Back to results
US 12,442,622 B1Granted
Variable payload launch device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsMichael Anderson, Grant Appel, Seth Konig, George Gardner, Shawn Mathis, William Yates, John Olson, Hugh Briggs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring loaded device for launching projectiles in a hostile environment. The device has an articulable launch assembly. The launch assembly has a spring loaded carriage for holding the projectile when loaded by an operator or a superjacent magazine. The carriage is retracted by a screw to a predetermined position based upon spring rate and the desired initial launch velocity and launch angle. Upon command or target acquisition a release mechanism releases the carriage for forward translation and launch of the projectile.
Claims20
A device for automatic projectile delivery, the device comprising:
- a base and a launch assembly operably connected thereto;
- the base comprising a frame and at least one stanchion upstanding from the frame for supporting the launch assembly;
- a fore panel and an aft panel longitudinally opposed thereto;
- at least one rail extending between the fore panel and the aft panel and holding the fore panel and aft panel in fixed relationship the launch assembly being articulable relative to a support surface;
- a carriage having a sled supported by the at least one rail to be longitudinally translatable, the carriage being spring biased towards the fore panel and having a bucket separable from the sled and configured to receive a projectile therein and launch a projectile therefrom;
- a screw, the screw being longitudinally parallel and being operably connected to the carriage whereby rotation of the screw imparts longitudinal retraction to the carriage as determined by a remote user;
- a launch motor adapted to impart rotation to the screw to cause longitudinal movement of the carriage in response to the rotation of the screw;
- and
- at least one rotatable tab for holding the sled in a predetermined longitudinal position between the fore panel and the aft panel and upon release allowing the bucket to advance forward under the spring bias to thereby launch a projectile therefrom.
6 more elements
A device for automatic projectile delivery, the device having a longitudinal axis and a lateral direction orthogonal thereto comprising:
- a base and a launch assembly articulably connected thereto;
- the base comprising a frame and at least one stanchion upstanding from the frame for supporting the launch assembly;
- a fore panel and an aft panel longitudinally opposed and in fixed relationship thereto;
- a carriage comprising a longitudinally translatable sled and bucket separably attached thereto;
- two shafts extending between the fore panel and the aft panel and supporting the carriage thereon, the carriage being spring biased away from the rear panel, the bucket being configured to receive a projectile therein and launch a projectile therefrom upon actuation of a release mechanism for holding the carriage in a predetermined longitudinal position between the fore panel and the aft panel in response to the spring bias;
- a screw, the screw being longitudinally parallel and being operably connected to the carriage to impart longitudinal translation thereto;
- and
- a launch motor adapted to impart a rotation to the screw upon command from a remote operator to thereby longitudinally retract the carriage to a position determined by the remote operator according to a particular payload and predetermined target.
5 more elements
A device for automatic projectile delivery, the device comprising:
- a base and a launch assembly articulably connected thereto by a bilaterally extendible and retractable lift to impart articulation to the launch assembly;
- the base comprising a frame and at least one stanchion upstanding from the frame for supporting the launch assembly;
- rotatable wheels operably associated with the frame, whereby the device can be mobile a fore panel and an aft panel longitudinally opposed thereto;
- at least one rail extending between the fore panel and the aft panel and holding the fore panel and aft panel in fixed relationship, the at least one rail being articulable relative to a support surface;
- a carriage having a sled supported by the at least one rail to be longitudinally translatable, the carriage being spring biased towards the fore panel and having a bucket with a force transducer therein and being separable from the sled and configured to receive a projectile therein, weigh the projectile received therein and launch the weighed projectile therefrom according to the weight of the projectile and a distance to a target;
- a screw, the screw being longitudinally parallel and being operably connected to the carriage;
- a launch motor adapted to impart rotation to the screw to cause longitudinal movement of the carriage in response to rotation of the screw;
- a release mechanism for holding the sled in a predetermined longitudinal position between the fore panel and the aft panel and upon release allowing the bucket to advance forward under the spring bias to thereby launch a projectile therefrom upon command from a remote operator;
- and
- a controller for selectively powering the wheels, lift and release mechanism.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.