Ordnance – Waging war
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-01
2002-11-26
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3641)
Ordnance
Waging war
C114S022000, C089S001809, C089S001810
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484618
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER PATENT APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the development of electronic countermeasures and is directed more particularly to an assembly for launching undersea warfare countermeasures which serve as decoys and to jam and confuse sonar systems of submarines and torpedoes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Acoustic countermeasure devices have become an integral part of undersea warfare. Such devices are used to confuse hostile sonar systems and thereby protect own force assets. Typical countermeasures are launched from a submarine and transmit acoustic signals. The signals are transmitted at a selected depth in the ocean and the devices are maintained at the selected depth by an active compensation system which maintains buoyancy. In practice, the devices typically are slightly negatively buoyant, requiring means for providing upward force to maintain depth.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, it will be seen that a known prior art countermeasure assembly
10
includes a cylindrical tube
12
in which are disposed a buoyancy maintenance system and countermeasures electronics (not shown). Fixed to the tube
12
is a transducer
14
which transmits signals from the countermeasure assembly
10
. A protective sabot
16
fits over the transducer
14
and is of a configuration which continues the cylindrical configuration of the tube
12
.
Submarines are provided with launch tubes
20
having therein a ram plate
22
, and a muzzle cap
26
disposed in a discharge end
28
of the tube
20
and held therein by shear pins
30
. The launch tubes
20
typically are mounted outside the pressure hull of the submarine. The launch tube
20
, ram plate
22
, and muzzle cap
26
define a compartment
32
complementary in shape and size to the countermeasure assembly
10
and sabot
16
.
Mounted in the tube
20
adjacent the ram plate
22
is a gas generator
34
. From within the submarine the gas generator
34
is activated to release gas under pressure. The gas forces the ram plate forwardly, to the right as viewed in FIG.
1
. The ram plate
22
and countermeasure
10
, including the transducer
14
and sabot
16
, move forwardly in the tube
12
, shearing the muzzle cap shear pins
30
and blowing away the muzzle cap
26
. The counter measure
10
, transducer
14
, and sabot
16
exit the tube
12
, with the transducer
14
protected during transit by the sabot
16
.
In due course, the sabot
16
drops away and the countermeasure
10
, including the transducer
14
, seeks a pre-selected depth from which to operate.
Recent advances in the buoyancy maintenance and transducer structure areas have resulted in reduced space requirements for countermeasures. It is now feasible from a size standpoint to launch two or more countermeasures from the prior art launch tube shown in FIG.
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a marine countermeasures launch assembly which facilitates the launch of a plurality of countermeasures from a single prior art launch tube.
With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the present invention is the provision of a marine countermeasures launch assembly comprising a cylindrical body comprising first and second members having, respectively, first and second surfaces engageable with each other to form the body. The first surface is provided with first and second recesses therein and the second surface is provided with first and second recesses opposed to the recesses of the first member when the members are engaged, to form a first chamber for retaining a first countermeasure and a second chamber for retaining a second countermeasure. The first and second surfaces have opposed bores therein. A spring is disposed in each pair of the opposed bores and urges the members to separate from each other to release the countermeasures after the assembly is launched.
The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular assembly embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the 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: 2779282 (1957-01-01), Raffel
patent: 4676167 (1987-06-01), Huber et al.
patent: 5666900 (1997-09-01), Carroll et al.
patent: 6336641 (2002-01-01), Williams
patent: 2002/0073831 (2002-06-01), MacLeon
patent: 123598 (1919-03-01), None
Carone Michael J.
Kasischke James M.
McGowan Michael J.
Oglo Michael F.
Sukman Gabriel S.
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