Patents Assigned to General Dynamics, Pomona Division
  • Patent number: 4561357
    Abstract: A projectile trajectory correction system, the projectile itself including a unique steering arrangement. The projectile, initially part of a shell cartridge, is fired, and its position is automatically sensed. A corrected trajectory necessary to hit a target is calculated and data commands are transmitted to the projectile. The data command signals are sensed by an antenna on the projectile. The antenna in turn generates a signal which is fed to the projectile steering mechanism which is deflected in response thereto to steer the projectile onto the correct trajectory. The steering mechanism includes an elongated rod extending from the rear of the projectile into the surrounding air stream. Deflection of the rod provides the actual steering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventors: Inge Maudal, Byron M. Niemeier, Larry D. Wedertz
  • Patent number: 4561183
    Abstract: A graphic aid device is disclosed which may be used with computers having a mouse-type computer cursor controller. The device provides a specific geometric orientation to the mouse, thereby enabling a tracing member attached onto or near the mouse to be used to manually trace complex figures while simultaneously and accurately transferring the complex figures to the computer memory. The device of the present invention utilizes a drawing machine arm to maintain a specific geometrical relationship of the mouse with respect to the surface over which the mouse is moved to trace the complex figure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventor: Marvin W. Shores
  • Patent number: 4558918
    Abstract: A cable shield to connector back shell termination device includes a back shell of a multi-pin cable connector, a plurality of metallic tubes adapted to receive individually the end of a shielded cable such that substantially full circumferential conductive contact is maintained between each cable shield and a tube, and a cluster of such tubes conductively bonded together and shaped to fit the back shell for conductive bonding to the back shell. A second embodiment employs a conductive sleeve for conductive mounting on the cable shield. Ridges or fins extending generally lengthwise on the sleeve frictionally, conductively contact the metal tubes. In this manner an uninterrupted conductive surface is maintained at the connector. The connector enclosure thus provides a shield against the intrusion of electromagnetic energy in the environment in which the electrical or electronic wiring and circuits must operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventor: Marvin W. Shores
  • Patent number: 4554210
    Abstract: A laminated packaging film useful for skin-packaging electrostatic-sensitive items and protecting the items from electrostatic damage during packaging and while the items are vacuumed, contained, and removed from packages. The film includes a pair of sheets of highly resistive, heat-sealable plastic between which is sandwiched a sheet of conductive, heat-sealable plastic. The film resists the buildup of static charges while the item is being packaged and forms a protective Faraday cage while the item is contained in the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventors: Stuart G. Long, Michael J. Maciocia
  • Patent number: 4549707
    Abstract: A control system for rolling airframes utilizing variable pitch control surfaces includes a variable inertia device within the control system connected to the servo control motors that control the control surfaces, with the variable inertia device selectively controllable to optimize the inertia of the control system for optimizing the power requirements of the control system. The variable inertia means includes a rotatable mass with means for moving the effective position of the mass radially inwardly and outwardly from the rotary shaft of the control system for selectively varying the inertia of the control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventor: Anthony Daukas
  • Patent number: 4546621
    Abstract: A cooled infrared detector post includes a detector post formed of a stack of wafer disks with a detector substrate wafer forming one end of the post and a cooling chamber adjacent to the detector substrate with coolant supply and return passages formed in the series of wafers with a supply passage contained to a supply port with a supply passage forming a plurality of serpentine passages at various planes within the post and a return passage including a plurality of precooling chambers with the wafer stacked in a predetermined arrangement and fused together to form a monolithic post structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventors: Mark L. Kline, Oakley G. Ross
  • Patent number: 4546614
    Abstract: The leads for an infrared detector unit are arranged to pass through bores in a cooled detector housing with intimate contact with the cooled detector housing for precooling the leads extending from the detector elements to the respective preamp leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventors: Mark L. Kline, Oakley G. Ross
  • Patent number: 4545284
    Abstract: Apparatus for preventing a missile's rocket exhaust gases from contacting and adversely affecting, such as by overheating, the launch rails from which a missile may be launched. Such apparatus includes an angled member having first and second leg portions, the end of the first leg portion being pivotably secured to the rail. A member having an angled surface is mounted to the second leg portion. Prior to the launching of said missile, the apparatus is in a first operative position such that it is out of contact with said launch rail. When the exhaust gases are emitted from said missile, a portion of the exhaust is incident upon the angled surface which causes the apparatus to rotatably pivot into contact with the launch rail, whereby portions of two surfaces of the launch rail are protected from the exhaust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventor: Edward T. Piesik
  • Patent number: 4545570
    Abstract: A highly accurate rapid gimbal assembly method utilizes two fixtures for establishing the critical gimbal assembly parameters of yield and axis of intersection and an adhesive for bonding each mating surface of the gimbal assembly for holding the components of the gimbal assembly in their adjusted positions. The fixtures include an inner/outer gimbal fixture for holding the inner and outer gimbals in relative position for bonding and a gimbal/post fixture for holding the gimbal assembly in alignment on the support post for bonding. These fixtures and assembly method eliminate the need for use of shims between the mating surfaces for establishing alignment of the critical parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics/Pomona Division
    Inventor: Charles W. KaDell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4540293
    Abstract: A dielectric heat sensor system for monitoring and measuring the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the performance or physical integrity of an electrical or electronic component includes a dielectric receiver in the form of a rectilinear array of fiber optic ends positioned to receive infrared heat waves from a bridgewire of an electro-explosive device and transmitting the infrared heat waves by way of a waveguide of electro optic fibers to an infrared detecting unit which is effective to activate an indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventor: Marvin W. Shores
  • Patent number: 4535545
    Abstract: A holding fixture and method for using the same are disclosed which enable great accuracy in performing measurements of concentricity, diameter, and wall thickness of a cylindrical workpiece. The present invention supports the workpiece for rotation at two fixed locations characterized by orthogonal tangents, while making measurements at a location on the workpiece on the opposite side of one of the support locations. The device is simple and economical in construction, easy to use while providing reliable measurements of the specified parameters, and it improves production line operation by expediting particular measuring procedures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventor: Larry H. Becnel
  • Patent number: 4533189
    Abstract: A zero insertion force electrical connector for multiple electrical connections includes a circuit board having a pair of contact strips on opposite faces thereof with opposed clamp members disposed adjacent the contact strips for biasing connector pins into engagement with the strips and a second connector member having a plurality of lined pins disposed for positioning on each side of the board adjacent the connector strips for contacting the connector strips upon biasing by the clamp members into engagement therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventors: Adelmo A. Scoccia, Donald B. Schellin, deceased
  • Patent number: 4522356
    Abstract: A clustered munition in a system for low altitude aerial delivery, which releases multiple rocket powered missiles, each having the capability to cruise at a constant altitude and search for a target. Once a target is identified, the missile homes on and strikes the target. In the preferred form the target seeking means is a radiometric seeker operating in the millimeter wavelength range, in which metal or similarly reflective targets stand out against the background and provide a significant signal which is used to program the terminal action of the missile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1973
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventors: Clair K. Lair, Jules Jonas, Keith D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 4519707
    Abstract: A multi-spectral detection system and method for detecting radiation from a single target within frequency bands that are in diverse portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventor: Fernand B. Kuffer
  • Patent number: 4514057
    Abstract: An assembly of fiber optic couplers of substantially identical form in an integrated array comprising two sets of optical fibers arranged side by side across an arcuate surface, epoxied in place, and lapped to develop mating planar surfaces which expose at least partially lapped portions of the respective optical fibers. Preferably, a launch coupler array is provided in which one set of optical fibers is of smaller diameter than those of the other set and is lapped to a depth sufficient to sever the fiber cores. The two lapped faces are then aligned so that one set of severed ends of the smaller fibers is joined with the exposed core portions of the other set of fibers. Selection of fiber size and lapping of the second set of fibers is performed to develop opposed mating portions of individual fibers which are substantially equal in extent and dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics Pomona Division
    Inventors: John P. Palmer, Phillip B. Ward, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4508293
    Abstract: An improved airframe body decoupling system for a body gimballed sensor on an interceptor aircraft or guided missile. Body rate gyro information is employed for internal decoupling so as to eliminate decoupling match sensitivity to receiver errors. The true measure of sensor position from the gimballed antenna potentiometer is differentiated and then externally decoupled to produce the desired line-of-sight rate for use by the guidance/control section of the proportional navigation guidance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventor: Richard W. Jones
  • Patent number: 4504923
    Abstract: A technique for correlating two images, differing in size, but of identical spatial content. The technique is based on the Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality and is derived in such a way as to eliminate the requirement for division, thereby realizing practical real time implementation with presently available electronic hardware. In the embodiment disclosed, reference and data image signals require no pre-processing for the removal of mean and gain factors prior to being individually supplied to the correlator. The correlator is built around modules which can be configured serially with delay lines to adapt to virtually any image configuration. Simulation tests have shown the embodiment to be superior to prior art correlators utilizing other algorithms under conditions of noise, offset and gain differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventors: Richard S. Schlunt, Hans-Peter Schmid
  • Patent number: 4502650
    Abstract: A method for augmenting a noise-adaptive predictive proportional navigation terminal guidance scheme. In a third order configuration with noise adaptive varying gain parameters calculated as a function of time-to-go, this system implements an optimal control law to augment proportional navigation with a target acceleration feed forward term and a navigation ratio which is a function of time-to-go and the control effort weighting factor. This third order system may also implement another optimal control law to even greater advantage, taking into account not only target acceleration but also missile acceleration in a feedback loop which, together with the navigation ratio, are both functions of time-to-go and autopilot dynamics, whereby first order autopilot time lag is accounted for. This system is particularly useful for high and medium altitude targets and results in significant miss distance improvement for terminal guidance against small maneuvering targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventor: William R. Yueh
  • Patent number: 4499120
    Abstract: Method and apparatus which allows the component leads of pre-taped electronic components to be solder tinned to preserve the solderability and shelf life of such component leads. Pre-taped electronic components and the like are prepackaged in a reel and positioned in the apparatus such that the reel is free to rotate. Both leads of each component are secured to corresponding adjacent component leads by tape. The electronic components are moved through a plurality of processing stages such that one lead of each component is solder tinned, one of the processing stages removing the tape from the leads to enable the soldering thereof. After soldering of the leads, tape is applied thereto. The process is then repeated for the other leads of each component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventor: George C. Marshall, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4496406
    Abstract: A pouch for protecting electrosensitive components contained therein from physical shock and electrostatic damage during handling and storage. In one embodiment, the pouch comprises two composite panels, each comprising a sheet of conductive material as the outside layer, a sheet of electrostatic-free material as the inside layer and a layer of open cell cushioning material sandwiched therebetween. Each panel is sealed to enclose the material therein and both panels are then sealed together on both sides and one end. The open end has an interlocking closure to allow components to be inserted into the pouch and for the pouch to be thereafter closed.In another embodiment, the pouch is formed of a pair of extruded, tubular members respectively constituting the conductive material layer and the electrostatic-free material layer with sheets of cushioning material sandwiched between them. The assembly is sealed at one end and provided with a releasable closure member at the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1985
    Assignee: General Dynamics, Pomona Division
    Inventor: Karen A. Dedow