Method and accessory device to improve performances of ballistic throwers

• US 9,010,002 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liviu Popa-Simil
• Original Assignee: Liviu Popa-Simil
• Inventors: Popa-Simil, Liviu
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US13/757,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 42/10.6, 42/90, 42/94, 42/97, 42/98, 89/370.4, 89/370.8, 89/410.1, 89/410.5, 89/411.7, 89/420.1, 235/414, 235/417
• US Class Current: 42/1.06
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 19/08 remote actuated; lanyard actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 21/36 for recoil reduction recoil reduction arrangements in general F41A25/00; Stabilisators; Compensators, e.g. for muzzle climb prevention
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 25/00 Gun mountings permitting recoil or return to battery, e.g. gun cradles; Barrel buffers or brakes recoilless guns F41A1/08
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 27/22 Balancing or stabilising arrangements on the gun itself, e.g. balancing weights
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/06 with rangefinder rangefinders per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/08 with means for compensating for speed, direction, temperature, pressure, or humidity of the atmosphere measuring G01
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/12 with means for compensating for muzzle velocity or powder temperature with means for compensating for gun vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/142 based on observation of a first shoot; using a simulated shoot training F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 5/10 Cinematographic hit-indicating systems cinematographic targets F41J9/14

Abstract

An accessory device for a ballistic thrower/launcher that can be handgun or a gun or other object throwing or launching device that is meant to improve the quality of the action, the comfort and safety of the operator. It is made of accessory devices that stabilize the operation of the throwing device aligning the recoil with the projectile trajectory making the process reproducible, predictable and controllable. It adds environment monitoring electronics, cameras and actuators, for accurately launching after aiming, considering all the major process perturbations, as movements, wind, humidity, atmospheric pressure, target movement, shooting post movement, etc. The device adds other features of safety for the operator, as stealth action, dimming process noise, recoil shock, flames and heat signature being suitable for remote operation.

Claims

1. A ballistic thrower/launcher accessory device comprising:

a ballistic launcher accessory device comprising;

a stabilization system including;

a center of mass adjustment sub-system having means to set and maintain a center of mass of a launcher at a position that minimizes or cancels components of recoil that are perpendicular to a trajectory of a projectile to be launched from the launcher, comprising;

a grip providing a stable platform on two axes perpendicular to the projectile trajectory and allowing movement along a first set of rails on an axis parallel to the projectile trajectory;

a set of weights correcting for change in center of mass by expending of ammunition;

a recoil damping sub-system, including;

 

a second set of rails, allowing arms attached to the launcher to slide along the second set of rails due to recoil;

 

a set of recoil absorbing bumpers in contact with the arms, and consisting of either;

pairs of bellows with interconnecting calibrated orifices to allow a controlled rate of gas flow between bellows in each individual pair of bellow, or compressible materials;

 

a set of springs that brings the launcher back into operating position;

 

a vortex device to separate post combustion solid particles from exhaust gases used to propel the projectile, depositing the separated particles in a collector and channeling the gases through the bellows and dampening recoil introduced in a muzzle of the launcher;

 

wherein said second set of rails are connected to a frame that is further connected to a throwing angle adjustment sub-system;

 

a set of sensors providing recoil force information to a computer programmed to analyze launch parameters;

 

a camera connected to the frame optically aligned with an aiming sight, the camera further including zoom and transmission capabilities, the transmission capability for transmitting a sighting image to a remote display;

 

the throwing angle adjustment sub-system including means to rotate the recoil frame in a horizontal plane and a vertical plane further including;

 

a ballistic adjusting frame connected to the recoil frame with a first angle sensor and a first actuator, the first actuator providing vertical rotation about a center of mass of the recoil frame at an exit point of the projectile on the recoil frame;

 

a rotation adjusting frame connected to the ballistic adjusting frame with a second angle sensor and a second actuator, the second actuator providing horizontal rotation about the recoil frame center of mass or the exit point of the recoil frame;

 

a vibration and unintentional movement during launching process cancellation device comprising a set of perpendicularly actuated slides;

 

an external camouflage box, equipped with;

 

a. a set of movement sensors;

 

b. active imaging devices including a set of security cameras that monitor launcher environment and send a processed signal via a computer to display panels that cover the box;

 

c. a set of temperature measurement sensors that send a signal to a temperature control system;

 

d. a set of sound, radar, laser and light measurement instruments for monitoring the environment surrounding the launcher;

 

e. communication and computing instruments;

 

a target aiming and ballistics control sub-system comprising;

 

a launcher-sight visualization system utilizing the camera connected to the recoil-frame and the remote display;

 

an active range finder projecting a laser beam on a target, where the laser is placed near the launcher-sight camera;

 

a passive range finder utilizing a set of two cameras of the active imaging devices of the external box, and disposed externally of the box, each camera of the set of cameras including angle sensors and being rotatable in the horizontal plane by a camera actuator, wherein information generated by the angle sensors is sent to a calculator to find a range to the target;

 

a weather station, disposed externally on the external box, that measures parameters influencing projectile ballistics;

 

a ballistics calculator, that calculates ballistic trajectory angles;

 

a target and launcher movement calculator for calculating an anticipated launching position, wherein the movement calculator works in combination with the ballistics calculator, and wherein the calculators are disposed in a specialized box and capable of receiving input from an operator;

 

an operator grip having two buttons, a first button to trigger target data acquisition and a second button for projectile release;

 

a throwing quality assurance sub-system that calculates target hit probability and selects a number of projectiles to be launched using recoil force measurement data from sensors;

 

operator goggles capable of displaying information regarding the target and a perimeter of the environment, the goggles combining the image from the launcher-sight camera with other signals coming from the environment monitoring cameras, sensors and instruments;

an operator'"'"'s protection sub-system, comprising;

a telescopic, articulated arm holder that allows an operator to take shelter, find and use safe positions, while positioning the launcher in an appropriate operating position;

a mounting adaptor to mount the device to a robotic transporter, the transporter having remote control capabilities for launcher and transporter, and operated remotely;

a second passive target range finder, made of a second set of two cameras aiming at the target placed at a lateral distance apart;

a launcher camouflage sub-system that further includes;

throwing-noise, vibration and light emission damping using the vortex device, and camouflage box shielding;

camouflage-box surface temperature adjustment to minimize Infra-Red visibility using internal cooling flow by collecting heat and released gases and ventilating the gases via a hose at ground level;

visible spectrum camouflage using cameras from the active imaging devices and displaying the image seen by a camera placed on a lateral side of the camouflage box on a display placed on an opposite side of the box, adjusting display brightness to an illumination level similar to that of the surrounding environment;

an odor reducing system, using a ventilation system that mixes gas released from the launching device with fresh air;

a detection system for enemy presence in the surrounding environment that includes;

a set of external movement and sound detectors placed on or within the camouflage box;

cameras of the active imaging device that are placed all around the launching device and operator, with visualization on the remote display or goggles;

a communication system for communicating with other operators in the field or remotely;

an enemy'"'"'s range finder detection system using a laser pulse detector placed on or within camouflage box;

an operational battlefield integration sub-system comprising;

a computer network communication interface with remote operators or centers for field data sharing and data integration;

auxiliary equipment that comprises;

a launcher balancing system that is used for adjusting the center of mass of the launcher by determining positions on arms of each weight of the set of weights used to balance the launcher; and

,

a plurality of target frame pairs using laser beams to measure moment, position and speed of a projectile crossing the frame, and using weather parameters at the target position in order to calibrate the launcher'"'"'s action and obtain ballistic information.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the recoil dampers are made of bellows compressing the air at a rear of a launcher slide, forcing the air in the cooling system and making a vacuum at a front used to increase aspiration of propellant gas in the vortex device.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the passive range finder uses the set of two cameras to measure a tilt angle between the two cameras that derives an image of the target by overlapping images from each one of the two cameras to measure a distance to the target, wherein the image from the launcher aiming sight camera is transmitted to the operator goggles.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein muzzle recoil is eliminated by using a specialized chamber that splits a propelling gas flow burst into fractions thereof and centrifuges the fractions to separate the gas from solid particles and recombines the fractions in a directed exhaust, creating a destructive interference among delayed shock waves of the fractions.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein an exterior of the launcher is made less visible in Infra-Red and visible spectra using controlled airflow that brings the exterior of the camouflage box to an ambient environment temperature and removes generated heat of electronics and throwing device using a hose to drive down the exhaust gas to the ground mixing the gases with atmospheric air to reduce Infra-Red glow.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein a computer controlled actuator system is used to perform projectile release, and wherein the operator performs aiming and authorization for projectile throwing/launching.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein a computer sub-system calculates and predicts a position of a target and best projectile release angles based on using an equation of movement and ballistic equation.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein performance of projectile propellants and accuracy of inertial correction of the stabilization system is continuously measured and evaluated in order to calculate a probability of hitting a target and to decide upon multiple projectile launching as soon the launcher is reloaded.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the launcher is mounted inside the external box and the box is supported by an arm extender including several joints and hinges that allows the operator to take shelter at an optimal distance from an edge of a shielding object.

10. The device according to claim 1, capable of use with any ballistic launcher, selected from a group consisting of:

bows, crossbows, compressed air launchers, electro-magnetic launchers and chemical impulse propulsion launchers.

11. The device according to claim 1, further using an inertial base and an actuator system to maintain a position of the external box for an interval of time elapsed from a previous aiming to an effective projectile release in order to preserve accuracy and avoid any change due to hand inaccuracy, vibrations, or other unintentional movements during a time interval elapsing from triggering of projectile launch until launch operation is accomplished.

12. The accessory device according to claim 1, that is customizable based on application requirements and capable of containing fewer sub-systems.

13. An accessory device for ballistic thrower/launcher comprising:

a. a center of mass balancing system that forms a solid body with a launcher having a position of weights adjustable such as to compensate for variation of number of projectiles in magazine;

b. a system for variation of masses position based on a double pantograph structure actuated simultaneously in opposite directions in indexed positions as a function of number of projectiles in the magazine;

c. a camera having an optical axis aligned with a launcher'"'"'s target sight placed on launcher adaptor;

d. a muzzle recoil reducer for launchers with chemical propellant made of a special labyrinth box, which box splits gas pressure shock wave into wavelets, each wavelet delayed differently in the box and filtrates exhaust gases using a vortex separator and eliminates the gases via a suction and mixing system far from the launcher;

e. a system made of shock absorbing materials placed behind the launcher;

f. a set of intermediary, adjusting and locking hinges;

g. a set of modular arm extenders with connectors;

h. a weather and inertial station mounted on the launcher;

i. a set of cameras for range finding and target sighting connected to a mobile monitor screen or headset;

j. an Infra-Red laser pulse range finder; and

,

k. a ballistic calculator and a target position calculator that control projectile release actuators and adjust a sighting system with respect to the launcher, forcing an operator to adapt a position of aiming and throwing.

14. The accessory device according claim 13, further comprising a balancing system used to hang the launcher in order to determine a center of mass of the launcher.

15. A method to improve an effective range of a ballistic thrower/launcher comprising:

attaching an appropriate center of mass balancing sub-system to a ballistic launcher including hanging the launcher from a projectile exit point and moving mobile weights until a center of mass of the launcher is placed on a central trajectory axis;

using the center of mass balancing sub-system and finding positions of the mobile weights that correspond to each number of projectiles stored in a magazine of the launcher to maintain center of mass on the central trajectory axis;

when parameters of a selected projectile are known, the parameters are introduced into a ballistic calculator, but when the parameters are unknown, an operator determines the parameters using a projectile performances measurement sub-system;

the launcher to be tested with selected projectiles and calibrated prior to an action using the center of mass balancing sub-system;

installing the launcher with the balancing sub-system in an accessory device, that includes means for reducing recoil, means for improving throwing accuracy, means for assuring operator'"'"'s safety and security, means for assuring quality of operation, and an electronic sub-system having measurement, calculation and communication capabilities;

using the launcher in a battle/tactical field including the steps of;

initializing the electronic sub-system wherein a Global Positioning System and/or an inertial base reference is set, and wherein weather and environmental data is acquired;

approaching a target and selecting a range finder to use depending on how sensitive the target is to activated devices and electromagnetic communication;

when the target is opponent sensitive, using a dual-camera range-finder;

when the target is not opponent sensitive, using an Infra-Red laser range finder, and communication via radio waves;

a ballistic calculator sub-system displays a target range and indicates a probability of hitting the target, with a selected projectile, based on ballistic data;

checking for enemies in a nearby area and evaluating potential places from which enemy observation is possible, and tuning an image camouflage system;

in an active combat area, taking shelter and using an articulated arm to place the launcher in a proper operating position and to keep the operator in a safe position;

when the operator decides to engage the target, aiming at the target several times using short time intervals and after several aims, allowing projectile release and remaining steady;

performing the launching process and measuring performance of projectile launch, estimating hitting probability and deciding whether to immediately release more projectiles;

engaging another target or leaving the area, checking for potential enemy presence;

shutting down electronic sub-system and pack the launcher and its accessory device;

after action, checking the ballistic parameters of the launcher using a projectile performances measurement sub-system in order to acquire the ballistic parameters, applying maintenance and storing as “

ready to use”

.