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US 4,600,166 AGranted
Missile having reduced mass guidance system
AssigneeAllied Corporation
InventorsHerbert T. Califano, James M. Schuchardt, Gotthard K. Spindler
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAllied Corporation
InventorsHerbert T. Califano, James M. Schuchardt, Gotthard K. Spindler
Estimating the term…
A guided projectile (11) is provided with a gyroscope (29) having a spherical rotor (41). The rotor (41) is supported at its outer spherical surface by a stator (42) using fluid bearing techniques. The stator (42) is fixed to the projectile's housing (38) so that the gyroscope (29) is operated in a strapdown mode. The structure of the gyroscope (29) and particularly the stator (42) places very little material along its center axis of the projectile (11). This is particularly useful where the projectile's warhead (17) functions by squirting a stream (25) of metal through a target's armor, and any material in the way of the stream (25) would tend to diminish the lethality of the projectile (11). The spherical configuration of the rotor (41) and the use of the stator (42) as a support bearing also provides a method of supporting the rotor (41) during conditions of high acceleration which are experienced in cannon launch of the projectile (11). Other advantages include light weight, low cost and high reliability.
Guided missile having a warhead with a shaped charge which expels energy in a forward direction, a guidance system including a gyroscope located forward of the shaped charge, and the gyroscope having a rotor which has an axis extending from a front end to an aft end of the rotor, a stator which remains stationary with respect to the rotor, means for causing the rotor to rotate about said axis and means to determine the angular position of said axis, characterized by:
Guided artillery projectile having a warhead with a shaped charge which expels energy in a forward direction, a guidance system including a gyroscope located forward of the shaped charge, and the gyroscope having a rotor which has an axis extending from a front end to an aft end of the rotor, a stator which remains stationary with respect to the rotor, means for causing the rotor to rotate about said axis and means to determine the angular position of said axis, characterized by:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.