Safe and arm device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorLee R. Hardt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safe and arm device having a bellows motor-driven rotor bearing a detonr. When the device is in the SAFE condition the detonator is shrouded by an airpot piston extending from one end of a spring secured within the airpot cylinder in the housing. The airpot piston compresses the spring in response to weapon acceleration until the piston fully resides in the airpot cylinder in the device housing. The rotor is thus free to be rotated overriding a detent maintaining the SAFE condition by the action of the bellows motor which is electrically activated. The rotor turns until it reaches the "ARMED" position where the detonator therein is positioned directly in line with weapon's warhead explosive trigger charge in the housing. The rotor is rotationally secured relative to the housing in the "ARMED" position by the action of another detent.
Claims18
An acceleration actuated safe and arm device for an external booster explosive, said device having a SAFE position and an ARMED position and, comprising:
- a housing having a window at one end, and a longitudinal axis normal to said end,
- a means for exploding a booster explosive,
- a means for detonating said exploding means,
- a fixed base disposed at said window end of said housing and having an intermediate surface facing into said housing normal to said longitudinal axis, an elongated shaft extending normal to said surface from the center thereof and coincident with said longitudinal axis, a first cylindrical receptacle extending partially and longitudinally into said base from and normal to said intermediate surface, a second cylindrical receptacle separated angularly from said first cylindrical receptacle and extending from and normal to said intermediate surface through said base to said window to receive said exploding means, a third cylindrical receptacle separated angularly from said first and second cylindrical receptacles and extending normal from the open end in the intermediate surface of said fixed base partially therethrough, and a boss extending normal to said surface at a point radially spaced from said shaft and angularly displaced on said surface from said exploding means, said boss having at least one planar radial face,
- a means rotatably disposed upon said shaft in juxtaposition with said fixed base for holding said detonating means in the SAFE position of said device angularly displaced from said exploding means prior to device acceleration, and in the ARMED position of said device in direct alignment with said exploding means after the required level of device acceleration has been attained, and moving said detonating means between said SAFE and ARMED positions,
- an acceleration actuated means movably disposed between said fixed base and said means for holding and moving said detonating means for shrouding said detonator and locking said means for holding and moving said detonating means from rotation prior to device acceleration and, unshrouding said detonator and unlocking said means for holding and moving said detonating means for rotation at a predetermined acceleration said holding and moving means relative to said fixed base for holding said means for exploding when said device is in said SAFE or said ARMED position, respectively, and
- a means affixed to and extending from said means for holding and moving said detonator, to abutting relation with said planar radial face of said boss extending normal to said intermediate surface of said fixed base, for applying force to said boss and turning said means for holding and moving said detonator relative to said fixed base between said SAFE and ARMED positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.