US3087427A - Power driven, mine clearing explosive snake - Google Patents

Power driven, mine clearing explosive snake Download PDF

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Publication number
US3087427A
US3087427A US63437A US6343760A US3087427A US 3087427 A US3087427 A US 3087427A US 63437 A US63437 A US 63437A US 6343760 A US6343760 A US 6343760A US 3087427 A US3087427 A US 3087427A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
snake
canopy
parachute
wind pressure
compensating means
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Expired - Lifetime
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US63437A
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English (en)
Inventor
Thorildsson Karl-John Thorild
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Saab Bofors AB
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Bofors AB
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41H—ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
    • F41H11/00—Defence installations; Defence devices
    • F41H11/12—Means for clearing land minefields; Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines
    • F41H11/14—Explosive line charges, e.g. snakes
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D17/00—Parachutes

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to power driven explosive snakes as are used for clearing a safe path through a mine field.
  • Such snakes generally consist of a hose or tube made of a pliable material and filled with an explosive material, such as TNT.
  • the snake is usually about 100 to 200 meters long.
  • the driving power may be and is usually supplied by a rocket, and the snake is fired with a trajectory such that it will land across a mine field.
  • the shock waves generated by a detonation of the snake will set oif all the land mines within the vicinity of the snake, thus clearing a safe path for the advance of troops.
  • the braking action of the parachute is intended to assure that the snake lands fully stretched out in a perpendicular plane to utilize fully the effective length of the snake.
  • the braking action of the parachute is a function of the wind pressure acting upon the parachute during the flight of the snake, and the wind pressure, in turn, is a function of the flight velocity of the snake.
  • the flight velocity of the snake declines during the last part of the trajectory and the thus correspondingly declining wind pressure may be balanced or even overcome by side winds. In consequence, the rear portion of the snake may drift laterally in reference to the true forward course of the snake still maintained by the forward part of the snake in a perpendicular plane.
  • the effective length of the snake when it lands is shortened, so that the depth of the mine field may not be fully spanned and a safe passage is not clearly defined.
  • several snakes may have to be used to clear a passageway which is often difiicult under conditions of warfare.
  • a more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved trajectory stabilizing device for an explosive mine-clearing snake which impedes lateral drifting of the rear portion. of the snake during the terminal part of the flight of the snake, thus holding the snake in a substantially fully stretched out position until it lands.
  • Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved trajectory stabilizing device for an explosive mine-clearing snake which compensates for the declining stabilizing power of the parachute during the terminal part of the flight by causing a change in the configuration of the parachute, such that the braking power of the parachute is reduced, for instance, by causing a. partial collapse of the parachute.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an installation for firing a mine-clearing snake, the snake being shown in the condition ready for firing;
  • FIG. 2 is a graph showing the variations of the driving force and the braking force acting upon the snake during its trajectory
  • FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the stabilizing device according to the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a similar view of a modification of the stabilizing device
  • FIG. 5 is a similar view of another modification of the stabilizing device.
  • FIG. 6 is a similar view of still another modification of the stabilizing device.
  • FIG. 1 shows a coiled snake consisting of a hose or tube 1 made of any suitable pliable material, such as a plastic, and filled with an explosive material.
  • a folded or packed parachute 4 including the stabilizing device according to the invention is attached to the rear end of the snake, that is, to the end which is rearward during the flight of the snake.
  • the parachute assembly will be more fully described hereinafter.
  • the snake is fired by means of a launching device '12, in which is inserted a rocket 3; attached to the forward end of the snake and supplying the driving force.
  • the firing of the snake and the arrangement of the driving rocket do not constitute part of the invention and should be visualized as being conventional.
  • the parachute opens by being pulled out of its bag when the rear part of the snake has obtained a certain predetermined velocity. The manner in which the parachute opens should also be visualized as being conventional.
  • the graph shows the driving force F as a function of the time t.
  • the curve F shows the driving force and, as is apparent, the driving force first increases rapidly and then remains substantiallyconstant until the rocket motor burns out and the driving force ceases.
  • the braking power exerted by the parachute is shown by the curve F 7 As is seen, the opening of the parachute causes a sharp surge of the braking power. This surge is of very short duration and, after it subsides, the braking power remains substantially constant and declines gradually during the terminal part of the flight until it finally reaches a zero value.
  • the braking power should cease as abruptly as possible when it has declined to the value F and it is the purpose of the present invention to obtain such abrupt termination of the braking force to avoid, or at least minimize, the aforedescribed tendency of lateral drifting of the rear part of the snake close to the end of the trajectory.
  • the stabilizing device comprises a parachute, the canopy 4 of which is joined by circumferentially spaced shrouds or guy ropes 6 to a swivel joint 5 which, in turn, is attached by means of connector 2 to the snake 1 proper.
  • 'Swivel joint 5 permits spinning of the parachute during the flight without twisting the snake.
  • an elastically stretchable means 7 extends between swivel joint 5 and the center part of canopy 4.
  • the elastically stretchable means is shown as a coiled tension spring, but it may also be an elastic rope, such as a rope consisting of a plurality of twisted rubber strands encased in a sheath.
  • Spring 7 is relaxed prior to the opening of the parachuteand in that state, it-tends to hold the canopy in 'a more or less collapsed shape and in any event in a shape such thatthe canopy cannot assume the fully opened shape in 'which it exerts-its-maxiinumbraking-power.
  • the elastically strechable means is shown in the form of an elastic ribbon, band or rope '8, attachedto the canopy 4 along the circumference thereof.
  • the function of rope 8 is the same in principle as that of spring 7.
  • the rope when in its relaxed state, more or less holds the canopy in a configuration in which the same cannot exert its maximum braking power.
  • FIG. 4 shows the rope in its expanded or tensioned state. As soon as-the brakingpower declines below the value F the rope contracts thus effecting a more or less complete collapse of the canopy.
  • a power driven explosivesnake for clearing a path acrossa mine fieldb'y firing the snake across the mine held in free-flight and ma substantially stretched out condition, said snake comprising a rollable and 'pliable tube-filledwith an explosive materialand a s tabilizing means for stabilizing the trajectory of the snake, said stabilizing means being attached to the rearward end of the tube and including a parachute having a canopy arranged to be opened by the windpressure acting upon the canopy due to the flight velocity of the snake, said parachute exerting astabilizing braking force for holding the snake on its trajectory, the strength of said braking force being a function of the effective area of the canopy and said'effective area being a function of the wind pressure, and yieldable compensating means attached to the parachute to hold the canopy thereof in a partially collapsed shape in a relaxed state of the compensating means and to permit full opening of the canopy in a tensioned state of the compensating means, said compensating means being tensioned by the opening of the parachute and maintained tensioned
  • a snake according to claim 1 wherein shroud lines attached to the rim of the canopy secure the parachute to said rearward end of the snake, and wherein said yieldable compensating means comprise elastically stretchable means extendingbetween said rearward end and the center part of the canopy, said elastically stretchable means being tensioned by the opening of the canopy whereby the tensioned elastically stretchable means exert a force pulling said center part of the canopy toward said rearward end of the snake to effect the at least partial collapse of the canopy.
  • a snake according to claim 2 wherein said elastically stretchable means comprise a coiled spring.
  • a snake according to claim 1 wherein shroud lines attached to the rim of the canopy secure the parachute to said rearward end of the snake, and wherein said yieldable means comprise elastically stretchable means attached to the canopy along the rim thereof, said elastically stretchable means when relaxed holding said canopy in an at least partially collapsed configuration and being stretched by an opening of the canopy in response to a wind pressure above said predetermined value, the tensional force stored in the elastically stretchable means constituting a force tending to elfect the partial collapse of the parachute when the wind pressure acting-upon the parachute declines below said predetermined value.
  • a snake according to claim 1 wherein'shroud lines attached to the rim of the canopy secure the parachute to said rearward end of the snake, and wherein said yieldable means comprise elastically stretchable means constituting one of said shroud lines, said elastically stretchable means when relaxedholding the canopy in an at least partially collapsed configuration and being stretched by an opening of the'canopy in response to a wind pressure above said predetermined value, the tensional force stored in the elastically stretchable means effecting the partial collapse of the parachute when the wind pressure declines below said predetermined value.
  • a snake according to claim! 1 wherein shroud lines attached't'o the rim of the canopy secure the parachute to said rearward end of the snake, and wherein said yieldable means cornprise elastically stretchable means extending across the canopy attached to the rim thereof, said elastically stretchable means when relaxed holding the canopy inan at least partially collapsed configuration and being stretched .by an opening of the canopy in response to a wind pressure above said predetermined value, the tensional force stored in the elastically stretchable means effeoting'the partial collapse of the parachute when the wind pressure acting upon the parachute declines below said predetermined value.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
  • Electric Cable Installation (AREA)
US63437A 1959-10-30 1960-10-18 Power driven, mine clearing explosive snake Expired - Lifetime US3087427A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE1014559 1959-10-30

Publications (1)

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US3087427A true US3087427A (en) 1963-04-30

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US63437A Expired - Lifetime US3087427A (en) 1959-10-30 1960-10-18 Power driven, mine clearing explosive snake

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US (1) US3087427A (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)
BE (1) BE596464A (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)
CH (1) CH387494A (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)
DE (1) DE1120321B (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)
ES (1) ES261351A1 (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)
GB (1) GB904049A (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)
NL (2) NL256394A (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3242862A (en) * 1959-11-17 1966-03-29 Comet Appbau G M B H Method of and apparatus for sweeping of mine fields
US3314286A (en) * 1965-07-08 1967-04-18 Frederick R Hickerson Projectile recovery apparatus
US3408935A (en) * 1964-08-18 1968-11-05 Navy Usa Flexible line delivery method and device for chemical and incapacitating agents
US5174384A (en) * 1990-10-02 1992-12-29 Herman Walter W Transport unit for fluid or solid materials or devices, and method
WO1996012925A1 (en) * 1994-10-24 1996-05-02 Tracor Aerospace, Inc. Integrated system for spacing and orientation of an array of objects
JP2012026647A (ja) * 2010-07-23 2012-02-09 Ihi Aerospace Co Ltd 地雷除去装置及び地雷除去方法
JP2015124937A (ja) * 2013-12-26 2015-07-06 株式会社Ｉｈｉエアロスペース 地雷原処理装置
US20150377598A1 (en) * 2014-06-25 2015-12-31 Drew Defense GmbH Pyrotechnic device

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8622646D0 (en) * 1986-09-19 1987-02-04 Smith J L C Minefield penetration
CA1311391C (en) * 1988-09-23 1992-12-15 Stephen B. Murray Fuel-air line-charge ordnance neutralizer
GB8916604D0 (en) * 1989-07-20 1989-09-06 Canada Minister Defence Method for chemical initiation of detonation in fuel-air explosive clouds

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1340259A (en) * 1918-10-25 1920-05-18 Taylor John Wallace Parachute
US1519857A (en) * 1923-05-05 1924-12-16 Vickers Ltd Parachute
US1978641A (en) * 1923-04-18 1934-10-30 Martin Ralph Illuminating projectile
US2771841A (en) * 1947-08-15 1956-11-27 Fino Anthony J De Belt line charge

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1340259A (en) * 1918-10-25 1920-05-18 Taylor John Wallace Parachute
US1978641A (en) * 1923-04-18 1934-10-30 Martin Ralph Illuminating projectile
US1519857A (en) * 1923-05-05 1924-12-16 Vickers Ltd Parachute
US2771841A (en) * 1947-08-15 1956-11-27 Fino Anthony J De Belt line charge

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3242862A (en) * 1959-11-17 1966-03-29 Comet Appbau G M B H Method of and apparatus for sweeping of mine fields
US3408935A (en) * 1964-08-18 1968-11-05 Navy Usa Flexible line delivery method and device for chemical and incapacitating agents
US3314286A (en) * 1965-07-08 1967-04-18 Frederick R Hickerson Projectile recovery apparatus
US5174384A (en) * 1990-10-02 1992-12-29 Herman Walter W Transport unit for fluid or solid materials or devices, and method
WO1996012925A1 (en) * 1994-10-24 1996-05-02 Tracor Aerospace, Inc. Integrated system for spacing and orientation of an array of objects
US5675104A (en) * 1994-10-24 1997-10-07 Tracor Aerospace, Inc. Aerial deployment of an explosive array
JP2012026647A (ja) * 2010-07-23 2012-02-09 Ihi Aerospace Co Ltd 地雷除去装置及び地雷除去方法
JP2015124937A (ja) * 2013-12-26 2015-07-06 株式会社Ｉｈｉエアロスペース 地雷原処理装置
US20150377598A1 (en) * 2014-06-25 2015-12-31 Drew Defense GmbH Pyrotechnic device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1120321B (de) 1961-12-21
BE596464A (fr) 1961-02-15
CH387494A (de) 1965-01-31
NL109727C (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)
NL256394A (US08197722-20120612-C00042.png)
GB904049A (en) 1962-08-22
ES261351A1 (es) 1960-12-16

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