Electromagnetic launcher with advanced rail and barrel design

Patent 5483863 Issued on January 16, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date:

September 13, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventor

Dreizin, Yuri A.

Assignee

Dyuar Incorporated

Application

No. 108710 filed on 09/13/1993

US Classes:

89/8, ACCELERATING124/3ELECTROMAGNETIC

Examiners

Primary: Bentley, Stephen C.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Kinney & Lange

Foreign Patent References

2250803 DE. 10/20/1972
236597 JP 10/20/1991
2141215 GB 12/20/1984

International Class

F41B 006/00

Abstract

An improved electromagnetic launcher (10; 98; 150) has a barrel (20; 100) formed by at least one pair of bus-bars (30, 32; 102, 104; 156, 158; 184, 184, 188, 190) to transport current longitudinally along the barrel. The barrel includes a bore (36; 108) which is spaced from the bus-bars by a bore structure (34; 106). The bore structure guides an elongated, tapered metal armature (44; 122; 164) through the bore. The current to the armature passes from the bus-bars through an array of deformable contactors (54, 55; 110, 112) disposed near the bore walls and in series with resistors (60, 62, 64, 66; 114, 116, 118, 120). The resistors distribute current and electromagnetic driving force along the armature. A conductive implodable shield (130) confines the bore structure and the bus-bars to impede repulsion of the bus-bars and to compress the magnetic flux between the shield walls and the bus-bars.

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