The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 16, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 16, 2002
Scott Van Weelden, Lancaster, CA (US);
Steve Ericson, Lancaster, CA (US);
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US);
Abstract
The invention entails apparatus for mounting a payload, such as a warhead, to bulkheads carried by munitions. The apparatus comprises fore and aft bulkheads depending from the munitions, each of the bulkheads having a substantially centrally located opening; bulkhead attaching structure carried by the payload and engaging at least one of the bulkheads, and at least one fastener carried by the bulkhead attaching structure and engaging both the payload and the bulkhead attaching structure. In one embodiment, the bulkhead attaching structure is an annular ring element disposed about and secured to the aft end of said payload. The ring element includes a first annular portion of a first diameter, and a second aft portion of a second diameter, the first diameter of said first portion being smaller than the second diameter to accommodate annular portions of the aft bulkhead. In a second embodiment, the bulkhead attaching structure comprises a step element carried by the payload, which abuts the fore bulkhead. The step element may be integral with the payload or a separate discrete element. In a third embodiment, the bulkhead attaching structure comprises a vertical buttress carried by the aft bulkhead and a tension element for fastening the vertical buttress to the aft end of the payload.