Parachute Patents (Class 102/387)
  • Patent number: 4711178
    Abstract: Ammunition incorporating a sensing fuse and a parachute, and which has the trajectory thereof correctable during its final flight phase, and a method for the combating of armored target objects with the utilization of such ammunition. The ammunition with the sensing fuse is equipped with a pulse transmitter for a course alignment or correction in the direction towards the lateral or sideways offset of a target object which has been detected by the sensing fuse, and with devices for suspending the action of a parachute during the approach to a target by the ammunition along a quasi-ballistic trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1987
    Assignee: Diehl GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Nikolaus Argyrakis
  • Patent number: 4691636
    Abstract: An exploding missile has a casing and a parachute attached to the casing for making it move in a predetermined direction relative to the casing after launch. A charge in the casing has a projectile-forming front face, facing forward in the travel direction. An antenna is provided on the casing behind the front face and charge and is displaceable between a retracted position wholly behind the charge and an extended position projecting laterally therefrom and directed at least generally forwardly in the direction past the charge. An actuator is connected between the casing and the antenna for moving same from the retracted into the extended position after launch of the missile. A controller including a receiver connected to the antenna and a detonator in the charge detects the distance to a target in front of the missile and explodes the charge when a predetermined distance is detected or the target is otherwise sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1987
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfram Witt, Hendrik Lips, Herbert Scholles, Raimund Schweiger
  • Patent number: 4667600
    Abstract: A safe/arm mechanism for an air-delivered explosive device uses a slider containing explosive leads as the means of interrupting the explosive train. The slider is locked in the safe position such that the explosive leads are out-of-line with respect to the detonator. The slider is attached directly to the main parachute such that when two locks are removed the parachute deployment forces can overcome a shear pin lock and move the slider to an in-line or armed position where it is positively retained. In this position, initiation of the detonator will allow the explosive output of the detonator to be transferred to its associated explosive device and provide a dual point radial initiation of its booster charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Norman E. Jensen, Bennett W. Kelley
  • Patent number: 4651648
    Abstract: A pyrotechnic, aircraft carried bomb such as a smoke bomb, illumination b, flare bomb and the like. The bomb comprises detachable delay and nose sections and two main body sections separable from each other and each holding a pyrotechnic charge. The tail section houses a braking parachute which is deployed by the action of a time fuze upon release from the carrier aircraft. The tail and nose sections further house each a main parachute associated each with one of the main body sections. After a certain delay the deployed braking parachute starts an ignition train which causes ejection of the tail and front sections, deployment of the main parachutes, separation of the two main body sections from each other and ignition of the pyrotechnic charges therein. The two main body sections parachute down and reach the ground in soft landing with the pyrotechnic charges burning during the descent and, if desired, they may be arranged to continue to burn for a while after landing, e.g. in case of a smoke bomb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: The State of Israel, Ministry of Defence, Israel Military Industries
    Inventor: Ely Alon
  • Patent number: 4632010
    Abstract: An AIRBOC chaff deployment apparatus comprising a canister with a wind flap ttached externally to the canister and connected to a drogue chute that is housed inside the canister. The drogue chute is situated atop a main chute that is atop a release mechanism, which is atop a fuze and that is atop a chaft payload, all of which is housed inside the canister. When the AIRBOC is dropped from a plane, the wind flap extends, pulling out the drogue chute. The drogue chute in turn activates the release mechanism which frees the drogue chute to pull out the main chute to which the drogue chute is connected. The deployment of the main chute causes a force greater than 40 lbs to be applied to the release mechanism, resulting in the chaff payload being released from the canister and the fuze being activated, consequently detonating the released chaff payload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1986
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Waymon Humphries, John Bryant, Richard C. Eklund, Donald C. Hayes, Peter Ferko
  • Patent number: 4627355
    Abstract: A separable joint for a two-part oceonographic sensor package wherein the two parts are cylindrically shaped and joined by a cylinder of chemically tempered glass. A pyrotechnic device inside the unit will, upon command, activate to shatter the glass thereby effecting separation. A second and similar pyrotechnic device is provided for redundancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: James E. Gause, Ronald E. Armiger
  • Patent number: 4622900
    Abstract: An exploding missile has a casing and a parachute attached to the casing for making it move in a predetermined direction relative to the casing after launch. A charge in the casing has a projectile-forming front face, facing forward in the travel direction. An antenna is provided on the casing behind the front face and charge and is displaceable between a retracted position wholly behind the charge and an extended position projecting laterally therefrom and directed at least generally forwardly in the direction past the charge. An actuator is connected between the casing and the antenna for moving same from the retracted into the extended position after launch of the missile. A controller including a receiver connected to the antenna and a detonator in the charge detects the distance to a target in front of the missle and explodes the charge when a predetermined distance is detected or the target is otherwise sensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1986
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfram Witt, Hendrick Lips, Herbert Scholler, Raimund Schweiger
  • Patent number: 4538519
    Abstract: A warhead unit carrying a pay load and being suspended from a parachute which brakes the descent of the warhead unit. The pay load includes a sensor for detecting a target and a projectile-forming charge which is fired from the pay load when activated by the sensor. The pay load is rotated by jet nozzles first about a longitudinal axis and then about a diagonal axis after the point of suspension has been shifted from the center of the top surface of the pay load to a corner of the top surface of the pay load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1985
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfram Witt, Manfred Moll
  • Patent number: 4498393
    Abstract: Minimum probability of collision during the dispensing procedure is desirable in the distribution of submunition, such as mines, bomblets, or subsidiary projectiles by means of rockets or shells.For this purpose, a dual ejection process is provided wherein the individual submunitions are accommodated severally in special dispensing units which units, in turn, are inserted as secondary elements in the rockets or shells. Upon primary ejection over the target area, the dispensing units are ejected, stabilized at a distance from the rockets or shells, and subjected to a deceleration different from that of the rockets or shells so that the flight paths diverge, thus precluding collision. Subsequently, in a secondary ejection, the submunition is ejected from the dispensing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1985
    Assignee: Dynamit Nobel Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Fischer, Heinz Kroschel, Joachim Nicodemus, Willi Petters
  • Patent number: 4488488
    Abstract: A device which serves as a safety mechanism for a warhead to prevent accital detonation thereof. The warhead includes a chute in the form of a ribbon which is folded thereon prior to flight of the warhead to a target. The device serves to releasably secure the ribbon chute to the warhead while also acting as a safety mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Lonnie L. Looger, Gerald S. Smith
  • Patent number: 4478148
    Abstract: An underwater communication system capable of being delivered by a missile or detonating a plurality of charges in a timed sequence. The system includes a main power supply, decelerometer means, separation switch means for electrically interconnecting and energizing the decelerometer means and said main power supply upon receipt of an arming signal from the missile, thermal battery means, means coupled to said decelerometer means for deploying a parachute and for energizing the thermal battery means, timer means for releasing the explosive charges in a predetermined sequence and means couples to the thermal battery means for energizing the timer means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1963
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Albert Applebaum, Albert S. Will, Samuel A. Humphrey, Frank C. McLean, Sylvan Wolf, Carl R. Peterson, Harry J. Gauzza, John C. Hetzler
  • Patent number: 4379534
    Abstract: A system for transferring cargo at sea by helicopter includes an automatily activated self inflatable apparatus for reducing the velocity of the cargo if jettisoned or inadvertently dropped into the sea and for keeping the cargo afloat until retrieval may be accomplished. The cargo is lifted by a support sling attachable to a helicopter suspension cargo hook and simultaneously connected to a second sling in parallel to the helicopter through the rapidly deployable retardation and floatation device. Release of the support sling causes the cargo to drop and initiate deployment and inflation of the ribs of the parachute thereby retarding the cargo's descend and providing buoyancy for its floatation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ralph A. Miller, Randall F. White
  • Patent number: 4372215
    Abstract: The invention concerns a process and apparatus for transporting and dropping a plurality of charges contained in a single container. Within the shell of the container is arranged a plurality of modules, the bodies of which contain a charge, which may particularly be military; said modules are extracted one by one, upon command, through the rear of the shell. This extraction can take place only if a general mechanical control element has moved from a position called the "safety" position to a position called the "cocked" position, a movement which can take place only when the means for fastening the container has been released from the lug holding it to the carrier vehicle. The invention is applied particularly to modular bombs having fragmentable modules designed for neutralization of relatively widespread ground targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1983
    Assignee: Thomson-Brandt
    Inventor: Roger Crepin
  • Patent number: 4367680
    Abstract: The invention features use of a probe that is flexible until after the munition is projected, so that it may be folded up and compactly stored despite considerable length, but is fairly rigid as the munition descends toward earth, and cooperates with other mechanism to explode the munition when the end of the probe engages an obstruction such as the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1963
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1983
    Assignee: William Howard Hart
    Inventor: William H. Hart
  • Patent number: 4333400
    Abstract: A two stage parachute recovery system for use in recovering fuzes or other ensitive equipment from a projectile that has been launched from a gun barrel wherein explosive means are successively detonated by a timing mechanism and by centrifugal force imparted to the projectile respectively so as to deploy each of the said parachutes and to thereby recover the fuze before impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1982
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: John F. McNelia, Carl R. Peterson
  • Patent number: 4296685
    Abstract: A plurality of warheads are disposed for ejection one behind the other, axially in a load-carrying missile with slave missiles disposed in firing tubes and parachutes connected to the warheads and causing their directional, braked descent in the target area. Proximity fuses cause the firing of the slave missiles. Each warhead consists of a firing tube which is open at both ends and in which two slave missiles are disposed with a common propellant charge between them. A parachute of each of the warheads is secured to the firing tube intermediate its length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1981
    Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Romer, Hans-Egon Schepp