US3717098A - Warhead breakup sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

A SENSING MEANS LOCATED WITHIN THE EXPLOSIVE WARHEAD OF A MISSILE TO DETECT ONLY ACTUAL BREAKUP DAMAGE OF THE WARHEAD AND BEING UNAFFECTED BY OTHER MISSILE BODY DAMAGE.

Description

E. J. DAVIS ETAL 3,717,6

WARHEAD BREAKUP SENS OR Filed May 20. 1966 mwl 80 S W I U V D C A O D L RM J C J w D. R WW LVA WU DA O EPMD RICHARD L. HIGUERA INVENTORS United States Patent WARE-HEAD BREAKUP SENSOR Edward J. Davis, Riverside, and Paul E. Cordle and Melvin .ll. McCubbin, China Lake, Califi, Donald W. Lockwood, Corvallis, reg., and Richard L. Higuera, Riverside, Calif., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed May 20, 1966, Ser. No. 552,677

Int. Cl. F42c 11/00 US. Cl. 102-701 R 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DKSCLOSURE A sensing means located within the explosive warhead of a missile to detect only actual breakup damage of the warhead and being unaffected by other missile body damage.

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to missile fuzing devices and more particularly to a missile having warhead breakup sensing means for instantaneously detonating the missile warhead in the event the warhead begins to breakup upon impact with a target.

A primary objective in fuze design is to detonate a warhead at the optimum time during target encounter to produce maximum warhead effectiveness. There are two types of fuze triggering devices that have been used to sense contact with a target; these are the inertia and deformation type switches. Deformation type switches have been used in the past, mounted in the nose or other exterior surfaces, where they were readily subject to surface contact. Also, delay type detonation switches are used in fuze systems for firing a warhead after a brief time interval. Missiles often have fuzing systems which incorporate more than one type firing mode, such as instantaneous and one or more delay modes. A delay mode can permit a degree of penetration of a target by a missile before detonation depending upon the integrity of the missile and target and the delay time. Often upon impact with a target a contact type triggering device will detonate a missile warhead before it has penetrated sufiiciently to give maximum effectiveness; and in other instances, where a delay type detonator is used to allow time for penetration of a tar-get, the warhead is frequently disintegrated by the impact prior to the fuze detonation resulting in a very significant reduction in the effectiveness of the warhead. The unknown factor of penetration capability of a warhead has always been a problem in the development of more effective weapons. Extensive and costly tests are required to determine the penetration capability of a warhead, but even when this information has been determined target resistance is not always known or available. The improper selection of fuze firing mode often results, as pointed out, in a low order detonation due to deflagration or deformation of a warhead not capable of remaining integral during target impact. Such failure situations can be eliminated by using the warhead breakup sensing technique of the instant invention to detonate a warhead.

The present invention is a new concept in target encounter which senses internal derangement of a missile warhead. Its purpose is not as a contact trigger for sensing surface contact of missile or warhead with target, as has been done in the past, but senses when actual damage to the warhead commences. In other words, the instant device senses warhead disintegration during target impact or penetration and triggers detonation before the effectiveness of the warhead is excessively reduced due to warhead disintegration. This invention involves a breakup sensor or trigger strategically located inside the warhead usually near the forward portion thereof, and protected from damaging surface contact but not protected from forces which cause disintegration of the warhead explosive. The breakup sensor is used in the fuze circuitry to over-ride other fuze firing modes in order to detonate the warhead for optimum effectiveness. The breakup sensor is essentially a switch, such as a crush trigger, which is closed when crushed within the warhead thus initiating the instantaneous detonator.

It is an object of the invention to provide a missile having a warhead breakup sensor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a missile warhead having an over-ride system for causing instantaneous detonation upon commencement of warhead breakup.

Still another object is to provide a fuze system for preventing loss of warhead effectiveness as a result of de flagration or deformation by causing detonation thereof before excessive damage occurs.

A further object of the invention is to provide means within a warhead for sensing breakup thereof.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment of the invention showing a weapon having a warhead, with a breakup sensor buried within the warhead itself and connected to the fuze system.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment with the breakup sensor located in a recess in the warhead wall.

The weapon shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, by way of example, involves a missile body 10 including a warhead which usually consists of an outer jacket 12, of steel or the like, containing explosive 14. A fuze system 16 which may involve one or more firing modes is provided for firing a detonator 18 to initiate the warhead.

In addition to the regular fuze system a warhead breakup sensor 20 is provided. The warhead breakup sensor may consist of a deformation type or crushable trigger switch or similar means for sensing breakup or disintegration of the warhead due to defiagration or deformation. The breakup sensor 20 is buried within the warhead itself and may be located at any desirable position therein. The most likely position for a sensor would be in a forward portion of the warhead since distintegration of a warhead due to impact with a target of excessive resistance would most likely commence in that area. Also, more than one breakup sensor can be used, if desired, and located in several different parts of a warhead. Breakup sensor 20 is connected by means of electrical leads 22 to fuze system 16. Whenever sensor 20 detects warhead deflagration or deformation or both it acts to over-ride any delay mode of the fuze system to instantaneously fire the warhead assuring a detonation of high order. Without a breakup sensor, damage to the warhead from attempted target penetration could easily result in a failure. Where desirable a warhead breakup sensor could be used as the primary, if not the sole, fuze triggering means.

If desired, especially where a shaped charge warhead is used, the breakup sensor 20 can be positioned or buried in a recessed portion or cavity 24 along a wall of the warhead where it will be protected from damaging surface contact but not protected from warhead distintegration forces, as shown in FIG. 2.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within 3 the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a weapon comprising a missile body, and an explosive warhead and fuze firing system in said missile body, the improvement comprising:

(a) a Warhead breakup sensing means,

(b) said breakup sensing means being positioned in said warhead Where damage to the warhead is to be sensed to prevent slow order detonation and where said sensing means is protected from damaging surface contact to the missile body when said weapon encounters a target but not protected from warhead distintegration forces due to deflagration and deformation of the explosive warhead portion of said weapon upon target impact,

(c) said breakup sensing means being connected to said fuze system for causing instantaneous firing of said warhead upon sensing commencement of said warhead disintegration before excessive loss of warhead efiectiveness occurs,

(d) said breakup sensing means sensing only actual warhead damage and disintegration and not being affected by mere surface contact forces or other 4 missile body deformations which do not cause actual damage and breakup of the explosive Warhead. 2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said warhead breakup sensing means is a crushable trigger type switch.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein said warhead breakup sensing means is buried within the warhead explosive.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein said warhead breakup sensing means is located in a recess in the warhead wall.

5. A device as in claim 1 wherein said warhead breakup sensing means is used to over-ride any other firing mode in said fuze system.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,374,705 4/1921 Wright 10270.2 X 2,485,887 10/1949 Jordan 1O270.2 X 2,728,296 12/1955 Meister 10256 X SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 1022, 75

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