Abstract: An explosive hand grenade comprises a hollow spherical shell having a sin opening surrounded by a tubular hub, a tubular housing threaded into the hub and extending into the shell, a barrier plate with an eccentric hole closing the inner end of the housing, booster cup attached to the housing and extending beyond the plate to form a booster charge cavity, a rotatable mandrel in the housing, next to the barrier plate, having an eccentric passage therethrough out of alignment with the barrier plate hole in a first position, a bushing fixed in the housing, next to the mandrel, having a passage aligned with the mandrel passage, a unitary combustible delay cord extending through both passages and preventing rotation of the mandrel, an igniter and a striker therefor for igniting the end of the cord remote from the barrier plate, manually-releasable means for initially preventing rotation of the mandrel and operation of the striker until the grenade is thrown, and a torsion spring for rotating the mandrel, after the

Abstract: A training cartridge projectile includes a cylindrical base member, a cupaped plastic ogive member having its open end attached to the front end of the base member to form a color cavity and having an annular weakening groove; at least one leaf spring resiliently interposed between the ogive member and the front end of the base member; and a mass of aerosol-producing color material in the color cavity. On impact with a target, the ogive member breaks at the weak area, releasing the leaf spring, which snaps back to its original shape and thereby disseminates the color material into the air, thus producing an easily visible aerosol color signal in the region of impact.

Abstract: An antipersonnel mine having a pressure sensitive explosive diluted and dnsitized by an inert bulking agent and a volatile liquid to temporarily unarm the explosive until the volatile liquid is evaporated. A method for desensitizing the mine by addition of the volatile liquid before the explosive sensitizer is added.

Abstract: Controlling the release from a conical ceramic crucible of molten thermite eaction products (generally, iron and alumina) to effect optimum penetration of metallic targets by said molten products through the use of metallic discs which are completely protected on their sides against the molten products, thus forcing these molten products to melt the discs sequentially from top to bottom, resulting in a delay of flow of the molten products from the conical crucible to thus permit the molten iron, heavier than the molten alumina, to substantially unimpededly transfer its heat to the metallic target, the molten iron being more efficient in melting metallic materials than the molten alumina.

Abstract: The invention provides a process and composition of low toxicity for prepng aluminum surfaces for adhesive bonding. The process involves treating the aluminum with an etching composition composed of sulfuric acid, ferric sulfate and water. The invention eliminates the toxicity and pollution problems associated with the conventional chromate-type etching baths, reduces the contamination of the work place and environment to acceptable levels, and produces aluminum surfaces, which when adhesively bonded yield joints comparable in strength to those obtained by use of the conventional chromate-type etchant bath.

Abstract: An explosive flechette launching system which includes a central core expive driver having stacked coaxially thereabout a plurality of disc plates which have layered and sandwiched therebetween for radial launching a multiplicity of flechettes. In one embodiment, the flechettes are oriented and pointed in a radial direction and each are provided with divergent tail piece which is releasably fitted into a mating recess in a driver piston abutting said explosive driver. The fin assembly is provided with a central bore and is slidably carried by the flechette body so that when disposed in said launching system, the fin assembly is positioned at the pointed end thereof and supported by wedge supports along the fins and intermediate the disc plates. The entire assembly is protectively encapsulated or covered with a thin membrane or skin. The explosive driver is designed to provide or generate a radial plane, high pressure wave for launching the flechettes.

Abstract: An explosive flechette launching system which includes a central core expive driver having stacked coaxially thereabout a plurality of disc plates which have layered and sandwiched therebetween for radial launching a multiplicity of flechettes. In one embodiment, the flechettes are oriented and pointed in a radial direction and each are provided with divergent tail piece which is releasably fitted into a mating recess in a driver piston abutting said explosive driver. The fin assembly is provided with a central bore and is slidably carried by the flechette body so that when disposed in said launching system, the fin assembly is positioned at the pointed end thereof and supported by wedge supports along the fins and intermediate the disc plates. The entire assembly is protectively encapsulated or covered with a thin membrane or skin. The explosive driver is designed to provide or generate a radial plane, high pressure wave for launching the flechettes.

Abstract: Polymeric sulfur nitride (SN).sub.x is utilized as the conducting explosive aterial in electric initiators.

Abstract: A multilayer bi-metallic laminate of improved resistance to the initiation nd propagation of fatigue cracking and fracture is obtained by intimately bonding, alternate sheets of the two metals one of the metals having a modulus of elasticity at least 20% greater than the other metal. Prior to the bonding step the sheets of the stronger metal are stretched so that when they are released after the bonding step they are left in a state of residual tension while the sheets of the weaker metal are left in a state of residual compression. The residual compression in the weaker metal inhibits fatigue cracking of the laminate while the residual tension in the stronger metal has little effect on the crack resistance thereof.

Abstract: There is described novel copolymers of styrene and alpha-n-alkylstyrenes taining at least eleven carbon atoms in the alkyl group. The copolymers, which contain at least 20 mole percent of the alpha-n-alkylstyrenes, are solids and have greater durability with lower coefficients of friction than comparable styrene homopolymers. The copolymers are produced by anionic initiated copolymerization using metallic sodium as the catalyst or by radical initiated copolymerization using benzoyl peroxide or azobisisobutyronitrile as the catalyst.

Abstract: The bomb container comprises: a hollow steel spherical housing, mounted on trailer vehicle, having a single circular access port to which is welded a massive steel re-inforcing ring; a circular steel plate door disposed within the housing with its outer peripheral face normally fitting the inner face of the ring to close the port; an external hinge for hingeing the door to the housing to swing inwardly and open the port comprising two spaced hinge lugs attached to the outside of the loop, at the top thereof, a third hinge lug hinged to the first two hinge lugs, and a U-shaped hinge extension arm having an upper end attached to the first two hinge lugs and a lower end welded to the outer face of the door; and a safety operating arm attached to the third hinge lug at one end and extending upwardly and over the housing and down the side thereof opposite the port, for opening and closing the door, and for normally keeping it closed by gravity.

Abstract: Composite gun propellants are prepared wherein the burning rate and burning ate exponent are controlled by proper choice of particle size. This invention permits the formulation of practical, high impetus, composite gun propellants, tailored specifically to yield the desired ballistic properties for a specific round.

Abstract: An air delivered armor piercing and anti-personnel munition which includes pair of spin latched overlay hemispherical shells whose outer surface is fluted and which encase the fragmentation grenade munition. One of the shells is affixed to the munition by a lanyard so that when the munition is released it will be caused to spin by the fluted surface which in turn will result in unlatching of the shells and release of one while the other (drag hemisphere) acts to limit the descent velocity and maintains the munition in an upright position. The grenade is provided with spring loaded standoff legs which are retracted when the grenade is within the shell but assume their extended downward position upon release of the outer shells. The shell separation also initiates the arming of the grenade fuze. The interial force generated by the impact impales the grenade firing pin in the detonator thus commencing the detonation train.

Abstract: A safety shutter for use in ordnance fuzes and the like consisting of two more metal plates in contact, with each region of contact shaped so that the plates are touching, or nearly touching, only at isolated points or small regions over the confronting faces so that there are six spaces between and intermingled with the areas of contact of the plates such that the broken interfaces between the plates interrupt the transmission of a shock wave capable of inducing spalling from the surface of the shutter which faces the secondary explosive thereby preventing accidental initiation of a propagating detonation. The broken interfaces also absorb the energy of an inadvertently functioned detonator by local crushing and shearing of the metal protuberances on each of the confronting faces of the plates.

Abstract: 1. A cartridge including a substantially rigid extractable case having at e of its ends a head formed to receive a propellant and to provide a primer support adjacent to said propellant, a projectile releasably coupled to the other end of said case, a piston engaging an inner end of said projectile and extending into said casing, said piston having a shoulder near its inner end, a base cup extending into and releasably coupled to said head, said cup enclosing the inner end of said piston with said end spaced from the bottom of said cup, and seal means between the rim of said cup and said shoulder, a second shoulder on said piston in front of the first shoulder, and a shoulder in said case for cooperation with the second mentioned shoulder on said piston in deceleration and deformation of said piston.

Abstract: A hand grenade is provided with a fuze comprising: a firing means, means luding two centrifugally-operated elements movably carried by the grenade housing for arming the firing means, means including an inertia member rotatable relative to the housing and a torsion spring between the inertia member and the housing for spinning the housing to operate the arming elements, and manually-held safety means for preventing arming until the grenade is thrown. Two disclosed embodiments have different arming and firing means with substantially the same spinning means.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises the combination of a microwave cavity or resonator aving a side opening through which a separate high pressure sample container extends. The container comprises a dielectric nylon or Delrin tube, closed at one end and open at the other, with the closed end located within the cavity, having an outer diameter at least five times its inner diameter and capable of withstanding internal sample pressures of at least 2000 atmospheres. The open end of the dielectric tube is connected to a high pressure source by two high pressure seals.

Abstract: Recycle of spent acid in nitrolysis of hexamine to RDX is accomplished un conditions, which avoid or minimize the need to process the spent acid through conventional costly recovery operations and result in little, if any, reduction of RDX yield. The conditions include(a) effecting the simmering in spent acid containing between 0% and 2% water;(b) recycling at least part of the spent acid of 0-2% water content to dissolve the hexamine reactant; and(c) preferably also recycling a part of the spent acid, after elimination of any water contained therein with acetic anhydride, to the heel to which the reactants are added in the nitrolysis of hexamine to RDX.

Abstract: A target activated spin stabilized projectile fired in a sustantially flat rajectory utilizes a pair of diametrically disposed antennae electrically coupled to a 35 gigahertz radiometer to scan a target area. Upon detection of a target within the proximity of the projectile's flight path logic circuitry of the radiometer generates a signal activating one branch of a dual out-of-line ignition system. The selected ignition branch fires a high speed self-forging slug from a target aligned side of a Miznay-Shardin type warhead vertically downward into the "soft" top side of the detected target.

Abstract: A device for electromagnetically encoding an energy passive munition prior o launch. A high frequency (HF) external energy source charges a first rectifier-capacitance circuit, having a relatively long time constant, via a secondary receiving coil. The first rectifier-capacitance circuit acts as a temporary power source for energizing programming circuitry capable of receiving subsequently pulsed HF encoding signals. A second rectifier-capacitor circuit, having a shorter time constant, is used to energize logic circuitry for programming a nonvolatile memory in binary coded bits. The binary code information is used to set a timer which subsequently causes the munition to self-destruct after launch in a time period in accordance with encoded signals stored in a memory.