Missile control means
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsFrederick E. Saxe, Seymour K. Einbinder
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Abstract
The application discloses a sub-missile which breaks up into fragments less han one grain in size and thereby has a lethal effect on personnel. The sub-missiles can be utilized in large missiles and rockets as a warhead by means of a canister so designed that the sub-missiles are dispersed through centrifugal force. The canister is provided with a plurality of control fins for slowing and then rotating the canister in flight, a plurality of rotary tubes and pivoted arms supporting the fins for rotating and pivoting about two different axes, and two separate means for independently actuating the tubes and arms to move the fins to canted, extended positions.
Claims6
An anti-material missile comprising
- a tubular housing member,
- anti-material sub-missiles retained in said housing member and adapted to be dispersed by centrifugal force when said housing member is rotated,
- a plurality of control fins for slowing and rotating said housing member, and
- means for mounting said fins on said housing member and for moving said fins into operative positions, comprising
- a plurality of tubular mounting means mounted on said housing member for rotation about a first axis normal to the longitudinal axis of said member,
- a plurality of arm means each attached to one of said fins and mounted on one of said tubular means for pivotal movement about a second axis normal to said first axis,
- means for pivoting said arm means to orient said fins in radial planes parallel to said longitudinal axis, and
- means for independently rotating said tubular means to re-orient said fins in radial planes canted with respect to said longitudinal axis, to cause rotation of said missile during flight
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.