Ordnance – Waging war
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2001-08-07
Eldred, J. Woodrow (Department: 3644)
Ordnance
Waging war
C089S041050, C102S502000, C102S425000, C361S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269726
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of defensive weapons and more particularly to a defensive weapon comprising a multi-cartridge, remotely operated, TASER® system affixed to a video camera for remote selection of the boresight direction for cartridge activation.
2. Prior Art
A non-lethal, cartridge-based TASER® weapon is disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,803,463 issued Apr. 9, 1974 entitled WEAPON FOR IMMOBILIZATION AND CAPTURE; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,132 issued Feb. 24, 1981 entitled POWER SUPPLY FOR WEAPON FOR IMMOBILIZATION AND CAPTURE. Each cartridge comprises a pair of wire tethered contacts such as darts and a propulsion source such as gun powder, gas, or the like. The wires are connected to opposite polarities of a high voltage, low current, pulsed source of power. Upon activation of the weapon, the two darts are explosively propelled toward a selected target. Simultaneously, the high voltage is applied through the wires to the metal pins of the darts. The voltage is applied across the target's surface, producing a non-lethal, but temporarily disabling pulsed current.
The applicant's parent application, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,183 of which the present application is a continuation-in-part, discloses a multiple cartridge weapon which may be used in a manner analogous to mines to disable multiple personnel, but without the lethality of unexploded mines inadvertently activated by innocent bystanders after hostilities have ended. However, the mine-like weapon is implemented without real time control and without any form of accurate aiming as is typical in a more conventional TASER® weapon.
There is a continuing need for a multiple cartridge TASER® system which may be used for defense against multiple personnel and which can be used to fire one cartridge at a time at accurately selected targets and under real time personnel control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to protect police stations, other government buildings and key facilities such as airports, embassies, armories, TV and radio stations from assault, during major demonstrations or riots, and to protect internal corridors, without resorting to lethal force. A number of the inventive systems are used in the facility so that they also cover each other from assault. For military operations other than warfare, the system, in addition to perimeter control, can also be turret mounted on a vehicle to protect food distribution trucks, etc. This non-lethal weapon is controlled via remote video from a hardened security room within the facility or from the vehicle cab. The invention is useful for force protection operations and can be part of a dual force capability system to minimize force against intruders and agitators that are not lethally armed while providing a longer range, lethal option against suicide attacks or lethally armed assailants as part of a common weapons platform.
The device is a permanently installed, armored, motorized unit incorporating a gun sighted video camera and a multiple cartridge TASER® system to remotely fire one cartridge at a time. An indexing plate automatically rotates to sequentially bring each cartridge into the boresighted position that is aligned with the video camera sight. The unit is gimbaled so that an operator in a remote location can rotate the unit in both azimuth and elevation to accurately aim at a subject within a 30 foot range of the device. As the first of a plurality of shots available is fired, the indexing plate automatically rotates to align the second cartridge to boresight and arms the second cartridge. Cartridges are not armed until they are in boresight position, but once fired they remain activated until manually deactivated by the operator. The unit is designed to resist thrown rocks and small arms fire from 30 feet away. Once the TASER® is fired, an inherent fear of electricity generally causes hostile persons to withdraw to a safe distance. In the worst case, the device would delay an assault to permit timely calls for assistance and to assemble tactical teams and reserves to deal with the situation.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
There are therefore a number of objects of the present invention a principal one of which is to provide a multiple firing TASER® device which may be aimed from a remote site to temporarily incapacitate hostile persons within a selected distance.
Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple firing TASER® device attached to an electronic sighting device such as a TV camera and to a gimbaled platform to permit remote sighting and aiming against selected targets.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a multiple firing TASER® device having a remotely controlled moveable boresight which may be adjusted in at least two orthogonal directions for altering the firing direction at each respective firing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3803463 (1974-04-01), Cover
patent: 4253132 (1981-02-01), Cover
patent: 5379676 (1995-01-01), Profeta et al.
patent: 5685636 (1997-11-01), German
patent: 5686690 (1997-11-01), Lougheed et al.
patent: 5936183 (1999-08-01), McNulty, Sr.
patent: 5955695 (1999-09-01), McNulty, Sr.
Eldred J. Woodrow
Resnick Barnet
Tachner Leonard
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