Rheinmetall Gmbh

Gunter Backstein

Hans W Unger

Hermann Schaper

Klaus-Jurgen Pohl

Michael Gunther

Joachim Fiebrich

Hendrik Veldhoen

Dieter Kaltbeitzer

Annette Dodegge

Eckhardt Knabel

Dirk Wolff

Anette Brinkmann

Steffen Weber

An explosive cutter for severing a mooring of a moored mine includes a securing apparatus for attaching the explosive cutter to a mooring and for detaching the explosive cutter from an underwater vessel. The securing apparatus includes a mooring capturing jaw; a clamping lever having a withdrawn position in which it is clear of the capturing jaw and a clamping position in which it closes off the capturing jaw for holding the mooring captive in the capturing jaw; and a slidable shuttle having a first position and a second position. The shuttle includes an actuator for being pressed by the mooring to move the shuttle from the first position into the second position; a detent lug cooperating with the clamping lever for releasing the clamping lever to allow it to move into the clamping position when the shuttle is moved into the second position; and a locking component having a locking position in which the locking member maintains the explosive cutter locked to an underwater vessel when the shuttle is in the first position. The locking member has a releasing position in which it frees the explosive cutter from the underwater vessel when the shuttle is moved into the second position.

Explosive cutter for mine moorings

A fuze or igniter provided with an adjustable electronic unit (24), a separate energy supply (40) as well as a mechanical safety device (26). In order for this fuze to be independent of the weapons system and not be bound to a particular type of payload, the adjustable electronic unit (24) and the mechanical safety device (26) are accommodated in the essentially cylindrical, watertight housing (22) of a basic module (20) that has two end faces (28, 30). The energy supply (40) can be mechanically and electrically connected with the basic module (20). In the region of one of its end faces (28), the basic module (20) can be connected with either a programming device (136) in order to program in an ignition time and a sterilization time (desensitization time) or a payload (42) that is independent of the weapons system employed and is not ammunition specific. In the region of its other end face (30), the basic module (20) can be connected with at least one additional module (50, 62, 76) for use with the payload (42).

Modular fuze

An apparatus for destroying a mooring mine, which can be deployed with known underwater drones as well as with area sweeping devices to grip a mine mooring connecting a mine body to a mine seat, is composed of a mine sweeping unit and a ballast unit. Both units, which are releasably connected to each other, include active charges with which, if actuated simultaneously from a remote location, it is possible to disintegrate a mine seat as well as sever a mine body from the mooring joining the two units and destroy the mine body. Preferably, the overall specific weight of the apparatus is equal to that of water, with the ballast unit having a heavier specific weight and the mine sweeping unit having a lighter specific weight, so that the ballast unit and mine sweeping unit automatically move respectfully down and up toward the mine body and mine seat after engaging the mooring and being released from each other.

Apparatus for destroying a moored mine

A minehunting apparatus is carried by an underwater transporting drone to the mooring cable of a mine. The minehunting apparatus includes a housing and clamping levers pivotably mounted on the housing to close around the mooring cable. Inside the housing are explosives which are detonated by a coded sonar signal. To improve the maneuverability of the transporting drone, the weight of the minehunting apparatus is balanced so that the apparatus has an essentially neutral buoyancy during the transporting process in the water. After the clamping mechanism has clamped itself around the mooring cable, a lighterweight is released to cause the remainder of the minehunting apparatus to float upwardly toward the mine.

Minehunting apparatus for removing moored mines

An underwater ignition device is provided comprising a rotor, a detonator disposed at the rotor, a locking pin secured in position by a safety pin, a release pin maintained in position by the locking pin, a first water pressure safety device normally engaging the rotor and preventing a rotating motion of the rotor into an ignition position and a second water pressure safety device actuable after the locking pin is removed and after the first water pressure safety device has been actuated and capable of actuating the release pin for rotating the rotor into an ignition position. An ignition circuit employed comprises a digital logic connected to an analog receiver, dual driver stages connected to the digital logic, parallel discharge circuits connected to the dual driver stages and to a detonator and the voltage supply and suitable for selectively igniting the detonator or for short circuiting the voltage supply. The digital logic actuates two discharge circuits in successive time intervals (t.sub.1, t.sub.2, t.sub.3) depending on two frequency and time correlated input signals.

Underwater detonating device

In a spin-stabilized projectile, an improved ignition fuse arrangement for a pyrotechnic ignition charge. The ignition charge is mounted in a rotor which is movable from a safety position to an armed (active) position. This rotor is held by actuating means in the safety position and is released by the actuating means and moves to the armed position when the projectile has been subjected to predetermined centrifugal and inertial forces. The actuating means include biasing means which are biased against the rotor to maintain it in its safety position. The actuating means also includes at least two release balls which coact with ball support surfaces of a ball support member which are inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ignition fuse arrangement; at least one blocking ball is operatively mounted in the actuating means for blocking at least one release ball when the projectile is in a non-spinning state and unblocking the release ball when the projectile has reached a predetermined spin velocity, so that the actuating means move to release the rotor against the action of the biasing means which thereby swings into its armed position. This blocking ball constitutes a first safety means. A second safety means is provided in the rear part of the ignition fuse arrangement by means of a massive pin which is slidably mounted in a bore which is parallel but eccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ignition fuse arrangement and this massive pin is adapted to engage the rotor and maintain it in its safety position and to release the rotor when the massive pin has been subjected to predetermined inertial forces.

Ignition fuse for spin-stabilized projectiles

A submergible ignition device for a submarine explosive cable cutter adapted to cut the anchoring chains and steel cables of sea mines by detonating an explosive charge. A detonator is mounted in a housing and detonates an explosive charge when impacted by a spring-biased ignition needle. A driver rod is connected to a cotter safety pin. The driver rod coacts with a shear plate which is punched through by the driver rod when the latter is impacted by a predetermined force. A spring-biased blocking rotor having a built-in detonator is adapted to coact with an ignition needle. The blocking rotor is released by the action of the driver rod. A water pressure safety device also coacts with the blocking rotor and includes a dummy position setting device. All of the safety devices are operatively connected to ensure that said detonator can only be triggered after the safety devices have been positively moved to their unblocking positions.

Submergible detonating device

A fuze for an artillery shell to be spun about an axis generally parallel to the direction in which it is fired comprises a housing formed with a central axially extending sleeve and with a chamber surrounding the sleeve. A pin is axially slidable in the sleeve and is retained in position by at least one ball. A spiral spring wound in the chamber around the sleeve normally holds the balls in position to lock the sleeve in place and maintain the fuze in an unarmed condition. This spring comprises a steel inner section lying against the sleeve and normally pressing the balls together against the pin, an outer section having a high coefficient of friction and engageable with the inner surface of the spring-containing chamber, and an intermediate section between the inner and outer sections and having substantially more turns than both of these sections.

Arming fuze for artillery shell

An artillery shell is provided in its nose in front of its bursting charge and its detonator with an impact fuze consisting of a pressure-distributing plate engageable with the inside face of the nose, a piezoelectric crystal resting against the back face of this plate, and an anvil resting against the back of the crystal. A pin is seated in the anvil and extends transverse to the direction of travel of the projectile and a spring-steel wire has a front end looped around this pin and a rear end passing back through the bursting charge and connected to the shell detonator. When the crystal is compressed either by deformation of the nose of the shell or inertial pressure of the anvil against the back of the crystal, it generates electrical energy that is passed back through the spring-steel wire to the detonator to activate same.

Growing community of inventors

Meerbusch, Germany

Gunter Backstein