Controlled range fuze

Claim 2

A fuze for a projectile, comprising: a pulse counter including an input terminal; an output terminal for providing an output signal; first means coupled to said counter for presetting said counter to provide said output signal upon a first selected count; second means coupled to said input terminal of said counter for providing a series of pulses to be counted; third means coupled to said counter for forcing said counter to provide said output signal upon a second selected count; and output function means coupled to said output terminal of said counter for providing an output function upon receipt of said counter output signal.

Claim 3

A fuze according to claim 1, wherein: said first means includes an outer element, journaled for rotation, and having an inner surface; an inner element journaled for rotation, having an outer surface bearing a first plurality of parallel, spaced apart, electrically insulated, elongated conductors resiliently bearing against said inner surface of said outer element; a dielectric tape, disposed between and engaged by said inner surface of said outer element and said first plurality of conductors, and translatable by concurrent rotation of said outer and inner elements; said tape having a second plurality of spaced apart, electrically insulated, elongated conductors upon that surface of said tape which faces said inner element, so that, as a function of such translation different ones of said second plurality of conductors electrically interconnect ones of said first plurality of conductors; an additional element having a third plurality of spaced apart, electrical insulated, conductors, equal in number to said first plurality, each of said third plurality of conductors respectively engaged with a conductor of said first plurality of conductors; and a fourth plurality of conductors for electrically connecting said third plurality of conductors to said counter means.

Claim 4

A fuze according to claim 2 wherein: said tape has a fifth plurality of numerical indicia upon that surface of said tape which faces said outer element, said fourth plurality being topographically correlated to said second plurality of conductors, and said outer element provides limited rectilinear light transmission therethrough whereby only the indicia on said tape immediately adjacent the contact area between the inner and outer elements is visible through said outer element.

Claim 5

A fuze according to claim 1, wherein: said first means includes a dielectric substrate, a first plurality of conductors disposed in an array on said substrate, each of said conductors being insulated from the others of said conductors, logic circuitry intercoupling said conductors and said counter means, means for inTercoupling selected ones of said conductors in different arrays, whereby to interconnect said respective logic circuitry in respective different arrays.

Claim 6

A weapon system, wherein a projectile is put into flight for a time, comprising: a projectile having a fuze, said fuze including a pulse counter including an input terminal, and an output terminal for providing an output signal; pulse providing means coupled to said input terminal of said counter; first means coupled to said counter for presetting said counter to provide said output signal upon a first selected count; second means coupled to said input terminal of said counter for providing a series of pulses to be counted; third means coupled to said counter for forcing said counter to provide said output signal upon a second selected count; and output function means coupled to said output terminal of said counter for providing an output function upon receipt of said counter output signal.

Claim 7

A weapon system, wherein a projectile is put into flight for a time, comprising: a projectile having a fuze, said fuze including a pulse counter including an input terminal, and an output terminal for providing an output signal; pulse providing means coupled to said input terminal of said counter; first means coupled to said counter for presetting said counter to provide said output signal upon a first selected count; second means coupled to said input terminal of said counter for providing a series of pulses to be counted; third means coupled to said counter for forcing said counter to provide said output signal upon a second selected count; and output function means coupled to said output terminal of said counter for providing an output function upon receipt of said counter output signal.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 5 further including: data link means coupled to said third means of said fuze for forcing said counter while said projectile is in flight.

Claim 9

A weapon system according to claim 6 wherein: said data link means includes enabling means for enabling said data link for a period of time which is shorter than the total time of flight of said projectile.

Claim 10

A weapon system according to claim 6 wherein: said data link means includes external means for providing unique numbers to internal means in said fuze for identifying said projectile, whereby each projectile in a series of projectiles may be uniquely identified.

Claim 11

A weapon system according to claim 8 wherein: said internal means for identifying said projectile includes enabling means, a first register, coupled to said enabling means, for receiving and storing a unique number shortly after said projectile is launched, a second register, coupled to said enabling means, for receiving numbers shortly before said first selected count is to be accumulated by said counter, and comparitor means coupled to an between said first and second registers and to said third means of said fuze for actuating said third means upon determining an identity between the number in said first register and the number in said second register.

Claim 12

Weapon system according to claim 5 wherein: counter means; and said first means includes an outer element, jornaled for rotation, and having an inner surface; an inner element journaled for rotation, and having an inner surface being a first plurality of parallel, spaced apart, electrically insulated, elongated conductors resiliently bearing against said inner surface of said outer element; a dielectric tape, disposed between and engaged by said inner surface of said outer element and said first plurality of conductors, and translatable by concurrent rotation of said outer and inner elements; said tape having a second plurality of spaced apart, electrically insulated, elongated conductors upon that surface of said tape which faces said inner element, so that, as a function of such translation, different ones of said second plurality of conductors electrically interconnect different ones of said first plurality of conductors; an additional element having a third plurality of spaced apart, electrical insulated, conductors, equal in number to said first plurality, each of said third plurality of conductors respectively engaged with a conductor of said first plurality of conductors; and a fourth plurality of conductors for electrically connecting said third plurality of conductors to said counter means.

Claim 13

A weapon system according to claim 10 wherein: said tape has a fifth plurality of numerical indicia upon that surface of said tape which faces said outer element, said fourth plurality being topographically correlated to said second plurality of conductors, and said outer element providEs limited rectilinear light transmission therethrough whereby only the indicia on said tape immediately adjacent the contact area between the inner and outer elements is visible through said outer element.

Claim 14

A weapon system according to claim 5 wherein: said first means includes a dielectric substrate, a first plurality of conductors disposed in an array on said substrate, each of said conductors being insulated from the others of said conductors, logic circuitry intercoupling said conductors and said counter means, means for intercoupling selected ones of said conductors in different arrays, whereby to interconnect said respective logic circuitry in respective different arrays.

Claim 15

A weapon system comprising: a projectile having a fuze; said fuze including a counting circuit having a first input terminal, a T1 output terminal for providing a signal at count T1, a T2 output terminal for providing a signal at count T2, a T3 output terminal for providing a signal at count T3, a T4 input terminal for forcing said counting circuit to a predetermined count upon receipt of a signal thereat, and a final output terminal for providing a signal at a full count; a pulse generating circuit having an output terminal coupled to said first input terminal of said counting circuit; a firing circuit having an input terminal coupled to said final output terminal of said counting circuit; a comparitor circuit having an output terminal coupled to said T4 input terminal of said counting circuit, and a first and a second input means; a first register having an input terminal and an output means coupled to said first input means of said comparitor circuit; a second register having an input terminal and an output means coupled to said second input means of said comparitor circuit; a receiving antenna; a detector having an input terminal coupled to said receiving antenna and an output terminal; and logic circuitry coupled to said output terminal of said detector, said input terminal of said first register, said input terminal of said second register, and said T1, T2 and T3 output terminals of said counting circuit, for intercoupling said detector to said first register during the interval of count T1 to count T2, and for intercoupling said detector to said second register during a time interval commencing at count T3.

Claim 16

A weapon system comprising: a projectile having a fuze; said fuze including a counting circuit having a first input terminal, a T1 output terminal for providing a signal at count T1, a T2 output terminal for providing a signal at count T2, a T3 output terminal for providing a signal at count T3, a T4 input terminal for forcing said counting circuit to a predetermined count upon receipt of a signal thereat, and a final output terminal for providing a signal at a full count; a pulse generating circuit having an output terminal coupled to said first input terminal of said counting circuit; a firing circuit having an input terminal coupled to said final output terminal of said counting circuit; a comparitor circuit having an output terminal coupled to said T4 input terminal of said counting circuit, and a first and a second input means; a first register having an input terminal and an output means coupled to said first input means of said comparitor circuit; a second register having an input terminal and an output means coupled to said second input means of said comparitor circuit; a receiving antenna; a detector having an input terminal coupled to said receiving antenna and an output terminal; and logic circuitry coupled to said output terminal of said detector, said input terminal of said first register, said input terminal of said second register, and said T1, T2 and T3 output terminals of said counting circuit, for intercoupling said detector to said first register during the interval of count T1 to count T2, and for intercoupling said detector to said second register during a time interval commencing at count T3.

Claim 17

A weapon system according to claim 13 further including: an r.f. pulse transmitter having a transmitting antenna and transmitter control means; said control means for causing said transmitter to transmit a first pulse group to said fuze during the interval of count T1 to T2.

Claim 18

A weapon system according to claim 14 wherein: said control means causes said transmitter to transmit said first pulse group again to said fuze during the time interval commencing at count T3, whereby said comparitor, upon determining an identity between said first and second registers, provides a signal at its output terminal which is coupled to said T4 input terminal of said counting circuit.