High explosive launcher system

• US 3,999,482 A
• Filed: 07/09/1975
• Issued: 12/28/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Bilek, Andrew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tudor, Harold
• Application Number:
  US05/594,427
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 102/6, 102/66, 102/65, 102/60, 102/87, 102/90, 102/34.4, 102/7.2, 102/37.6, 102/35.6, 89/1 F, 89/1 J, 89/8, 89/1.816
• US Class Current: 102/363
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/52 Fuel-air explosive devices

Abstract

A cloud detonation initiator on a fuel-air-explosive (FAE) weapon in the form of a high-explosive retrolauncher attached thereto wherein a plurality of gun tubes each deploy an explosive grenade rearwardly to compensate for the forward motion of the FAE weapon. The grenades are essentially stopped in space as the cloud forms around them. The retrolauncher includes a plurality of different size charges in operative communication with a single chamber so that the velocity of the grenades can be controlled within a predetermined range by selectively detonating the charges singly and in combination.

Claims

1. A high explosive launcher system for detonating the cloud from a fuel-air-explosive bomb having a retrolauncher positioned on the rearward portion thereof, said retrolauncher comprising a housing having two joined portions disposed along the central axis thereof, a plurality of gun tubes each containing at least one grenade positioned in one portion of said housing, said gun tubes being disposed in a circular pattern angularly oriented with respect to the central axis of said retrolauncher housing to direct the therein in an angularly outward direction away from the central axis, a plurality of explosive charges disposed in a corresponding plurality of explosive charge holders positioned in the other portion of said housing, each of said explosive charges being disposed in a circular pattern around the axis and progressively varying in size, a cap positioned on each of said charge holders to protect the charge therein from sympathetic detonation, a chamber in operative communication with all of said gun tubes and said explosive charges, one part of said chamber being in one portion of said housing and the other part of said chamber being in the other portion of said housing, means for maintaining the two portions of said housing in close gas-tight relationship and means for selectively firing the explosive charges to produce the desired pressure in said chamber thereby providing the proper launch velocity for the grenades leaving the retrolauncher.

2. The high explosive launcher system having the retrolauncher positioned thereon defined in claim 1 wherein the chamber in operative communication with said gun tubes and said explosive charges is spherical in configuration, each portion of said housing including a hemispherical portion of said chamber.

3. The high explosive launcher system having the retrolauncher positioned thereon defined in claim 2 wherein the explosive charge holders positioned in the other portion of said housing and the caps positioned on each of said charge holders are fabricated of tetrafluoroethylene resin.

4. The high explosive launcher system having the retrolauncher positioned thereon defined in claim 2 wherein an annular seal of diamond cross-sectional configuration is positioned in complementary V grooves in adjacent faces of each portion of said housing forming a gas-tight seal therebetween.