U.S. patent application number 11/201851 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-04 for flexible collapsible armor structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to MJD Innovations, L.L.C.. Invention is credited to Thomas S. Ohnstad.
Application Number | 20070000377 11/201851 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37587978 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070000377 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ohnstad; Thomas S. |
January 4, 2007 |
Flexible collapsible armor structure
Abstract
A gun turret armor shroud for the 360.degree. shielding of a
gunner atop a military vehicle having a top-mounted gun including a
generally annular, fabric-based. flex-curtain structure, and
associated with this flex-curtain structure at least one of (a) an
internal support frame, and (b) an external support frame.
Inventors: |
Ohnstad; Thomas S.; (Salem,
OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROBERT D. VARITZ, P.C.
4915 S.E. 33RD PLACE
PORTLAND
OR
97202
US
|
Assignee: |
MJD Innovations, L.L.C.
|
Family ID: |
37587978 |
Appl. No.: |
11/201851 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60624489 |
Nov 1, 2004 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
89/36.13 ;
89/36.02; 89/903; 89/917; 89/935 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41H 7/04 20130101; F41H
5/20 20130101; F41H 1/00 20130101; F41H 5/06 20130101; F41H 5/0478
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
089/036.13 ;
089/036.02 |
International
Class: |
F41H 5/20 20060101
F41H005/20 |
Claims
1. A gun turret armor shroud for protecting a military vehicle-top
gunner comprising a flex-curtain, armor-material surround mountable
on the top of a military vehicle, and shaped, when so mounted, to
provide 360.degree. lateral anti-projectile protection for a gunner
positioned to operate a vehicle-top gun on the vehicle, said
surround having a nominal design shape, and being returnably
deformable from that shape to assume different other shapes, and
support structure operatively connected to said surround and
adapted yieldably to support the surround in its said nominal
design shape.
2. The shroud of claim 1, wherein said support structure comprises
a distribution of plural column elements.
3. The shroud of claim 2, wherein said column elements each takes
the form of an inflatable/deflatable component.
4. The shroud of claim 3, wherein said support structure further
comprises fluid conduit structure operatively connected to, and in
fluid communication with, said inflatable/deflatable
components.
5. The shroud of claim 1, wherein said surround is formed of a
flexible and collapsible armor fabric.
6. The shroud of claim 5, wherein said fabric includes a
fluid-impervious, inflatable/deflatable structure.
7. The shroud of claim 5, wherein said fabric takes the form of a
weave of elongate, aramid fibres.
8. The shroud of claim 5, wherein said fabric takes the form of a
weave of elongate, ceramic-surfaced strands.
9. The shroud of claim 5, wherein said support structure comprises
a distribution of plural column elements.
10. The shroud of claim 9, wherein said surround takes the form of
a structure with a pair of spaced walls, and said column elements
are disposed within the space between said walls.
11. The shroud of claim 10, wherein said column elements each takes
the form of an inflatable/deflatable component.
12. The shroud of claim 10 which further includes, in the space
between said walls, a fill of elongate, slender ceramic-surfaced
shards.
13. The shroud of claim 12, wherein aid shards are entrained in a
flexible foam material.
14. The shroud of claim 10, wherein said fabric takes the form of a
weave of elongate, aramid fibres.
15. The shroud of claim 10, wherein said fabric takes the form of a
weave of elongate, ceramic-surfaced strands.
16. A gun turret armor shroud for the 360.degree. shielding of a
gunner atop a military vehicle having a top-mounted gun comprising
a generally annular, fabric-based. flex-curtain structure, and
associated with said flex-curtain structure at least one of (a) an
internal support frame, and (b) an external support frame.
17. The shroud of claim 16, wherein said flex-curtain structure is
compoundly curved.
18. The shroud of claim 16, wherein said support frame is internal,
and is selectively inflatable and deflatable to allow for selective
raising and collapsing of said flex-curtain structure.
19. The shroud of claim 16, wherein said support frame is external,
and takes the form of an elastomer layer whose association with
said flex-curtain structure takes the form of being a portion of
that structure.
20. The shroud of claim 16, wherein said flex-curtain structure
includes at least one of (a) a layer including ceramic tiles, (a) a
layer including elongate, woven aramid fibres, and (c) a layer
including elongate, woven strands having ceramic outer
surfaces.
21. The shroud of claim 16, wherein said flex-curtain structure is
double-walled.
22. The shroud of claim 21, wherein said flex-curtain structure
includes a reverse-bend region which bridges between the double
walls in the structure.
23. A vehicle-top gun turret armor shroud deployable adjacent and
around a vehicle-top gun comprising a nominally upright central
axis, and a flexible, impact yield-and-return, 360.degree. armoring
body circumsurrounding said axis.
24. The shroud of claim 23, wherein said body is formed with
compoundly curved layers of woven armoring fabric.
25. The shroud of claim 23 which is structured to accommodate
selected collapsing and un-collapsing of said body generally along
said central axis.
26. The shroud of claim 25, wherein said armoring body, when
collapsed, is configured with its walls in a serpentine-fold
condition.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This patent application claims priority to prior-filed,
copending, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/624,489,
filed Nov. 1, 2004, for "Flexible Gun Turret Armor Shroud". The
entire disclosure content of that prior-filed provisional
application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention pertains to personnel protective armor in the
form of a gun-mount surround-shroud, also referred to as an
armor-material surround. In particular it relates to a flexible,
fabric based, personnel-guarding, anti-ballistic gun turret armor
shroud contoured for surrounding a military vehicle-top gun and its
mount. The proposed shroud takes the form of a flexible,
fabric-walled, wrap-around basket-like assembly of plural material
layers, including an outer, high-elastomer strike layer, and
backing layers including at least one, and preferably plural,
fabric layer(s) each formed of one or more selected anti-ballistic
materials, such as (a) ceramic tiles, (b) ceramic-surfaced,
ductile-cored strands, and/or strand shards suitably contained, and
(c) aramid fibres.
[0003] The shroud of the invention may be (a) free-standing and
generally self-supporting, (b) supported by a flexible, passive
internal support structure which is columnar in nature, or (c)
collapsibly supported with a flexible, active, internal,
inflation/deflation structure, such as one formed by flexible,
inflatable/deflatable tubes, with this inflation/deflation
structure being fluid-coupled to a fluid-distribution
manifold/plenum structure near the base of the shroud.
[0004] Contour fabrication of at least portions of the flexible
fabric employed in the shroud may conveniently be accomplished
utilizing teachings found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,825,912 and
4,949,761, the disclosure contents of which are hereby incorporated
herein by reference.
[0005] As will become apparent, by using advanced, lightweight
materials and ballistic-barrier techniques and materials, the
shroud of this invention may be formed to be quite lightweight in
construction, and because of its flexible fabric characteristics,
may also be formed readily in a wide variety of useful
configurations. Because of these important features, the invention
offers wide-ranging options for use in a large number of military
armoring settings, such as those involving vehicle-top, gun-mount
armoring, where low weight and special shaping may be significant
considerations.
[0006] A further important advantage offered collaboratively (a) by
the fabric-like, flex-curtain nature of the invention, and (b) by
the flexibility which is embodied in the support structure that is
provided in certain modifications of the invention, is that the
shroud responds to a ballistic impact with an important yielding
deflection which plays a significant role in defeating a ballistic
strike, such as a bullet or shrapnel strike.
[0007] These and various other important, novel and useful features
of the invention will become more fully apparent as the detailed
description which now follows is read in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a military vehicle
carrying a top-mounted machine gun. The space around this gun is
shown guarded by a preferred and best-mode embodiment of a pliable,
fabric-based (fabric-walled), free-standing turret armor shroud, or
structure, constructed according to the present invention. Fabric
in this shroud preferably takes the form of a weave including
either aramid fibres, or ceramic-surfaced, ductile-cored strand
material. The weave of this fabric is such that it accommodates
selective raising and collapsing of the shroud as illustrated in,
and described herein with respect to, FIG. 8 in the drawings.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a larger-scale, isometric view of the shroud of
FIG. 1 shown alone and isolated from other structure. Dashed lines
are employed in this figure to illustrate an internal flexible
tubular frame which is employed according to one preferred manner
of embodying and practicing the invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 is an isometric view, similar to FIG. 2, but here
showing in solid lines the mentioned internal frame pictured in
dashed lines in FIG. 2. The fabric wall structure of the shroud is
illustrated in dash-double-dot lines in FIG. 3.
[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view taken generally
along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2 illustrating a representative cross
section taken through one sidewall, or wall, portion of the shroud
of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This view illustrates one of the internal
frame tubes employed in the shroud embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,
with a portion of the illustrated tube broken away to show details
of internal construction.
[0012] FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view taken generally in
the area embraced by curved arrows 5-5 in FIG. 4, with the internal
frame removed from this view, and with one potential internal
modification illustrated in dash-dot lines.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a view very much like that presented in FIG. 4,
but here showing, in solid lines, a modified form of the shroud of
this invention in which the flexible, fabric wall structure is
self-supporting, in the sense that it requires no internal frame
such as the tubular frame illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. FIG. 6,
with respect to a curving dash-dot line presented in this figure,
illustrates also another modified form of the invention wherein the
entire inside of the shroud wall and base structure is coated with
a fluid-impervious elastomeric coating.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a view which is also very much like FIG. 4, except
that it shows yet another modified form of the invention in which
there is an internal flexible tubular frame wherein the tubes are
inflatable and deflatable devices to permit selective elevation and
collapse (un-collapsing and collapsing, respectively) of the shroud
structure of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a stylized and schematic illustration of the cross
section of a wall portion (or wall) of a shroud made in accordance
with the modification shown in FIG. 7. This wall is illustrated in
four different line characters to picture inflatable/deflatable
elevation and collapse of the structure under the influence of
pressure fluid supplied and exhausted through a control manifold
which is schematically illustrated at the base of FIG. 8. It is in
this figure of the drawings that the wall of the shroud of this
invention can be seen to possess what is referred to herein as a
serpentine-fold condition when collapsed.
[0016] FIG. 9 is a view which is also like FIG. 4, except that it
illustrates still another modified form of the invention wherein
the double-walled fabric shroud of the invention which is nominally
supported by an internal tubular frame like that illustrated in
FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 7, is otherwise filled with a random and chaotic
jumble/mix of tiny, elongate, sharp-edged, strand shards of
essentially the same ceramic-surfaced, ductile-cored, elongate
strand material mentioned above in the description of FIG. 1. FIG.
9 illustrates two different manners of incorporating such
shards.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Turning now to the drawings and referring first of all to
FIGS. 1-4, inclusive, indicated generally at 20 in FIG. 1 is a
military ground vehicle, on the roof 20a of which is mounted a
single, swivel machine gun 21 which is to be operated by a single
person (a gunner) stationed with it. Such a weapon and, of course,
the gunner assigned to operate it, are deployed in an extremely
vulnerable, high-exposure, high-risk condition in a combat
situation.
[0018] To deal with this dangerous condition, suitably mounted on
roof 20a through a base 22a (which base may be annular or
"ring-like" in nature, or in fact not present at all in certain
implementations of the invention) is a flexible, fabric-based,
flex-curtain armor turret shroud structure 22 constructed in
accordance with one preferred form of the present invention. Shroud
22, which is generally annular as viewed from above, and which has
the three-dimensional, inverted, basket-like configuration pictured
in FIGS. 1-3, inclusive, includes, as support structure, a flexible
internal support frame 24 which takes the form of plural, generally
upright, elongate, flexible, hollow tubes, or column elements, 26
that are filled with a suitable closed-cell foam core material 28
(see FIG. 4), such as polyethylene foam. Tubes 26 (frame tubes) are
made preferably of conventional reinforced "fire-hose" material,
such as rubber-lined, fibre-reinforced tubing, with a
cross-sectional outside diameter of about 3-inches. These frame
tubes are suitably joined at their lower ends 26a to base 22a, and
are S-curved inwardly as shown, with their upper ends joined
through flexible links 27 of any suitable nature. Looking
specifically at FIGS. 2 and 3, one can see that two of these tubes
are not linked at their upper ends, but rather are linked more
nearly adjacent their lower ends by a short link 27a. This
structure is provided in order to define a gun-barrel-accommodating
window 22b in the shroud.
[0019] Shroud 22 is also referred to herein as an armor-material
surround, and as a compoundly curved annular structure. As can be
seen, with respect to an upright shroud central axis 29 (see FIGS.
1 and 2), this shroud furnishes effectively 360.degree. lateral
protection to a gunner stationed with gun 21.
[0020] Shroud 22 has a ballistic armoring wall 22A possessing a
profile with a kind of gentle S-shaped (mentioned above) profile as
illustrated, with this wall possessing an upper annular side which
is smaller in diameter than its lower, annular side. The upper
side, or lip, of shroud 22 is outwardly flared as shown, and the
part of this lip which is diagonally opposite window 22b has a
raised portion 22c for guarding the sides and back of a gunner's
head. As will shortly be seen, wall 22A, which is also referred to
herein as a flexible, impact yield-and-return armoring body, is
formed with, among other things, plural, compoundly curved layers
including woven armoring fabric layers.
[0021] Shroud 22, and its associated base and internal frame
structures, are preferably mounted on the top of vehicle 20 to
accommodate swiveling of gun 21 as required.
[0022] Specifically forming ballistic armoring wall 22A in shroud
22 is a fabric-based, double-walled, multi-layer, drape-like
structure 30 which has, as will now be described, plural layers
preferably formed of several different materials which collaborate
in unique ways to defeat impacting projectiles (such as bullets,
shrapnel, etc.).
[0023] FIGS. 4 and 5 show one preferred construction for structure
30. In general terms, and as shown in these two figures, structure
30 includes outer and inner spaced wall portions (or walls) 30a,
30b which are bridged by a curved, reverse-bend, connecting cap
portion, or region, 30c (the previously mentioned shroud lip).
[0024] Several things which may be observed immediately from a
study of the drawings is that fabric-like shroud wall structure 30,
which, as will be seen, is principally formed of
flexible/collapsible, returnably deformable armor fabric, in its
several wall and cap portions, possesses a quality of compound
curvature. One consequence of this curvature configuration is that,
in addition to providing specific, ballistic-attack "material
responses", as will shortly be described, it deals with projectile
impacts in a highly configuration-collaborative and cooperative
manner by various acts involving telegraphing and "sharing" of
regional impact-reaction behaviors. In a manner of thinking,
because of the "fabric curvature" which exist in flexible structure
30, and because of certain qualities of bending and unbending
(loading and unloading) associated with flexibility and elasticity,
impact shocks become widely dissipated in the forms of material
deformation, and flex-produced heating.
[0025] This compoundly curved shape for shroud 22 is referred to as
a nominal design shape. It is a shape which the structure of the
shroud tends naturally to assume. As will become understood from a
reading of all of the disclosure contents herein, when a ballistic
event, such as a bullet strike, occurs, the shroud deforms
yieldably and elastically to deal with the strike. It then returns
substantially to its nominal design shape.
[0026] In FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, structure 30 is shown in solid lines in
its nominal design shape. In dashed lines at 30A in FIG. 4, the
fragmentary portion of structure 30 shown there is illustrated in a
yieldably deflected, deformed other shape which it has assumed in
response to a ballistic impact that has occurred somewhere on its
right side in this figure. Following such a yielding deflection,
structure 30 returns substantially to its solid outline condition
in FIG. 4.
[0027] In a preferred form, structure 30 includes an outer, all
over layer, or coating, of a high-elastomer 32 with a significant
elongation capacity of about 360%, and a thickness, in the
particular embodiment of the invention now being described, of
about 0.1-inches. An appropriate range of thickness for layer 32
has been found to be from about 0.05-inches to about 0.25-inches. A
product which works extremely well for this layer is the
polyurethane elastomer product called TUFF STUFF.RTM.FR, made by
Rhino Linings USA, Inc. in San Diego, Calif. Layer 32 may be
created by spray fabrication on other, internal structure (next to
be described) which exists in structure 30. Layer 32 forms a
continuum over the outer sides of wall portions 30a, 30b, and over
the outer side of bridging cap portion 30c.
[0028] Progressing inwardly from outer layer 32 in outer wall
portion 30a, next included is a woven fabric plural-layer 34 made
herein, for example, of three, independently woven plys of elongate
aramid fibres, each about 0.01-inches thick, with these plys being
suitably facially bonded to one another via any suitable
thermoplastic film adhesive. In shroud 22 as it is now being
described, layer 34 extends as a continuum over cap region 30c and
is included, as can clearly be seen in FIG. 5, as a part of inner
wall portion 30b. Those skilled in the art will recognize that more
or less than three plys of material may be used in layer 34.
[0029] Disposed immediately inwardly of layer 34 in outer wall
portion 30a is a layer 36 formed of plural, edge-to-edge adjacent,
ceramic tiles 36a suitably attached to a backing layer 36b (shown
very darkened) which may be made of suitable woven aramid fibres.
Layer 36 extends herein only as a part of outer wall portion 30a,
rising as high as possible into the outer side of cap region 30c.
Tiles 36a herein have dimensions of 2.times.2.times.0.275-inches.
Other dimensions may, of course, be selected for such tiles.
[0030] Continuing inwardly in wall portion 30a, next encountered is
a plural-layer assembly 38 (10-plies) of woven, elongate aramid
fibres. This layer assembly extends from wall portion 30a through
and within cap region 30c to merge with another, similar
plural-layer woven-aramid-fibre assembly 40 (preferably about
15-plies in all) which forms part of inner wall portion 30b,
immediately inwardly of layer 34. As is the case with respect to
the confronting plies in layer 34, the confronting plies in
assemblies 38, 40 are facially bonded with a suitable,
conventional, thermoplastic film adhesive.
[0031] Preferably, the woven fabric components employed in
structure 30 are contour woven in accordance with the teachings of
the two above-referred to U.S. patents to give structure 30 the
compoundly curved shape illustrated in the drawings.
[0032] Shown in dashed-dot lines at 42 in FIG. 5 is one form of
modification of the shroud structure described so far herein. More
specifically, indicated in dash-dot lines at 42 is a modification
wherein another ceramic tile layer is introduced into the structure
to form part of inner wall portion 32b, for example, immediately
inwardly relative to layer assembly 40.
[0033] Another modification of the invention can involve replacing
some or all of the aramid fibres mentioned above in the various
woven fabrics with elongate strands of titanium which possess a
brittle ceramic outer surface that transitions through a
brittle/ductile internal region to a central ductile core. Each
strand in such a modification might preferably have a
diamond-shaped (or other selectable) cross section with relatively
sharp outer, cross-sectional corners forming sharp, elongate edges
in each strand. A material suitable for this purpose is extruded
Tiadyne.TM., made by ATI Wah Chang in Albany, Oreg. To achieve the
condition where this material possesses a ceramic outer surface
region which transitions through a brittle/ductile region to an
inner ductile core, the material is processed in an oven at a
temperature of about 1700.degree. F. in an oxidizing environment
for a time period ranging from about 5-minutes to about 1-hour.
[0034] Still another modified form of the invention is shown in
solid lines in FIG. 6 of the drawings, wherein the shroud structure
there illustrated is nearly the same as that which was described
above with reference to FIG. 1-5, inclusive, except for the fact
that in this modification there is an external rather than an
internal frame structure. In this modification, wall structure 30
is suitably formed to be very adequately self supporting, thus to
provide, by its own structure, the required "frame" support. This
can be accomplished in a number of different selectable ways, such
as by employing an outside elastomer coating which is near the
upper end of the thickness range described earlier herein, or
through adding more material layers within the woven fibre
components previously described, or both of these things.
[0035] Describing now yet another modified form of the invention,
this is particularly illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Here what is
shown is a selectively collapsible form of shroud in which frame
tubes 26 (here called inflatable/deflatable components) are hollow
(as shown at 26b), are top-capped (as shown at 26c), and have then
lower ends disposed in valve-controlled fluid-communication with
and inflation/exhaust, dual-channel air plenum, or manifold, 44
(see FIG. 8) provided in, or as an attachment to, base 22a.
Manifold 44 is also referred to herein as fluid conduit
structure.
[0036] FIG. 8 shows shroud wall structure 30 very schematically in
four different conditions: (a) with the tubes 26 fully inflated
(solid line); (b) slightly collapsed (dashed line); (c) more
significantly collapsed (dash-dot line); and (d) fully collapsed
(dash-double-dot line). This shroud wall, in its fully collapsed
condition (d) is seen to be "serpentine-folded". The weaves
employed in the various earlier-mentioned wall fabrics are designed
to accommodate this fully folded/collapsed condition. A
base-perimeter, outrigger trough 46 (illustrated schematically with
dash-triple-dot lines) may conveniently be provided for
"collection" and support of the fully collapsed shroud wall
structure.
[0037] In still one further modified form of the invention, and
referring back to FIG. 6 with reference to the curving dash-dot
line which is shown at 43 in this figure, the entire surface of the
wall structure, as well as the inside base of shroud 22, could be
coated with the above-discussed elastomer TUFF STUFF.RTM.FR
coating, or fluid-impervious structure, in a manner enabling it to
be an inflatable/deflatable substructure without the need for also
having internal, inflatable/deflatable frame tubes. Such an inside
elastomeric coating, represented in FIG. 6 by line 43, could also
play an appreciable role in ballistic barriering. For example it
would be poised, so-to-speak, to cooperate with outer elastomer
layer 32 to deal especially with obliquely striking projectiles to
produce twisting and erratic tumbling of such a projectile as part
of the shroud's "strategy" for providing anti-ballistic
protection.
[0038] Turning attention now to FIG. 9, where still two further
modifications of the invention are shown, here, frame tubes 26,
disposed within the space between portions 30a, 30b of wall
structure 30, are "augmented" with a fill of, preferably, a random
and chaotic, flexible-foam-encapsulated, or entrained, jumble 46 of
tiny, strandlets, or shards, of elongate strand material which is
substantially the same as that described earlier herein as a
ceramic-strand substitute for aramid fibres in a modified version
of layer 34 and assemblies 38, 40. These sharp-edged shards might
typically each have a length of about 1-inch, and a maximum
cross-sectional dimension of about 1/8-inches. The entraining foam,
shown fragmentarily at 48, might typically be made of any suitable
polyurethane or cross-lined polypropylene material which is
flexible, and the "blend" of foam and shards may be
density-adjusted" to suit different specific applications.
[0039] Indicated generally at 50 in FIG. 9 is a "shard" version of
this modified form of the invention where jumbled shards are not
specifically encapsulated in any other material.
[0040] Such shards function among other ways, to cut and break up
striking projectiles.
[0041] As can now be appreciated, the turret armor shroud of the
present invention, in all illustrated and described embodiments,
obviates the necessity for a vehicle-top gunner to wear cumbersome
personal armor. The proposed shroud furnishes full 360.degree.
protection without interfering in any way with a gun's, or the
gunner's, mobility. The shroud can be made, as those skilled in the
art will appreciate, in a way where it is relatively light in
weight, and it can easily be installed with many kinds of vehicles.
Flexibility in the shroud provides a unique, and very effective,
yield-and-return response to a ballistic impact. The shroud's
fundamental fabric-based flexibility, thus, is one of the key,
contributing projectile-defeating mechanisms.
[0042] Initial response by the preferred high-elastomer outer
layer, coupled with fragmentation of the incorporated ceramic
tiles, and aided by the resistance and load-delivery behavior of
the employed aramid (or ceramic-surfaced) fibres, result in a
formidable ballistic defense. Ceramic, sharp-edged strands add,
where used, the additional defense of cutting projectiles into
smaller pieces.
[0043] The collapsible versions of the shroud enable selective
raising and lowering of it as desired. Appropriate air-flow valving
can assure that a chance puncture of an inflated internal support
tube (when such tubes are employed) cannot thereby cause deflation
of any other support tube.
[0044] The compoundly curved shape of the shroud can easily be made
utilizing, along with other fabrication techniques, the contour
fabric weaving approach described in the two referenced U.S.
patents. Shapes differing from those specifically illustrated and
described herein can be readily made and employed. For example, the
upper portion of the shroud which is opposite that from which a gun
barrel extends may be constructed in various ways with a raised
portion to furnish additional armor shielding of a gunner's
head.
[0045] Accordingly, while preferred and modified embodiments of the
invention have been described and illustrated herein, other
variations will certainly come to the minds of those skilled in the
relevant art. It is intended that all such other variations will be
recognized as coming within the scope and spirit of this
invention.
* * * * *