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US 4,308,449 AGranted
Tactical nuclear slide rule
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorClair S. Kelley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A calculational aid is provided, in the form of a slide rule, to facilitate calculation of damages inflicted by a nuclear detonation. The particular apparatus permits calculation of the effects of an air blast, due to static overpressure, resulting from such a detonation. Appropriate scales, properly spaced in particular relationships, are provided on a slide rule, thus providing a means for performing the calculational functions described above. The calculations utilize five parameters, and the present invention provides an apparatus for determining any one of the five parameters once the other four are known.
Claims8
Means for computing probability of damage to an item located a specified distance from a detonation site of a weapon having a predetermined yield comprising:
- (a) stationary means, having a plurality of stationary means scales associated therewith,
- (b) slide means in sliding relationship with said stationary means and having a plurality of slide means scales associated therewith,
- (c) said stationary means scales and said slide means scales each comprising a plurality of indicia,
- (d) movable aligning means associated with said stationary means and with said slide means for aligning various indicia on the scales thereof,
- (e) one of said slide and stationary means having a first scale thereon having first indicia corresponding to values representative of weapon yield, said first indicia being spaced along said weapon yield scale at distances determined by a first scaling factor,
- (f) the other of said slide and stationary means having a first scale thereon having second indicia corresponding to values representative of distance from detonation site, said second indicia being spaced along said distance scale at distances determined by a second scaling factor,
- (g) the other of said slide and stationary means having a second scale having third indicia corresponding to values representative of an environmental parameter, said third indicia being spaced along said environmental parameter scale at distances determined by a third scaling factor,
- (h) said first scaling factor bearing a ratio to said third scaling factor of 0.567 and said second scaling factor bearing a ratio to said third scaling factor of 1.70, and said environmental parameter scale being displaced relative to said weapon yield and distance scales by a factor representative of the natural log of 1.61, whereby said environmental parameter may be calculated by aligning said first scales of said stationary and said slide means, by displacing said movable aligning means to correspond to said weapon yield, and by obtaining said environmental parameter from said second scale of said other of said slide and stationary means, adjacent said aligning means,
- (i) and means to determine said probability based on said calculated value of said environmental parameter.
6 more elements
Means adapted to compute the probability of damage to an item located at a specified distance from a detonation site of a weapon, comprising
- first means comprising indications of first data values representative of weapon yield,
- second means comprising indications of second data values representative of distance from detonation site,
- third means associated and interrelated with said second means, comprising indications of third data values representative of an environmental parameter,
- manipulation means, comprising a base and slide member, for facilitating calculation of said environmental parameter in accordance with a predetermined relationship existing among said first, second and third values, wherein said base and slide member comprises means for correlating a known first data value and a known second data value, thereby giving an indication of said third data value representative of said environmental parameter,
- means for determining said probability from said calculated environmental parameter,
- said first means comprises visual indications of said first data values on one of said base and slide member, and said second and third means each comprises visual indications of said second and third data values on the other of said base and slide member,
- said first means further comprising logarithmic graduations representing said values of weapon yield, said values of weapon yield comprising first indicia spaced along a first scale at distances determined by a first scaling factor,
- said second means further comprising logarithmic graduations representing said values of distance from detonation site, said values of distance comprising second indicia spaced along a second scale at distances determined by a second scaling factor,
- said third means further comprising logarithmic graduations representing said values of said environmental parameter, said values of said environmental parameter comprising third indicia spaced along a third scale at distances determined by a third scaling factor,
- said first and second scaling factors bearing respective ratios to said third scaling factor which are determined by said relationship existing among said first, second and third data values, and said third scale being displaced relative to said first and second scales by a factor determined by said relationship existing between said first, second and third data values.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.