Abstract: The present invention provides a ship self-defense missile (SSDM) weapon system for launching a plurality of light weight missiles from an existing vertical tube launch infrastructure. The system for vertically launching missiles from a ship comprises a plurality of tiers having a top tier and a bottom tier in which tier supports a plurality of missiles. The tiers are set into a launch canister having an interior wall to form a vertical stack in the launch canister. A launch means is used for selectively launching at least one of the plurality of missiles from the top tier. A means for ejecting ejects the top tier is depleted of missiles. A vertical movement means raises and lowers the tiers within the launch tube and the vertical movement means raises next tier in the vertical stack into a position to launch.

Abstract: This invention relates to air breathing engines, such as ramjets, scramjets and internal combustion, and more particularly to an active combustion control device for a combustor. In more particularity, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus that applies active combustion control technology to advanced propulsion devices and closed-loop fuel injection at sub-harmonic frequencies of the instability frequency of the combustor. The problem of limited actuator frequency response is addressed by injecting fuel pulses at sub-harmonic frequencies of the instability. The fuel may be liquid, solid or gas. To achieve this desired result, a closed loop controller is designed to determine sub-harmonic frequencies using a divider to divide the instability frequency of a combustor, yielding a fraction of the harmonic frequency.

Abstract: Miniature machine gun in which all components are housed within a cylindrical tube, the barrel being disposed axially of the tube and the magazine surrounding the barrel. Barrel and magazine is a removable unit which may be replaced by an identical unit where rapid reloading is desired; has no stock, sights or other appendages and is intended to be operated from the hip of the user.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to solid propellant formulations, which exhibit good processing properties, good safety characteristics, desirable combustion properties, good safety characteristics and excellent mechanical attributes. The solid propellant formulations disclosed herein burn at a rate of about 0.5 in/s at 1000 psi and show no pressure slope break up to 8000 psi. The solid propellant formulations of the disclosed invention incorporate oxidizers of varying particle size to avoid a pressure slope break. The solid propellant formulations of the present invention avoid the use of large-size ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles having particle size in the range of 200-400 &mgr;m to avoid the pressure slope break problem, which typically occurs at about 2500 psi to 3500 psi.

Abstract: This invention involves a new class of compounds, certain geminal-dinitro-substituted heterocycles, including geminal-bis(difluoramino)-substituted heterocyclic nitramines and the production thereof. More specifically, this invention involves the production of 3,3-bis(difluoramino)octahydro-1,5,7,7-tetranitro-1,5-diazocine (TNFX), which may be formulated into explosives and propellant oxidizers. The method of making a 3,3-bis(difluoramino)octahydro-1,5,7,7-tetranitro-1,5-diazocine comprises reacting a hexahydro-7,7-dinitro-1,5-bis(nitrobenzenesulfonyl)-1,5-diazocin-3(2 H)-one with a difluoramine source to produce a 3,3-bis(difluoramino)octahydro-7,7-dinitro-1,5-bis(nitrobenzenesulfonyl)-1,5-diazocine and reacting said 3,3-bis(difluoramino)octahydro-7,7-dinitro-1,5-bis(nitrobenzenesulfonyl)-1,5-diazocine with a highly reactive nitrating reagent in the presence of a strong Lewis acid, such as antimony pentafluoride, boron triflate or boron fluorosulfonate.

Abstract: Electronics for a shock-hardened device, in particular a data recorder, incorporating non-volatile memory. The device has the functional elements: a signal conditioning circuit, an oscillator, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a trigger, and a non-volatile memory incorporating both electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) and fast static random access memory (SRAM). As a recorder, the electronics enable efficient and reliable data recording in extreme shock environments, e.g., those involving dynamic testing of weapons such as target penetrating bombs or dual-stage warheads. It also provides for data retention upon loss or shutdown of power to the unit and yields high mean time between failures (MTBF) figures in more benign environments.

Abstract: An alerting mechanism is integrated into a physical support device for use in the event of an accident or emergency. The device provides a signal that alerts potential rescuers about emergency events such as man overboard. In one alternative. it uses a pre-programmed code to provide a positive identification of the individual or object involved. In a typical application, a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) module is incorporated into a secure pocket of a life vest, the vest having at least one conformable antenna sewn into its upper portion as well as connections from the PLB to the antenna. The alerting mechanism may be used in a cooperative system using special receivers that utilize high temperature superconductor (HTS) RF bandpass filters for minimizing RF interference so that low signal levels may be received reliably. The system may also provide access to a database through common interfaces to wireless communications devices, telephone lines, the Internet, and satellites.

Abstract: This invention relates to air breathing engines, such as ramjets, scramjets and internal combustion, and more particularly to an active combustion control device for a combustor. In more particularity, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus that applies active combustion control technology to advanced propulsion devices and closed-loop fuel injection at sub-harmonic frequencies of the instability frequency of the combustor. The problem of limited actuator frequency response is addressed by injecting fuel pulses at sub-harmonic frequencies of the instability. The fuel may be liquid, solid or gas. To achieve this desired result, a closed loop controller is designed to determine sub-harmonic frequencies using a divider to divide the instability frequency of a combustor, yielding a fraction of the harmonic frequency.

Abstract: A method for enhancing air to ground target detection, acquisition and terminal guidance which includes providing a reference image of a target scene, detecting contrast boundaries, tracing edges along the edge pixels, storing in computer memory endpoints of fitted straight line segments, providing a video image of the target scene, identifying contrast boundaries, scaling and transforming the template, correlating it with the edges of the video image, and converting the target designation in the reference image to the sensor image. A multispectral gradient based image correlation system including a template containing information as to edges, a video image of a target processed by a gradient operator, means for correlating the template and the image edge-to-edge, a means for transferring the target from the template to the image, that provides an enhanced video image with the target within it.

Abstract: Provided is a fabrication that is simple to make and cost effective in optimizing performance for moderately extended high velocity missions of high performance airborne vehicles. To counter rapid thermal loading while providing a relatively low cost structure, a laminate, in a preferred embodiment an intermediate modulus carbon fiber laminated as fabric layers in a resin matrix, is stitched through with glass fiber material. This laminate is then cured and formed as a section of skin of a supersonic missile, enabling extended supersonic operation, nominally some minutes after the laminate's Tg has been reached or exceeded. Additionally, an airframe and airframe members constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention are disclosed. Compared to existing materials, it reduces cost and weight, increases thermal stability, and maximizes internal payload.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus, system, method of use, and method of manufacturing said apparatus, for securing an object having an irregular outer contour, including those objects having a discontinuous contour, in a standard fixture. While secured in the standard fixture modified as in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a secured object can easily be accessed at any point as pre-determined by the user.

Abstract: A thermal barrier fabricated from pumice, or pumice-like material, and a suitable binder is provided. It may be formed as a self-supporting or load-bearing structural member, or as a thick coating for IR signature reduction. A first embodiment may be used to build a structure, e.g., a room onboard a ship that serves as an effective thermal barrier. Should a fire start in the room, the thermal barrier prevents rapid spreading of the fire and provides crews additional time to fight the fire. A second embodiment, as a thick coating, reduces the IR signature of a radiating body, such as an exhaust stack, by a factor of four. This thick coating helps shield an object from IR surveillance devices or seekers, resulting in much shorter acquisition and tracking times for these IR devices and seekers. In addition to benefits as a thermal barrier, structural members using concepts disclosed for this invention may provide inherent blast and shock resistance.