US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

William F Meagher

Robert E Betts

Lawrence B Thorn

An explosive planar shock wave generator produces a planar wave that trav down a shape charge cone to give amplified force on the jet. In all embodiments radial waves are converted to planar waves which react with an explosive shape charge. A planar wave shaper is comprised of a conically shaped planar charge having a predetermined diameter at the base and slant heights terminating at an apex. A cylindrically shaped fast detonating charge which is positioned above the cone shaped planar charge is detonated by a detonator positioned on the surface of the cylindrically shaped fast detonating charge. A sloweer cone shaped detonating shape charge intersecting along the base of the conically shaped planar charge receive the planar shock wave as transformed by the conically shaped planar charge. An additional explosive charge which has intersecting surfaces with the faster cylindrically shaped detonating charge and the slower cone shaped detonating shape charge functions to direct the resultant shock wave inward at a perpendicular angle to the cone angles of the slower cone shaped detonating shape charge. This function results in a faster closing of the intersecting surfaces to yield a higher jet velocity directred along the center of the cone. Another embodiment provides for a shape of a slower cone shaped detonating shape charge to converge to an apex beneath the base of the conically shaped planar charge. The additional explosive charge for this embodiment results in directing the resultant shock wave inward at a more perpendicular angle which causes the intersecting surfaces to close at even a higher rate. This high closing rate results in a higher jet velocity and more efficiency to permit a reduction in overall weight, length, and diameter of the shape charge to achieve the same effect. If a greater resultant force is needed a larger diameter can be employed without an increase in length which is advantageous where lengths restriction to a warhead is a factor.

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Huntsville, AL, United States of America

William F Meagher