USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Fred W Watson, Jr

Michael M Canaday

Robert G Lam

George R Evans

Vincent J Vendetti

John W Hannick

Steve N Chan

Thomas A DelGuidice

Charles F Stevens

Wayne Hannock

William M Canaday

J Wayne Hannock

Joseph C Monolo

An optical sight is integrated into a bracket that can support an optical scope. The bracket defines a bore therethrough such that an optical line-of-sight is defined that is parallel to the line-of-sight of the optical scope. A post extends vertically upward into the bore at a forward end of the bracket in a way that the post's outboard end can be selectively positioned in the bore along a vertical line extending through the bore. A plate with a viewing aperture formed therethrough is mounted across the bore at an aft end of the bracket in a way that the viewing aperture can be selectively positioned along a horizontal line that is perpendicular to the vertical line defined by the post.

Bracket-integrated back-up optical sight

A spotting rifle barrel is aligned and retained relative to a launch tube and a spotting rifle receiver housing. A first annular lug is coupled to an outer portion of a breech end of the spotting rifle barrel. A second annular lug is coupled to an inner portion of the spotting rifle receiver housing. The spotting rifle barrel extends through the second annular lug so that a forward end of the first annular lug abuts an aft end of the second annular lug. The forward end of the first annular lug and the aft end of the second annular lug meet at a complementary radius of curvature. The first annular lug is retained in an abutting relationship with the second annular lug. A boresight adjustment assembly cooperates with a muzzle end of the spotting rifle barrel to adjust the boresight of the spotting rifle barrel while allowing for axial movement of the barrel.

Spotting rifle barrel aligning and retaining system

This invention is a non-fragmenting warhead casing prepared from at least one thermosetting epoxy resin and carbon fibers wherein the epoxy resin is characterized as a liquid, low viscosity resin at ambient temperatures, curable at temperatures ranging up to 175&deg; F. and further characterized has having a glass transition temperature T(g) ranging from about 200&deg; F. to 250&deg; F.

Process for preparing composite warhead casings and product

The present invention is a process and material for forming warhead casin The material itself consists of tightly wound carbon fiber bonded by a low temperature (room temperature) resin. This process of formation gives several advantages, including the ease of manufacturing and the elimination of the need to do inside threading as the interior of the casing can be totally formed during winding of the carbon thread. This also increases the speed of the formation process. The use of carbon thread and low temperature resins also gives several key advantages. First, the low temperature aspect of the resin allows the resulting casing to break down at temperatures significantly less than the ignition point of the munitions held within it. Because the fibers tend to separate as the ambient temperature increases, the casing will auto-ventilate at high temperatures. Additionally, since the casing is formed from carbon fibers, it maintains a high tensile strength while minimizing the weight of the casing.

Insensitive warhead casings

A shoulder-launched multi-purpose assault weapon having a modified spotting rifle with a top-mounted rocket launcher tube is provided. The spotting rifle forms the base structure of the weapon and all weapon controls are located on the rifle. The rifle has several dual-function mechanisms which perform the combined functions of assembly and safing, bolt-locking back and cartridge ejecting, simultaneous adjustment of both open and optical sights, firing, selectively, of both the spotting round and the rocket round. The combination of these dual-firing mechanisms provides a lighter weight, better-balanced and smaller weapon. The reduction in parts count improves reliability and lowers cost. Other improved features include an adjustable spotting rifle barrel used to match the boresight of the rocket tube and an improved locking mechanism. A dual function trigger assembly operated two sears from a single trigger. The primary sear operates a rotating style hammer while the secondary sear operates a plunger-style hammer. The hammers fire, respectively, the spotting rifle and the rocket tube as selected by the gunner.

Shoulder-fired multi-purpose assault weapon

An anti tip-off device for rocket rockets adapted for collapsible tube-inbe launchers is provided. The dual-diameter launch tube requires stabilization of the rocket within the larger diameter tube. The anti tip-off device has two segments which together form a hollow cylinder which fits over the nose section of a standard high explosive anti-armor rocket. A sliding surface is located around the circumference of the cylinder to provide support for the rocket during transit of the larger launch tube. The surface contact prevents the rocket from wobbling or tipping during the rocket's transit of the launch tube. Alternately, permanently-bonded stabilizer legs or a bonded ring may be attached to the rocket to match the diameter of the larger launch tube. The anti tip-off device may be fabricated using any material suited to the launcher and rocket combination, including lexan, teflon, nylon, wood, or aluminum.

Anti tip-off device

A trimode fuze is provided which comprises a combination of a standard dual ode fuze with the addition of a void sensing mechanism. The modified fuze provides detonation of a warhead under three distinct scenarios: impact upon a hard target with detonation caused by the deformation of the warhead, displacing the hard target firing pin, penetration and continuous deceleration within a solid target with detonation caused by the expiration of a penetration delay timer, and penetration of a soft target with detonation caused by the transition from a target impact deceleration to the lower preset deceleration threshold. The first two modes of detonation are similar to those found in prior art dual mode fuzes. The third mode is brought about when target impact deceleration causes compression of a spring. As the spring compresses, steel balls slide out of a locking mechanism. Once said deceleration reduces below a preset threshold, an additional set of steel balls is released, which allows the spring loaded firing pin to impact on the detonator.

Trimode fuze

Process and material for warhead casings

A shoulder-launched multi-purpose assault weapon having a modified spotting ifle with a top-mounted electrically fired rocket launcher tube is provided. The spotting rifle forms the base structure of the weapon and all weapon controls are located on the rifle. The rifle has several dual-function mechanisms which perform the combined functions of assembly and safing, bolt-locking back and cartridge ejecting, simultaneous adjustment of both open and optical sights, firing, selectively, of both the spotting round and the electrically fired rocket round. The combination of these dual-firing mechanisms provides a lighter weight, better-balanced and smaller weapon. The reduction in parts count improves reliability and lowers cost. Other improved features include an adjustable spotting rifle barrel used to match the boresight of the rocket tube and an improved locking mechanism. A dual function trigger assembly operated two sears from a single trigger. The primary sear operates a rotating style hammer while the secondary sear operates a plunger-style hammer. The hammers fire, respectively, the spotting rifle and the rocket tube as selected by the gunner.

Shoulder-launched multi-purpose assault weapon

A shoulder-launched multiple-purpose assault weapon having a modified spotter rifle with a top-mounted rocket launcher tube is provided. The spotter rifle forms the base structure of the weapon and all weapon controls are located on the spotter rifle. The spotter rifle has several dual-function mechanisms which perform the combined functions of assembly and safing, bolt-locking back and cartridge ejecting, simultaneous adjustment of both open and optical sights, firing, selectively, of both the spotter round and the rocket round. The combination of these dual-firing mechanisms provides a lighter weight, better-balanced and smaller weapon. The reduction in parts count improves reliability and lowers cost. Other improved features include an adjustable spotter rifle barrel used to match the boresight of the rocket tube and an improved locking mechanism. A dual function trigger assembly operated two sears from a single trigger. The primary sear operates a rotating type hammer while the secondary sear operates a plunger-type hammer. The hammers fire, respectively, the spotter rifle and the rocket tube as selected by the gunner.

Shoulder-launched multiple-purpose assault weapon

An ammunition cartridge having a reduced propellant charge and an initial duced cartridge volume is provided. The cartridge volume is reduced by partially filling the cartridge case with a foam filler using a male mold form. The male mold form is sized to provide the desired propellant volume and tapered to maintain the desired cartridge pressure during the propellant burn. Alternately, the foam filler may be formed externally and inserted into the cartridge case. In that embodiment, an adhesive retainer is used to secure the foam filler to the base of the case. During firing, the foam filler is turned into a gas, thereby providing the large volume of the case for expansion of the propellant gases. After firing, the case is free of residue, all of the foam filler having been expelled as a gas.

Ammunition cartridge with reduced propellant charge

A shoulder-launched multi-purpose assault weapon with a removable rocket tube and spotter barrel is provided. The rocket tube and spotter barrel assembly is a standard receiver and trigger assembly. The grouping of the tube and barrel in a single removable assembly allows quick field replacement for either repair or reconfiguration of the weapon to a different rocket size. The sight assembly is also removable by sliding the sight out of dovetail attachment points. A further benefit is that different rocket tube assemblies may be pre-boresighted at the factory, thereby also reducing field assembly time.

Shoulder-launched multi-purpose assault weapon with a removable rocket

A follow-through grenade is provided which utilizes a primary fuze to trir both the main warhead and a delayed secondary fuze system. The main warhead explosion is used to breach barriers behind which enemy personnel are located. When the primary explosion occurs, the primary fuze simultaneously activates a delay timer and slide detonator. The slide detonator provides a means to keep the secondary explosive in a safe mode until the explosion of the primary warhead. The delay timer triggers the follow-through explosion after the primary explosion has breached the barrier. This behavior allows the follow-through device to penetrate the barrier and explode on the far side of the barrier for maximum effectiveness against personnel located behind the barrier. The present invention uses a standard dual mode fuze as its activator and is based on the McDonnell Douglas Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW).

Growing community of inventors

Montross, VA, United States of America

Fred W Watson, Jr