Method of and apparatus for sweeping of mine fields

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR SWEEPING A MINE FIELD WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A NORMALLY COLLAPSED EXTENSIBLE ELONGATED FLEXIBLE CARRIER COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE CORDLIKE FUSE AND HAVING A FORWARD END AND A REAR END, SAID FORWARD END BEING RESPECTIVELY NEARER TO AND MORE DISTANT FROM SAID REAR WHEN THE CARRIER IS RESPECTIVELY CALLAPSED AND EXTENDED; A PLURALITY OF EXPLOSIVE CHARGES CONNECTED WITH SAID FUSE TO FORM AT LEAST ONE ROW OF CHARGES EXTENDING IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID CARRIER BETWEEN SAID ENDS THEREOF; LAUNCHING MEANS COMPRISING A PROJECTILE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE FORWARD END OF SAID CARRIER FOR SHOOTING THE FORWARD END IN A FLIGHT PATH ACROSS THE MINE FIELD WHEREBY THE CARRIER IS EXTENDED AND THE ROW OF CHARGES IS DEPOSITED ON THE FIELD; BRAKING MEANS CONSTITUTING GROUND CONTACTING WEIGHT MEANS PROVIDED AT THE REAR END OF SAID CARRIER FOR APPLYING A BRAKING FORCE THERETO IN RESPONSE TO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AS SOON AS THE CARRIER IN EXTENDED AND THE FORWARD END IS STILL IN FLIGHT SO AS TO PREVENT SAID REAR END FROM BEING ENTRAINED ONTO AND BEYOND THE MINE FIELD, SAID BRAKING FORCE BEING WEAKER THAN THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF SAID CARRIER SO THAT THE REAR END OF SAID CARRIER MAY BE ENTRAINED THROUGH A SHORT DISTANCE ALONG THE GROUND RATHER THAN PERMITTING EXCESSIVE TENSIONING END EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION OF SAID CARRIER; AND MEANS PROVIDED AT THE REAR END OF SAID CARRIER FOR DETONATING THE CHARGES AND FOR THEREBY DESTROYING THE MINES LOCATED WITHIN THE RANGE OF SAID ROW OF CHARGES WHEREBY A PATH IS CLEARED ACROSS THE MINE FIELD, SAID DETONATING MEANS COMPRISING DELAYED IGNITION MEANS FOR IGNITING SAID FUSE WITH SUFFICIENT DELAY TO DETONATE THE CHARGES AFTER THE CHARGES COME TO REST ON THE MINE FIELD.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR SWEEPING A MINE FIELD WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A NORMALLY COLLAPSED EXTENSIBLE ELONGATED FLEXIBLE CARRIER COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE CORDLIKE FUSE AND HAVING A FORWARD END AND A REAR END, SAID FORWARD END BEING RESPECTIVELY NEARER TO AND MORE DISTANT FROM SAID REAR WHEN THE CARRIER IS RESPECTIVELY CALLAPSED AND EXTENDED; A PLURALITY OF EXPLOSIVE CHARGES CONNECTED WITH SAID FUSE TO FORM AT LEAST ONE ROW OF CHARGES EXTENDING IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID CARRIER BETWEEN SAID ENDS THEREOF; LAUNCHING MEANS COMPRISING A PROJECTILE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE FORWARD END OF SAID CARRIER FOR SHOOTING THE FORWARD END IN A FLIGHT PATH ACROSS THE MINE FIELD WHEREBY THE CARRIER IS EXTENDED AND THE ROW OF CHARGES IS DEPOSITED ON THE FIELD; BRAKING MEANS CONSTITUTING GROUND CONTACTING WEIGHT MEANS PROVIDED AT THE REAR END OF SAID CARRIER FOR APPLYING A BRAKING FORCE THERETO IN RESPONSE TO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AS SOON AS THE CARRIER IN EXTENDED AND THE FORWARD END IS STILL IN FLIGHT SO AS TO PREVENT SAID REAR END FROM BEING ENTRAINED ONTO AND BEYOND THE MINE FIELD, SAID BRAKING FORCE BEING WEAKER THAN THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF SAID CARRIER SO THAT THE REAR END OF SAID CARRIER MAY BE ENTRAINED THROUGH A SHORT DISTANCE ALONG THE GROUND RATHER THAN PERMITTING EXCESSIVE TENSIONING END EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION OF SAID CARRIER; AND MEANS PROVIDED AT THE REAR END OF SAID CARRIER FOR DETONATING THE CHARGES AND FOR THEREBY DESTROYING THE MINES LOCATED WITHIN THE RANGE OF SAID ROW OF CHARGES WHEREBY A PATH IS CLEARED ACROSS THE MINE FIELD, SAID DETONATING MEANS COMPRISING DELAYED IGNITION MEANS FOR IGNITING SAID FUSE WITH SUFFICIENT DELAY TO DETONATE THE CHARGES AFTER THE CHARGES COME TO REST ON THE MINE FIELD.