Patents by Inventor Robert A. Helton

Robert A. Helton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6272995
    Abstract: A high precision electro-mechanical fuze mechanism for a munition such as a hand grenade. The fuze mechanism includes an electromagnetic signal generator having an armature, a permanent magnet, a coil and a magnetic impulse generator (MIG) member. The armature is preloaded during assembly through the use of a spring. Releasing an actuating lever of the grenade allows the armature to begin spinning and to dissipate the energy stored by the spring. This causes a current to be electromagnetically generated in the coil, which is transmitted to an electronic control circuit in the fuze mechanism. The electronic control circuit implements two time delays from two separate timers which each must time out before the control circuit can send an electric firing signal to an electric detonator. Movement of the armature also causes a simultaneous movement of a rotor, which moves a stab detonator into a position closely adjacent the electric detonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: KDI Precision Products, Inc.
    Inventors: William Marc Schmidt, James Arthur Hewlett, Patrick Dwayne McGregor, Ezra Stearns Waller, Donald Robert Helton
  • Patent number: 3939465
    Abstract: An apparatus for activating a remote underwater device comprising detecting means responsive to incident acoustic waves provides signal indication of the presence or absence of predetermined frequencies thereof. A logic arrangement decodes only those signal indications indicating a joint presence of some of the pre-selected frequencies and the absence of others of the pre-selected frequencies. This discriminates signals against broad-band acoustic noise. The logic arrangement further includes means for activating the remote underwater device only if the decoded successive signal indications match a predetermined pattern. This further discriminates between a present received acoustic wave and a prior transmitted acoustic wave present because of multipath or reverberation. Lastly, a timing and gating means responsive to a first decoded signal indication couples the detecting means to the logic arrangement only at periodic intervals thereafter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1970
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1976
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Robert A. Helton, George M. Walsh, Allan P. Alarie