Explosive mine
AssigneeFerranti Limited
InventorJames M. Buick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marine mine 10 (FIG. 4) is arranged to have a buoyancy state in which the force of gravity and/or buoyancy act on the mine in a vertical direction to move the mine through the water and includes control means operable to control guidance surfaces 16, 17, 18 projecting from the mine to impart a lateral gliding movement to the mine to steer it to intercept a target. The buoyancy state is determined by a buoyancy compartment forming part of the mine body which may be flooded to lay the mine at a submerged station. Sonar sensing means detecting a target causes air from a cartridge to displace water from the buoyancy compartment to provide an upward buoyancy force which is used to give lateral movement to the mine which is steered on a trajectory intercepting the target.
Claims52
A marine mine arranged to have a buoyancy state in which the force of gravity and buoyancy act on the mine in a vertical direction to move the mine through the water and including control means operable to control guidance surfaces projecting from the mine to impart a lateral gliding movement to the mine to steer it to intercept a target and return the mine to a launch station if undetonated by the target for use when another potential target is detected.
A marine mine arranged to have a buoyancy state in which the force of gravity and buoyancy act on the mine in a vertical direction to move the mine through the water and including control means operable to control guidance surfaces projecting from the mine to impart a lateral gliding movement to the mine to steer it to intercept a target, said control means including valve means operable to alter the buoyancy of a launched mine by controlling the introduction of sea water and/or gas into a buoyancy compartment, said valve means being arranged to change the buoyancy state after the mine has failed to be detonated by a target, and control means further including navigation means operable to record the path taken by the mine and provide the control means with instructions for returning the mine to its launch station in the event of non-detonation.
A marine mine arranged to have buoyancy state in which the force of gravity and buoyancy act on the mine in a vertical direction to move the mine through the water and including control means operable to control guidance surfaces projecting from the mine to impart a lateral gliding movement to the mine to steer it to intercept a target, said mine having a body which is elongate so as to provide a minimum drag along a longitudinal axis along which it moves, the guidance surfaces including hydrofoil section main wings extending from the body to produce a lifting or sinking force acting transversely to the wings with a vertical component opposing the external weight or buoyancy moving the mine and slowing the vertical motion of the mine and a horizontal component causing the mine to glide laterally of the launch position, elevator flaps arranged to be tilted out of the plane of the wings to alter the angle of glide and a rudder/tailplane having a control surface movable in a plane transversely to the elevator flaps to stabilize the gliding motion of the mine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.