US4040354A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Gravity-deployed double-ended anti-tank mine
Assignee: United States Department of the Army
•
Filing: 1975-10-30
•
Granted: 1977-08-09
•
Expires: 1995-10-30
Abstract
Abstract A double-ended, high-explosive, anti-tank mine, adapted to be carried intohe air, in a projectile, for example, ejected, deployed and come to rest on either end, comprises a housing having a short cylindrical side wall and two end walls removably attached to the side wall, an annular main charge of high explosive material having concave end surfaces lined with hardened metal missile plates, a clearing charge of propellant located between the main charge and each end wall, a tubular booster charge mounted within the annular main charge, and a fuze mounted in the housing and comprising a conventional proximity fuze for sensing the presence of a tank and producing a firing signal, a firing circuit including a gravity-controlled liquid mercury switch having at least three electrodes, and a battery connected to the two clearing charges in such manner that the upper clearing charge is initiated in response to the firing signal, prior to initiation of the main charge.
Inventors
- 👤 Allen E. Stern
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 21:31
CPC Classifications
F; F42; F42B; F42B23/00; F42B23/04; F42C; F42C19/00; F42C19/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
122 words
A high-explosive, anti-tank land mine comprising a hollow external connecting wall, two opposite, substantially-flat, circular, end walls attached to the ends of said hollow external connecting wall, said mine being adapted to be deployed from the air and come to rest by gravity on either end wall thereof; a charge of high explosive material fixed within said hollow external connecting wall, said charge having two concave end surfaces facing said end walls, each surface lined with a concave hardened metal plate thereby forming two oppositely directed double-ended plates; and fuze means disposed within said hollow external connecting wall for initiating said charge after said mine has come to rest on one of said end walls, to explosively project the upper metal plate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
122 words
A high-explosive, anti-tank land mine comprising a hollow external connecting wall, two opposite, substantially-flat, circular, end walls attached to the ends of said hollow external connecting wall, said mine being adapted to be deployed from the air and come to rest by gravity on either end wall thereof; a charge of high explosive material fixed within said hollow external connecting wall, said charge having two concave end surfaces facing said end walls, each surface lined with a concave hardened metal plate thereby forming two oppositely directed double-ended plates; and fuze means disposed within said hollow external connecting wall for initiating said charge after said mine has come to rest on one of said end walls, to explosively project the upper metal plate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A mine as in claim 1, wherein said external connecting wall is a hollow cylindrical wall having a diameter-to-length ratio of at least 2.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A mine as in claim 1, wherein said explosive charge is annular and said fuze means is disposed at least partly within a central opening in said charge.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A mine as in claim 3, further comprising a hollow cylindrical booster charge disposed between said fuze and said annular charge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
102 words
A mine as in claim 1, further comprising: a clearing charge of low explosive propellant disposed at each end of said mine, between each plate and the adjacent end wall; and means, forming part of said fuze means and connected to said clearing charges, for initiating the upper clearing charge only in response to a firing signal after said mine has come to rest on one of said walls but prior to the initiation of the first-named charge, to explosively remove the adjacent upper end wall from said hollow external connecting wall and thereby expose the adjacent surface of said upper plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A mine as in claim 5, wherein said means includes a gravity-controlled switch separately connected to said clearing charges and responsive to said firing signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A mine as in claim 6, wherein said clearing charges are electrically initiated, and said gravity-controlled switch is a mercury switch having at least three separate electrodes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2411788A
Cited
US2706949A
Cited
US3292536A
Cited
US3495532A
Cited
US2863014A
Cited
US3086468A
Cited
US3088014A
Cited
US3557697A
Cited
US3158705A
Cited
FR2067683A5
Cited
FR2071271A5
Cited
US3875862A
Cited
US3956988A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-08-08 | 1981-02-07 | 1981-08-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-08-08 | 1985-02-07 | 1985-08-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-08-08 | 1989-02-07 | 1989-08-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |