Other

Gain Technology Corporation

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Burr-brown Corporation

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Inc.

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tacital Systems, Inc.

General Dynamic Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Inc.

Douglas L Smith

Joseph P Morris

Robert J Zakowicz

Scott Cameron McLeod

Paul G Lichon

Robert St Pierre

An apparatus and system for controlling the trajectory of a projectile having two rotationally decoupled sections, wherein the first section is rotationally decoupled from the second section. The first section of the projectile contains a navigation system. The first section also contains an actuator by which aero-control surfaces on the second section are actuated. The second section may have external aero-spin surfaces which provide a torque counter to the rotation of the base projectile. The apparatus and system also includes embodiments having applications for nose sections of projectiles.

Trajectory modification of a spinning projectile by controlling the roll orientation of a decoupled portion of the projectile that has actuated aerodynamic surfaces

The invention is a projectile, device and system having a roll control device which may be fixed or deployable, for providing torque counter to the spin of the projectile and providing drag on the projectile. The roll control device includes a guidance collar rotatably attached to the projectile located near a front end of the projectile wherein the guidance collar includes one or more guidance collar aero-surfaces shaped to provide torque counter to the spin on the projectile. The guidance collar aero-surfaces may be controlled by a brake and guidance electronics on the projectile. The invention also includes a body collar fixedly attached to the projectile aft of the guidance collar, wherein the body collar includes one or more body collar aero-surfaces and fixed or deployable drag devices. Another embodiment use only a guidance collar aero-surfaces to orient a fixed drag device relative to an Earth inertial reference frame to create asymmetrical drag on the projectile and thereby altering its trajectory.

Trajectory modification of a spinning projectile

The invention relates generally to a roll damping apparatus for a spinning projectile having a first section and a second section rotatably attached about a roll axis. The roll damping apparatus comprises a first portion attached to the front section, and a second portion attached to the rear section. The first portion is adapted to cause a braking frictional force to act on the second portion, the braking force being effective to control the spin rate of the front section relative to the rear section. The invention further relates to a spinning projectile having a roll damping apparatus.

Frictional roll control apparatus for a spinning projectile

Trajectory is controlled by a control system having fins that de-spin a section of the control system relative to a projectile or missile. The control system also includes aero-surfaces that produce a lift when brought to rotation speed of about 0 Hz relative to a reference frame and a brake that couples the guidance package to the rotational inertia of the projectile or missile. In one example, no electric motor is used in the trajectory control system, saving weight and increasing reliability.

Projectile trajectory control system

The present invention relates generally to crossbow bowstring drawing mechanisms, also called cocking mechanisms in the art. More particularly, the present invention relates to a crossbow bowstring drawing mechanism that is integrated into a crossbow. The mechanism primarily consists of a pneumatically actuated piston and cylinder assembly, a compressed gas dispenser, and a string pick up arm. An after-the-fact bolt-on kit is also intended to be within the scope of this application allowing retrofit to existing bows not currently outfitted with this cocking feature. The bowstring cocking mechanism may utilize an internal power source such as compressed carbon dioxide (CO) cartridge, or a plurality of cartridges to actuate the pneumatics that are part of the cocking mechanism on demand. Such actuation draws a bowstring from the un-cocked position to the cocked position. Likewise, such actuation will equally allow a controlled dry-fire, allowing the bowstring to be released from the cocked position to the un-cocked position; the pneumatics acting as a system damper, preventing damage to the bow limbs.

Pneumatic cocking device

The present invention teaches a variety of transconductance circuits formed having two or more class AB transconductor amplifiers coupled in parallel. The class AB transconductor amplifiers have non-linear voltage to current transfer functions and are each designed with an offset chosen such that the combination of the individual nonlinear transfer functions achieve a more linear transconductance circuit.

Linear and multi-sin h transconductance circuits

The present invention teaches a variety of transconductance circuits formed having a class AB transconductor amplifier coupled in parallel with at least one concave compensation circuit. When the transconductance circuit has only one concave compensation circuit, the concave compensation circuit is designed with no offset so that the concave transconductance gain of the compensation circuit compensates for the convex transconductance gain of the class AB amplifier thereby providing a more linear transconductance circuit. When the transconductance circuit includes multiple concave compensation circuits, they each are designed with an offset chosen such that the combination of the individual concave transfer functions achieve a more linear transconductance circuit.

Linear transconductance circuits having class AB amplifiers parallel coupled with concave compensation circuits

Linear and multi-sinh transconductance circuits

The present invention teaches output stages having distortion performance improved relative to prior art class-AB output stage distortion performance. The general concept is to constantly bias the feed-forward circuitry of the output stage into a low-distortion operating state. This can be done through several different methods, each of which has its own particular circuit requirements. For example, in one embodiment the bias circuitry generates a near constant bias current suitable for forcing the feed-forward circuitry into a low-distortion operating state regardless of the output stage output value.

Class-ab output stages with improved distortion performance

A plurality of amplifying power converter circuits are provided each including a pair of switches being connected between two constant voltage sources and an output node common to each of the switches. Such output node is adapted for connection to a load. Also included is a modulator that serves for opening and closing one of the switches with a first duty cycle and opening and closing another one of the switches with a second duty cycle. The first duty cycle and the second duty cycle are at least partially 'overlapped'. During modulation, the power converter has a voltage gain at the output node that is greater than unity and exhibits improved distortion characteristics.

Amplifying power converter circuits

A synthetic railroad tie is provided including a plurality of solid ties each constructed from plastic and having a rectangular configuration. A pair of rails are each situated over the ties in perpendicular relationship therewith and residing adjacent one of a pair of end faces thereof.

Synthetic railroad tie

A compensated bias current circuit for use in an operational amplifier including a differential input stage, a gain stage, and an output driver stage. The compensated bias current circuit includes a PNP current mirror control transistor having an emitter coupled to a first supply voltage conductor, a collector coupled by a first conductor to a first terminal of a current source circuit, and a base connected to a second conductor, with the second conductor connected to first and second PNP current mirror output transistors in the gain stage and a third PNP current mirror output transistor in the output driver stage. The compensated bias current circuit also includes an NPN current mirror control transistor having an emitter coupled to a second supply voltage conductor and a collector and base coupled by a third conductor to a second terminal of the current source circuit, a first NPN current mirror output transistor in the differential input stage, and a second NPN current mirror output transistor in the output driver stage. A single compensation capacitor is connected between the first conductor and the third conductor. The compensation circuit compensates instability in the PNP and NPN current mirrors and also provides balanced responses of the PNP and NPN current mirror to 'glitches' in the power supply.

Stable bias current circuit for operational amplifier

The present invention teaches a variety of output stages, buffer circuits, and power amplifiers as well as methods for buffering electrical signals. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an output stage includes an input, an output, an error stage coupled between the input and the output and responsive to a difference between an input signal present on the input and an output signal present on the output, the error stage being operative to generate a current control signal related to the difference between the input signal and the output signal, a current mirror coupled to the error stage and responsive to the current control signal to generate a demand driven current signal related to a magnitude of the current control signal, and an amplification stage coupled between the input and the output. Furthermore, the amplification stage is responsive to the input signal and to the demand driven current signal to generate the output signal on the output such that a voltage of the output signal is substantially equal to a voltage of the input signal. Some embodiments provide a unipolar output signal while other embodiments provide a bipolar output signal. In addition, a number of embodiments utilizing bipolar transistor technology, FET technology, and having different configurations which vary the current gain are taught.

Output stage for buffering an electrical signal and method for

In accordance with the objectives of the present invention, a variety of apparatus and methods for amplifying an electrical signal are disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a dual-output stage amplifier includes an amplifier stage having an input and an output, a first output stage having an input and an output, a second output stage having an input and an output and an error stage having an input and an output. The first output stage output is coupled with the output of the amplifier stage and responsive to the amplifier stage. If the first output stage output is coupled to an output load, the first output stage is capable of providing an output current to the output load such that a first output voltage related to an input voltage at the input of the amplifier stage is maintained across the output load. In turn, the second output stage input is coupled with the output of the amplifier stage and in parallel with the first output stage. Additionally, the second output stage output is coupled to the input of the error stage while the output of the error stage is coupled to the input of the amplifier stage. As taught by the present invention, the error stage is capable of providing a feedback current to the amplifier stage input such that a difference between a second output voltage generated by the second output stage and a desired second output voltage is reduced.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Douglas L Smith