Smoke payload apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778004-B2
Application number	US-201414913041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2014
Priority date	Aug 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a smoke payload apparatus, particularly a smoke payload ejection apparatus housed within a common carrier payload delivery shell, with a frangible safety link.
There is provided a smoke screen munition comprising a shearable tail unit, a main body which comprises a payload cavity for receiving a smoke payload apparatus, a fuze, an ogive element located between said main body and the fuze, and an explosive train operably connected to said fuze, wherein the smoke payload apparatus comprises a plurality of unconfined portions of a smoke generating energetic material, wherein said portions burn on at least two surfaces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A smoke screening munition comprising a shearable tail unit, a main body which comprises a payload cavity for receiving a smoke payload apparatus, a shearable thread between the tail unit and the main body, a fuze, an ogive element located between said main body and the fuze, and an explosive train operably connected to said fuze, wherein the smoke payload apparatus comprises a plurality of portions of a smoke generating energetic material, wherein after delivery of the munition, said portions are configured to disperse in an unconfined manner and burn on at least two of their surfaces, wherein the smoke payload apparatus comprises a support shaft, with at least two vertical supports and at least two horizontal supports to each accommodate said portions of the smoke generating energetic material, and wherein each of the portions of the smoke generating energetic material abut the at least two vertical supports, and provide a flash though-hole between said portions and the support shaft, and wherein the at least two vertical supports are fixed to the support shaft or form an integral part of the support shaft.

2. The munition according to claim 1 , wherein after the delivery of the munition, the portions burn on all of their surfaces.

3. The munition according to claim 1 , wherein the smoke payload apparatus is tethered to the shearable tail unit.

4. The munition according to claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a first threaded portion manufactured from a first material, and the tail unit comprises a second threaded portion manufactured from a second material, wherein the second material has a lower hardness value than the first material.

5. The munition according to claim 4 , wherein the first material is selected from a steel alloy and the second material is selected from aluminium or alloy thereof.

6. The munition according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two vertical supports extend outwardly from the support shaft.

7. The munition according to claim 6 , wherein at least one vertical support is positioned between a first portion and a second portion of the smoke generating energetic material.

8. The munition according to claim 6 , wherein the portions of the smoke generating energetic material are consolidated pellets.

9. The munition according to claim 8 , wherein said vertical and horizontal supports separate the pellets into stacks each comprising a plurality of said consolidated pellets.

10. The munition according to claim 9 , wherein said consolidated pellets in each of the stacks are separated from each other with a barrier.

11. The munition according to claim 1 , wherein the ogive element is a frangible ogive element.

12. The munition according to claim 11 , further comprising a locking ring located between the main body and said frangible ogive element, to retain said smoke payload apparatus within the payload cavity, wherein the payload cavity has substantially parallel walls, which extend from the tail unit to the locking ring.

13. The munition according to claim 1 , wherein the smoke payload apparatus is capable of being dispensed rearwardly from the main body upon shearing the shearable thread.

14. A method of dispensing a smoke payload apparatus from a munition according to claim 1 , wherein the explosive train is operatively coupled to an expulsion charge, and said smoke payload apparatus is tethered to the shearable tail unit, the method comprising causing initiation of the expulsion charge, which causes ignition of said portions of the smoke generating energetic material and shearing of the shearable thread, such that said smoke payload apparatus is caused to be pushed rearwardly from said main body, to disperse said portions of the smoke generating energetic material.

15. The munition according to claim 1 , further comprising a locking ring located between the main body and said ogive element, to retain said smoke payload apparatus within the payload cavity and prevent movement, wherein the payload cavity has substantially parallel walls, which extend from the tail unit to the locking ring.

16. A smoke screening munition comprising:
a shearable tail unit;
a main body which comprises a payload cavity for receiving a smoke payload apparatus, wherein the smoke payload apparatus is tethered to the shearable tail unit, and wherein the smoke payload apparatus comprises a plurality of portions of a smoke generating energetic material, wherein after delivery of the munition, said portions are configured to disperse in an unconfined manner, each of the portions being configured to burn on at least two of its surfaces;
a shearable thread between the tail unit and the main body;
a fuze operatively coupled to an expulsion charge; and
an ogive element located between said main body and the fuze,
a support shaft, with at least two vertical supports and at least two horizontal supports to each accommodate said portions of the smoke generating energetic material, and wherein each of the portions of the smoke generating energetic material abut the at least two vertical supports, and provide a flash though-hole between said portions and the support shaft, and wherein the at least two vertical supports are fixed to the support shaft or form an integral part of the support shaft;
wherein the smoke payload apparatus is capable of being dispensed rearwardly from the main body upon shearing of the shearable thread in response to the expulsion charge being stimulated.

17. The munition according to claim 16 , wherein the smoke payload apparatus comprises a support shaft, with at least one vertical support and at least one horizontal support to accommodate said portions of the smoke generating energetic material, and wherein the portions of the smoke generating energetic material are consolidated pellets.

18. The munition according to claim 16 , further comprising a locking ring located between the main body and said ogive element, to retain said smoke payload apparatus within the payload cavity.

19. The munition according to claim 16 , wherein the ogive element is a frangible ogive element.

20. The munition according to claim 19 , further comprising a locking ring located between the main body and said ogive element, to retain said smoke payload apparatus within the payload cavity and prevent movement, wherein the payload cavity has substantially parallel walls, which extend from the tail unit to the locking ring.

Assignees

• Bae Systems Plc

Inventors

• Rumfitt Michael Shaun
• Burn Andy Oden
• Holley David Anthony
• Costin David John

Classifications

• F42B12/48 Primary

  smoke-producing {, e.g. infrared clouds} · CPC title

• F42B12/64

  the submissiles being of shot- or flechette-type · CPC title