Abstract: A double eccentric fastening mechanism releasably mounts brackets to a miary vehicles or other objects where mounting locations on individual vehicles vary in positional relation to one another. The fastening mechanism has a first eccentric member comprising a first collar whose stepped outer diametrical surface closely fits in a complimentary stepped bore in the bracket. The first eccentric member also has a second collar fixed to and eccentric with respect to the first collar. A second eccentric member has a circular portion and a flange affixed concentrically to the circular portion. The circular portion and flange closely fit in the second collar. A socket on the second eccentric member is eccentric relative to the circular member and accepts a fastener, such as a bolt, that attaches a towing lug to the socket. The double eccentric mechanism also includes a plate that faces against the first and second eccentric members so as to inhibit rotation of the eccentric members relative to the bracket.

Abstract: Disclosed is a launch element seater for repeatably placing projectiles or ther launch package elements at an exact location within a breech of a gun. The seater includes a tube closely fit and slidable in the breech and a plate for precisely locating the tube on the breech, the plate encircling the tube and opposing a reference surface on the breech. An internally threaded terminus of the tube threads with a rod entering the tube, and the rod joins a seat member fit closely and slidably in the breech. A positionable set nut threaded on the rod outside the tube locates the innermost position of the rod relative to the tube and thereby locates the seat member and a projectile engaged thereto within the breech.

Abstract: Disclosed is a projectile that has high velocity at short range. The projectile has a body of material that is lighter, more lubricous and more deformable than a partial Jacket on the rearward portion of the projectile. The jacket defines an annular array of apertures on the outer diametrical surface of the jacket and the body has peripheral zones that extend into the apertures far enough to be flush with the outer diametrical surface. The peripheral zones not only provide a physical lock between the body and jacket but also lubricate the interface between the projectile and the gun barrel along which the projectile travels during firing of a gun. The apertures are configured to allow the body to erupt radially outward through the jacket's side wall and form a relatively wide, shallow dispersal pattern when the projectile impacts a target. An optional core within the plastic body enhances the body's radially outward dispersal upon the projectile's impact with a target.

Abstract: An improved ergonomic knife configuration is disclosed. The knife has a blade with an unsharpened notch formed on the upper, back surface of the blade and a thrust ramp located approximately above the quillion. The knife also has a shaped handle which in combination with a choil and the notch allows the knife to be gripped in a variety of different grips for various uses.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flash suppressor for guns which controlledly vents ignited high pressure gas exiting a gun muzzle. The gas is vented essentially radially outward through coils or rings of the suppressor in a 360 flow degree pattern away from a longitudinal axis of the suppressor.

Abstract: The method for routing communications is designed for a particular set of tities including at least one robotic vehicle and a control center governing the vehicle. The method includes the construction of variable length informational transmissions whose components are arranged in a fixed order. The transmissions are modularly formatted so as to be compatible with a universal OSI-RM communication model.

Abstract: The invention is an assembly of a plurality of relatively movable jointed mbers such as robotic arm segments and a mechanical muscle connected between two of the segments. The muscle has a longitudinally inflexible, radially expandable sleeve containing a pressurizable bladder of elastic material. The bladder enlarges diametrically when pressurized and bulges the wall of the sleeve outward. The sleeve thereupon contracts axially to compensate for taken up by the sleeve's outward bulge. A terminus at either end of the sleeve connects the sleeve to different segments of a jointed arm, so that the sleeve's axial contraction effects movement of one segment relative to the other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a projectile that has high velocity at short range. The projectile has a body of material that is lighter, more lubricous and more deformable than a partial jacket on the rearward portion of the projectile. The jacket defines an annular array of apertures on the outer diametrical surface of the jacket and the body has peripheral zones that extend into the apertures far enough to be flush with the outer diametrical surface. The peripheral zones not only provide a physical lock between the body and jacket but also lubricate the interface between the projectile and the gun barrel along which the projectile travels during firing of a gun. The apertures are configured to allow the body to erupt radially outward through the jacket's side wall and form a relatively wide, shallow dispersal pattern when the projectile impacts a target. An optional core within the plastic body enhances the body's radially outward dispersal upon the projectile's impact with a target.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device to repair ruptures in the wall of a flexible pressurizable enclosure. The device has an apertured plate on the wall's outer surface, and has a threaded fastener protruding through the aperture and rupture into the enclosure. A butterfly member threaded to the fastener within the enclosure has clamping members swingable out from the fastener so that engagement surfaces on the clamping members face the ruptured zone of the wall. A layer on the engagement surfaces has a curable adhesive resin initially segregated from a setting agent therefor, which is also in the layer. The segregation of resin and setting agent is achieved by enclosing at least one of these substances in capsules distributed within the layer. Once the clamping members swing away from the fastener, turning the fastener moves the clamping members to press them on the inner surface zone of the enclosure wall. The wall is thus sealingly pressed between the clamping members and the plate on the wall's outer surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical system which allows light below a given flce to pass but which blocks light above the given fluence so that a human viewer using the system is not harmed by high energy lasers directed at the system. The optical system concentrates incoming light at a first focal zone in a NLASM, or nonlinear absorbing or scattering material. During a time delay, the system reconcentrates the light at a second focal zone to which the plasma zone has had time to expand. The character and number of light concentrations in the NLASM can be varied to protect the human viewer from a wider range of harmful light fluences.

Abstract: A specialized recoil absorber mounted to a gun dampens and absorbs the recoil force of a gun during the firing thereof. The recoil absorber includes a closed, fluid filled cylinder having a first end and a second end. A piston closely fits within the cylinder and slides therein along the cylinders longitudinal axis and a spring is compressed between the piston and the first end. The cylinder defines channels at an outer diametrical surface thereof, the channels having a helical twist centered on the longitudinal axis, whereby the piston rotates as it translates.

Abstract: Disclosed is a jacket worn on the thumb or finger for abrading a work piece and enhancing the ability of the thumb or finger to tractively grip the work piece. The jacket comprises an elongate sleeve open at one end, a deformable nonplanar region on the sleeve and abrasive elements on the nonplanar region. The abrasive elements include a layer of abrasive material which defines a primary digging edge. The abrasive elements also include an underlying substrate layer stiffer than the deformable nonplanar region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flash suppressor for guns which controlledly vents ignited high pressure gas exiting a gun muzzle. The gas is vented essentially radially outward through coils or rings of the suppressor in a 360 flow degree pattern away from a longitudinal axis of the suppressor.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved design for individual flechettes, a multiplicity of which are arrayed in an ammunition cartridge for a gun. The flechettes have elongate solid bodies centered about a longitudinal axis, the bodies tapering from a waist to both forward end and rearward end. The waists of the flechettes are closer to the forward end than to the rearward end so that the flechettes' centers of gravity are closer to the forward ends than the rearward ends. The flechettes may have regular polygonal cross sections or essentially regular polygonal cross sections wherein the flechettes define fins along their bodies. Packing arrangements of the flechettes within ammunition cartridges are also shown.

Abstract: The present invention provides protection from lasers with a high nonlinear bsorption structure including a mirror which directs an incident beam to a beam splitter. A focusing lens receives and focuses the radiation to a higher intensity beam which is directed into an absorption material with a third order polarization property. Such materials will cause a two-photon absorption partial attenuation from the intensified beam when the incident radiation intensity is greater than ambient intensity. A focusing mirror receives the partially attenuated beam and reflects and refocuses the partially attenuated beam back through the absorption material, which now acts as a single photon absorption material to further attenuate the beam. The doubly attenuated beam passes through the focusing lens which recollimates the doubly attenuated beam and directs it to the beam splitter which in turn directs the beam to the receiving device.

Abstract: An improved tool is disclosed for use in aligning pulleys. The tool has a shaped configuration with multiple engaging pads adapted to align the pulleys with in about 0.2 degrees.

Abstract: A remote control system is disclosed for use with vehicles having radios. A irst vehicle has a controller attached to the radio for use in sending signals to a second vehicle. The second, remotely controlled, vehicle has a receiver connected to the vehicle radio which receives commands from the first radio to effect the desired motion and action of the second vehicle. The receiver and controller have circuitry which allows them to be reprogrammed to function on various military vehicles and also be attached to the different radio systes in use by the U.S. Military.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sleeve for modify a seat belt assembly, the sleeve being used to vary the position of the shoulder strap or other portion of the assembly relative to the passenger. The sleeve is installed at a portion of the seat belt assembly where a belt or strap forms a loop through an eye mounted at an anchor point of the assembly, and the sleeve holds opposed sections of the loop in facial contact. The sleeve has flaps that fold and attach together so as to releasably secure the sleeve around the loop sections. The sleeve also has a tongue extending therefrom through the eye and into attachment to one of the flaps, whereby movement of the sleeve relative to the seat belt assembly is limited or prevented.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flash suppressor for guns which controlledly vents ignited gh pressure gas exiting a gun muzzle. The gas is vented essentially radially outward through coils or rings of the suppressor in a 360 flow degree pattern away from a longitudinal axis of the suppressor.

Abstract: A reactive armor structure is disclosed for protecting a vehicle. A housing ncloses a chamber attached to the vehicle. A reactive armor sandwich with two rigid plates is mounted transversely across the chamber. The reactive armor sandwich is designed so the explosion of an explosive layer in the reactive armor sandwich causes the rigid plates to rotate so as to strike the penetrator.