Education and demonstration – Organized armed or unarmed conflict or shooting – Gunnery
Patent
1998-02-23
1999-08-24
Harrison, Jessica J.
Education and demonstration
Organized armed or unarmed conflict or shooting
Gunnery
434 11, 89 7, F41A 3300
Patent
active
059417099
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a weapon simulator for use for example in gunnery or weapons training to simulate the sound of gunfire, and more particularly a practice or simulated ammunition round for use in training or in battlefield simulation.
BACKGROUND ART
It is known to provide gunfire simulators which simulate the flash and noise of a gun being fired or the strike of an explosive projectile. At their simplest such gunfire simulators may be no more than blank cartridges which directly take the place of live ammunition. However for use in simulating the firing of battlefield weapons from small arms through missile launchers to heavy guns such as tank guns and field artillery it is known to provide pyrotechnic devices which are housed in a metal block which may, for example, hold 12,20 or 24 rounds and which is fixed to the exterior of the weapon platform close to the barrel of the weapon in question. Usually the weight of such devices is such that they cannot be fixed directly to the barrel of the weapon. Often the devices are sufficiently bulky to create an obstruction to the sight of the tank or gun crew. Since such devices are limited to a relatively small number of rounds, a lack of realism can result. Also the cost of the pyrotechnic devices, while being much less than that of live ammunition, is nevertheless appreciable.
Our U.K. patent GB-B-2250333 discloses a gunfire simulator intended to address these problems and comprising a combustion chamber, means for admitting fuel gas to the combustion chamber, ignition means for igniting fuel gas in the combustion chamber to cause an explosion, an exhaust port in the combustion chamber and outlet valve means for closing the exhaust port and arranged to open rapidly and with audible results in response to explosive pressure rise within the combustion chamber. Outlet valve means comprising a frangible diaphragm is specifically disclosed.
In the gunfire simulator disclosed in U.K. patent GB-B-2250333, the diaphragm may be part of a web, tape or ribbon of the thin sheet extending across the exhaust port and which is movable to position a fresh section of the sheet to close the exhaust port between one explosion and the next, and the simulator comprises means for feeding a fresh section of the web to the exhaust port after each explosion, and an automatic breechblock mechanism for releasably clamping a fresh section of the sheet in position during each explosion.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel practice or simulated round of ammunition.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The invention provides a simulated ammunition round characterised by a gunfire simulator having a combustion chamber, means for admitting fuel gas to the combustion chamber, ignition means for igniting fuel gas in the combustion chamber to cause an explosion and an exhaust port in the combustion chamber. The simulated ammunition round may comprise outlet valve means for closing the exhaust port and arranged to open rapidly and with audible results in response to explosive pressure rise within the combustion chamber. The outlet valve means may comprise a collapsible diaphragm having a peripheral edge and a breechblock mechanism for releasably gripping the peripheral edge of the diaphragm.
Thus the round may simulate a live round in general shape and size and will be adapted to be loaded into a weapon whereby on firing the weapon the dummy round will be operated to simulate gunfire. The dummy round may be provided with means, which may be in the form of a tilt or attitude or motion-sensing or proximity switch whereby the dummy round cannot be `fired` without first removing it from, and replacing it in, the receiving chamber of the weapon between firings. This is to ensure that a weapons operator must correctly complete the appropriate weapon loading and unloading procedure between successive firings. In this connection it is conceivable that the dummy round might generate a sufficient level of sound for gunnery practice and simulation without use of a collapsible o
REFERENCES:
patent: 4326847 (1982-04-01), Roe
patent: 4561848 (1985-12-01), Freeney, Jr. et al.
patent: 5180878 (1993-01-01), Denchfield
patent: 5396844 (1995-03-01), Hessey
patent: 5646363 (1997-07-01), Denchfield
Fleming David A.
Harrison Jessica J.
Lockheed Martin Tactical Systems U.K. Limited
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