Abstract: A round for an expendable breech gun wherein a filament reinforced breeche is lined with propellant throughout its length whereby the burning rate of the propellant in effect varies with projectile speed within the breechcase. A metal or plastic honeycomb bonded to the inner wall of the breechcase provides mechanical support for the propellant and precludes axial progression of the flame front in advance of the projectile. An alternative construction employs a propellant lining having a succession of increasing burning rates from the breech end to the muzzle end of the breechcase.

Abstract: An explosive flux compression generator is coupled to a high resistance load by a pulse transformer. Chemical energy is converted to electromagnetic energy and is transferred by means of the transformer to the high resistance load. The transformer allows coupling to a higher resistive load than is achieved with a transformerless-generator system having a current gain greater than unity.

Abstract: A device for dissipating heat from electronics encased in a circular hous is disclosed for uses in buoys, sonobuoys, mines and missiles. The device contains a heat dissipating ring that engages the inner surface of the cylindrical electronics case. The inside surface of this ring is tapered to receive a heat transfer disk that is pulled into tight union with the heat dissipating ring. A heat generating module is mounted in heat transfer union with the disk whereby excess heat is transferred from the disk through the ring to the electronics case where it is dissipated into the environment.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating continuous multiple ply paper manifolds into ividual leaves of continuous fan-folded webs of paper. The apparatus comprises a housing for supporting the various components, a plurality of wire separators 11, and a paper drive mechanism 14 for pulling webs of paper through the apparatus. The apparatus allows for efficient and rapid separation of the continuous manifold into individual webs without tearing or separating the individual web.

Abstract: A method of Kalman filtering for estimating the position and velocity of a racked object is provided. A Kalman filter is initialized with at least position and velocity error states in an inertial computational frame. Sensor measurements are used to develop a measured line-of-sight vector to the object. Matrix transformations are used to analytically rotate the sensor measurements into a measurement frame. The measurement frame is defined as having one axis pointing towards the estimated relative position of the object. The use of the measurement frame allows the method to be adaptable to any line-of-sight/computational frame geometry. Since statistical correlation of the measurements is not present in the measurement frame, the number of computations at each filter update is reduced.

Abstract: The invention consists of a class of high energy explosive yield enhancers reated through the use of microencapsulation techniques. The microcapsules consist of combinations of highly reactive oxidizers that are encapsulated in either passivated inorganic fuels or inert materials and inorganic fuels. Depending on the application, the availability of the various oxidizers and fuels within the microcapsules can be customized to increase the explosive yield or modify other characteristics of high explosives. The microcapsules prevent premature reaction of the component oxidizers and inorganic fuel to allow their use in munitions and propellant applications. The physical stability of the microcapsules, in combination with epoxies, plastics, and composites, also permits microcapsules to be included in warhead structural components.

Abstract: A transition radiation interference spectrometer for measuring the energy and divergence of a charged particle beam. Transition radiation is created by placing an interferometer in the path of the charged particle beam. The resulting interference pattern is focused and masked to define an angular element at a fixed angle with respect to the direction of specular reflection. The radiation in the angular element is dispersed into wavelength components. The intensity or amplitude of the wavelength components as a function of wavelength is indicative of the beam's energy and divergence.

Abstract: A device for cutting wires or performing other mechanical work functions prised of a length of shock tube which causes mechanical movement of a piston accelerated through a barrel to cut a wire or perform mechanical impact functions. Embodiments include a multiple barrel device that can cut a plurality or wires with a high degree of simultaneously thus finding application in Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EDD).

Abstract: An active radar stealth device mounted on a host platform for minimizing radar cross-section of the host platform. A coating which is essentially microwave transparent is attached to the surface of a host platform and is exposed to an incident microwave field. A plurality of detector/emitter pairs contained within the coating detect and actively cancel, respectively, the microwave field at each respective detector/emitter pair.

Abstract: A method of simultaneously measuring orthometric and geometric heights is ovided. Simultaneous Global Positioning System (GPS) and level surveying is proposed to more efficiently obtain certain geodetic measurements. GPS receiver antennas are attached to the top of leveling rods and GPS measurements are taken while a level survey is performed. This procedure enables precise estimates in differences between the change in orthometric height and change in geometric height to be determined along baselines.

Abstract: An asynchronous explosive logic safing device which is mappable as a network on a single surface to perform the safe/arming function for an explosive device or warhead. The safing device uses explosive logic AND gates and AND/OR gates in conjunction with a complex logic gate to form an asynchronous network that absorbs the variation in detonator input signals and only propagates the detonation signal to the warhead when a given number of a set of detonators initiate.

Abstract: An improved tool for folding and unfolding spring-loaded missile wings is sclosed. The tool comprises an angled aluminum shaft with an unlocking stud sized to engage the wing deployment mechanism inside the wing. After a U-bracket has been attached to the wing's mounting bar, the tool is inserted into the U-bracket until the unlocking stud in positioned over the hole in the wing leading to the wing deployment mechanism. Pushing the unlocking stud through the hole forces the wing deployment mechanism to unlock, thus allowing the wing to be folded. The tool is also designed to assist in the wing spreading operation.

Abstract: A compound eddy current probe comprising a nest of concentric ferrite cup re probes. Both the inner and outer radii of the activated coil can be selectively altered by operator or automatic program to correspond with the size and thickness of the material under test.

Abstract: A spark gap transmitter mounted in the base plug of a projectile and powdd by the piezoelectric effect of ferroelectric crystals deformed upon projectile impact. The transmitter emits an RF pulse train in the S-band which may be detected by appropriate equipment which compares the impact point with the target location for aim point correction purposes.

Abstract: An explosive logic resolver network for determining which detonator in a rality of detonators is the first to detonate. The resolver network is interposed between a plurality of detonators and the explosive logic clock of a safe/arming network. Each detonator is provided with a resolver network explosive trail which intersects the resolver network explosive trails of the other detonators to form a plurality of explosive logic switches. The intersections are explosively-time-equidistant from the detonators supplying the detonation signals to a given intersection such that the first detonation signal to propagate through the intersection will close the logic switch and prevent the intersection from propagating another detonation signal. When a detonator creates the first detonation signal, the signal propagates down the resolver network explosive trail, closing the switches and extinguishing at the intersections all detonations that are later in time.

Abstract: In guidance systems such as bang-bang missiles or laser guided bombs, the cessary dynamic range is gained by switching between arrays of comparators as a function of signal strength.

Abstract: An explosive network forming an explosive logic clock for opening a time window during which a set of theoretically identical detonators must fire. The explosive logic clock also examines the first detonation to determine whether or not it is premature before propagating the detonations on to the explosive safing and arming network. The clock is constructed with a plurality of detonators, each detonator having a first branch of a branched outlet trail leading to a detonator time delay trail leading further to a logic switch. The logic switches are interconnected such that the detonation signal from the first detonator to detonate is extinguished in that detonator's logic switch while the remaining logic switches are set by the first detonation signal to allow propagation of their own detonation signals on to the safing/arming network.

Abstract: The invention, in the preferred embodiment, comprises a heat-shrink gun for eat-shrink applications in potentially explosive or flammable conditions, by using a non-electic non-flame producing, and non-sparking heat source. A hand-held housing has a nozzle attached thereto. A heat transfer element is attached within the housing and extends into the nozzle. The space within the nozzle formed between the heat transfer element and the nozzle defines an air heating chamber. A chemically reactive heat cartridge, contained within the heat transfer element, is activated via a striking force. The heat cartridge radiates heat along the heat transfer element into the air heating chamber. Air under pressure is supplied to the air heating chamber and exits the nozzle as hot air under pressure.

Abstract: The invention is a carrier projectile 10 having a safety venting system wh prevents expulsion of the projectile cargo during accidental or inadvertent initiation of the expulsion charge 21. The venting system comprises a collar which closes vent holes when the projectile is fired. The normal activation sequence of the carrier projectile is firing to a predetermined range or time, activation of the expulsion charge thereby bursting open the carrier shell, and dispensing of the cargo. The venting system incorporated into the present invention precludes bursting of the carrier shell, even if the activation of the expulsion charge occurs, unless the vents have been closed by the actual firing of the projectile. The venting system provides a safety feature in the event that the projectile is subjected to fire or other thermal stress and in the event of a hot gun misfire the collar is operated by either angular acceleration or longitudinal acceleration.

Abstract: A tachometer for measuring speed and armature position of a motor is disced whereby the counter electromotive force present in spikes on the power terminals are shaped, analyzed and displayed as tachometer information. The spikes occur as commutation takes place allowing a coarse angular armature shaft position to also be derived.