Stacked pellet flare assembly and methods of making and using the same
First Claim
1. A pyrotechnic flare pellet assembly for providing at least one of visual and infrared energy output comprising:
- a plurality of flare pellets axially aligned along a central longitudinal axis forming a stack, each of said pellets having a central aperture extending therethrough, a center height and an edge height, said central height greater than said edge height;
a rod extending along said central longitudinal axis traversing each of said apertures, said rod having a top end and a bottom end,a first stop affixed to said top end of said rod and a second stop affixed to a bottom end of said rod for securing said pellets on said rod, said stops larger than said apertures, said first stop affixed to said top end of said rod, said second stop affixed to said bottom end of said rod, said pellets positioned generally between said first and second stops;
a plurality of tapered grooves surrounding said circumference of said stack, each of said grooves positioned between a top edge of a first pellet and a bottom edge of a second pellet.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a flare pellet assembly for generating visual and/or infrared energy output, and to methods of making and using the same. The flare pellet assembly generally includes a stack of flare pellets, the individual pellets of which may exhibit an at least generally tapering geometry. These flare pellets may be stacked in a manner that substantially prevents motion of one flare pellet relative to another flare pellet. This stacked arrangement of the flare pellets, along with one or more grooves that may be defined in and/or between adjacent flare pellets, may be said to at least generally enable the resultant flare pellet assembly to provide one or both infrared and visual energy output that reaches desired countermeasure energy output specifications without sacrificing structural integrity of the flare pellet assembly.
24 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A pyrotechnic flare pellet assembly for providing at least one of visual and infrared energy output comprising:
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a plurality of flare pellets axially aligned along a central longitudinal axis forming a stack, each of said pellets having a central aperture extending therethrough, a center height and an edge height, said central height greater than said edge height; a rod extending along said central longitudinal axis traversing each of said apertures, said rod having a top end and a bottom end, a first stop affixed to said top end of said rod and a second stop affixed to a bottom end of said rod for securing said pellets on said rod, said stops larger than said apertures, said first stop affixed to said top end of said rod, said second stop affixed to said bottom end of said rod, said pellets positioned generally between said first and second stops; a plurality of tapered grooves surrounding said circumference of said stack, each of said grooves positioned between a top edge of a first pellet and a bottom edge of a second pellet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification