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: 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: This invention provides a gun having a combustion chamber (combustor) which is filled with a charge of monopropellant or bi-propellant to less than full volume, (e.g. 30 to 90%) prior to ignition thereof, which is ignited with a tangential flow of ignition gas from the side or rear to establish the desired pattern of combustion gas in the charge.

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: An armament system provides a launch tube filled with a mixture of gaseous propellant and a projectile possessing an external surface configuration which is effective to initiate a ram jet effect between the external surface of said projectile and the inner wall of said launch tube when said projectile is inserted at a high velocity into and along said tube.

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: 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: 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: This invention provides a gun having a combustion chamber (combustor) which is filled with a charge of monopropellant or bi-propellant to less than full volume. (e.g. 30 to 90%) prior to ignition thereof. which is ignited with a tangential flow of ignition gas from the side or rear to establish the desired pattern of combustion gas in the charge.

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: This invention provides a liquid propellant round of ammunition having a traveling charge which is ignited after both such charge and the projectile have received an initial forward acceleration.

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.

Abstract: A magazine is provided with anti-syphon members, mounted atop the partitions of a multi-bay magazine, which operate in conjunction with drag-reducing rollers to prevent spurious syphoning movements of an ammunition belt from one bay to an adjacent bay as the belt is being withdrawn from the latter to a magazine exit port. To provide for bidirectional ammunition belt withdrawal, the anti-syphon members are pivotally mounted in pairs operating to permit belt withdrawal from the bays over the rollers and directly to an exit port, while inhibiting syphoning belt movements from bay to bay.

Abstract: An ammunition magazine assembly is provided with a plurality of permanent partitions for subdividing the magazine interior into a plurality of bays and a plurality of optional separators readily removably installed to subdivide selected bays into bay sections. The bays accommodate belts of large caliber ammunition, while the bay sections accommodate belts of small caliber ammunitions. The magazine box is further equipped with a plurality of operational exit ports, all capable of accepting either a modular closure cover or a modular feed chute for either large or small caliber ammunition. The magazine assembly is thus readily adapted to bidirectional feeding of an ammunition belt or belts of one caliber or bidirectional feeding of belts of different calibers.

Abstract: A proximity fuzing system for missile warhead utilizes an electrostatic probe to detect the electric field inherently associated with an airborne target. The probe plates are oriented perpendicular to the missile longitudinal axis and are short circuit loaded to develop a probe current signal whose initial slope is analyzed to qualify the target being engaged on a near-miss trajectory as a valid target and whose first zero current crossing is utilized as a trigger point for detonating the missile warhead before the missiles reaches a position of minimum miss-distance relative to the target.

Abstract: A round of ammunition is provided including a stub cartridge case carrying a primer, a booster, and a projectile having a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves in its base which are obturated by the case.