Patents Assigned to Rheinmetall GmbH
  • Patent number: 5744746
    Abstract: A tandem warhead for combatting actively armored targets including two shaped or projectile forming charges arranged one behind the other, and an ignition or firing delay unit which causes the ignition of the first charge and then the second charge with a time delay. To avoid the target's active armor plate (which moves when hit by the first charge, from impeding or even destroying the following charge) the tandem warhead is provided with a device for determining the actual angle of the warhead relative to the target, i.e., the firing or attack angle, and an ignition time delay .DELTA.t associated with the respective firing angle .alpha.. To determine the firing angle .alpha., an angle determining device includes a plurality, preferably four, distance measuring devices with which respective distance coordinates between the tandem warhead and the target are measured and used for determining the momentary firing angle .alpha.. Thereafter, the delay time .DELTA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Tripptrap, Jorg Peters, Torsten Niemeyer, Herbert Scholles
  • Patent number: 5564651
    Abstract: A fin stabilized projectile for combatting a tank from above of the type including a rotating control unit disposed at the front of the projectile and containing a sensor for scanning the area to detect a target, and wherein the final phase of flying into the target is initiated by a force which acts on the tip of the projectile, particularly on the control unit. Since the control unit rotates relative to the warhead of the projectile to enable its sensor to detect the target, the gyro effect of this rotary movement generates pendulum movements in the projectile and thus causes deviations from the target at different target distances. To avoid yaw angles and lateral displacements of the projectile during the rotating-descending phase, a drive arrangement is provided within the projectile between the control unit and the warhead to impart an angular momentum to the warhead corresponding to the angular momentum of the control unit but directed in the opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Wiemer, Werner Grosswendt
  • Patent number: 5559304
    Abstract: The invention relates to an insert for a warhead for producing a projectile by means of an explosive deformation of the insert.In order to achieve increased end-ballistic performances of the projectile formed by the explosive deformation of the insert, such insert is tapered at its peripheral region and has a flattened central region on the convex side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Raimund Schweiger, Herbert Scholles, Hans Orth, Hendrik Lips
  • Patent number: 5481981
    Abstract: A sabot for a subcaliber projectile, preferably an arrow projectile, having an essentially cylindrical guide gage (8) of a lightweight material and a tail-side drive element (14) detachably connected thereto for tail-side support of the projectile body (1). The guide cage (8) has a radially inwardly-extending support wall (12) for supporting a projectile body (1) disposed therein in its forward to central region, and the drive element is a propelling disk (14) that is received by a circumferential or annular groove (13) in the tail region of the guide cage (8), which is segmented in the axial direction of the projectile body (1). As a result, a further reduction in weight can be accomplished with simpler fragmenting of the sabot that practically does not impair the projectile at all.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Achim Sippel, Thomas Heitmann, Willhelm Becker, Klaus Unterstein, Jurgen Leeker, Walter Simon
  • Patent number: 5477786
    Abstract: A subcaliber arrow projectile includes a projectile body which has a rearwardly widening, conical projectile tip having a forward point and a rearward base, whose caliber corresponds to the projectile caliber. The projectile body further has a rearwardly widening, resistance-stabilizing conical rear part immediately adjoining the base of the projectile tip. The rear part has an enlarged caliber which is greater than the projectile caliber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Jurgen Leeker, Klaus Unterstein, Wilhelm Becker
  • Patent number: 5476581
    Abstract: A method of producing a weapon barrel (1) having a wear-resistant inner coating (10) applied by an electrolytic method. To enable the application of a relatively thick protective layer to the inner wall or surface of a large-caliber weapon barrel (1), in particular, in the regions of thermally high stress and in a simple manner, a weapon barrel (1) prefabricated true to caliber is provided, a recess (7) is formed in the region of the chamber (2) and of the adjoining caliber region (3) to be coated with the protective layer (10) by electrochemical stripping (electrolytic polishing), and the recess (7) is subsequently refilled electrolytically with the protective layer (10). The same center electrode (4, 12) preferably is used for the electrolytic polishing process and for the electrolytic process for applying (plating) the protective coating or layer (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Reckeweg, Gert Schlenkert, Siegmar Kukulies
  • Patent number: 5467713
    Abstract: An ignition and safety device for a grenade projectile provided with a shaped charge insert and having a bottom-side impact fuse that has a spin-dependent safety element and acceleration-dependent safety element (14, 17), and a self-destruct device. The self-destruct device includes a pyrotechnical delay segment (29) that is axially displaceable into engagement with a firing pin (30) by means of the launch acceleration and acts on a booster charge (8), which is disposed extremely off-center of the projectile axis for the projectile effective charge. Consequently, no shaped charge jet is formed during self-destruction for the projectile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Roosmann, Ulf Hahn
  • Patent number: 5463930
    Abstract: A weapon for firing practice ammunition includes a barrel having a frontal length portion terminating in a muzzle; an ammunition loading chamber at a barrel end opposite the muzzle; and a plurality of first gas outlet bores provided in the frontal length portion. The first gas outlet bores are arranged in a plurality of circumferentially spaced axial rows. There is further provided a muzzle brake sleeve coaxially surrounding the frontal length portion and having a frontal end situated close to the muzzle. The muzzle brake sleeve includes a plurality of second gas outlet bores arranged in a plurality of circumferentially spaced axial rows. The first gas outlet bores are staggered with respect to the second gas outlet bores as viewed along the barrel. The frontal end of the muzzle brake sleeve is closed off by a plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Bisping, Lothar Post
  • Patent number: 5461962
    Abstract: A silencer arrangement for large-caliber guns (3;33,34) including at least one silencer (5;54,55). In order for the system characteristics of the gun (3;33,34) not to be negatively influenced by the heavy weight of the silencer (5;54,55), the silencer is not fastened (5;54,55), as in the case of small-caliber weapons, on the weapon tube or barrel itself, but instead, is arranged on a separate silencer gun carriage (6;39) which is mechanically decoupled from the gun (3;33,34), with the gun carriage (6;39) preferably being configured such that the silencers (5;54,55) may be moved in synchronism with the movement of the gun barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Krumm, Karl Wiemers
  • Patent number: 5459914
    Abstract: A method of closing the forward portion or region (u) of a cylindrical sleeve body (3) of a practice cartridge (1), wherein a predetermined number of inside and outside radial folds (8, 7, respectively) are created in the forward region (4) of the sleeve body (3) in two work cycles, and wherein circular arc-shaped inside folds (8) of predetermined depth are created during the first work cycle by the application of radial pressure using correspondingly shaped profiling tools. To achieve secure closing of the sleeve body (3) through folding in a simple and cost-effective manner and without predetermined fracture points resulting in the region of the inside folds (8) during closing, the inside folds (8) are created in the forward region of the projectile body (3) during the first work cycle so that a first, central opening having a diameter of at least 2 mm remains between the inside folds (8) after completion of this work cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Bisping
  • Patent number: 5443009
    Abstract: A charge arrangement for cartridge ammunition having a cartridge case, a bottom igniter secured in the case bottom and a primer that coaxially surrounds at least one part of the propellant composed of bulk powder and a tail-side part of a projectile that projects into the cartridge case. To ensure reliable ignition of the propellant bulk in a simple manner, a primer is provided that is comprised of either a separate, relatively thin-walled, combustible sleeve or the inner layer of a multilayer, combustible cartridge case which faces the propellant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignees: Rheinmetall GmbH, WNC Nitrochemie GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Thiesen, Eckhard Rahnenfuhrer, Josef Kohler
  • Patent number: 5438930
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mine with at least one ejectable sub-munitions body disposed in a cup-shaped starting device and with a propulsion device for propelling the sub-munitions body into a selectable altitude range. For achieving that the propulsion device requires only a small structural volume, entails low cost because of the use of reduced amounts of propulsion charges and in addition operates safely and dependably. It has been proposed to dispose the propulsion device not in or on the sub-munitions body, but in the bottom part of the cup-shaped starting device. In this case the propulsion device advantageously consists of a high pressure chamber facing the bottom of the starting device, in which the propellant charge is contained, and of a low pressure chamber facing the sub-munitions body. The high pressure and low pressure chambers are separated from each other by a perforated plate provided with jets (holes).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Grosswendt, Klaus Gersbach, Joachim Fiebrich
  • Patent number: 5433399
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for guiding a missile (1; 30) with a missile tip (2) and a cylindrical section (3) adjoining the tip of the missile; the device is provided with at least one control block (4; 31, 32) with exhaust openings (13-15) of corresponding nozzle bodies (10-12) arranged perpendicularly in relation to the missile's surface.In order to accomplish effective guidance, particularly of high-speed missiles (1; 30), in a simple and cost-effective manner it is proposed that the control block (4; 31, 32) be constructed with a plurality of small, fast-burning rocket motors (7-9; 33-36) that are arranged radially on the missile's periphery (1; 30) and that are ignitable in a predeterminable sequence and number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Becker, Werner Grosswendt, Michael Schwenzer
  • Patent number: 5426568
    Abstract: A launch-protected electronic assembly including a printed circuit board having several conductor paths. An electronic component is provided that is secured to the printed circuit board. The electronic component has several electrical connections each contacting a corresponding conductor path. The assembly further includes a support and at least one of a flexible adhesive layer and a dot-shaped flexible adhesive location connecting the printed circuit board to the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Lamers, Norbert von der Lippe, Peter Sommer, Dietmar Stoffels
  • Patent number: 5419272
    Abstract: An explosive cutter for severing a mooring of a moored mine includes a securing apparatus for attaching the explosive cutter to a mooring and for detaching the explosive cutter from an underwater vessel. The securing apparatus includes a mooring capturing jaw; a clamping lever having a withdrawn position in which it is clear of the capturing jaw and a clamping position in which it closes off the capturing jaw for holding the mooring captive in the capturing jaw; and a slidable shuttle having a first position and a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Gunter Backstein, Klaus-Jurgen Pohl, Annette Dodegge
  • Patent number: 5400714
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing a large-caliber ammunition unit including a combustible or partially combustible propelling charge casing and compacted or partially compacted propelling charge powder, to increase internal ballistic performance. It is known to partially or completely compact or compress the propelling charge powder in a cartridge casing. However, such methods generally cannot be employed for ammunition including a combustible or at least partially combustible propelling charge casing because of the lower strength of the relatively thin-walled combustible casing material, as this would lead to deformation and/or to reduced loadability of such cartridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Thiesen, Georg Klein, Eckhard Rahnenfuhrer
  • Patent number: 5396845
    Abstract: A fuze or igniter provided with an adjustable electronic unit (24), a separate energy supply (40) as well as a mechanical safety device (26). In order for this fuze to be independent of the weapons system and not be bound to a particular type of payload, the adjustable electronic unit (24) and the mechanical safety device (26) are accommodated in the essentially cylindrical, watertight housing (22) of a basic module (20) that has two end faces (28, 30). The energy supply (40) can be mechanically and electrically connected with the basic module (20). In the region of one of its end faces (28), the basic module (20) can be connected with either a programming device (136) in order to program in an ignition time and a sterilization time (desensitization time) or a payload (42) that is independent of the weapons system employed and is not ammunition specific.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Gunter Backstein, Hermann Schaper, Dirk Wolff
  • Patent number: 5375517
    Abstract: An apparatus for screen printing on a thin, curved steel hybrid board includes a receiving frame having a nest for seating the board therein; and a magnet accommodated in the receiving frame for maintaining the board in a flattened state during the screen printing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Graener, Norbert Von Der Lippe, Peter Sommer
  • Patent number: 5375526
    Abstract: A fuze mechanism (1) for projectiles, rockets, bomblets and mines which is of the type including a fuze housing (2) and a self-destruct device containing a pyrotechnic delay arrangement (10) and a firing pin (11), with the fuze housing (2) having a side opening (5) for a transversely movable detonator carrier (4) which can be moved out beyond the outer housing contour into the armed position and which contains the pyrotechnic delay arrangement (10) and a fuze detonator (7). To manufacture fuze mechanisms (1) which are simple and free of spin and whose self-destruct devices are additionally provided with a delay time that is as long as possible, the firing pin (11) for the self-destruct mechanism is pivotably fastened to the fuze housing (2) in the region of the side opening (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 5353679
    Abstract: A circulating magazine including a housing (1) in which mutually articulated parallel ammunition containers (5;5') are disposed so as to accommodate ammunition (6,6') in an endless, two-layer transporting belt (4) driven by a drive (13;13'). To realize a quasi three-layer arrangement, guides (11,12; 11',12') for the ammunition containers (5;5') are provided in oppositely disposed container walls (2,3; 2',3') such that the ammunition containers (5,5') of one of the two layers are folded in an essentially zigzag nested arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventor: Adolf Nordmann