Device for rapidly mixing and agitating chemicals in sealed containers

[57] ABSTRACT

The invention comprises an apparatus for maintaining liquid and dry chemicals safely separate in hermetically sealed containers and for rapidly mixing and agitating the chemicals in flight just prior to launch of the munition.

Claims, 7 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED MAY 9 1972

3,661,083

Sllltl 1 OF 3

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ATTORNEY.

PATENTEDmay 9 isz?

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SHEET 2 OF 3

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HFCLA'ST;A)TfflK)R NEY.

FIG.

PATENTED MAY 91972

3,661,083

SHEET 3 OF 3

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3,661,083

DEVICE FOR RAPIDLY MIXING AND AGITATING CHEMICALS IN SEALED CONTAINERS

The invention described herein 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 therefore.

The present invention relates to a mixing and agitating system and more particularly to a method and device for rapidly mixing and agitating chemicals separately stored in a sealed container to obtain a homogenous solution. The chemicals are of a nature that when rapidly brought together an exothermic addition reaction and isomerization result in a highly toxic chemical agent, the purity of the agent depending upon the homogeneity of the solution and the rapidity with which the homogeneity is achieved.

In a prior art system, one of the chemicals, a powdered solid, is housed in a tube within a container containing a liquid chemical, the powdered chemical being forced into the liquid by pressurizing and rupture of the tube, agitation of the mixture being provided by impeller blades on shafts that extend through the container wall and are powered from external sources. Only localized agitation was accomplished and numerous seal problems around the shafts were encountered, which rendered the system a contamination hazard to the aircraft, the pilot and the personnel loading and servicing the aircraft and therefore proved inadequate for airborne toxic chemical munitions.

It is therefore a purpose and object of this invention to provide a system which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art systems.

A further object is the provision of a system which accomplishes rapid mixing and agitation of chemicals within a sealed container.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed descrip- : tion of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of the chemical munition to which the instant invention is applied with portions broken away to show the relationship of the parts;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of portions of FIG. 1 on a larger scale with parts broken away and partly in vertical section to show the relationship of the parts;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section, on a still larger scale, of the lefthand portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the tri-lobed ballonet or trefoil to which bags of powdered chemical are taped;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along lines 5 — 5 of FIG. 2, on a larger scale, showing the lobes of the ballonet;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along lines 6 — 6 of FIG. 3 with portions broken away to show the relation of the lobes to other parts; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mixer and agitator assembly after rotation thereof has begun.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown schematically in FIG. 1 a chemical munition designated generally by reference numeral 10 and comprising a casing or container 11, a folding fin assembly 12, nose fairing 13 and lugs 14 by which the munition may be supported from the launcher on an aircraft in a conventional manner.

The fins of assembly 12 may be of the type described and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 490,143, filed Sept. 24, 1965, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,030, by James E. Weimholt et al., and the fins may be canted to provide spin to the munition 10 after release. The nose fairing 13 contains an airarmed fuze 15 of conventional type which may be employed to actuate means of the type described and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 493,286, filed Oct. 5, 1965, by applicant, for disseminating liquid chemical from the container 11. Fuze 15 is initiated by withdrawal of an arming wire 16 suitably connected to the aircraft, arming wire 17 serving to initiate release of the folded fins in fin assembly 12 after launch of the munition.

Disposed within container 11 is a mixer and agitator assembly 18 shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2-5.

Turning now to FIG. 2, container 11 is shown as comprising a half-global rear portion 19 circumferentially welded to a cylindrical portion 21 as at 22. Supported within portion 19 by means of a plurality of radial legs 23 is a circular journal member 24 carrying a ring 25 of low friction material, such as Teflon or the like.

Journaled in ring 25 is a cup-like member 26 which forms part of the mixer and agitator assembly 18. Secured to member 26 and extending forwardly therefrom is an open lattice work structure or basket 27 in the form of a cylindrical grid and comprising longitudinally extending strips 28 spaced 120 degrees apart and circumferential bands 29. Disposed within the basket 27, and contiguous thereto, is a cylindrical tube 31 soldered or welded at its rear end to member 26 which serves as an end cap for the tube.

Basket 27 and tube 31 are soldered or welded at their forward ends to multi-bore member 32 having an annular flange 33 which is circumferentially welded to the front end of cylindrical portion 21 as at 34. Container 11 is provided with a filling fixture 35 welded to the container as at 36 and formed with a filling opening 37 and bore 38, the latter being adapted to receive a close-fitting filler plug 39 which, after filling of the container with liquid chemical to 10 - 15 percent ullage, is adapted to be welded to the fixture as at 41. Thus, there is provided a leakproof container of welded construction.

Associated with multi-bore member 32, for reasons hereinafter appearing, is a support member 42 formed with a cylindrical portion 43 and a journal flange 44, portion 43 being circumferentially welded to flange 33 as at 45, FIGS. 2 and 3. Flange 44 carries a ring 46 of low friction material, such as Teflon or the like, which is received in a journal notch 47 formed in member 32. Also formed in member 32 is an annular channel 48, thereby providing a reduced portion in the member, and three radial performations spaced 120° apart and aligned with each of the sets of strips 28, respectively, each perforation receiving a pin or stud 49 welded to member 32 as at 51, FIGS. 3 and 6. For attaching fairing 13, a plurality of attaching elements 52 are arranged around the periphery of flange 33 and suitably secured thereto.

Container 11 and associated parts contained therein thus far described are, for reasons of safety, stored separately from parts later assembled into tube 31 and member 32 upon assembly of the munition for a mission. Tube 31 is adapted to ; receive a tri-lobed ballonet or trefoil 53 to which plastic bags 54 containing a dry powdered chemical 55 are secured by plastic straps or tapes 56, FIGS. 2-5.

As will be appreciated from an inspection of FIGS. 4 and 5, the ballonet 53 comprises a tri-lobed or trefoil portion made'

I up of lobes 57 extending over the major portion of the length of the ballonet, end portions 58 and 58' of cylindrical form and intermediate flaring portions 59 and 59'. The ballonet is fabricated from a cylindrical metallic tube the major mid-portion of which is collapsed inwardly, by pressure from three directions 120° apart, to the cross-sectional form shown in FIG. 5. The ends 58 and 58' of the tube are trimmed and secured about circular plates 61 and 6Γ, respectively, plate 61' being of solid form and circumferentially welded, as at 62 (FIG. 4), to one end of the ballonet, plate 61 having a threaded opening 63 therein and circumferentially welded, as at 62 (FIG. 4), to one end of the ballonet, plate 61 having a threaded opening 63 therein and circumferentially welded, as at 64, to the other end of the ballonet (FIGS. 3 and 4). The lobes 57 of the trefoil portion and the flaring portions 59 and 59' together define elongated shallow pockets which receive the bags 54 of powdered chemical. If desired, the bags may be made of plastic tubing knotted at the ends.

In the assembly of the munition 10, an annular positioning plate 65 is secured to plate 61 by three screws 66 spaced 120° apart with the stems of the screws disposed generally in the plane of each of the lobes 57, respectively, FIGS. 3 and 6. Plate 65 is formed with three notches 67 in the outer periphery thereof radially of the screws 66, each notch 67 being adapted to receive a pin or stud 49, respectively, whereby each set of strips 28 is radially aligned with each of

3,661,083 the lobes 57, respectively, FIG. 5, for a purpose hereinafter appearing.

Turning now to FIG. 3, threaded into openings 63 is a pyrotechnic gas generating unit 68 comprising a pyrotechnic composition 69, held in place by a frangible diaphragm 71 and retainer ring 72, and an igniter 73 adapted to be initiated electrically through leads 74 and plug 75.

Fitting around pyrotechnic unit 68 is an explosive release and roller bearing member 76 provided with an annular groove 77 in which a flexible linear shaped charge 78 is housed, an electric detonator 79, a set of roller bearings 81 and a low friction sealing ring 82. Members 76 and 32 are provided with threaded portions, as at 83, to seat member 76 against a low friction washer 84 of Teflon or the like, seated on plate 65, groove 71 being so located that the charge 78 is positioned opposite the reduced portion of member 32 provided by annular groove 48. Initiation of detonator 79 is through leads 85 and plug 86.

The outer end of pyrotechnic unit 68 is formed with a pair of parallel shoulders 87 forming a non-circular end which is adapted to be fit within a non-circular opening in a large gear 88, FIGS. 1, 3 and 7. Gear 88 is placed on unit 68 in meshing engagement with a small gear 89 secured to a shaft adapted to be driven by a motor 91 previously secured to flange 33 by screws 92 and having leads 93 for powering the same. Gear 88 is held in place by a pair of screws 94.

The several leads are brought together to a receptacle 95, FIG. 1, to which an umbilical cord, not shown, is adapted to be connected to a source of power on the aircraft carrying the munition 10.

The purpose of pyrotechnic unit 68 is to provide gas to expand the ballonet 53 to substantially its original cylindrical form and force the powdered chemical in bags 54 through the walls of tube 31 which is scored on the inside thereof as at 96, FIGS. 2 and 5, to rupture along predetermined lines. It is to be 35 noted that the scoring is midway between strips 28 and adjacent bands 29 and members 26 and 32.

The explosion of charge 78 provides for rupture of member 32 at the reduced portion adjacent annular groove 48 and for release for rotation, on ring 46, of that part of member 32 aft 40 of the groove 48. The other structure fixedly connected to such released part is also free to rotate, including member 26 journaled in ring 25 and unit 68 journaled in bearing 81.

In operation, just prior to launch of the munition, power is provided through the several leads to simultaneously explode charge 78, ignite pyrotechnic composition 69 and start motor 91. Gas from composition 69 expands ballonet 53 forcing the chemical 55 from bags 54 outwardly through basket 27, and forming agitator blades or vanes 97, after rupture of tube 31 along the lines of scoring 96, FIGS. 5 and 7. Simultaneously, charge 78 releases the rotatable parts to which rapid rotation is imparted by motor 91, plugs 75 and 86 being pulled away during such rotation. The munition is then launched and disseminating openings may be formed therein after the manner described in the aforementioned copending application of applicant.

There has thus been provided a chemical munition having a system for maintaining liquid and dry chemicals safely separate in hermetically sealed containers and for rapidly mixing and agitating the chemicals in flight just prior to launch of 60 the munition.

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 the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.