Patents by Inventor Klaus Gersbach

Klaus Gersbach has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5438930
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mine with at least one ejectable sub-munitions body disposed in a cup-shaped starting device and with a propulsion device for propelling the sub-munitions body into a selectable altitude range. For achieving that the propulsion device requires only a small structural volume, entails low cost because of the use of reduced amounts of propulsion charges and in addition operates safely and dependably. It has been proposed to dispose the propulsion device not in or on the sub-munitions body, but in the bottom part of the cup-shaped starting device. In this case the propulsion device advantageously consists of a high pressure chamber facing the bottom of the starting device, in which the propellant charge is contained, and of a low pressure chamber facing the sub-munitions body. The high pressure and low pressure chambers are separated from each other by a perforated plate provided with jets (holes).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Grosswendt, Klaus Gersbach, Joachim Fiebrich
  • Patent number: 4850279
    Abstract: A subcaliber projectile has a small-diameter projectile body extending along and centered on an axis, having a radially outwardly directed outer surface, and adapted to move in a predetermined axial back-to-front direction, and a sabot formed of a plurality of similar segments annularly surrounding at least a portion of the body, the segments forming an inner surface generally on the outer surface of the body and having an extreme front end and an extreme rear end. This projectile is formed on one of these surfaces at the extreme rear end of the sabot with a radially projecting ridge of generally semicircular shape having a center of curvature. The other of the surfaces is formed at the extreme rear end of each segment of the sabot with a radially open recess complementary to and receiving the ridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Firma Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhart Fuchs, Hans W. Luther, Peter Wallow, Juergen Boecker, Walter Simon, Rudolf Romer, Klaus Gersbach, Bernahrd Bisping, Karl W. Bethmann
  • Patent number: 4747191
    Abstract: A sabot arrangement is produced in accordance with an improved manufacturing method. The sabot arrangement includes a rotational symmetrical sabot body having a central axial bore and radial separating grooves or slots. The radial grooves or slots divide the sabot body into a plurality of equal segments. These slots nearly sever the sabot body into separate segments, so that a material bridge remains near a forward edge and a material bridge remains near a rear edge of the sabot body, which material bridges function as fracture zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1988
    Assignees: Rheinmetall GmbH, L'Etat Francais represente par le Delegue General pour l'Armement
    Inventors: Patrick Montier, Pierre A. Moreau, Jean-Claude Sauvestre, Walter Simon, Bernhard Bisping, Peter Wallow, Klaus Gersbach
  • Patent number: 4724770
    Abstract: A subcaliber projectile has a small-diameter projectile body extending along and centered on an axis, having a radially outwardly directed outer surface, and adapted to move in a predetermined axial back-to-front direction, and a sabot formed of a plurality of similar segments annularly surrounding at least a portion of the body, the segments forming an inner surface generally on the outer surface of the body and having an extreme front end and an extreme rear end. This projectile is formed on one of these surfaces at the extreme rear end of the sabot with a radially projecting ridge of generally semicircular shape having a center of curvature. The other of the surfaces is formed at the extreme rear end of each segment of the sabot with a radially open recess complementary to and receiving the ridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1988
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhart Fuchs, Hans W. Luther, Peter Wallow, Jurgen Boecker, Walter Simon, Rudolf Romer, Klaus Gersbach, Bernhard Bisping, Karl W. Bethmann
  • Patent number: 4714024
    Abstract: An improved nose construction for a subcaliber inertial projectile which is ired with the aid of a sabot. A hood or body is mounted on the nose portion of the projectile. The hood is made of synthetic material and includes longitudinally extending fracture zones and is of substantially cylindrical shape. The frontal portion of the hood is recessed and forms an air flow receiving surface. In lieu of a hood a body, made of a thermoplastic material or the like, may be mounted on the nose portion. This body is adapted to disintegrate as result of air friction. The presence of the hood or body on the nose portion of the projectile, as it exits from a non-illustrated gun barrel, avoids or at least reduces unfavorable air-streaming forces which destabilize the flight characteristics of the projectile and thereby favors a uniform separation of the sabot segments from the projectile. Such uniform separation reduces or completely eliminates undesirable oscillations during flight of the projectile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Assignees: Rheinmetall GmbH, L'Etat Francais represente par le Delegue Ministeriel pour l'Armement
    Inventors: Jurgen Bocker, Klaus W. Klein, Klaus Gersbach, Jean-Claude Sauvestre, Patrick Montier
  • Patent number: 4708064
    Abstract: An armor piercing breaking projectile using a stack of prepenetrating partial cores with interfitting centering bosses and respective cutting edges for piercing successive layers of armor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Bisping, Klaus Gersbach, Rudolf Romer
  • Patent number: 4702172
    Abstract: A sabot arrangement is produced in accordance with an improved manufacturing method. The sabot arrangement includes a rotational symmetrical sabot body having a central axial bore and radial separating grooves or slots. The radial grooves or slots divide the sabot body into a plurality of equal segments. These slots nearly sever the sabot body into separate segments, so that a material bridge remains near a forward edge and a material bridge remains near a rear edge of the sabot body, which material bridges function as fracture zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignees: Rheinmetall GmbH, Etat Francais represente par le Deleuge General pour l'armement
    Inventors: Peter Wallow, Klaus Gersbach, Walter Simon, Bernhard Bisping, Patrick Montier, Pierre A. Moreau
  • Patent number: 4677915
    Abstract: A sub-caliber armor-piercing projectile exhibits for improving its penetration effect against a strongly inclined target surface a break-up in the region of a fracture zone of an expendable nose portion. The latter is provided at its point region with an arrangement which favors a sliding-off, which arrangement includes at least two frusto-conical surfaces which encompass the longitudinal projectile axis A and which surfaces are differently inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the projectile or include a sphere disposed in a spherical recess. The arrangement can be cladded with a ballistic hood and can be provided in the region of the frusto-conical or the spherical surfaces with a lubricating medium. The fracture zone is constructed in such a way that when a deviating sliding-off of the arrangement occurs, as large as possible a twisting impulse is transferred under the main projectile portion in order to improve its penetration capability by means of a more favorable penetrating angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1987
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Juegen Boecker, Klaus Gersbach, Karl W. Bethmann
  • Patent number: 4624187
    Abstract: A nose unit for a discarding sabot penetrator having a bolt in a bore of the pointed nose which is temporarily displaced on firing due to acceleration and against a restoring spring. This produces a circular edge and a break in the contour of the nose to define a limit surface between a zone of supersonic airflow and a zone of subsonic airflow, at least during the separation of the sabot segments. This facilitates the uniformed detachment of the segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Bocker, Klaus Gersbach, Klaus W. Klein
  • Patent number: 4608927
    Abstract: A sabot consists of a plurality of segments which define an air pocket for detaching the segments from a fin-stabilized subcaliber penetrator projectile. The air pocket is defined by a rear support region of the sabot. A front support region of the sabot includes a plurality of webs between each adjacent pair of which an air-through-streaming passage is defined. At least the web portion of each segment is made of synthetic material and such web portion has a curved part defining a fracture zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1986
    Inventors: Rudolf Romer, Juergen Boecker, Klaus W. Klein, Klaus Gersbach, Jurgen Winkelmann, Winfried Rossmann
  • Patent number: 4559876
    Abstract: A nose unit for a discarding sabot penetrator having a bolt in a bore of the pointed nose which is temporarily displaced on firing due to acceleration and against a restoring spring. This produces a circular edge and a break in the contour of the nose to define a limit surface between a zone or supersonic airflow and a zone of subsonic airflow, at least during the separation of the sabot segments. This facilitates the uniformed detachment of the segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1985
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Bocker, Klaus W. Klein, Klaus Gersbach
  • Patent number: 4542696
    Abstract: A munitions round for a subcaliber projectile to be fired from a barrel-type weapon has a casing, of a uniform outer cross section substantially over its entire length, receiving the projectile which is at least partially surrounded by the gas-generating propellant charge. A drive body is mounted at the forward end of the projectile and has a rearward pressure-receiving surface which droops inwardly toward the projectile from an outer edge of the body which is engaged by the casing. The body is formed from a plurality of segments which form-fittingly hug the projectile and have confronting angularly spaced separating surfaces bridged by a sealing member. The forward end of the body, formed by the segments, is concave forwardly and has a leading edge which is disposed outwardly and axially ahead of the rearward inner edge of this surface which forms a pocket engaging the air upon propulsion of the projectile from the barrel to effect separation of the segments and dislodgment of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1985
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Bisping, Peter Wallow, Klaus Gersbach, Rudolf Romer
  • Patent number: 4524695
    Abstract: The technical area of the present invention relates to an anti-tank weapon comprising a finned projectile of the arrow type and a launching shoe.The projectile of the invention comprises a shoe 2 the rear portion of which has fins 10 provided with pins 11 which rest against the compression cone 7 of the tube of the weapon. These fins make it possible to obtain practically constant compressive pressure and assure a proper guidance of the projectile during the barrel phase.Application to the field of armaments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1985
    Assignee: Etat Francais
    Inventors: Bernhard Bisping, Klaus Gersbach, Hans Luther, Walter Simon, Peter Wallow, Patrick Montier, Pierre A. Moreau, Jean C. Sauvestre
  • Patent number: 4524697
    Abstract: A projectile arrangement for a gun barrel weapon having a plurality of sub-caliber projectiles which are mounted on a common sabot which is composed of a plurality of segments. These projectiles are designed for a sequential flight one behind the other at predetermined distances and along a common flight path and are joined to each other by means of a wire. The leading projectile deactivates a detonating charge upon impacting on a target region of a "actively armored" target, so that the next following projectiles can become target-effective without being disturbed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1985
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Bocker, Klaus Gersbach, Karl W. Bethmann, Gerhard Glotz
  • Patent number: 4516502
    Abstract: A subcaliber projectile assembly especially for attack against active armor has an enabling projectile disposed axially ahead of a main projectile and in line and in end-to-end relationship therewith in a common sabot. The fin structures of the two projectiles are designed to increase the resistance of the main projectile so that it is retarded relative to the enabling projectile and strikes the target only after the enabling projectile has depleted at least one level of defense along the line of attack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1985
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus-Walter Klein, Jurgen Bocker, Gerhard Glotz, Klaus Gersbach