EP0162983A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Capacitor-driven multi-stage electromagnetic launchers having augmenting rails
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1984-11-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-11-12
Abstract
Abstract @ An augmented rail, capactor driven, multi-stage electromagnetic launcher is provided with a pair of generally parallel conductive projectile launching rails with one of the rails being segmented to form a plurality of launcher stages. A capacitive power supply is connected to each of the stages to successively supply current as an armature enters each respective stage. The augmenting conductors act to increase projectile accelerating force and also as power conditioning means. An alternative embodiment utilizes continuous projectile launching rails and successive capacitive power supplies are switched to their respective stages when the projectile armature reaches predetermined positions along the launcher bore.
Inventors
- 👤 George Alfred Kemeny
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 13:55
CPC Classifications
F; F41; F41B; F41B6/00; F41B6/006; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
An electromagnetic projectile launcher comprising: a first pair (10, 12) of generally parallel conductive rails; conductor magnet (16) for conducting current between said first pair of rails in operation and for propelling a projectile along said rails; one rail (10) of said first pair of rails by segmented (lOa, lOb) to form a plurality of launcher stages, additional conductors (18, 20) for connection to a fleshtone power supply disposed in groups adjacent to at least one of said stages formed by said first pair (10, 12) of conductive rails and connected to said first pair (10, 12) of conductive rails such that current flow in each of said additional conductors is in the same direction as current flow in an adjacent one of said first pair (10, 12) of conductive rails.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
131 words
An electromagnetic projectile launcher comprising: a first pair (10, 12) of generally parallel conductive rails; conductor magnet (16) for conducting current between said first pair of rails in operation and for propelling a projectile along said rails; one rail (10) of said first pair of rails by segmented (lOa, lOb) to form a plurality of launcher stages, additional conductors (18, 20) for connection to a fleshtone power supply disposed in groups adjacent to at least one of said stages formed by said first pair (10, 12) of conductive rails and connected to said first pair (10, 12) of conductive rails such that current flow in each of said additional conductors is in the same direction as current flow in an adjacent one of said first pair (10, 12) of conductive rails.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
An electromagnetic projectile launcher as recited in claim 1, characterized by: a rectifier (14) connected between adjacent segments (lOa, lOb) of the segmented one of said first pair (10, 12) of conductive rails.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
An electromagnetic projectile launcher as recited in claim 1 or 2, further characterized by: crowbar circuitry connected across each of said capacitive power supplies.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
An electromagnetic projectile launcher as recited in claim 1, 2 or 3 characterized by: said at least one power supply being capacitive; an inductor for connection in series with at least one of said capacitive power supplies.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
An electromagnetic projectile launcher as recited in any of the preceding claims, characterized by said conductor arrangement for conducting current includes a metallic armature and said first pair of conductive rails include confronting longitudinal grooves for guiding said metallic armature.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electromagnetic projectile launcher as recited in any of the preceding claims, characterized by: insulating material disposed between successive segments of said segmented rail wherein one surface of said insulating material conforms to the surface of said segmented rail which confronts the other rail of said first pair of rails.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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