Patents Examined by Theresa M. Wesson
  • Patent number: 5762291
    Abstract: A trajectory (range) control device which is designed to fit behind the f of a fin stabilized ballistic projectile for correcting range error. The trajectory (range) control device is a self-contained, add-on module, which will screw into the forward portion of the projectile. The fuze will then screw into the trajectory (range) control module, which has a small through hole that will coincide with the center of the fuze and the center of the projectile. This through hole is intended to provide a channel in which the fuze can detonate the intended booster charge which will in turn ignite the high explosive payload or function the payload of the fin stabilized ballistic projectile. The trajectory control device will not make changes to the existing projectile or fuze. During the course correction phase, eight spring loaded flare tabs will deploy from the device. The flare tabs create a blunt cross-sectional area in front of the projectile, thus creating more drag and effectively slowing the projectile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Michael S. L. Hollis, Fred J. Brandon
  • Patent number: 5763816
    Abstract: An explosive primer designed for use with a fuse cord and an initiating device. The primer consists of a container, which holds the explosive, and a cap received on the open end of the container. The container has two lateral opposing cord tunnels which run the length of the container. The cord tunnels protect the fuse cord on the inside of the primer. The cap has two apertures which align with cord tunnels in the container. The cap has capwell for receiving the detonator. The capwell is pierceable so that a detonator can be inserted through the capwell and embedded directly in the explosive composition inside the container. In addition, the primer contains grooves in the bottom of the container and in the cap. The grooves communicate with the apertures and the recess in the cap and the cord tunnels to create a continuous conduit so that a fuse cord can be threaded therethrough to secure the cord to the primer and selectively position the primer in a borehole at the blast site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Slurry Explosive Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Scott Keeling
  • Patent number: 5758449
    Abstract: A jugline fishing float visually indicates to a fisher the location of the float and when a fish has been caught, and is especially suitable for nighttime fishing. The jugline fishing float has a housing with an upper and lower container removably connected to a divider. The divider supports a stage having a circuit board mounted to a platform thereon. A mechanical actuation system is mounted to the underside of the stage. The mechanical actuation system has a contact bar which pivots about a pivot pin. The contact bar is biased against a position indicator contact by a spring attached at one end of the contact bar. A battery supplies energy to actuate a white position indicator lamp in response to the position indicator contact electrically communicating with the contact bar. The indicator lamp signals the position of the jugline fishing float to the fisher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Inventors: Michael G. Munsterman, Randall K. Harvey
  • Patent number: 5756923
    Abstract: Ammunition transfer apparatus for movement of ammunition rounds from a magazine to a gun spaced apart therefrom is provided. The apparatus includes a transfer unit for withdrawing ammunition rounds from the magazine and inserting withdrawn ammunition rounds into the gun and a reciprocating drive, disposed between the magazine and the gun, for alternatively moving the transfer unit into a first position for withdrawing ammunition rounds and a second position for inserting ammunition rounds. In addition a carrier is attached to the reciprocating drive, for causing up to approximately a 180.degree. rotation of the transfer unit between the first and second positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Western Design Corporation
    Inventors: Michael D. Golden, Dino K. Yu
  • Patent number: 5755054
    Abstract: A trigger blocking device includes a body, a cap, and a key. The body and cap include front and rear portions which are releasably connectable in front of and behind a trigger. The front of the body includes a plurality of flexible and resilient converging legs which extend away from the cap. The front of the cap includes a projection having a detent which is engageable with the legs for releasably locking the body and the cap together. The key includes fingers which are engageable with the legs to flex the legs out of engagement with the detent to unlock the body and the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Crosman Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey Tuller
  • Patent number: 5756927
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether a warhead in flight and forming a part of a rocket, missile, or the like, is in a state which permits arming of the warhead. The arming of the warhead depends upon the conditions of the warhead's movement and the elapsed time from its launching. A specific time slot which begins at a predetermined time after the launching of the warhead and terminates at a predetermined time thereafter is demarcated. The velocity of the warhead is measured following its launch and at least during the specific time slot. The warhead will be armed only in the event that the measured velocity of the warhead has reached at least a predetermined value within the specific time slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: BOFORS AB
    Inventors: Tomas Fixell, Leila Ohman-Denton
  • Patent number: 5753849
    Abstract: Time delay apparatus for providing a firing action at the end of a predetermined time-delay period. It is used with a source of fluid under pressure, and defines a fluid-receiving chamber for accumulating the fluid when released from the source. A flow controller is connected between the source and the fluid-receiving chamber for providing fluid communication between the source and the fluid-receiving chamber. A triggering assembly initiates flow of fluid from the source through the flow controller and into the fluid-receiving chamber. A piston-form firing pin in the fluid-receiving chamber is actuated by shear pin release for movement to an actuating position for desired firing action when a predetermined pressure has accumulated in the fluid-receiving chamber at the end of the predetermined time-delay period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Propellex Corporation
    Inventors: B. Kelley Posey, Bradley Q. Niemann, M. Russel Phinney
  • Patent number: 5752340
    Abstract: A combination rod anchor and fishing tackle box formed of a bottom and molded top in which one or more recesses are formed in the top and a portion of each recess is threaded to receive an essentially hollow tube member which has a threaded external portion to mate with the threaded internal recesses of the top member and in which the hollow tube members are adapted to hold fishing rods firmly in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Inventor: Edward C. Fleener
  • Patent number: 5750915
    Abstract: A launch vehicle pedestal and an umbilical mast in which the pedestal includes a launch mount pedestal and four pedestal adapters. The launch mount pedestal includes a launch vehicle support base having an exhaust opening. Four legs extend downwardly from the support base and pedestal connecting means are secured to lower ends of each of the legs. The four pedestal adapters serve to secure the legs to existing launch vehicle support posts, the pedestal adapters each having adapter connecting means complementarily engageable with the pedestal connecting means. The umbilical mast comprises a plurality of round cylindrical segments connected by means of connectors at their ends. The connectors comprise radially extending flanges with circumferential holes in them. The mast further includes an access door and at least one opening in at least one of the segments for electrical cables and an air conditioning duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Ernest R. Bedegrew, Robert J. MacDonald, Louis E. Rustenburg, Russell E. Godfrey, Daniel H. Hada, Raymond L. Fredrickson, Larry V. Digdigan, David A. Niemann, Russell K. Chun
  • Patent number: 5746047
    Abstract: An infrared suppressor system for a gas turbine engine is provided for suppressing infrared radiation associated with the hot metal parts of the engine and with the hot exhaust gases exhausted from the engine. The system features a unique arrangement of multiple baffles that are connected together as a single baffle module. The baffle arrangement permits mixing of hot and cool gas flows while eliminating line-of-sight infrared radiation in an axially compact suppressor. The baffles are additionally linked together into a single insertable baffle module that permits removal of the baffle module when infrared suppression is unnecessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Gereral Electric Company
    Inventors: William Steyer, Timothy Joseph Higgins
  • Patent number: 5747722
    Abstract: A detonator (10) is equipped with an input lead (29) having multiple signal transmission lines (30, 31) which provide redundant initiation signals to the target charge (14) of a detonator (10, 10') thereby increasing the reliability of initiation. The multiple signal transmission lines (30, 31) may be made of shock tube and can be part of a long or short input lead (29, 129) and may be initiated by any suitable means, for example by being disposed in signal transmission relation to a detonating cord (60, 62) to improve the reliability with which a signal is transferred from the detonating cord (60, 62) to the detonator (10, 10').
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: The Ensign-Bickford Company
    Inventors: Ernest L. Gladden, Ronald M. Dufrane
  • Patent number: 5744748
    Abstract: A projectile includes a mechanism which allows the fin position to be reved after the projectile leaves the launch tube thus allowing the fins to have reversed leading edges, which avoids the costly weight of the one-piece design in the prior art, which is a parasitic weight that will result in a lower velocity, and consequently lower kinetic energy, from the same propellant charge. This mechanism also avoids having extra pieces falling from the muzzle and near the firing team or troops near the gun, and has the advantage of a simple, low-weight deployment mechanism which results in the least aerodynamic resistance after full deployment. The mechanism has at least one small winglet on each reversible fin which generates an aerodynamic lifting force to provide reversal of the fin after the projectile leaves the launch tube. These winglets are positioned and designed to cause the least increase in aerodynamic drag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Ameer G. Mikhail
  • Patent number: 5744745
    Abstract: A missile detent and release apparatus which is capable of detaining and rapidly releasing a missile in a launch tube when conveying/launching the same, and in particular to an improved missile detent and release apparatus by which the missile is easily detained and rapidly released with only a small amount of force, and by which the missile can be stably detained in the launch tube conveying the missile, which includes a pair of detaining protrusions protruded from one end portion of a missile, a pair of fixing members fixed on an inner surface of a missile launch tube and having a detaining groove into which the detaining protrusion is inserted, with the fixing members being formed in the forwarding direction of the missile, a detaining screw passing through a detaining groove of each fixing member in the forwarding direction of the missile and engaged to a detaining screw hole formed at the center portion of the detaining protrusion for detaining the missile in the forwarding direction of the missile, a re
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Agency for Defense Development
    Inventors: Woo-Jeon Shim, Bon-Soon Koo, Beom-Soo Lim, Kil-Ho Hong
  • Patent number: 5737866
    Abstract: Device for adapting shooting aids onto an individual fire-arm (1) at the vicinity of the front portion of the barrel, characterized in that it is comprised of a fixed element (8) integral with the fire-arm, and a removable element (13) which can be made integral with the fixed element (8) and the barrel (2) of the fire-arm. The shooting aid can be a laser designator or a grenade launcher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: Giat Industries
    Inventors: Jean Minaire, Jean-Pierre Montgrenier
  • Patent number: 5731538
    Abstract: A slapper detonator comprises a solid-state high-voltage capacitor, a low-jitter dielectric breakdown switch and trigger circuitry, a detonator transmission line, an exploding foil bridge, and a flier material. All these components are fabricated in a single solid-state device using thin film deposition techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Dennis W. O'Brien, Robert L. Druce, Gary W. Johnson, George E. Vogtlin, Troy W. Barbee, Jr., Ronald S. Lee
  • Patent number: 5725179
    Abstract: A projectile to be, fired from a non-rifled tube includes an elongated foody and a stabilizer secured to the tail end of the forebody for enhancing the projectile flight stability and for imparting spin to the projectile. The stabilizer includes a threaded member that extends integrally into a forward section, a peripheral channel and a grooved aft section. The forward section has a generally smooth cylindrical shape. The peripheral channel extends along the entire peripheral contour of the stabilizer and has a generally semi-circular cross-section, for generating an expansion wave and for directing air flow toward the grooved aft section. The grooved aft section is cylindrically shaped relative to a longitudinal axis, and has a predetermined number of identical, equally spaced, circumferentially positioned grooves which traverse the entire axial length of the aft section, and which are angled relative to the longitudinal axis. Each angled groove is defined by two substantially parallel side walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Stewart Gilman, Andrew Gowarty, Anthony Farina
  • Patent number: 5722614
    Abstract: A method and system for limiting missile guidance correction within the physical control capabilities of the missile, while fully utilizing missile maneuver and control capabilities. The method and system of the present invention are applied through missile guidance control electronics. First, a dynamic rate limit is calculated to prevent aerodynamic trim limit overshoot, which is directly related to body attitude rate. Second, a dynamic angle of attack limit is calculated to control aerodynamic trim limit based on thrust deflection and/or aerodynamic control surface deflection. Third, a dynamic angular acceleration limit is calculated to balance control moments produced by mechanisms such as thrust deflection and/or aerodynamic control surface deflection with vehicle moments of inertia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
    Inventor: Dallas C. Wicke
  • Patent number: 5721392
    Abstract: The pyrotechnic ignition device of this invention comprises a hollow tubular coiled charge of pyrotechnic sheet material defining an ignition initiation position, the internal diameter of the charge decreasing and the wall thickness increasing over at least a portion of the charge extending from the initiation position in the direction of burning. This configuration enhances the reliability of ignition and the rate of flame development.Preferably the adjacent plies of the coiled charge are spaced apart. The preferred coiled charge also has a portion downstream from the initiation position in the direction of burning which decreases in external diameter and wall thickness in a direction extending away from the initiation position, the configuration of this portion being effective to enhance the speed and violence of burning of a main gas-generating propellant charge ignited by the coiled charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignees: Imperial Chemical Industries PLC, ICI Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Sek Kwan Chan, Steven John Graham, Graeme Allan Leiper, Moira Logan
  • Patent number: 5719348
    Abstract: A holder for feeding components, such as primers or bullets, into a reloading machine is disclosed. The component holder is an elongate strip having notched longitudinal margins for indexing the strip as it progresses through the reloading machine. The strip includes a plurality of receptacles for holding components. Each receptacle has an inner surface that is a combination of a cylindrical portion, a prismatical portion, and a transition portion which cooperate, to allow easy loading of the component into the strip and which firmly holds the component in place. The holder also includes an engagement portion so that successive holders may be ganged together to provide a continuous component holder for continuous reloading operations. A tape is applied to at least one side of the holder to cover the component held therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Blount, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene F. Bill, Fred B. Blodgett, Arthur F. Peters, Kurt Ranft, Lester V. Rodrigues, Ronald L. Smith, Donald A. Zuck
  • Patent number: 5714708
    Abstract: An improved missile restraining apparatus capable of effectively protecting a missile from an external impact and quickly releasing a missile restraining state when launching missile, which includes a pair of protrusions having a circular cross-section and formed in the rear portion of a missile, and a pair of brackets fixed to the inner surface of a launch tube and formed so that a pair of restraining grooves corresponding to said protrusions are formed in a predetermined direction, wherein one end of said restraining groove has a circular cross-section, and the other end thereof is shaped to have an elongating axis longer than the diameter of the protrusion in the radial direction and to have the same shorter axis as the restraining groove in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Agency For Defense Development
    Inventors: Woo-Jeon Shim, Il-Soo Kim, Kil-Ho Hong, Woo-Jin Lee