Apparatus for firing an anti-vehicle ground-to-ground armor piercing explosive charge

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FIGHTING GROUND VEHICLES TRAVELLING ALONG A PATH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE; A STATIONARY FIRING BASE SUPPORTING SAID CHARGE ABOVE THE GROUND WITH ITS FIRING DIRECTION AXIS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE GROUND TOWARD SUCH PATH; AN IGNITING DEVICE OPERABLE, WHEN ACTIVATED, TO DETONATE SAID CHARGE; AND A PAIR OF RELATIVELY ELONGATED GROUND ENGAGING ELECTRIC CONTACT THRESHOLDS CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH EACH OTHER TO SAID IGNITING DEVICE AND EXTENDING FROM SAID IGNITING DEVICE AND INTERSECTING SUCH PATH OF TRAVEL IN LATERALLY SPACED RELATION WITH EACH OTHER, AND SYMMERICALLY ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID AXIS, TO DEFINE, ALONG SAID SUCH PATH, A DETECTION ZONE CENTERED ON SUCH AXIS, THE WIDTH OF SAID ZONE BEING OF THE ORDER OF, BUT LESS THAN, A HORIZONTAL DIMENSION OF THE GROUND CONTACTING PORTION OF THE GROUND VEHICLE TO BE ATTACKED; SAID ELECTRIC CONTACT THRESHOLDS CONSTITUTING AN ACTIVATING CIRCUIT FOR SAID IGNITING DEVICE WHICH IS CLOSED ONLY UPON ENGAGEMENT OF A VEHICLE CONCURRENTLY WITH BOTH OF SAID ELECTRIC CONTACT THRESHOLDS.