1998-06-25
1999-11-23
Johnson, Stephen M.
Ordnance
Pneumatic
89 12, 89 114, F41A 3300
Patent
active
059880392
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.
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, a flap valve for admitting air to the combustion chamber, means to force ambient air into the combustion chamber through the flap valve, 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 gunfire simulator of the same general kind as is disclosed in our U.K. patent GB-B-2250333.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The invention provides a collapsible diaphragm to form an outlet valve means in a weapon simulator of the kind 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, 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 and breechblock means for holding the outlet valve means in position to close the exhaust port, characterised in that the diaphragm comprises a disc of dimensionally-stable sheet material having a peripheral portion adapted to be held by the breechblock means. The dimensionally stable material may be cardboard or plastics.
The collapsible diaphragm may be constructed such that in use it collapses, that is to say, it deforms due to pressure rise in the combustion chamber such that it is released intact by the breechblock mechanism, at least to the extent that no part of the diaphragm is retained by the breechblock mechanism after firing. In this case it is important that the material of the diaphragm is chosen to be dimensionally stable such that its deformation does not cause the diaphragm to stretch to any significant extent since this might hinder or prevent the intact release of the diaphragm.
In
REFERENCES:
patent: 3479857 (1969-11-01), Bloxsom, Jr. et al.
patent: 4416630 (1983-11-01), Hagen et al.
patent: 4662844 (1987-05-01), Gallagher et al.
patent: 4732085 (1988-03-01), Gershenson et al.
patent: 5180878 (1993-01-01), Denchfield
patent: 5646363 (1997-07-01), Denchfield
Denchfield Clifford
Gledhill Paul
Johnson Stephen M.
Lockheed Martin Tactical Sytems U.K. Limited
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