US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

David L Overman

Robert N Johnson

Leo P Rongus

William L Konick

Roland A Granfors

A sensing device for sensing acceleration consisting of a number of miniae steel bearing balls as mass elements, a housing for locating and containing the mass elements, a printed circuit board for sensing a discrete number of levels of acceleration, and an array of cantilever beam flexure elements equal in number to that of the mass elements located between the mass elements and the printed circuit board.

Cantilever beam G-switch

A system for manually setting a timing value of an electronic fuze for an artillery projectile prior to firing without tools or electric power, and for displaying the set timing value in standard decimal format. Two adjacent setting rings, disposed about the outside of the fuze housing, are interconnected together with the housing so that one ring rotates with the other ring when the other ring is manually rotated in one direction about the housing axis, but is prevented from rotating when the other ring is rotated in an opposite direction about the housing axis. Each ring carries a plurality of numbers disposed about its outer periphery such that one of the numbers is axially aligned with an indication mark on the fuze housing at each setting of the ring. The two series of numbers are oriented laterally so that the two numbers aligned with the indication mark constitute the desired timing value. Also these two series of numbers are selected so that the indicated timing value can be manually adjusted in equal time increments from a minimum value to a maximum value, with the total number of selectable timing values being equal to the number of settings of one ring times the number of settings of the other ring. Each ring actuates a ring-type membrane switch assembly disposed between the ring and the fuze housing to encode a multi-bit code to the electronic fuze corresponding the indicated number of that ring.

Setting ring system for electronic time fuzing

Apparatus for setting and displaying a numerical value to be encoded to an electronic device, including a molded plastic support structure, a printed circuit board membrane type switch assembly which is affixed to the support structure and which includes a plurality of rows of four switches, and a like plurality of molded plastic switch actuator shafts associated respectively with the rows of four switches. Each actuator shaft has a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the associated row of four switches, and is pivotally connected to the support structure for rotation about its axis. Each shaft includes a plurality of raised annular segments for opening and closing the four switches in the adjacent row. The segments are arranged so as to provide ten combinations of open and closed switches as the shaft is rotated, to provide a 4-bit binary code corresponding to one of ten numbers 0-9, depending on the rotary shaft position. Also, each shaft includes the ten numbers 0-9 disposed about the shaft axis on the front surface of a shaft flange such that the number adjacent an indicator on the support structure corresponds to the binary code setting. The numbers 0-9 carried by each actuator shaft are oriented such that the indicated numbers are readable as a discrete number in standard decimal format corresponding to the numerical value to be encoded.

Coding switch assembly

An acceleration actuated switch is disclosed which is capable of distinguishing between random and brief acceleration forces on the one hand and sustained acceleration forces on the other hand. The device comprises a stationary electrical contact and a movable contact held in position by biasing means. Sustained acceleration forces in a particular direction will drive the movable contact along a fixed path to a position whereat the biasing means may bring the movable contact into proximity with the stationary contact thereby closing the switch. If the acceleration force is not in the proper direction or is not applied to the switch for a sufficient length of time, the biasing means will return the movable contact to its original position thereby maintaining the switch in an open condition.

Acceleration switch

Relative rotation of the two rotational members of a fuze during dynamic dition of firing are eliminated by interlocking annular, serrated, axial seating surfaces of the two members. A radially sinusoidal split ring in between radially adjacent annular recesses of the members cooperates with an inclined wall of the outer member's annular recess to provide an axial force biasing the serrated surfaces into engagement during static conditions. The split ring further serves as a locking device to hold the two members together as an assembly.

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Silver Spring, MD, United States of America

David L Overman