Generator of simulated smoke signals for gunnery target practice

Claim 1

Apparatus for producing a visible signal having the appearance of smoke and the production of which begins and ends in prompt response to the beginning and ending of an output from a control means, said apparatus comprising: A. a container adapted to contain powder and having 1. a gastight closure, 2. an outlet near its bottom, and 3. an inlet for gas under pressure; B. means providing a source of gas under substantially constant pressure; C. means providing for uninterrupted communication between said pressure gas source means and said inlet whereby gas is maintained in the container under pressure and in contact with powder therein; D. means comprising a valve for controlling release from the container of pressure gas with powder entrained therein, said means comprising 1. a valve body in which there is a. a chamber, b. a valve seat that faces into the chamber and provides an inlet thereto, and c. an outlet from said chamber, said valve body comprising a wall element that extends transversely to the axis of the valve seat and in spaced facing relation to the same, 2. means defining a duct communicated at one end with said outlet in the container and at its other end with said valve seat, the cross section area of said duct at every point spaced therealong from said valve seat being at least substantially as large as at points therealong nearer the valve seat so that gas flowing from the container outlet to the valve seat undergoes no substantial deceleration in said duct, 3. a valve element movable in said chamber to and from engagement with the valve seat in directions parallel to the axis of the valve seat, 4. remotely controllable actuator means operatively associated with the valve element and connectable with the control means, said actuator means being at the side of the wall element remote from the valve seat so as to be isolated from the chamber by the wall element and thus protected by it from fouling with powder; E. nozzle means through which pressure gas and powder entrained therein can be diffusingly expelled to produce the appearance of smoke; and F. means defining another duct, at all times communicating said chamber with the nozzle means.