Abstract: A shock testing machine including: a carriage for holding a component to be tested, the carriage being configured to be movable in a linear direction along one or more elongated rails; a drum rotatable on a shaft, the drum having a circumferential surface; a cable having one end connected to the carriage and an other end connected to the drum; a motor having an output connected to the shaft to rotate the drum under the motive power of the motor to wind the cable on the circumferential surface of the drum; and a clutch disposed in a power train operatively connecting the motor to the drum, the clutch having a disengaged state and an engaged state. Where the motor is controlled to disengage the clutch while the motor reaches a predetermined rotational speed or predetermined rotational torque and to engage the clutch when the motor reaches the predetermined rotational speed or predetermined rotational torque to accelerate the carriage and component to be tested in the linear direction.

Abstract: A method of actuating a device, the method including: allowing a movable mass to move back and forth in a first portion of a passage upon the device experiencing a first acceleration profile having a first magnitude and a first duration; and allowing the movable mass to move to a second portion of the passage to actuate the device upon the device experiencing a second acceleration profile having a second acceleration lower than the first acceleration and a second duration greater than the first duration. The device can be one of an inertial igniter, a normally open latching electrical circuit, a normally open non-latching electrical circuit, a normally closed latching electrical circuit or a normally closed non-latching electrical circuit.

Abstract: A device including: a body having one or more walls defining an internal cavity, the wall(s) having one or more grooves extending in a longitudinal direction of the internal cavity and extending at least partially along a periphery of the wall(s); a mass movable in the longitudinal direction within the internal cavity, the mass having one or more holes extending in a direction offset from the longitudinal direction; a ball partially disposed in the groove(s) and partially disposed in each hole(s); and an elastic material for biasing the ball towards the groove(s). The groove(s) having a shape such that the acceleration greater than a predetermined acceleration profile causes the ball to first move opposite to the direction of the acceleration and then bounce to move in the direction of the acceleration until the ball(s) moves into the hole(s) to free the mass to move longitudinally opposite to the acceleration.

Abstract: An inertial igniter including: a base; a first movable member, movable relative to the base in a first direction, the first movable member having a blocking portion; a second movable member movable relative to the base in a second direction, the second movable member having an engaging portion and an activation portion; and an intermediary member having a first portion engaged with the engaging portion and a second portion engaged with the blocking portion. Wherein upon the base experiencing an acceleration profile greater than a predetermined acceleration profile, the blocking portion disengages with the second portion allowing the intermediary member to move such that the first portion disengages with the engaging portion allowing the activation portion to move from an inactivated position to an activated position.

Abstract: A shock testing machine including: a test platform; a carriage for carrying the test platform; one or more rails movably supporting one or both test platform and the carriage; a stop for stopping the carriage in a testing direction; and a brake for decelerating the carriage after the carriage engages the stop. Wherein the brake includes: a braking member separate from the carriage, the braking member having braking material separated by a gap, the carriage configured to expose the braking member to the stop when the carriage moves past the stop in the testing direction; and an elongated member extending from the carriage, the elongated member extending through the gap, respectively, in the braking member such that a braking pressure is applied from the braking material to the elongated member to decelerate the carriage when a braking surface of the braking member engages a braking surface of the stop.

Abstract: A mechanism including: a toggle rotatably connected to a base structure; a stop fixed to the base for limiting a rotational travel of the toggle, the stop being fixed to the base such that there is no relative movement between the stop and the base; a biasing element having a first end attached to the base and a second end attached to the toggle to bias the toggle towards the stop when the toggle is positioned on a first side of a singular position and the toggle is biased towards an opposite direction from the stop when the toggle is positioned on a second side of the singular position; and an inertial element movably disposed relative to the base and the toggle to move the toggle from the first side to the second side of the singular position when the base undergoes an acceleration event greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method for rotating a toggle link upon an acceleration event greater than a predetermined threshold. The method including: biasing a toggle link against a stop when the acceleration event is less than the predetermined threshold, a position of the toggle link against the stop being on a first side of a singular position of the toggle link; biasing the toggle link towards an opposite direction from the stop when the toggle link is positioned on a second side of the singular position; and moving the toggle link from the first side of the singular position to the second side of the singular position when the base structure undergoes an acceleration event greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A device including: a body having one or more walls defining an internal cavity, the wall(s) having one or more grooves extending in a longitudinal direction of the internal cavity and extending at least partially along a periphery of the wall(s); a mass movable in the longitudinal direction within the internal cavity, the mass having one or more holes extending in a direction offset from the longitudinal direction; a ball partially disposed in the groove(s) and partially disposed in each hole(s); and an elastic material for biasing the ball towards the groove(s). The groove(s) having a shape such that the acceleration greater than a predetermined acceleration profile causes the ball to first move opposite to the direction of the acceleration and then bounce to move in the direction of the acceleration until the ball(s) moves into the hole(s) to free the mass to move longitudinally opposite to the acceleration.

Abstract: A method of actuating a device, the method including: allowing a movable mass to move back and forth in a first portion of a passage upon the device experiencing a first acceleration profile having a first magnitude and a first duration; and allowing the movable mass to move to a second portion of the passage to actuate the device upon the device experiencing a second acceleration profile having a second acceleration lower than the first acceleration and a second duration greater than the first duration. The device can be one of an inertial igniter, a normally open latching electrical circuit, a normally open non-latching electrical circuit, a normally closed latching electrical circuit or a normally closed non-latching electrical circuit.

Abstract: A shock testing machine including: a carriage for holding a component to be tested, the carriage being configured to be movable in a linear direction along one or more elongated rails; a drum rotatable on a shaft, the drum having a circumferential surface; a cable having one end connected to the carriage and an other end connected to the drum; a motor having an output connected to the shaft to rotate the drum under the motive power of the motor to wind the cable on the circumferential surface of the drum; and a clutch disposed in a power train operatively connecting the motor to the drum, the clutch having a disengaged state and an engaged state. Where the motor is controlled to disengage the clutch while the motor reaches a predetermined rotational speed or predetermined rotational torque and to engage the clutch when the motor reaches the predetermined rotational speed or predetermined rotational torque to accelerate the carriage and component to be tested in the linear direction.

Abstract: A device including: a casing; an actuation mass rotatable between a first second positions relative to the casing; a first spring for biasing the actuation mass towards the second position; and a blocking mass rotatable between third fourth positions relative to the casing, a first portion of the blocking mass, while in the third position, is configured to engage with a second portion of the actuation mass to maintain the actuation mass in the first position and to prevent the actuation mass, against the biasing by the spring, from rotating to the second position; wherein upon an acceleration event having an acceleration and duration greater than a predetermined threshold, the blocking mass rotates to the fourth position to release engagement of the first portion of the blocking mass with the second portion of the actuation mass to allow the spring to move the actuation mass to the second position.

Abstract: A shock testing machine including: a test platform for holding an item to be shock tested; a carriage for carrying the test platform and being movable relative to the test platform in a testing direction, the testing direction being a direction of movement of the carriage; one or more rails movably supporting one of the test platform and the carriage; a stop configured to stop the carriage from moving in the testing direction at a predetermined location while allowing the test platform to continue moving in the testing direction past the predetermined location; and a brake configured to decelerate the test platform after the carriage has been stopped by the stop.

Abstract: A munition including: a control surface actuation device including: an actuator having two or more pistons, each of the pistons being movable between an extended and retracted position, the retracted position resulting from an activation of each of the two or more pistons; and a movable rack having a pocket corresponding to each of the two or more pistons, each pocket being engageable with a corresponding portion of each of the two or more pistons, a distance between the pockets being different than a distance between the portions of the two or more pistons, such that activation of the portion into the corresponding pocket sequentially translates the rack; and a control surface operatively connected to the rack such that translation of the rack rotates the control surface.

Abstract: A device including: a casing; an actuation mass rotatable between a first second positions relative to the casing; a first spring for biasing the actuation mass towards the second position; and a blocking mass rotatable between third fourth positions relative to the casing, a first portion of the blocking mass, while in the third position, is configured to engage with a second portion of the actuation mass to maintain the actuation mass in the first position and to prevent the actuation mass, against the biasing by the spring, from rotating to the second position; wherein upon an acceleration event having an acceleration and duration greater than a predetermined threshold, the blocking mass rotates to the fourth position to release engagement of the first portion of the blocking mass with the second portion of the actuation mass to allow the spring to move the actuation mass to the second position.

Abstract: A munition including: a control surface actuation device including: an actuator having two or more pistons, each of the pistons being movable between an extended and retracted position, the retracted position resulting from an activation of each of the two or more pistons; and a movable rack having a pocket corresponding to each of the two or more pistons, each pocket being engageable with a corresponding portion of each of the two or more pistons, a distance between the pockets being different than a distance between the portions of the two or more pistons, such that activation of the portion into the corresponding pocket sequentially translates the rack; and a control surface operatively connected to the rack such that translation of the rack rotates the control surface.

Abstract: A munition including: a casing having a first portion and the second portion; and an actuator comprising two or more pistons, each of the pistons being connected at a first end to the first portion of the casing and engaged at a second end to the second portion of the casing, each of the pistons being capable of having an extended and retracted position relative to the first and second ends, the retracted position resulting from an activation of each of the two or more pistons; wherein activation of one or more of the two or more pistons moves the first portion relative to the second portion.

Abstract: A shock testing machine including: a test platform for holding one or more objects to be shock tested, the test platform having an impact surface; a fixed member having a surface disposed a predetermined distance from a corresponding surface of the test platform, the test platform being movable such that the surface of the test platform can contact the corresponding surface of the fixed member upon an impact to the impact surface; and a flywheel having one or more cams for contacting the impact surface upon rotation of the flywheel such that the impact of each of the one or more cams on the impact surface causes the surface of the test platform to impact the corresponding surface of the fixed member to produce a shock in the one or more objects to be tested.

Abstract: A device for generating power in a gravity dropped munition. The device including: a drum; a cable wound around a drum; a generator for producing electrical energy; a spring configured to convert rotation of the drum to energy as the cable is unwound from the drum; and an intermediate member selectively engaging the drum to the generator; wherein the intermediate member is disengaged from the drum when the cable is being unwound from the drum and the intermediate member is engaged with the generator when the cable is released from the drum to produce power from the generator.

Abstract: A shock testing machine including: a test platform upon which one or more objects to be tested are mounted; one or more rails upon which the test platform is movable in a longitudinal direction; and a braking station for retarding a relative motion between the test platform and the braking station, wherein the test platform and the braking station include at least one portion interfering with the relative motion of the test platform and the braking station such that relative movement of the test platform and the braking station past the at least one portion produces a shock lateral to the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A munition including: a control surface actuation device including: an actuator comprising two or more pistons, each of the pistons being movable between an extended and retracted position, the retracted position resulting from an activation of each of the two or more pistons; and a rotatable plate having a pocket corresponding to each of the two or more pistons, each pocket being engageable with a corresponding portion of each of the two or more pistons, a distance between the pockets being different than a distance between the portions of the two or more pistons, such that activation of the portion into the corresponding pocket sequentially rotates the plate; and a control surface operatively connected to the plate such that rotation of the plate rotates the control surface.