CHAFF DISPENSING SYSTEM

• US 3,808,595 A
• Filed: 04/11/1973
• Issued: 04/30/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John Stiles Gaffney, Robert Dale Christian, William Henry Coop
• Original Assignee: John Stiles Gaffney, Robert Dale Christian, William Henry Coop
• Inventors: Coop, William Henry, Christian, Robert Dale, Gaffney, John Stiles
• Primary Examiner(s): Hubler, Malcolm F.
• Application Number:
  US05/349,968
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 343/18B,18E
• US Class Current: 342/12
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/70 for dispensing radar chaff or infrared material radar-reflector targets, active targets transmitting infrared radiation F41J2/00; radar-reflecting surfaces H01Q15/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/38 Jamming means, e.g. producing false echoes

Abstract

The embodiments of the chaff dispensing system disclosed in the present application use a slurry of Freon and chaff particles and thus permits hydraulic and pneumatic principles to be readily employed to ease the handling and dispensing of the chaff. The flow rate of the slurry can be precisely controlled to obtain chaff clouds of desired densities. Once the slurry is dispensed into the atomsphere at altitude, the highly volatile Freon vaporizes so that it does not adversely affect the formation of a cloud by the chaff particles. The Freon and chaff particles have substantially the same density to minimize settling or separation by the action of gravity, and the particles will thus remain distributed evenly in the slurry.

Claims

1. A dispensing system for radar reflective particles comprising:

a. A container having 1. an aperture, b. a dispersion coNtained within said container, said dispersion including 1. radar reflective particles in a liquid carrier, c. a movable member having two sides, one side of which is in contact with said dispersion, and d. means for applying pressure to the opposite side of said movable member to cause movement thereof and the ejection of said dispersion through said aperture.

2. A dispensing system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a. means for varying the rate of flow of said dispersion from said container.

3. A dispensing system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said varying means includes;

a. means for controlling the pressure of the gas applied to the opposite side of said movable member.

4. A dispensing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said dispersion is a slurry in which the solid particles and liquid carrier have substantially the same density, and the liquid carrier is highly volatile under use conditions.

5. A dispensing system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said movable member is a flexible bladder lining the inside of said container and said dispersion is contained within said bladder.

6. A dispensing system as claimed in claim 5 further comprising:

a. a manifold immersed within said slurry, and having a plurality of holes formed therein, and b. means for supplying gas through said holes to agitate said slurry.

7. A dispensing means as claimed in claim 6 further comprising:

a. means for varying the rate of flow of said slurry from said container.

8. A dispensing system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said varying means includes:

a. means for controlling the pressure of the gas applied to the opposite side of said bladder.

9. A slurry for use in making chaff clouds comprising radar reflective strands suspended in a liquid carrier non-reactive with said strands, said liquid carrier and said strands having substantially the same density, said liquid carrier being highly volatile upon release into the atmosphere under use conditions, and said strands being electrically conductive and comprising metals, metal-coated non-conductors, and metallized non-conductors.

10. A slurry as claimed in claim 9 wherein the density is within the range of approximately 0.05 pounds per cubic inch to 0.07 pounds per cubic inch.

11. A slurry as claimed in claim 10 wherein said liquid carrier is a Freon fluorocarbon.