Function test equipment for smoke and gas munitions

• US 4,580,447 A
• Filed: 04/13/1984
• Issued: 04/08/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Boutros, Mansour Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frankfort, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Application Number:
  US06/599,919
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 73/167, 73/35, 73/432 V, 116/214, 55/270, 55/385 R, 55/385 A, 55/DIG. 33, 340/628, 250/573, 356/438, 356/439, 98/43 R, 128/206.12, 128/206.21, 425/816, 102/334, 102/368, 86/1 B, 434/11
• US Class Current: 73/167
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/06 Dismantling fuzes, cartridges, projectiles, missiles, rockets or bombs F42B33/004 and F42B33/04 take precedence; elimination of undesirable components of explosives C06B21/0091
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 35/00 Testing or checking of ammunition apparatus for measuring the energy of projectiles G01L5/14

Abstract

Test equipment which permits smoke or tear gas grenades to be detonated iors within an expansion chamber portion of the test equipment. The smoke or gas is then channelled through an opacity monitor which is capable of accurately measuring the volume of smoke or gas produced by the grenade. A borescoping system in the expansion chamber permits operating personnel to accurately check the duration of the smoke or gas emmission using external timing devices. After testing the smoke or gas is ducted through a high efficiency filtering system so that when exhausted into the atmosphere it is at a contamination level acceptable to federal and local air quality standards.

Claims

1. Function test equipment for smoke and tear gas (CS) munitions comprising:

a. a firing chamber for receiving smoke and tear gas grenades to be tested, said firing chamber comprising;

i. a pulling drawer;

ii. a grenade holding fixture mounted in said drawer;

iii. clamp means for locking said pulling drawer in closed positions;

iv. pulling chain means for activating said grenades when said pulling drawer is in closed position;

v. borescoping system to provide an easement for emission timing of said grenades;

vi. a pressure-equating valve to maintain atmospheric pressure in said firing and expansion chambers; and

vii. viewing windows;

b. an expansion chamber for receiving smoke and tear gas from activated said grenades;

c. an opacity monitor between said firing chamber and said expansion chamber in the path of said smoke and tear gas produced by said grenades;

d. a high efficiency filtering system for removing environmental pollutants from said smoke and tear gas;

e. ducting between said expansion chamber and said filtering system;

f. means exhausting filtered smoke and tear gas from said filters into the atmosphere; and

g. supporting steel structures.

2. Function test equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said grenade holding fixture consists of brackets supporting threaded shafts, said shafts having handwheels at one end and grenade engaging feet on the other to support said grenades between said brackets and said feet.

3. Function test equipment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said pulling chain means includes a pulling force gauge for registering the pulling force on said pulling chain means required for activating said grenades.