초록 ▼

A projectile carrying sub-munitions which may exhibit orientational sensitivity utilizes a resilient member to prevent individual grenades from rotating out of the desired orientation. As a skilled artisan would readily understand, the sub-munitions is one type of rotationally sensitive device. Othe

A projectile carrying sub-munitions which may exhibit orientational sensitivity utilizes a resilient member to prevent individual grenades from rotating out of the desired orientation. As a skilled artisan would readily understand, the sub-munitions is one type of rotationally sensitive device. Other types of rotationally sensitive devices include but are not limited to grenades, grenade fuses and sub-munition fuses. In the described embodiments, artillery shells carrying grenades packed in circular arrays around a central longitudinal axis may exhibit orientational sensitivity with some types of slide fuses, such that an optimal orientation is that the slide fuse faces outwardly along a radial line from the longitudinal axis. A resilient member, such as a resilient sleeve around one or more sub-munitions, is provided to with adequate elasticity, surface area, and coefficient of friction in contact with the sub-munitions to prevent the sub-munitions from rotating about their individual axes during shipment, storage, firing, and flight of the artillery shell.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of packing rotationally sensitive devices into a projectile adapted to spin upon being fired by an applied external force, the projectile having a hollow main body with a longitudinal axis; the method comprising the steps of:arranging the rotationally sensitive devices in the main body o

1. A method of packing rotationally sensitive devices into a projectile adapted to spin upon being fired by an applied external force, the projectile having a hollow main body with a longitudinal axis; the method comprising the steps of:arranging the rotationally sensitive devices in the main body of the projectile such that each rotationally sensitive device is oriented in a pre-ejection position as desired along a radial line from the longitudinal axis of the main body; and inserting packing structure into the main body that deforms around each rotationally sensitive device and frictionally holds each rotationally sensitive device to prevent the rotationally sensitive devices from sliding and rotating out of such orientation prior to ejection from the projectile and allows ejection of the rotationally sensitive devices from the projectile. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices includes arranging the plurality of the rotationally sensitive devices in stacks around a periphery of the main body.3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of arranging the sub-munitions further includes arranging a second plurality of the sub-munitions in stacks between at least one centrally disposed resilient ember and the first plurality of the sub-munitions arranged in stacks around the periphery of the main body.4. The method of claim 3 wherein the centrally disposed resilient member is solid.5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of inserting packing structure includes packing at least one resilient member contacting all of the rotationally sensitive devices in at least one transverse section of the main body.6. The method of claim 5 wherein the packing structure is at least one solid resilient member having a center disposed along the longitudinal axis of the main body.7. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices further includes arranging a center stack of rotationally sensitive devices along the longitudinal axis of the main body.8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of inserting packing structure includes packing at least one resilient member contacting all of the rotationally sensitive devices in at least one transverse section of the main body.9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of inserting packing structure includes disposing at least one resilient sleeve around at least one rotationally sensitive device in the center stack, and deforming the packing structure around the at least one rotationally sensitive device in the center stack.10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices includes arranging the rotationally sensitive devices such that a fuze slide of each device is oriented substantially radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the main body.11. The method of claim 1, wherein the projectile includes substantially cylindrical stacks in the main body, each stack arranged for housing one of the rotationally sensitive devices, the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices further including arranging each rotationally sensitive device in a respective stack.12. The method of claim 1, further comprising curing the packing structure to at least a predetermined tear strength.13. The method of claim 1, further comprising curing the packing structure to a compression of at most about 30%.14. The method of claim 1, further comprising curing the packing structure to a hardness of about 48 to 58 Shore A.15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the rotationally sensitive device is a sub-munition with a fuze slide, the method including arranging the sub-munition so that the fuze slide is rotationally oriented in a predetermined direction, and inserting elastic packing structure that prevents rotation of the sub-munition.16. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting an outer spacer bar member along an inner periphery of the main body, wherein the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices includes arranging at least one of the rotationally sensitive devices against the spacer bar member, and the step of inserting packing structure into the main body includes inserting packing structure more resilient than the outer spacer bar member.17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of inserting an outer spacer bar member along an inner periphery of the main body includes inserting a plurality of sections forming the outer spacer bar member along the inner periphery of the main body with at least two of the plurality of sections being less resilient than the packing structure.18. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of inserting packing structure into the main body includes inserting a resilient sleeve that is substantially grooveless in a longitudinal direction of the resilient sleeve as the packing structure that deforms around each rotationally sensitive device and frictionally holds each rotationally sensitive device.19. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices includes arranging rotationally sensitive devices having a substantially round outer wall, and the step of inserting packing structure includes inserting packing structure that deforms around and frictionally holds the substantially round outer wall to prevent the rotationally sensitive devices from migrating out of the pre-ejection position prior to ejection.20. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices includes arranging sub-munitions that need not have rods or interlocking elements to prevent sliding and rotating when packed into the projectile.21. A method of loading rotationally sensitive devices into a projectile adapted to spin upon being fired by an applied external force, the projectile having a hollow main body with a longitudinal axis; the method comprising the steps of:arranging the rotationally sensitive devices as sub-munitions having fuze slides in the main body such that each fuze slide is oriented in a pre-ejection position; and inserting packing structure into the main body that deforms around each sub-munition and frictionally holds each sub-munition to prevent rotation of the sub-munition prior to ejection from the projectile and allows ejection of the sub-munitions from the projectile. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of arranging the sub-munitions includes arranging the sub-munitions such that the fuze slide of each submunition is oriented substantially radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the main body.23. The method of claim 21, further comprising inserting an outer spacer bar member along an inner periphery of the main body, wherein the step of arranging the sub-munitions includes arranging at least one of the sub-munitions against the spacer bar member, and the step of inserting packing structure into the main body includes inserting packing structure more resilient than the outer spacer bar member.24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of inserting an outer spacer bar member along an inner periphery of the main body includes inserting a plurality of sections forming the outer spacer bar member along the inner periphery of the main body with at least two of the plurality of sections being less resilient than the packing structure.25. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of inserting packing structure into the main body includes inserting a resilient sleeve that is substantially grooveless in a longitudinal direction of the resilient sleeve as the packing structure that deforms around each sub-munition and frictionally holds each sub-munition.26. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices includes arranging rotationally sensitive devices having a substantially round outer wall, and the step of inserting packing structure includes inserting packing structure that deforms around and frictionally holds the substantially round outer wall to prevent the rotationally sensitive devices from migrating out of the pre-ejection position prior to ejection.27. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of arranging the rotationally sensitive devices includes arranging sub-munitions that need not have rods or interlocking elements to prevent sliding and rotating when packed into the projectile.