US4540987A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Aerial towed battle target
Assignee: Autoflug GmbH
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Filing: 1984-04-06
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Granted: 1985-09-10
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Expires: 2004-04-06
Abstract
Abstract An aerial towed battle target having a mechanism for radar detection and including a hollow body which is reinforced in the front in a ring-like manner and is composed of sewn together woven lengths of fabric into which are integrated elongated metal elements. The hollow body has a base and towing gear associated with the front. The problem with heretofore known targets is locating and taking bearings with shortwave radio beams during approach and take-off when the direction of flight coincides extensively with the beam direction. To improve the inventive target in this respect, the elongated metal elements are contained in the fabric lengths as weft threads which are disposed essentially transverse to the direction of towing. These metal weft threads are incorporated between the woven weft threads, with the spacing between the metal threads increasing over the length of a woven fabric pattern uniformly from a relatively small dimension to a relatively large dimension. With regard to the increase of the spacing between the picked or shot-in metal elements, the fabric lengths are alternately reversed.
Inventors
- 👤 Heinz Werkes
- 👤 Hubert Nohren
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 20:32
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41J; F41J2/00; F41J9/00; F41J9/08; F41J9/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
175 words
An aerial towed battle target in combination therewith having a mechanism for radar detection; comprising: a hollow body having a base, a front end which is remote from said base and is reinforced in a ring-like manner, and a towing gear associated with said front end; said hollow body further comprising woven lengths of fabric which are sewn together; said woven lengths of fabric contain woven warp and weft threads, and elongated metal elements in the form of metal weft threads which are incorporated between some of said woven weft threads; said metal weft threads are essentially disposed transverse to the direction of towing, and are spaced from one another, along the length of a given woven fabric patern, by non-uniform distances which increase, according to a mathematical principle of relationship ranging from a relatively small minimum dimension of 1 mm to a relatively large maximum dimention of 150 mm beginning somewhere along the length of said hollow body so that radar reflection, and hence discovery and pick-up of the target are improved especially herewith.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
175 words
An aerial towed battle target in combination therewith having a mechanism for radar detection; comprising: a hollow body having a base, a front end which is remote from said base and is reinforced in a ring-like manner, and a towing gear associated with said front end; said hollow body further comprising woven lengths of fabric which are sewn together; said woven lengths of fabric contain woven warp and weft threads, and elongated metal elements in the form of metal weft threads which are incorporated between some of said woven weft threads; said metal weft threads are essentially disposed transverse to the direction of towing, and are spaced from one another, along the length of a given woven fabric patern, by non-uniform distances which increase, according to a mathematical principle of relationship ranging from a relatively small minimum dimension of 1 mm to a relatively large maximum dimention of 150 mm beginning somewhere along the length of said hollow body so that radar reflection, and hence discovery and pick-up of the target are improved especially herewith.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A target in combination according to claim 1, in which said lengths of fabric of said hollow body are alternately disposed in reverse order with regard to the increasing spacing between said metal weft threads.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A target in combination according to claim 2, in which a seam allowance which is free of said metal elements is provided at both ends of a given woven fabric pattern.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A target in combination according to claim 2, in which both ends of a given woven fabric pattern are provided with a seam allowance which includes the increasing spacing pattern of said metal elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A target in combination according to claim 4, in which said hollow body includes woven lengths of fabric which are incorporated therein without regard to having the ends of a given fabric pattern coincide with the ends of said hollow body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A target in combination according to claim 2, in which said lengths of fabric are trapezoidal-shaped sections cut from one and the same pattern of a woven material of production width, with the longitudinal edges of said sections being placed next to one another and sewn together to form said hollow body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A target in combination according to claim 2, in which said metal elements are intertwined with yarn which contrasts in color with all of the other threads of said hollow body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A target in combination according to claim 2, in which said metal elements are disposed not only transverse to the direction of towing, but also extend in the direction of towing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A target in combination according to claim 8, in which said metal elements which extend in the direction of towing are connected with at least some of said woven warp threads.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A target in combination according to claim 9, in which said metal elements which extend in the direction of towing are intertwined with said woven warp threads.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A target in combination according to claim 8, in which said metal elements which extend in the direction of towing comprise said woven warp threads.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A target in combination according to claim 9, which includes warp threads alternately provided with and without metal elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A target in combination according to claim 12, which includes, in a repeating pattern, one woven warp thread with metal elements, and four woven warp threads without metal elements.
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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) | 1988-09-09 | 1989-03-11 | 1989-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-09-09 | 1993-03-11 | 1993-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-09-09 | 1997-03-11 | 1997-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |