Abstract: A method for firing a computerized radar weapon system upon a fast target to reduce errors in aim caused by aim-biasing factors that vary in time and space includes computing a point along an extrapolated target track ahead of the target at which to stage an interception. A spotting round is fired at the point to zero-in just before the interception and then a correctly-aimed intercept round is fired at the point in time to make the interception. Additional interceptions may be staged at backup intercept points to guard against a miss, a burst of spotting rounds may be fired at an intercept point to average out perturbations in the trajectory of the projectile from each one of the rounds, and conventional monopulse radar methods of aim bias measurement may be employed to detect projectile miss information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cooling apparatus with two spaced apart walls, one of which is a coolable wall, having a cooling flowpath between them wherein the cooling flowpath is converging in the direction of the cooling flow. In one embodiment the coolable wall is an afterburner cooling liner that includes a film cooling means on the hot side of the liner. Another embodiment provides a corrugated or wavy wall afterburner cooling liner wherein each wave includes a forward facing surface, from crest to trough of the wave in the direction of the hot gas flow, and an aft facing surface, from trough to crest. A high density pattern of multi-hole film cooling holes is disposed on the hotter of the two surfaces and a lower density pattern on the cooler one.

Abstract: An electrical power feed assembly (12) for supplying high current to an electrothermal gun has first and second electrical connectors (38) and (42) with associated contact portions (40) and (44) for engaging and plastically deforming first and second side contacts (20,22) on a cartridge (14) to provide firing while maintaining the electrical contact without any arcing. The first connector (38) has a curved contact portion (40) that provides an interference fit to plastically deform the first contact (20) and establish the electrical contact as the cartridge (14) is inserted into the gun. The second connector (42) has a pair of curved knife edges (48) that engage and plastically deform the second contact (22) of the cartridge to establish and maintain the electrical contact under spring action of the second connector and by operation of a cam mechanism (50) of a breech block (26) of the gun.

Abstract: An automatic liquid spraying system extinguishes burning embers and residue emaining after firing of a cannon assembly. The spraying system has nozzles mounted on moveable mounted arm means for spraying the liquid co-axially into the cannon tube breech and projectile area and onto the obturator spindle axis. In one embodiment, external electric and pneumatic powered sources provides the power to operate the system; and in another embodiment, a self-powered squirt gun type hydraulic source provides the power.

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.

Abstract: A wideband microwave detector includes: a first local oscillator outputting a first local oscillation output containing a basic wave component, a secondary high harmonic component and a tertiary high harmonic component and being swept within a predetermined frequency range; a first mixer performing frequency mixing of the first local oscillation output and an antenna input input through an antenna and outputting a first mixing output; a second local oscillator outputting a second local oscillation output; a second mixer performing frequency mixing of the first mixing output and the second local oscillation output for generating a second mixing output, a single frequency discriminator for detecting a specific frequency in a discrimination input, and mode selector switch alternately switching a single super heterodyne reception mode, in which the first mixing output of the first mixer is introduced into the frequency discriminator as the discrimination input and a double super heterodyne reception mode, in whic

Abstract: A shotgun, such as a pump shotgun, has the recoil thereof controlled a spring system. The shotgun includes a breech bolt that is locked to an operating arm during cocking, but is then released from that operating arm when in the battery location and is held in the battery position by the spring system. The spring system includes springs that are engaged with an element that moves in response to the firing of the shotgun, and are sequentially released from that moving element as that element recoils. One form of the invention includes a pump shotgun in which the breech block moves in a recoil movement in response to firing the shotgun, with the springs engaging the moving breech block and sequentially disengaging from that moving breech block.

Abstract: A rapid fire electromagnetic launcher system (EML) employs a plurality of capacitor modules which are charged by an equal number of modules of lead acid batteries. The invention comprises the combination of standard automotive lead acid batteries for charging an electrolytic capacitor array which is switched into an Electromagnetic Launcher (EML) by means of silicon controlled rectifiers, and a control circuit for controlling the loading and launching of projectiles at a very rapid rate. The system includes a multishot preinjector and rapid fire controller for operating the system in a safe and reliable manner. The system includes a preaccelerator, magazine and barrel. The combination eliminates the low power density limitation of the batteries, the requirement to repetitively commutate energy out of an inductor, and allows for a modular system than can be expanded to provide higher energy to each projectile in the burst.

Abstract: A machine gun unit comprises a machine gun mounted to a support by a mounting permitting pivoting movement of the machine gun relative to the support in azimuth and/or elevation. Angle encoders provide position signals representing angular displacement of the machine gun relative to the support. An aiming system comprises a sensor, for example a CCD sensor, which provides a video signal representing a field of view for the aiming system, a display device for displaying the field of view, a manual input interface, a graphics artifact generator, and a digital signal processor (DSP). The DSP monitors the outputs of the angle encoders and controls the graphics artifact generator to combine the output of the graphics artifact generator with the output of the CCD sensor for display by the display device. Various graphics artifacts can be provided. Masks may be provided for delimiting field of fire. A cursor may be repositioned to reflect superelevation requirements.

Abstract: A ceramic armor having a tough backup plate and metal reinforcement in the ceramic to minimize damage thereto as projectiles smash into the armor and are shattered.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to design and construction of lightweight and mobile railgun barrels having high L' (inductance per unit length). The barrels comprise stacked metallic annular laminations in combination with prestressed tension elements to add radial and longitudinal stiffness. Laminations have elongated annular shapes to accommodate a plurality of longitudinal rails within the barrel, and the lamination shape is optimized to contain radial forces (tending to spread the rails) associated with the launching of railgun projectiles. Longitudinal stiffness is obtained from tension elements spirally wound around the barrel at a preferred angle with the barrel longitudinal axis. Radial stiffness is obtained by injecting a settable plastic fluid between barrel laminations and internal (bore) components, the latter being held as a subassembly with a longitudinal shrink tube.

Abstract: In order to be able to automatically locate and map ammunition over a large area without endangering the searching crew, ground-scanning sensors are mounted on a relatively light-weight, unmanned, remote-controlled vehicle which then travels over the area contaminated with ammunition. The controlled vehicle is controlled from, and the sensor signals are evaluated in, a second vehicle which is generally disposed in the immediate vicinity of the area being examined. The controlling vehicle, which is preferably armored, also accommodates the operating crew.

Abstract: A modified M16 pistol capable of firing rifle cartridges therein in automatic or semi-automatic mode, which pistol is based upon modified M16 upper and lower assemblies, with a pistol barrel, an M16 gas actuation system, and a spring-biased buffer system mounted on top of the M16 upper receiver assembly.

Abstract: A removable seat and floor coverlet for helicopters that are light in weight, easily removable and installed and that provide protection to the occupants from small arms fire from the ground. The cover protects not only the torso of the occupants, but also their legs. The coverlet can be easily stored, retrieved and then installed only when necessary.

Abstract: A firearm having a disconnector movable in two planes to disconnect the gun if the bolt moves rearward, disconnects the gun if the magazine box is removed and is the connecting member between the trigger and the sears. The firearm has a double sear both of which must be released from the firing pin carrier before the firing pin carrier can move into a firing mode. The firing pin carrier has an indicator visible to the operator to indicate whether or not the gun is in a firing mode. The magazine latch has an integral ejector and the barrel has projections between the magazine box is received to align the magazine box to the chamber mouth. Additionally, there is a firing pin retractor plunger in the bolt which separates the firing pin carrier from the bolt immediately after firing to enhance ejection of spent rounds.

Abstract: A geophone is disclosed that has a cylindrical housing closed at one end by a bottom and the other end by a top. A magnet assembly with pole pieces at each end of the magnet is centrally mounted in the housing providing an annular space between the magnet assembly and the housing. A coil form is located in the annular space. Springs support the coil form for axial movement relative to the magnet assembly along the longitudinal axis of the housing. Washers are included on the upper and lower sides of each of the springs to enhance the life span of the springs by reducing the damage caused by torsional forces experienced by the springs during normal operation and rough handling. Also incorporated in the geophone are resilient members mounted between the coil form and the housing to prevent the coil form from directly hitting the housing and thereby reduce the amount of frequency shift experienced by the geophone over its life span.

Abstract: In a multiple-barrel firearm with removable lock housing, the two axially moveable strikers are arranged in superposed relationship, preferably being angular and provided with grooves or edges; this arrangement permits, even in case of only one solid sidewall, a favorable guidance of the strikers and contributes considerably toward making the lock housing very narrow. Since, in this firearm, the movement of a cocking bar just as the movement of firing pins takes place approximately in parallel to the movement of the strikers, the advantage is obtained in addition to a relatively simple structure that the energy for cocking coil springs guided by means of guide pins can be at a minimum as well. The guide pins connected with the strikers also take over safety functions.

Abstract: A system modified so that an axial ram rod, centering jag and configuring die can be used to simultaneously tamp or size a projectile while forming the projectile into a hollow-nose type which mushrooms when configuring a spherical or double-ogival projectile into the mushrooming-type; and a kit comprising a case and sealing lid enabling a user in the field to optionally select a centering jag conforming to the caliber of the weapon being loaded, and for optionally forming a hollow-nose projectile with a "punch" characteristic in accordance with the nature of the target.

Abstract: A device for use in a rapid-fire weapons system wherein a gun is movable in both elevation and azimuth. The device is designed to have a high round storage capacity and transfers rounds across the azimuth axis, thus allowing the gun to move in azimuth with respect to the magazine. The storage, or accumulation, feature of the device allows rounds to be fed to the gun before the magazine has been driven to the demand rate.The device also provides a closed loop round carrier system which allows for the return of expended round casings to the magazine.

Abstract: A firearm having a receiver and a barrel distinct from the receiver and a magazine box, and the improvement wherein the barrel has projections to align the magazine box to the chamber mouth.