Mechanical self destruct for runaway escapements
AssigneeDSE, Inc.
InventorNorman C. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An escapement fuze self-destruct mechanism for a projectile includes a drive weight that maintains a biasing member in a compressed state by centrifugal force when a projectile's RPM speed is above a preselected threshold. When the RPM speed falls below the preselected threshold, the biasing member exerts sufficient counter-rotational force to overcome the centrifugal force exerted by the drive weight. The biasing member expands to an uncompressed state and displaces the drive weight into position for mechanically implementing self-destruction of the projectile if a rotor is fully armed or for rendering the projectile “safe” if the rotor is in any position other then fully armed.
Claims6
A mechanical escapement fuze self-destruct device that is attached to a projectile that rotates about its axis of symmetry when in flight, comprising:
- a rotor having an armed position where a stab detonator is aligned with a primary charge or a spitback and an unarmed position where the stab detonator is misaligned with said primary charge or said spitback;
- said rotor being mounted in a hollow interior of said projectile and said rotor rotating conjointly with said projectile when said projectile rotates about said axis of symmetry;
- a firing pin and a firing pin drive spring mounted on said rotor;
- said firing pin drive spring being compressed and said firing pin being retracted when said projectile is rotating at an RPM associated with its maximum range;
- said firing pin drive spring being uncompressed and said firing pin being extended when said projectile is rotating at an RPM less than said RPM associated with its maximum range;
- said stab detonator being detonated when said firing pin is extended, said detonation causing self-destruction of said projectile if said rotor is in said armed position;
- and
- said detonation of said stab detonator rendering said projectile “safe” if said rotor is in said unarmed position because if said rotor enters into said armed position after detonation of said stab detonator, the primary charge or spitback cannot detonate due to the previous detonation of said stab detonator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.