US2934013A - Atom bomb simulator - Google Patents

Description

April 26, 1960 p, |zzA 2,934,013

ATOM BOMB smuLAToR Fned Nov. 25, 1951' Pq/CL/ LIZE/9.

INVENT OR.

United States Patent iice ATOM BOMB SIMULATOR Patrick Lizza, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. Application November 25, 1957, Serial No. 698,709

Claims. (Cl. 102-37.2)

This invention relates generally to pyrotechnic displays, and more particularly to such a display in which an atom bomb explosion is simulated on a relatively small scale by a powder bomb in` which a main charge of cloud-producing powder is exploded in an upwardly opening container simultaneously with a colored tire charge above said main charge, and a sound charge external to said container, and in which an aftercharge is exploded from a point in said container below said main charge at a short time after the main charge explosion begins.

In the training of troops under warfare-simulating conditions, it is important to their psychological conditioning that ring and bombardment duplicate every detail of battle except the physical hazard. Thus, in the past, it has been the practice to duplicate shell lire during troop maneuvers by exploding ground charges of black powder near maneuvering troops, Such charges are exploded electrically from a concealed station, and are controlled so as to occur at moments when no soldier is so near as to be harmed. In recent years, however, the developmentof bombs using nuclear fission and fusion, referred to generically hereinafter as atom bombs, have made possible battle explosions so gigantic in scale and so novel in characteristics that it has seemed impossible to simulate them during troop training.

A typical atom bomb explosion begins with a ash of blinding light, but it is not necessary to duplicate this flash. Those who actually see such a flash 'are likely to be blinded or be too close to the explosion to survive. One is concerned with personnel whose first knowledge of the bomb comes from the roar of the explosion, which is heard shortly after the flash, depending upon the distance from the point of the explosion. Once the roar draws the attention of troops in the vicinity to the explosion point, they would observe the development of the familiar white mushroom-shaped atom bomb cloud, and observe the flashes of colored light associated with the radioactive fallout following atomic explosion. Previously known pyrotechnic lbombs have failed to. produce a gigantic mushroom cloud, or if a cloud of any similarity to an atom bomb explosion cloud has been produced, the sound has been found to be muflled and lost. Moreover, the explosion generally lacks realism in the manner in which the cloud is formed. The actual atom bomb cloud appears to result from a continuing or retarded explosion, after the beginning of the main explosion. As a result, a great rising cloud is pierced at the center by an upward blast and caused to curl over outwardly to form a mus' room head'at the top of a vertical column reaching up to the sky. Finally, attempts to simulate fallout have generally failed because the initial explosion has tended to consume any fallout-simulating material too quickly to permit the fallout phenomenon to be duplicated.

Attempts to simulate an atombomb explosion, even on a small scale, with ordinary explosive materials has proven costly and dangerous, as well as unsatifactory in appearance. Several hundred pounds of powder exploded in the manner of previously known pyrotechnic displays fail to produce one or more of the important 2,934,013 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 characteristics of an atom bomb explosion, and yet may be quite hazardous to troops two or three hundred feet away. The danger is particularly acute wherever metal or other hard materials are used in the bomb, since fragments of these materials are dangerous missiles immediately after the explosion.

It is a major object of the present invention to provide a device for the simulating of an atom bomb explosion, complete in every detail of sight and sound except on a relatively small scale, but without hazard to personnel a hunderd feet or more away from the point of the explosion.

It is an important associated object of this invention to provide a pyrotechnic device which produces a large column of white smoke upon exploding, and then develops a mushroom head at the top of the column.

It is a further associated object of the invention to provide an explosion roar just prior to the development of the mushroom cloud, and a simulated fallout during and after the cloud formation.

The foregoing and other objects are accomplished by using known types of explosives, but combining them in a new association to produce effects not hitherto known except on a gigantic scale in the atom bomb itself.

The construction of the device of the invention, and the formulation of the explosives employed therein, will best be understood from the following description of one preferred embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an atom bomb simulator constructed according to the invention and placed on the ground in position for explosion;

Figure 2 shows the main container for the atom bomb simulator in phantom line, so that the arrangements of explosive charges therein can be seen; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of one of the explosive cloud-producing units seen in the bottom of the container in Figure 2.

Figure l, an atom bomb simulator, indicated generally by the numeral 10, is seen to be comprised principally of a large, open-topped, drum container, 11, and three out-lying sound-producing bomb units, 12, 13 and 14.

Explosion of the contents of the container 11 and of the sound units 12, 13, and 14 is initiated by an electrical impulse dispatched from a remote control station (not shown) over the electrical lines, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

It will be seen from the phantom view of Figure 2 that the container 11 is provided with an explosive charge, indicated generally by the numeral 19, which is comprised of several different elements to be described hereinafter. Also, it will be noted that the charge 19 occupies only the lower portion of the container 11, so that, during transportation, the sound units 12, 13 and 14 may be packed in the upper part of container 11, being separated from the chargeV 19 by Va cardboard partition 2l), which yserves to cover charge 19.

It is an important function of the container 11 to direct the explosion of charge 19 vertically Vupward in a columnshaped cloud. Consequently, the container should have sufficient bursting strength to have some directing effect on the explosion. On the other hand, a metal drum, or even a wooden drum, is not suitable, since flying fragments might injure persons at the control station or maneuvering troops nearby. A drum of strong cardboard or fibreboard has proved most suitable.V

Similarly, the sound-producing units 12, v13 and 14 should explode without scattering dangerous fragments, but must be constructed with sufficient bursting strength to. resist the explosion and produce a loud roar. The preferred construction of the sound unitsv has been found to be a cylindrical canvas b ag reinforced byl circular and longitudinal wrappings of strong cords, the interior being lled with flash powder and one or more electrically operated igniting squibs.

It will be seen from Figure 1 that the disposition of the sound units 12 to 14 just prior to explosion is at points on a circle around the main container 11. Preferably, the radial distance between the main container and the sound units is sufficient so that the explosion of sound units a few hundred milliseconds before the explosion of charge 19 does not interfere with the burning of a fuse system within container 11, as will be explained hereafter.

The electrical line 15 leads from a battery and detonating switch (not shown) of any suitable standard type, located about one hundred feet from the container 11, and manually operated by an operator in position to view the area surrounding the container 11 to be sure that it is clear of soldiers at the time of detonation. The line 15 is connected by connecter 22 to a short line 23 leading into a squib and junction container 23', where connection is made to the sound unit lines 16, 17 and 1S.

At 4the instant of the detonating electrical impulse, squibs are ignited simultaneously in each of the sound units 12, 13 and 14 and within the squib container 23. The sound units are immediately exploded, and the fuse system 21 begins to burn. The individual fuses of the fuse system 21 are adapted to burn for about 500 millisecond before reaching the separate envelopes of explosive charge comprising the charge 19.

The different charges comprising charge 19, and connected to the squib container 23' by the fuse system 21 are of two types. In the particular embodiment illustrated in the drawings of Figures l to 3, the main charge is used to produce a smoke cloud, and the seven bags 24, which contain cloud-producing powder, may be referred to as cloud units. Seven are employed in the device of the illustration, and all are disposed on the bottom of container 11 and are shaped approximately like vertical cylinders. It is important that these cloud units have suflicient vertical dimension to provide a burning time as will be explained hereinafter. v

Disposed above the cloud units 24 are three color units, 25. Although these units are ignited at the same instant as the cloud units 24, their explosive content is of a radically different formulation, and they behave in an entirely different manner in order to provide the simulation of atom bomb fallout. The contents of the color units 25 are mostly color re powder, preferably strontium nitrate, or the like, to produce a reddish ire.

In one form of the invention, the color units 25 and/or the cloud units 24 contain pellets of color re or ash producing material. The pellets should be at least onequarter inch in diameter, but preferably not more than one-half inch in diameter, so that their burning time will Vlast for at least half a second and preferably over a second. Thus, the pellets are projected upwardly with the smoke cloud produced by the explosion of the cloud units 24, and continue to burn producing the appearance of red fallout at the top of the mushroom cloud.

The vertical cross sectional view of Figure 3 shows the interior arrangement of one of the cloud units 24.

The fuse 21 leads to a small envelope of igniting powder 26, which is located in the middle of the charge 27, contained within the cloud unit envelope 28.

Inclosed within the cloud unit envelope 28, and located in the bottom thereof at a spaced vertical distance below the igniter envelope 26, is an aftercharge unit 29, comprised of an envelope, 30, and an aftercharge filling 31, which is substantially more explosive then the cloud unit powder 27. The aftercharge of unit 29 is not ignited by any fuse or squib system, but only by the burning of the charge 27 of the cloud unit 24. It is the function of the aftercharge unit 29 to produce the mushroom shape of the cloud column produced by the burning of the charge 27. Consequently, it is important that the explosion of the aftercharge powder 31 be delayed at least one-half second after the ignition of the charge 27. The required one-half second delay is produced by the vertical spacing of the ignition envelope, 26, a suitable distance above the envelope 30, as may be found by testing for a particular formulation.

Each of the color units, 25, is provided with an ignition envelope, like ignition envelope 26, connected to one of the fuse strands of fuse system 21. No aftercharge is employed in the color units 25, however.

Although the broad idea of the invention may be used by employing a great variety of explosive formulations in the bomb construction described in the foregoing paragraphs, certain formulations are much preferred because they have been found to cooperate with each other to achieve unique effects in timing and results in auditory and visual simulation of an atom bomb.

A suitable fallout formulation has been found to be comprised of pellets about three-eighths of an inch by three-eighths of an inch containing 62% strontium nitrate. The balance of the pellets may be comprised of an explosive such as potassium perchlorate, and some suitable binding glue. It is desirable to incorporate some of the pellets into the cloud producing explosive in the units 24 as well as in the color units 25.

Each of the little igniter envelopes, 26, one in each of the cloud units 24, and one in each of the color units 25, should contain about a full ounce of 4F black powder.

The main charge of the atom bomb simulator 10 is the explosive 27 distributed in the 7 cloud units 24. About half of the cloud unit formulations should be commercial and standard grade B powder, usually identified as FFB, FFFB, or 4FB. But the rnost distinguishing feature of a suitable formulation for the cloud units is the use of about one-third by weight of magnesium and aluminum powder of various kinds to produce a heavy cloud effect.

The principal requirement for the explosive 31 used in the aftercharge units 29 is that it impart a sudden shock of increased explosive effect after the relatively continuous even burning of the relatively less explosive powder, 27. About a pound of 3F powder may be used in the bottom of the cloud unit containing about 20 pounds of cloud-producing powder 27. It will be understood that it is important to place the aftercharge powder 31, in its own separate container, 30, in order to keep it from becoming commingled with the cloud-producing powder, 27.

The sound units 12,13 and 14 are filled preferably with flash powder, such as a powder comprised principally of potassium perchlorate, and the balance mostly unpolished aluminum and black antimony sulphite powder. An important preferred form of the atom bomb simulator is to further duplicate the appearance of fallout by using one-sixteenth inch or larger sized. pellets of 60% aluminum powder and 40% potassium perchlorate intermixed with the cloud producing charge 27. It is a preferred form of the invention to use any suitable red fire powder in the color tire envelopes 25 and to produce a close simulation of fall-out by employing strontium nitrate pellets and aluminum powder pellets scattered through the cloud-producing charge, 27.

The foregoing specific embodiment has been described for the purposes of illustration and explanation and not to limit the scope of the invention to the particular details disclosed. It will be understood that many variations of the dimensions, formulations, and arrangements may occur to those skilled in the art of pyrotechnics, without departing yfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An atom bomb simulator which includes: a container opening upwardly; a plurality of cloud-producing units in the bottom of said container, each of said units being comprised of an envelope enclosing a charge of a relatively slow burning mixture of black powder and finely divided ignitable metals; a reiatively more explosive aftercharge unit in the bottom of each of said cloud-producing unit envelopes, each of said aftercharge units being comprised of an envelope containing a horizontally extended charge of black gunpowder; a large number of pellets over one-sixteenth inch in diameter and comprised of brilliant burning explosive powder, said pellets being intermixed with said cloud-producing charges; a charge of color re material disposed in said container above said cloud-producing units, said charge consisting primarily of red iire powder; a plurality of sound producing units external to said container, and spaced from said container and from each other, each of said units Vcontaining a charge of flash powder in a fabric-like envelope reinforced with cording to produce sound-producing resistance to the explosion of said charge; a small envelope of readily ignitable powder enclosed within the charge of each of said cloud-producing units but spaced above said aftercharge units to provide at least one-half second delay between the explosion of said cloud units and said aftercharge units; electrically ignitable squib means associated with each of said sound units and an electrically ignitable squib means in said container; means for electrically igniting said sound unit squib means and said container squib means substantially simultaneously; and fuse means from said container squib means to each of said cloud-producing units and said color tire charge to ignite same a short predetermined time after the explosion of said sound units.

2. An atom bomb simulator which includes: a plurality of cloud-producing units, each of said units being comprised of an envelope enclosing a charge of a relatively slow burning mixture of explosive powder and tinely divided ignitable metals; a container enclosing said cloud units and opening upwardly, said container being of sufcient bursting strength to confine the combustion products smoke of said cloud-producing units to an upwardly projected column; a relatively more explosive aftercharge unit in the bottom of at least one of said cloud-producing unit envelopes, said aftercharge unit being comprised of an envelope containing a charge of explosive powder; a charge of color re material disposed in said container above said cloud-producing units; at least one sound producing unit external to said container, and spaced from said container, said unit containing a charge of explosive powder in an envelope reinforced with cording to produce sound-producing resistance to the explosion of said charge without dangerous fragmentation; a small envelope of readily ignitable powder enclosed within the charge of each of said cloud-producing units, the envelope of ignitable power in said cloudproducing unit containing an after charge being spaced above said after charge unit to provide at least one-half second delay between the explosion of said cloud unit and said aftercharge unit; electrically ignitable squib means associated with said sound unit and said container; means for electrically igniting said sound unit squib means and said container squib means substantially simultaneously; and fuse means from said squib means in said container to each of said cloud-producing units and said color tire charge to ignite same a short predetermined time after the explosion of said sound unit.

3. An atom bomb simulator which includes: a plurality of cloud-producing units, each of said units being comprised of an envelope enclosing a charge of a mixture of explosive powder and tinely divided ignitable aluminum and magnesium; a container enclosing said cloud units'and opening upwardly, said container being of suflicient bursting strength to confine the combustion products smoke of said cloud-producing units to an upwardly projected column; a relatively more explosive aftercharge unit in the bottom of at least one of said cloud-producing unit envelopes; a large number of relatively long burning pellets comprised principally of brilliantly burning strontium salts and aluminum powder, said pellets being intermixed with the charges of at least some of said cloud-producing units; a charge of color ire material disposed in said container above said cloud-producing units; a plurality ot sound-producing units external to said container, and spaced from said container and from each other, each of said units containing a charge of explosive powder; a small envelope of readily ignitable powder enclosed within the charge of each of said cloudproducing units but spaced above said aftercharge unit to provide at least one-half second delay between the explosion of said cloud units and said aftercharge unit; electrically ignitable squib means associated with each of said sound units and said container; means for electrically igniting said sound unit squib means and said container squib means substantially simultaneously; and fuse means from said squib means in said container to each of said cloud-producing units and said color iire units to ignite same a short predetermined time after the explosion of said sound units.

4. An atom bomb simulator which includes: a container opening upwardly; a plurality of cloud-producing units in the bottom of said container, each of said units being comprised of an envelope enclosing a charge of a mixture of explosive powder, finely divided ignitable metals, and pellets of brilliantly burning material; a relatively more explosive aftercharge unit in the bottom of at least one of saidV cloud-producing unit envelopes, said aftercharge unit being comprised of an envelope containing a horizontally extended charge of explosive powder; a charge of color iire material disposed in said container above said cloud-producing units; a plurality of soundproducing units external to said container, and spaced from said container and from each other; squib means at each of said sound units for igniting same and squib means at said container; time delay fuse means from said container squib means to said cloud units and said color units; electrical means for simultaneously igniting said sound unit squibs and said container squib; igniting means in said cloud units connected with said fuse means, but

' spaced above said aftercharge unit to provide at least one half second delay between the explosion of said cloud units and said aftercharge units.

5. An atom bomb simulator which includes: a charge of relatively slow-burning cloud-producing powder having a sufficient vertical dimension to provide a burning time between top and bottom of said cloud-producing charge in excess of one half a second; a relatively more explosive aftercharge at the lower end of said cloud-producing charge; igniter charge means for igniting said cloud-producing charge at the upper end of said cloudproducing charge; a colored re charge disposed above said cloud-producing charge; a container enclosing all of said aforementioned charges, the upper walls of said container defining an upwardly opening passage extending vertically upward a substantial distance above said aforementioned charges, and said container being of suiiicient bursting strength to conne the combustion products of said cloud-producing charge to an upwardly projected column; at least one sound-producing unit exterior to said container, said unit consisting of an explosive charge confined within an explosive-resisting envelope of fabriclike material; an ignition system for igniting both said sound unit and said igniter charge means, said ignition system including means for delaying the ignition of said ignited charge means until after the explosion of said sound unit.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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