BALLISTIC COMPUTER

• US 3,743,818 A
• Filed: 11/26/1971
• Issued: 07/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Millard M. Frohock Jr, Paul M. Marasco, William E. Mcadam Jr
• Original Assignee: Millard M. Frohock Jr, Paul M. Marasco, William E. Mcadam Jr
• Inventors: Frohock, Millard M. Jr., McAdam, William E. Jr., Marasco, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gruber, Felix D.
• Application Number:
  US05/202,449
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.5R,61.5E,193,197 89/41R
• US Class Current: 235/404
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/80 for gunlaying; for bomb aiming; for guiding missiles

Abstract

A ballistic computer comprising a first section for computing the ballistic elevation angle signal by the mechanization of a power series as a function of target range, the selected ammunition type, and variations in firing conditions from standard values; and a second section for computing a time of flight signal as the sum of the ballistic elevation angle signal and target range, with the scale factors of the summation circuit being a function of the selected ammunition type.

Claims

1. In a ballistic computer for providing fire control signals as a function of a target range signal, an ammunition type signal representative of a selected ammunition type, and signals representative of nonstandard firing conditions and comprising elevation angle generator means adapted to receive and responsive to said target range signal, said ammunition type signal and said nonstandard firing conditions signals, for producing a first signal representative of the ballistic elevation angle for a selected ammunition type and nonstandard firing conditions, and time of flight generator means for producing a signal representative of the time of flight for the selected ammunition and the nonstandard firing conditions, wherein the improvement comprises said time of flight generator means comprising:

multiplication means for multiplying said first signal and the target range signal by first and second coefficient values, respectively, with said multiplication means including means, adapted to receive and responsive to said ammunition type signal, for selecting the values of the first and second coefficients, respectively, as a function of the selected ammunition type; and

means for combining the product signals from said multiplication means to produce a signal representative of the time of flight for the given ammunition and the nonstandard firing conditions.

2. In the ballistic computer of claim 1 wherein said multiplication means includes a first amplifier coupled to receive the first signal, means for selectively establishing the gain of said first amplifier as a function of the signals representative of the selected ammunition type;

a second amplifier coupled to receive the target range signal; and

means for selectively establishing the gain of said second amplifier as a function of the signal representative of the selected ammunition type.

3. In the ballistic computer of claim 2 wherein said means for combining includes a summing amplifier having input circuits coupled to the output circuits of said first and second amplifiers.

4. In a ballistic computer for providing fire control signals as a function of a target range signal, and firing conditions signals, the combination of:

means, adapted to receive and responsive to said target range signal and said firing conditions signals, for producing a first signal representative of the target range signal compensated for the difference between the initial velocity value for a given ammunition with nonstandard firing conditions, and an initial velocity value for standard firing conditions;

means, adapted to receive and responsive to said target range signal, and said firing conditions signals, for producing a second signal representative of the target range signal compensated for the difference between the drag value for the given ammunition with the nonstandard firing conditions and a drag value for standard firing conditions;

power series forming means responsive to said first and second signals for forming a power series approximation of the ballistic elevation angle signal for the given ammunition and nonstandard firing conditions;

means, coupled to receive said first and second signals, for forming a third signal as a function of the product of said first and second signals;

multiplication means, coupled to said power series forming means so as to receive said ballistic elevation angle signal and adapted to receive said target range signal, and coupled to receive said third signal, for multiplying said ballistic elevation angle signal, the target range signal and said third signal by first, second and third coefficient values, respectively; and

means for combining the product signals from said multiplication means to produce a signal representative of the time of flight for the selected ammunition and nonstandard firing conditions.

5. In the ballistic computer of claim 4 wherein said multiplication means includes means, adapted to receive signals indicative of a sElected ammunition type, for selecting the values of the first, second and third coefficients, respectively, as a function of the selected ammunition type.

6. In the ballistic computer of claim 4 wherein said means for producing the first signal includes means for producing a fourth signal as a function of the product of the target range signal and the difference between the initial velocity for a given ammunition with the nonstandard firing conditions and an initial velocity value for standard firing conditions;

and wherein said multiplication means includes means for multiplying said fourth signal by a fourth coefficient value; and

said combining means includes means for combining the product signals resulting from the multiplications by the first, second, third and fourth coefficients to produce the signal representative of the time of flight for the given ammunition and nonstandard firing conditions.

7. In the ballistic computer of claim 6 wherein said multiplication means includes means adapted to receive signals indicative of a selected ammunition type for selecting the values of the first, second, third and fourth coefficients, respectively, as a function of the the selected ammunition type.