acoustic signal and performs a comparison to determine whether the signal in fact is noise produced by a vehicle. If so, the digital signal processor activates a radar based primary sensor which more accurately detects the approach of the vehicle and determines the instant at which the vehicle passes an antanna of the sensor. When the vehicle passes the antenna, the digital processor receives data and produces an output signal that can be used to activate a counter to count the passage of vehicles, surveillance equipment or to fuse a mine if the vehicle is assumed to be hostile.

Abstract: A particle smoke generator having a gas turbine for combusting air and fu and for discharging heated exhaust combustion gases. A venturi tube conveys the heated exhaust gases into a low-pressure region away from the combustion means. A supply of particulate smoke material is joined to a supply tube for conducting the particulate smoke material from the supply to the venturi tube. In the venturi tube the particulate smoke material is deagglomerated by the exhaust gases. The deagglomerated particles and gases are diffused in a diffuser nozzle to generate smoke in the atmosphere.

Abstract: An integrated Safe-Arm Device is an electrically activated, dual environm sensing mechanism which aligns a ball valve from a vented safe mode to a connected gas mode by sensing minimum sustained missile launch acceleration and minimum missile arming altitude prior to removing and setting various locks on the piston valve arming mechanism. The safing features have no stored energy and require the energy extracted from the environments to operate.

Abstract: Tungsten heavy alloys comprising by weight from about 80 to about 100% tuten and from about 0 to about 20% of one or more heavy alloying metals are produced by introducing powders of tungsten and the alloying metals into a thermal spray plasma gun, melting the powders in the hot zone of the gun to form a molten alloy and then spraying the molten alloy in droplet form into a collecting chamber where the droplets are solidified, and the resultant alloy in powdered form is collected. The powdered alloy can be further mixed with powdered copper, iron, nickel, cobalt or tantalum and compacted by dynamic or explosive compaction to form a near full density material. Full density materials are produced by further thermomechanical processing of the compact.

Abstract: An improved parachute recovery system for a gun fired projectile is discld. The projectile has a nose, a payload and a base section. The base section has a hollow cylindrical parachute cannister which is separated from the base section by rearward motion of an internal piston which is actuated by expulsion gas pressure initiated by a time fuze. The parachute cannister is thereby exposed and jettisoned to cause inflation of a parachute attached to the base section so that the parachute floats down in a nose-deployed projectile position for a soft landing and recovery. Also disclosed are alternative embodiments of a projectile base-deployed parachute recovery system.