Raytheon Company

International Business Machines Corporation

Paul A Merems

Frederick B Koehler

Ward D Lyman

Randy W Hill

Shane Olsen

Darin M Gritters

Kenneth R Shelley

Jeffrey H Koessler

Anthony O Lee

Timothy A Murphy

Zachary Williamson

David A Corder

Dennis E Rossmeier

Steven G Hiscox

Shawn Patrick Burke

A cover for an effector, such as a projectile, missile, or gun-launched effector, includes two parts that are translatable relative to one another, such that the cover separates in stages as the effector launches. The cover includes an outer cover portion that is made up of multiple outer cover segments that together define a central opening through which part of an inner cover portion extends. In a launch of the effector, the effector first makes contact with the inner cover portion. This pushes the inner cover portion forward, breaking the attachment with the outer cover portion, and allowing the inner cover portion to translated forward relative to the outer cover portion. As the inner cover portion translates forward relative to the outer cover portion, the inner cover portion eventually makes contact with the outer cover portion, with both being pushed forward, and separating from the launcher.

Effector inlet cover, and method of separation

An effector having an extendible range and a method for extending the range of an effector includes using an axially translatable center body that is movable from a stowed position, in which the center body is stowed in an outer body of the effector, to a deployed position in which the center body extends out of the outer body to extend the axial length of the effector. The effector includes a ramjet assembly and the subsystems of the effector are contained in the center body. The movement of the center body exposes radially positioned ramjet fuel in the outer body, such that the air entering the ramjet inlet may be heated by combusting the air with the fuel for additional fuel and propulsion of the effector.

Effector having morphing airframe and method

An extended range projectile includes an outer shell, a center projectile body axially moveable from a stowed position to a deployed position within the outer shell, and a pusher plate assembly variably locked to an aft end of the outer shell. The pusher plate assembly includes a check valve disposed at an aft end of the pusher plate assembly, the check valve being moveable from a closed position to an open position. In the open position of the check valve, the check valve is configured to permit entry of a gunfire pressure, created in a barrel of a gun from which the extended range projectile is configured to be projected, into the pusher plate assembly such that, when the extended range projectile exits the barrel, the gunfire pressure moves the center projectile body from the stowed position to the deployed position and propels the extended range projectile.

Extended range projectile and method for propelling an extended range projectile

A fitting with a body bound by an exterior surface and an interior surface. The exterior surface includes a quick disconnect profile extending from a first end of the body and an external thread extending from a second end of the body. The interior surface includes a first bore extending from the first end of the body and a second bore extending from the second end of the body. The fitting includes an orifice formed by the first bore, between a pin and the first bore, or between the pin and a third bore of an adjustment member installed within the first bore.

Method of flow control

A nose or tail assembly for a flight vehicle is provided in which the deployment of the canards or fins is driven by energy imparted by the shroud when it is released. A tip section is rotatably coupled to a base, and both are stowed in a volume between the shroud and nose/tail assembly. As the shroud is released, a drive feature engages the tip section to rotate and join the base to form a complete canard or fin. This eliminates the need for storing the canards or fins in or wrapped around the body and eliminates the need for a complex deployment mechanism occupying an internal volume of the body. Although viable for all sizes of flight vehicles, the shroud-driven deployment system scales to very small diameter vehicles in which internal volume is not available to store either flight surfaces or deployment mechanisms.

Shroud driven deployable flight surfaces and method

A projectile and method of deploying a projectile includes a gun-launched projectile having a pressure reservoir that is fluidly connected to an ejection piston and fin deployment pistons. The fin deployment pistons are actuatable to engage deployable fins of the projectile to move the fins from a folded position to a deployed position. Gas pressure is generated by an external burning propellant to pressurize the pressure reservoir that retains the gas until a muzzle exit of the projectile. When the projectile exits the barrel, the reservoir gas expands thereby causing movement of the ejection piston. When a trailing end of the piston moves past fin deployment piston ports, the remaining reservoir gas pressure acts on the fin deployment pistons which subsequently push on the fins. The fins rotate toward the deployed position in which the fins are locked before the ejection piston is fully ejected.

Method for fin deployment using gun gas pressure

An encapsulation for electronics is provided. The encapsulation includes a circuit card assembly (CCA) on which a component of the electronics is operably disposed, a compliant thermal buffer coating (TBC), thermoset material and high-performance thermoplastic materials. The compliant TBC is layered over the component and a first area of the CCA, which extends about a periphery of the component. The thermoset material is cast over the compliant TBC and a second area of the CCA, which extends about a periphery of the compliant TBC. The high-performance thermoplastic material is injection molded over the thermoset material and a third area of the CCA, which extends about a periphery of the thermoset material.

Encapsulating electronics in high-performance thermoplastics

A heat-activated triggering device, such as for a missile or munition, includes a firing pin that is driven into a primer, to initiate a detonation and/or combustion reaction. The firing pin may be mechanically coupled to a linkage that prevents egress of output from the primer if the firing pin has not been moved. The linkage may include, for example, a cylindrical valve element with a through hole, the through hole being alignable with an output channel from the primer when the firing pin has been moved sufficiently. The movement of the firing pin slides a dowel pin that is attached to the firing pin. This in turn translates a cam element that turns the cylindrical element. Partial movement of the firing pin still may leave the valve closed. Preventing the primer from prematurely operating to trigger explosion, for example preventing full operation due to a primer being heated.

Triggering device with safety valve and linkage

A device includes a thermal trigger having a firing pin, where the thermal trigger is configured to move the firing pin in response to an elevated temperature. The device also includes an out-of-line lockout device configured to disarm the thermal trigger in response to acceleration of the lockout device. The lockout device is configured to move a first lockout ball into a notch of the firing pin to disarm the thermal trigger. The lockout device could include an inertial mass configured to move the first lockout ball into the notch of the firing pin and a first spring configured to bias the inertial mass in an initial position. The lockout device could also include a second lockout ball configured to move into a position that prevents the inertial mass from returning to the initial position or a dampener configured to slow movement of the inertial mass.

Thermal trigger with an integrated out-of-line lockout device for a thermally-initiated ventilation system or other system

A stability system for a vehicle moving through a fluid includes stabilizers each having a drive surface that follows the position of the fluid stream perceived by the vehicle. The movement of the drive surface positions control surfaces of the stabilizers, which are coupled to the drive surfaces by mechanical linkages. Lift forces on the drive surfaces provide the force that is used in positioning the control surfaces. The deflection of the control surfaces provides a force on the vehicle that affects stability of the vehicle, for instance in making an inherently unstable vehicle more stable. The stability system may work completely passively, without any active control, and without the need for power to operate it.

Passive stability system for a vehicle moving through a fluid

An umbilical cable disconnect device is disclosed. The umbilical cable disconnect device includes a base having an opening configured to receive an umbilical cable, a cutter extending into the opening of the base, and a spacer component disposed in the opening between the cutter and the umbilical cable. The spacer component maintains separation of the cutter and the umbilical cable prior to disconnect of the umbilical cable. The cutter is operable to penetrate the spacer component in response to displacement of the disconnect device relative to the umbilical cable to facilitate cutting of the umbilical cable by the cutter to disconnect the umbilical cable.

Umbilical cable disconnect

A deployment system includes a spring-driven linkage for deploying one or more kicker feet, to push a device to be deployed away from the deployment system. The kicker feet may include fore and aft kicker feet that push the deployed device to obtain a desire pitch in the launch, an example being a minimal or substantially zero pitch. The release of the kicker feet may be controlled by a pair of actuator, such as electrical solenoid actuators, both of which must be actuated to deploy the device. An electrical connection may allow positional float to account for tolerances in the positioning of the device relative to the deployment system.

Aircraft device deployment system with spring-driven mechanical linkage

A missile includes a separable shroud that covers a nose portion of the fuselage of the missile. The shroud covers and protects a seeker window and a seeker at the nose of the missile. The shroud is configured to remain coupled to the missile during and immediately after launch of the missile, and to separate during flight under the action of aerodynamic forces. Toward that end parts of the shroud are initially coupled together by a retainer, which allows the parts to separate during flight. The retainer may include one or more tension bands that break at a certain tension, and/or one or more weakened parts of the shroud, which break during flight. Parts of the shroud may include inward protrusions that make contact with an ogive portion of the nose of the fuselage.

Missile with shroud that separates in flight

An interceptor projectile includes a deployable net that deploys during flight and wraps around an incoming projectile, such as a rocket propelled grenade (RPG). The net is initially in a tubular body of the interceptor projectile. Weights are attached to ends of the net with metal cables. A propellant is used to deploy the net from the tubular body and to deploy the weights at acute angles to the longitudinal axis of the interceptor projectile. The weights move radially out from the interceptor projectile, expanding the net outward, and wrapping the net around an incoming projectile. The engagement of the net with the incoming projectile disables the incoming projectile, sending the incoming projectile off course.

Interceptor projectile and method of use

In various representative aspects, an airborne delivery system according to various aspects of the present invention comprises a container and an autorotating rotor system. The container may contain contents, and the rotor system facilitates control of at least a portion of the flight of the airborne system and the descent. Exemplary features may include a guidance system, for example to guide and control the airborne system, and a wing for gliding.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Paul A Merems