US4190000A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mine proximity fuse
Assignee: United States Department of the Army
•
Filing: 1962-10-23
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Granted: 1980-02-26
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Expires: 1982-10-23
Abstract
Abstract 1. A proximity fuze for a stationary mine comprising: (a) a power supply; (b) a vibration sensitive switch having a stationary contact and a vibrat contact, one of said contacts being connected to said power supply; (c) an LC ringing circuit connected to the other of said contacts, said vibration sensitive switch intermittently conducting current from said power supply to said LC ringing circuit when activated by vibrations in the region of said mine thereby setting up a series of exponentially decaying sinusoidal oscillations in said LC ringing circuit; (d) a magnetometer connected to said LC ringing circuit and excited by the sinusoidal oscillations produced thereby; and (e) amplitude discriminating circuit means connected to said magnetometer for producing a firing pulse when the output of said magnetometer exceeds a predetermined value.
Inventors
- 👤 John M. Shaull
- 👤 Godfrey R. Gauld
- 👤 Lawson E. Richtmyer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 15:13
CPC Classifications
F; F42; F42C; F42C13/00; F42C13/08; F42C11/00; F42C11/001; F42C11/007
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A proximity fuze for a stationary mine comprising: (a) a power supply; (b) a vibration sensitive switch having a stationary contact and a vibratory contact, one of said contacts being connected to said power supply; (c) an LC ringing circuit connected to the other of said contacts, said vibration sensitive switch intermittently conducting current from said power supply to said LC ringing circuit when activated by vibrations in the region of said mine thereby setting up a series of exponentially decaying sinusoidal oscillations in said LC ringing circuit; (d) magnetometer connected to said LC ringing circuit and excited by the sinusoidal oscillations produced thereby; and (e) amplitude discriminating circuit means connected to said magnetometer for producing a firing pulse when the output of said magnetometer exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
A proximity fuze for a stationary mine comprising: (a) a power supply; (b) a vibration sensitive switch having a stationary contact and a vibratory contact, one of said contacts being connected to said power supply; (c) an LC ringing circuit connected to the other of said contacts, said vibration sensitive switch intermittently conducting current from said power supply to said LC ringing circuit when activated by vibrations in the region of said mine thereby setting up a series of exponentially decaying sinusoidal oscillations in said LC ringing circuit; (d) magnetometer connected to said LC ringing circuit and excited by the sinusoidal oscillations produced thereby; and (e) amplitude discriminating circuit means connected to said magnetometer for producing a firing pulse when the output of said magnetometer exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
111 words
A proximity fuze for a stationary mine as recited in claim 1 further including a manually adjustable ambient magnetic field compensating assembly comprising: (a) two permanent bar magnets oriented parallel to the direction of magnetic flux sensitivity of said magnetometer, opposite poles of said bar magnets being adjacent; and (b) rotatable support means upon which said bar magnets are mounted symmetrically about the axis of rotation of said support means, said support means being positioned in close proximity to said magnetometer whereby said magnetometer may be subjected to a correcting magnetic flux of the desired magnitude and polarity to compensate for an ambient magnetic field by rotation of said support means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
A fuze as recited in claim 1 wherein said magnetometer includes an automatic ambient magnetic field compensating means, said automatic field compensating means comprising a circular ring magnet surrounding said magnetometer and supported at two opposite points each of which points is midway between the poles of said magnet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A fuze as recited in claim 3 wherein said magnet is supported by a pair of torsion wires.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-02-25 | 1983-08-27 | 1984-02-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-02-25 | 1987-08-27 | 1988-02-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-02-25 | 1991-08-27 | 1992-02-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |