U.S. patent number 3,565,009 [Application Number 04/808,707] was granted by the patent office on 1971-02-23 for aimed quadrant warhead.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Secretary. Invention is credited to Bernard VANZyl, John M. Allred, Robert L. Hoch.
United States Patent |
3,565,009 |
|
February 23, 1971 |
AIMED QUADRANT WARHEAD
Abstract
A cylindrical warhead having four separate explosive quadrant
sections which contain destructive fragments. Any one quadrant
section can be ejected to expose the destructive fragments and the
opposite quadrant section detonated to propel the fragments in a
selectable direction.
Inventors: |
John M. Allred (Houston,
TX), Bernard VANZyl (Altamonte Springs, FL), Robert L.
Hoch (Orlando, FL) |
Assignee: |
, The United States of America as
represented by the Secretary (N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
25199484 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/808,707 |
Filed: |
March 19, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
102/475;
102/492 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42B
12/32 (20130101); F42B 12/58 (20130101); F42B
12/204 (20130101); F42B 12/208 (20130101); F42B
12/22 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F42B
12/22 (20060101); F42B 12/20 (20060101); F42B
12/32 (20060101); F42B 12/58 (20060101); F42B
12/02 (20060101); F42b 003/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;102/24(H.C.),56--58,67 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Verlin R. Pendegrass
Attorney, Agent or Firm: E. J. Brower A. L. Branning T. O.
Watson, Jr.
Claims
We claim:
1. A warhead comprising: a plurality of separate explosive segments
defining a central cavity in said warhead; destructive fragments
with said cavity; means for removing any of said explosive segments
to expose said central cavity; and means for detonating the
remaining explosive segments.
2. The warhead of claim 1 wherein said means for comprises an
explosive element for propelling said segment away from the
warhead.
3. The warhead of claim 2 wherein each of said segments is made up
of two sections and said explosive element is positioned between
said two sections to propel them apart.
4. The warhead of claim 1 wherein said means for removing comprises
a propellant for propelling each segment away from the warhead.
5. The warhead of claim 4 wherein each of said segments is made up
of two sections and said propellant is positioned between said two
sections to propel them apart.
6. The warhead of claim 1 wherein each of said segments is made up
of two sections, said means for removing is positioned between said
two sections and there is provided means for releasably retaining
said two sections together.
7. The warhead of claim 6 wherein said means for removing is an
explosive element.
8. The warhead of claim 6 wherein said means for removing is a
propellant.
9. The warhead of claim 6 wherein each of said two sections has a
hole therein and said retaining means comprises a rod force-fitted
into the holes.
10. The warhead of claim 1 wherein said warhead is cylindrical and
each of said segments forms one quadrant of said cylindrical
warhead.
11. The warhead of claim 10 wherein each of said segments is made
up of two sections in end-to-end relation and said removing means
is provided between said two section.
12. The warhead of claim 11 wherein means are provided for
releasably retaining said two sections together.
13. The warhead of claim 12 wherein each of said two sections has a
hole therein and said retaining means comprises a rod force-fitted
into the holes.
14. The warhead of claim 13 wherein said detonating means is
provided at both ends of each quadrant, the quadrant opposite from
the removed quadrant being detonated simultaneously at both of its
ends.
15. The warhead of claim 14 wherein said removing means comprises
an explosive element.
16. The warhead of claim 14 wherein said removing means comprises a
propellant.
17. The warhead of claim 15 wherein said explosive element
comprises a metal plate, each side thereof having a plurality of
substantially parallel ribs thereon and an explosive cord wound on
each side of said plate between said ribs.
Description
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or
for the Government of the United States of America for governmental
purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or
therefor.
The present invention relates to a warhead and, more particularly,
to a warhead in which destructive fragments can be directed into
any one quadrant surrounding the longitudinal axis of the
warhead.
Prior art warheads usually incorporated fragments positioned on the
outer surface of the warhead to either be propelled radially of the
warhead or axially of the warhead. The fragments were prepositioned
and thus their direction of travel once the warhead had been
launched was fixed. Also in the prior art were mechanically aimed
warheads. Warheads of this type are oriented in the missile to fire
toward the target by mechanical actuators which respond to fusing
signals in the warhead. This arrangement is not very practical
since the warhead must be moved within the missile during flight.
Movement of the warhead involves high inertial loads which cause
long response times. Also, movement of the warhead during flight
induces moments into the missile which can affect its flight.
This invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing
a cylindrical warhead having separate quadrants of explosives. In
the center of the cylindrical warhead are provided destructive
fragments. Any one of the four quadrants can be ejected from its
position surrounding the fragments and the explosive quadrant
opposite from the ejected quadrant can be detonated thereby
propelling the destructive fragments through the space left by the
ejected segment. In this way, the direction of travel of the
fragments can be controlled by a signal causing ejection of any one
of the quadrants and causing subsequent detonation of the segment
opposite to the ejected segment.
An object of the present invention is the provision of a warhead,
the destructive effects of which can be channeled into a chosen
direction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cylindrical
warhead containing destructive fragments, several portions of the
warhead being selectively openable to project the fragments in a
chosen direction.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a
warhead having a section which can be ejected from the warhead to
provide an opening through which destructive fragments can be
propelled upon detonation of the warhead.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description of the invention when considered in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of applicants' warhead having a portion
thereof cutaway;
FIG. 2 shows two quadrant halves of applicants' warhead joined with
a connecting rod and having an explosive ejection unit
therebetween;
FIG. 3 shows the explosive ejection unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 shows two quadrant halves of applicants' warhead joined with
a connecting rod and having a propellant ejection unit
therebetween; and
FIGS. 5 through 8 show schematically the operation of applicants'
warhead.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the warhead
shows a missile generally designated 11 including a missile skin
12. A warhead generally designated by 14 is carried with the
missile skin. The warhead is made up of four sections, only three
of which 15, 16 and 18 are shown in FIG. 1 Each quadrant includes
two sections of explosives. As can be seen in FIG. 1, quadrant 15
contains segments 19 and 20 and quadrant 18 contains segments 21
and 22. Between the explosive segments of each quadrant is an
ejection means as shown at 24 and 25. More than one type of
ejection means can be used and two of the alternatives will be
discussed below. The segments of each quadrant are connected to
each other with a connecting rod such as 26 and a detonator 28 is
provided at both ends of each quadrant. At the center of the
warhead is a plurality of layered destructive fragments 29.
The purpose of the ejection means 24 and 25 is to eject the halves
of a selected quadrant thereby exposing the fragments. FIGS. 2 and
3 show one type of ejection means that can be used. FIG. 2 shows
two halves of a quadrant, such as 19 and 20 having holes 29 and 30
therein and a connecting rod 26 in the holes. Rod 26 may be
slightly force-fitted into the holes to retain the halves together
until a certain amount of parting force is applied to them. To
apply the parting force applicants provide a metal plate 31 having
ribs 4 thereon and an explosive cord 32 wound between the ribs, see
FIG. 4. Each side of the plate is sandwiched between the two
halves. When both cords are initiated the resulting explosion
overcomes the retaining effect of connecting rod 26 and halves 18
and 20 are parted thereby exposing the fragments inside the
warhead. The size of explosive 32 should be chosen to be large
enough to quickly part the two halves but at the same time small
enough not to detonate the two valves before they are clear of the
warhead.
FIG. 4 shows another type of propellent means that can be used.
Halves 19 and 20 contain cavities 35 and 36 and extensions of these
cavities 38 and 39. Within cavities 35 and 36 is provided container
40 for a propellent material which can be ignited by fuse 41.
Connecting rod 26 is fitted into cavity extensions 38 and 39. Upon
initiation of fuse 41 liquid propellant is ejected from either end
of container 40, thereby overcoming the retaining effect of rod 26
and parting halves 19 and 20 to expose the fragments within the
warhead.
OPERATION
Regardless of which of the ejection arrangements used, the general
operation of applicants' warhead is the same and can be seen in
FIGS. 5 through 8. The preferred method of operation is to
determine, once the missile has been launched and is in the
vicinity of the target, in which quadrant relative to the
longitudinal axis of the missile the target lies. The means for
doing this forms no part of the invention. One possible means would
be a proximity arrangement such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
3,136,251 to Witow. Such an arrangement could be provided in the
missile to detect the target and to activate the proper ejection
means and after a time lag, the opposite detonators. When it is
determined in which quadrant the target lies, the quadrant of the
warhead is ejected by initiation of the ejection means as seen in
FIGS. 5 and 6. After a time lag, which in experiment has been
approximately 2 milliseconds, the quadrant opposite to the ejected
quadrant is detonated at both of its ends, FIG. 7, thereby
detonating the entire warhead and ejecting the destructive
fragments through the quadrant of the missile which had contained
the ejected sections. This can be seen in FIG. 8.
Another possible method of operation is to preset the warhead
before launch to eject a particular quadrant and to initiate the
opposite quadrant and then to aim the warhead anywhere in the
proper quadrant surrounding the target.
The means for fusing and actuating the warhead form no part of this
invention and this can be carried out by techniques known in the
art. Obviously, for proper operation of the warhead the missile
will have to be provided with some means, for example, a gyroscope,
to prevent it from rotating randomly about its longitudinal
axis.
Applicants have provided a warhead in which the destructive effects
can be directed in a single quadrant surrounding its axis. This
permits construction of a lighter warhead having the same
destructive effects in the chosen quadrant as larger prior art
warheads or the construction of a warhead having the same weight as
the prior art warhead with much greater destructive effects in the
chosen quadrant.
Obviously many modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in view of the above teachings. For example,
any means to retain the quadrant halves until a certain amount of
parting force is applied can be used and a retaining rod is not the
only means possible. Further, other ejection arrangements for
parting the quadrant would be possible. Also, the warhead could be
divided into sections smaller than quadrants such as sixths or
eighths and the destructive effects channeled into their smaller
area. Similarly, it could be divided into large sections, for
example, thirds or halves and the destructive effects channeled
into this larger area. Also, the quadrant sections do not
necessarily have to be initiated at both ends, however, applicants
have found that this produces much higher fragment velocities than
detonation at a single point. The explosive segments can be
self-contained or possibly could be contained within a casing of
very light metal. Similarly, a casing of very light metal could be
provided for the fragments at the center of the warhead. The
fragments themselves could contain explosive or could be layered in
explosives to increase their destructive effect. These are examples
of just a few of the many modifications possible in view of the
above teachings.
* * * * *