United States Patent 1191

1111 3,771,455
1451 Nov. 13, 1973

Haas
[54] F LECHETTE WEAPON SYSTEM

[75] Inventor: Robert T. Haas, Huntsville, Ala.

[73]

Assignee: The United States of America as

represented by the Secretary of the

[22]

Filed:

2,489,984

11/1949

Shoemake ........................ .. 89/1.5 F

3,397,638
431,376
1,195,107

8/1968
7/1890
8/1916

Gould ......... ..
102/494
Merriam
........ .. 102/81
Sheriff ......................... .. 102/010. 7

Army, Washington, DC.

Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt

June 6, 1972

Assistant Examiner-H. J. Tudor

AttorneyHarry M. Saragovitz et al.

[21] Appl. No.: 260,077

[57]
[52]

US. Cl .......... .. 102/49.4, 102/344, 102/DIG. 7

[51]

Int. Cl. .......................................... .. F42b 15/10

[58]

Field of Search ............... .. 102/49.4, 34.4, 35.6,

-

[56]

102/37.6, 81, 49.5

References Cited
UNITED STATES PATENTS

1,434,784
3,457,861

11/1922
7/1969

3,444,813

5/1969

2,655,105

10/1953

Lucas ............................... .. 102/356

Crockett.
....... .. l02/49.4
Bird . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . ..

102/D1G.

ABSTRACT

A ?echette weapon system which includes a missile

operated mechanism for ejecting a plurality of ?e

chettes from a missile. The mechanism includes a

valve designed to automatically open at a predeter

mined pressure in the missiles motor pressure time
operation. As the valve opens missile motor pressure
passes through the valve and pressurizes an ejection

piston and ejects the ?echettes supported on the pis

ton.

Hansche .......................... .. 102/494

1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure

3,771,455

reaches a predetermined point.

FLECHETTE WEAPON SYSTEM

The operation of the ?echette weaponsystem is as

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the ?eld of ?echette weapon

follows: a missile motor having a gas pressure time

systems and mechanisms for ejecting the ?echettes.

Previous mechanisms used to eject ?echettes required

for proper valve operation. The valve is locked in

closed position during the pressure rise side of the pres

a precision timer for warhead event. The type of preci

sion timers currently used are very expensive because

sure curve. During this time, motor gas pressure acts on

curve characteric in the shape of a haystack is desired

dowel pin surfaces 52 to shear pins 50. After pins 50

of their requirement for millisecond operation.

shear, the dowel pins move into clearance holes 48

through the cooperating force of springs 53 and the

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

motor gas pressure. 0 ring seals 55 are provided to

prevent gas pressure loss passed the dowel pins 46. At

The present invention has reduced the cost of missile

production by eliminating the timer and utilizing a pre

set spring biased valve to control operation of the ejec

tion piston.

this time valve 30 now is held closed by the motor gas

pressure. When the motor gas pressure declines to a
15

following detailed description taken in conjunction

with the accompanying drawing.

flow through opening 56 and ports 58 to build up be

hind piston 20. When the pressure: build up overcomes
the restraint of seal 28 and the weight of the container

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The single FIGURE shown is a sectional view of the

?echette weapon system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENT

predetermined point, spring 42 will overcome the

motor gas pressure force acting on valve face surface
54 and the valve will open. Motor gas pressure will now

This invention may be better understood from the

18, the ?echettes rapidly moved toward the ogive tip

24. Arm 26 will engage the ogive tip at its upper end
and will pivotally separate it from the remainder of the
missile and the piston 20 will eject the ?echettes, con
25 tainer and piston. When the container and piston leave
the launch tube air will cause a drag brake on the piston
as well as the container which separates at split 19. The

Reference numeral 10 identi?es a ?echette weapon

system which includes a missile motor case 12 having
a motor propellant 14 for producing a pressurizing gas
therein. Flechettes or rod penetrators 16 are stacked in
a two section container 18 split at 19 and supported on

?echettes will continue on their course in a shotgun

effect while both container sections and piston fall

away.
I claim:
1. A ?echette weapon system for ejecting a plurality

an ejection piston 20. The container and piston are dis

posed for forward movement on a launch tube 22
toward an ogive tip 24. Container 18 has an arm 26 at

of ?echettes from a missile comprising: a launch tube

in said missile; an ogive tip engaging one end of said

tached to its forward end for knocking off the ogive tip
when the arm is brought into engagement with the tip. 35 launch tube; a container for stacking said ?echettes in
said launch tube, said container including an arm for
Piston 20 moves the ?echettes toward the ogive tip
separating said ogive tip from said missile; an ejection
when actuated by some portion of the missile motor gas
piston disposed in said launch tube engaging said con
pressure. An 0 ring seal 28 surrounds piston 20 to
tainer and said missiles; gas pressurizing means in said
prevent loss of the ejection pressure in the launch tube.
A control valve 30 is caused to open a path for a por 40 missile to provide gas pressure for actuating said ejec
tion piston; means controlling flow of said gas pressure
tion of the missile motor gas pressure to actuate the
to said ejection piston, said controlling means includes
ejection piston. This opening is set at a predetermined
a valve housing having an opening therein, a valve seat
point in the missile motor gas pressure time operation.
adjacent said opening, a valve disposed for cooperation
The valve includes an 0 ring seal 32 for engaging a
seat 34 on a valve housing 36 that is connected to the 45 with said seat, a spring in said housing for biasing said
valve to the open position, and dowel pins cooperating
7 launch tube 22 at 38. A plate 40 is connected to the

with said housing for holding said valve in the closed

position, said dowel pins provided with shear pins to be

valve and acts as a retaining surface for one end of a

valve biasing spring 42. The other end of the spring en

sheared by said gas pressure to release said dowel pins

gages a retaining surface 44 of the launch tube. The
valve is held in a closed position by dowel pins 46 lo 50 for movement and provided with resilient means for as
sisting dowel pin movement, said container consisting
cated in clearance holes 48. Shear pins 50 are posi
of a plurality of sections.
tioned in holes provided in dowel pins 46 to restrain
*
*
*
*
*
dowel pin movement until the motor gas pressure
55

60

65