Ammunition and explosives – Projectiles – Line carrying or filamentary material distributing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-18
2001-05-01
Johnson, Stephen M. (Department: 3641)
Ammunition and explosives
Projectiles
Line carrying or filamentary material distributing
C089S001340
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223659
ABSTRACT:
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein was made in the performance of official duties by employees of the Department of the Navy and may be manufactured, used, licensed by or for the Government for any governmental purpose without payment of any royalties thereon.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to anti-entanglement of lines, and more particularly to a device that prevents a line from becoming entangled during storage and during the payout thereof under tension.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Systems requiring the payout of feed line during deployment typically present a potential feed line entanglement problem. An example of one such system is the U.S. Navy's anti-personnel obstacle breaching system (APOBS) disclosed in “Reliable and Effective Line Charge System,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/12,932, filed on Jan. 24, 1998. Briefly, the APOBS is a portable explosive line charge system used for mine and obstacle neutralization. The system includes a rocket tethered by a line to a series of charges distributed in a spaced-apart fashion along a detonation cord.
As witnessed during developmental testing, the line experiences standing wave motion as the rocket propels itself down range. The distributed line charge moves through the standing wave similar to the way a wave travels down a rope that has been whipped up and down. However, rather than the wave moving through the distributed line charge, the distributed line charge moves through the wave as it flies down range. This gives the appearance that the wave is stationary above the ground and along the flight path. The standing wave causes the line to whip the distributed line charge and create acceleration loads that act in multiple directions which tend to cause line charge fuze failure, charge rupture and general entanglement of both the line and distributed line charge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that prevents a system's feed line from becoming entangled prior to and during deployment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that prevents entanglement of a tensioned line that is attached on a first end thereof to a propulsion unit and attached on a second end thereof to a distributed mass.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.
In accordance with the present invention, a line storage device prevents a line from becoming entangled. At least one piece of material is formed with a channel that receives a line therein. The channel defines a non-overlapping zigzag pattern such that the line extends from opposing ends of the piece of material. The material supports the line in the channel until the line extending from the opposing ends attains a threshold tension at which point the piece ruptures sequentially along the zigzag pattern from each opposing end. The channel can be formed in or on one or more surfaces of the piece of material.
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Garcia Felipe
Irizarry Gilberto
Woodall Robert
Gilbert Harvey A.
Johnson Stephen M.
Peck Donald G.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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