Combined mine safety deployment and activation system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorWilliam H. Reams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A naval mine combined fail-safe deployment and activation system which, ar the mine has been dropped from an aircraft, deploys a parachute to slow its descent and thereafter arms a target detection device when the mine has settled into the water to a predetermined depth for exploding the mine when a target is detected.
Claims8
A device for aiding deployment of a naval mine from an aircraft and initiating its activation at beyond predetermined water depth, comprising:
- a pair of biased plungers restrained in respective initial positions by a releasing lanyard adapted for connected to the aircraft;
- a first plunger of the pair adapted upon lanyard release to be moved by its bias to a second position for initiating battery activation and closing a circuit adapted to actuated means to deploy a parachute for slowing air descent of the mine;
- a pair of facing members, one being rotatable and carrying a detonator and the other carrying an explosive lead which is in communication with an explosive charge;
- a second plunger of the pair when in its initial position locking the rotatable member from rotation with the detonator out of communication with the explosive lead in the other member;
- said second plunger upon lanyard release adapted to be moved by water pressure at beyond a predetermined depth against its bias to a second position for unlocking the rotatable member, thereby freeing the rotatable member for rotation and,
- means responsive to the second plunger when in its second position for causing rotation of the rotatable member for aligning the detonator and explosive lead in communication;
- and,
- means for activating a target detecting device after the rotatable member is rotated to align the detonator and explosive lead;
- said target detecting device once activated adapted to fire the detonator upon detecting a target.
A device for aiding deployment of a naval mine from air into water and activating it at a predetermined water depth, comprising:
- biased means restrained against movement by a lanyard which is adapted to be connected to an aircraft;
- said biased means adapted for release from the lanyard after the mine is dropped from the aircraft;
- a first of the biased means after lanyard release adapted to move to another position for activating a battery and closing a circuit to activate means for deploying a parachute from the mine;
- a pair of interfacing members, one of which is rotatable and carries a detonator and the other contains an explosive lead;
- a second of the biased means normally locking the one member from rotation with the detonator and explosive lead out of explosive communication;
- said second biased means, after lanyard release and after the mine has settled into water beyond a predetermined depth, adapted to be moved by water pressure to anther position for unlocking the one member;
- power means caused to be energized by the second biased means when in its said another position for causing means to rotate the one member to place the detonator and explosive lead in explosive communication;
- and
- means for energizing an electric circuit for activating a target detecting device after the rotatable member is rotated to align the detonator and explosive lead.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.