Measuring and testing – Ordnance and projectile
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-30
2002-10-22
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Ordnance and projectile
C073S162000, C073S167000, C324S178000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06467342
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the testing of firearms and is directed more particularly to measuring velocities of projectiles, such as bullets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Until recently, it has not been feasible to shoot bullets underwater. Currently, however, supercavitation drag reduction allows bullets to be fired underwater at velocities sufficient to inflict damage on a target, explode mines, and the like.
It is known to measure velocities of bullets fired underwater. A fired bullet passes through a number of motion detector sensors in a sequential manner, the sensors being generally aligned with the expected trajectory of the bullet.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,725, issued Jul. 14, 1998, in the names of Ivan N. Kirschmer et al, there is shown and described an assembly for testing an underwater gun. The assembly includes motion detector sensors, each comprised of a coil of copper windings in alignment with the expected trajectory, such that a tested bullet passes through the coils in its passage through the assembly. When the test bullet, which may be provided with a magnet, passes through a coil, such passage generates an electromotive force in the coil which is passed to a timer recording device. The timer recording device, in addition to recording the time of passage of the bullet, and having programmed therein the distance between sensors, determines the velocity of the bullet between each two sensors.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, It will be seen that a known motion sensor
20
comprises a thin support sheet
22
of plastic, or the like, retained in a rigid frame
24
. An electrically conductive wire
26
is mounted on the sheet
22
, as by printed circuit membrane methods, and is arranged such that a bullet passing through the sheet
22
will necessarily interrupt the wire
26
in one or more bullet hole areas
28
. The sheet
22
, frame
24
, and wire
26
combination is generally referred to as a “break-screen”
30
. The conductive wire
26
is in communication with a power supply and amplifier device
32
which, in turn, is in communication with a data collection/display apparatus
34
which provides an indication as to the times at which the break-screens are sequentially broken, and computes therefrom the time taken for the bullet to travel between break-screens
30
, and, therefrom, the velocity of the projectile.
Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, it will be seen that the above-described assembly may include a series of sequentially arranged break-screens
30
placed in a water container
36
, such as a test tank or natural pond, or the like. The break-screens
30
are placed in an expected trajectory
38
of a bullet, or other projectile, fired from a gun
40
. In a test tank, an array
42
of break-screens
30
may be mounted on carriage rails (not shown), or the like, normally provided in test tank assemblies. In a pond, or the like, the array
42
of break-screens
30
may be suspended from a floating barge
44
, or other vessel.
A shown in
FIG.3
, each break-screen
30
is provided with an amplifier
32
, each of the amplifiers
32
being adapted for connection to the collection/display apparatus
34
.
Inasmuch as the array
42
may include from two to forty-eight, or more, break-screens, it is deemed beneficial to remove the amplifiers
32
from the break-screens
30
, such that the requirement of large numbers of amplifiers for a given assembly is eliminated and the handling of break-screens, comprising only the sheet
22
, wire
26
and frame
24
, is simplified.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an apparatus for measuring the velocity of a projectile, the apparatus including a selected number of break-screens and a single common amplifier for all of the break-screens.
With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for measuring velocity of the projectile, the apparatus comprising a plurality of break-screens aligned with each other serially and along a line of travel of the projectile, and parallel to each other, and spaced from each other and from a projectile firing device by selected distances. Each of the break-screens comprises a support sheet and an electrically conductive wire mounted on the sheet so as to be interrupted by passage of the projectile through the sheet. An amplifier is in communication with each of the conductive wires and is adapted to provide an indication as to a change in voltage in each of the break-screens upon passage of the projectile therethrough, and an indication as to time of the passage. A data collection/display apparatus provides an indication as to the times at which the break-screens are broken, from which there is computed the velocity of the projectile.
The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular apparatus embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3792354 (1974-02-01), Slaght et al.
patent: 5531113 (1996-07-01), Jamison
patent: 5713239 (1998-02-01), Kirschner
patent: 5778725 (1998-07-01), Kirschner et al.
Disclosed prior art. Figs. 1-3.
Jackson Andre′ K.
Kasischke James M.
McGowan Michael J.
Oglo Michael F.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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