Abstract: To deploy an inflatable member, such as an occupant restraint safety bag in a motor vehicle, a buffer zone is pressurized by the firing of inflation initiator to release liquid propellant into the buffer zone through ruptured frangible seals in a stationary separator disk or in a movable piston for controlled ignition. The ignited liquid propellant generates a large volume of gas that is cooled and pressurize buffered prior to inflating introduction into the safety bag.

Abstract: A continuously variable hydrostatic transmission includes an input shaft connected to drive a hydraulic pump unit, a grounded hydraulic motor unit, and an output shaft. A wedge-shaped swashplate is pivotally mounted to the output shaft in driving connection to receive output torque resulting from the exchange of pressurized hydraulic fluid between the pump and motor units through specially configured ports in the swashplate. A hydraulically actuated ratio controller shifts the axial positions of spherical bearings mounting a pump cylinder block in the hydraulic pump unit and a motor cylinder block in the hydraulic motor unit to adjust the swashplate angle relative to the output shaft axis and thereby change transmission ratio.

Abstract: An autoloader, affixed to a large caliber gun for movement therewith in azimuth and elevation, includes a rammer mounted by a parallel arm linkage mechanism for controlled movement between a lower loading position and an elevated ramming position. While in the loading position, ammunition rounds are singularly released from an ammunition clip to roll by gravity onto a rammer tray for transport to the ramming position. A chain driven ramming pawl then drives the round into the gun breech. A side flap automatically opens to admit a round loaded into the tray and then closes to confine the round on the tray during transport.

Abstract: A propellant magazine includes a conveyor for mechanizing the handling of propellant charge units into and out of magazine storage. The charge units are contained in open ended tubular packs which are loaded onto the conveyor at a resupply loading station and are axially discharged from the packs through one open end at a gun loading station. The conveyor is comprised of a series of transversely elongated conveyor elements having a pair of hoops at each end with hoops of each adjacent pair of elements retained in nested relation to pivotally interconnect the elements in chain link fashion. The propellant charge units are discharged axially through the nested hoops along one side of the conveyor.

Abstract: To accommodate differential thermal growth of a component and its support, a pair of temperature responsive mounts are provided. Each mount comprises a rigid, bowed beam having lugs at each end affixed to the component and an intermediate lug affixed to the case. Thermal expansions of the beams and the component load the beams in compression, causing flexures thereof in directions to produce motions of the third lugs that track the thermal growth of the support.

Abstract: An autoloader, capable of loading regardless of gun elevation, includes arcuate guide tracks mounted to the chute of a weapon pod protecting the breech of an exterior, turret-mounted gun. The guide tracks, of a radius of curvature centered on the gun elevation axis, mounts a trolley for guided movement between a lower magazine position and an upper gun loading position. A compact rammer, pivotally mounted to the trolley, extracts a shell from a magazine affixed to the turret floor while in the trolley magazine position and controls the shell during transfer to the trolley gun loading position. During shell transfer, the rammer is pivoted relative to the trolley to swing the shell out of the chute and into the pod to a ramming position aligning the shell with the gun boreline. The rammer then executes a two-stage ramming stroke to ram the shell into the gun breech. The trolley and rammer are powered by separate electric motors.

Abstract: An ammunition conveyor is equipped to accommodate projectiles and propellant in alternating carrier positions. Conveyor cross members or rungs carry retainers to engage the projectile and propellant canister bodies and provide lateral restraint preserving their vertical orientations in the carrier positions. The rungs also carry vertical restraints which project out into engaging relation with the projectiles and propellant canisters to preclude hazardous vertical movements during field transport of the magazine. The vertical restraints are structured to automatically accommodate projectiles and propellant canisters of different length dimensions.

Abstract: An endless ammunition conveyor includes a set of laterally moveable carriers and a set of laterally fixed carriers arranged in alternating relation with the moveable carriers. Incident with conveyor movement, the moveable carriers are cammed between laterally offset positions relative to the fixed carriers for respective round exchanges with a pair of ammunition storage bays and interleaved, longitudinally aligned positions with the fixed carriers for round exchanges with a gun-feeding transfer unit. Concurrently, the pitch between adjacent fixed and moveable carriers is changed between a maximum pitch at the gun end of the conveyor and a minimum pitch at the bay end of the conveyor.

Abstract: To override the vehicle immobilizing effect of a failed automatic ratio controller in a hydromechanical transmission, the conventional manually shiftable range selector is loosely linked with a ratio arm while the latter is being stroked by the controller to vary hydrostatic output speed. Upon controller failure, the range selector is drivingly linked with the ratio arm, such that shifting movements of the range selector are translated into stroking movements of the ratio arm to provide manual control of vehicle propulsion. Safeguards are provided to ensure that conversion between the normal propulsion mode governed by the automatic ratio controller and the override propulsion mode manually governed by the vehicle operator is effected in a safe manner.

Abstract: An extensible ammunition conveyor includes telescoping conveyor sections mounting pairs of laterally spaced sprockets adjacent the conveyor section ends. A pair of endless chains are trained about these sprockets in coextensive, transversely spaced relation with each chain having transversely lapping run portions extending along the telescoped end portions of the conveyor sections. The sprockets of each pair are mounted in angularly relation to provide an effectively V-shaped open trough for transversely confining cylindrical ammunition rounds during conveyance motivated by driving the chains in unison. Jointly braking and driving the chains in an appropriate direction produces powered extension and contraction of the conveyor.

Abstract: In a firing mechanism for Gatling-type guns, separate safing and firing cams are located at a firing position coinciding with a notch in an annular safing ring against which cocking levers ride to maintain their firing pins in pre-cocked conditions. To safe the firing mechanism, the safing cam is positioned to bridge the notch and maintain the firing pins pre-cocked as they revolve through the firing position. When the mechanism is armed, a cocking ramp surface of the firing cam is then positioned to cam the cocking levers rearwardly, cocking their firing pins. Immediately thereafter, the cocking levers drop off a firing cam sear corner into the notch now exposed by the safing cam to successively fire off ammunition rounds.

Abstract: To deploy an inflatable member, such as an occupant restraint safety bag in a motor vehicle, a liquid propellant is expelled from a storage reservoir into a reaction chamber through ports created at frangible pressure points in the reservoir wall and ignited by detonation of an explosive charge to generate a non-toxic, bag inflating gas by exothermic reaction.

Abstract: Pursuant to detecting rotor faults in an induction motor by analysis of a frequency spectrum of the current drawn by the motor under test, wherein success of the fault analysis requires an accurate determination of the fundamental frequency of the motor current and the motor slip frequency, method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the fundamental and slip frequency values solely from analysis of the motor current spectra.

Abstract: To increase the top speed of a multi-speed range hydromechanical steering transmission for tracklaying vehicles, the displacements of the hydraulic motors in the two hydrostatic drive units are abruptly destroked from 100% displacement to 80% displacement at the moment the infinitely variable displacements of their respective hydraulic pumps achieve zero displacement during acceleration through the highest forward speed range of the transmission.

Abstract: To detect broken bars in the rotor of induction and synchronous motors, the current drawn by the motor during the transient startup period as the motor runs up to steady state speed is analyzed to identify any dip in the starting motor current amplitude occurring when the motor reaches approximately half-speed. The magnitude of any identified current dip is tested against threshold values to determine if the dip is characteristic of a broken rotor bar condition. Reliable broken rotor bar detection is achieved regardless of whether the motor is loaded or unloaded.

Abstract: In an AC to DC power conversion circuit including a boost inductor connected in series between a full-wave rectifier and a DC load, a switch is connected to selectively shunt boost inductor current from the load. Switch conduction is controlled by a pulse width modulator generating switching pulses at a high fixed frequency. The pulse widths are automatically varied as a function of boost inductor current, load voltage, and an ideal sinusoidal waveform derived from the AC input voltage to force the boost inductor current to closely conform to the ideal sinusoidal waveform and thus minimize harmonic distortion, while achieving load voltage regulation and near unity power factor.

Abstract: An infinitely variable speed hydromechanical steering transmission includes a range-changing mechanism flanked by a pair of hydrostatic units which are commonly driven by a mechanical input to produce respective mechanical and hydrostatic outputs. These outputs are combined in left and right output planetary gear sets which are interconnected by a cross-shaft extending centrally through the range-changing mechanism and hydrostatic units. The range-changing mechanism includes a plurality of clutches and brakes that are selectively engaged in pairs to incrementally change the mechanical output speed on the cross-shaft and thus to operate the transmission in a plurality of forward and reverse speed ranges. Each range change is accomplished by a step change in the hydrostatic outputs.

Abstract: A proximity fuzing system includes a passive proximity detection section including an electrostatic probe for detecting initial missile entry into the electric field inherently associated with an airborne target. Probe signals are processed to determine that the intercepted electric field is characteristic of a valid target, and, if so, an active proximity detection section, such as a radar proximity detector, is rendered operational to trigger a warhead detonator at the optimum point in the missile's engaging trajectory to inflict maximum possible damage on the target.

Abstract: An ammunition handling system is provided with a magazine consisting of a plurality of modular, highly portable magazine packs which are readily installed in a mechanized support frame. The magazine packs contain separate ammunition conveyors commonly driven from the frame. Guides are positioned to effect direct transfers of ammunition rounds between conveyors of adjacent ammunition packs and thus to establish linear linkless ammunition round movement along a serpentine path leading to a magazine exit and ultimately to a rapid-fire gun. Rearming the gun simply involves replacing empty magazine packs with magazine packs pre-loaded with live ammunition rounds.