US12313389 - Tunable safe and arming devices and methods of manufacture

The patent describes a method for manufacturing a tunable safe and arming device for projectiles, utilizing electronic discharge machining to create arming slider preforms from sheet metal. The design allows for multiple positions (safe, intermediate, and armed) and includes processes for heat treating and assembling the components into a fuzing assembly.

Claim 1

1. A method of manufacturing a safe and arming fusing assembly, the method comprising: a) machining using thin wire electronic discharge machine to simultaneously machine a plurality of arming slider preforms in a piece of sheet metal, each arming slider preform having a length dimension of less than a centimeter, having a width dimension of less than a centimeter, having a thickness dimension of less than 2 millimeters, the electronic discharge machining includes machining substantially JI of a periphery of a main body portion of each arming slider except for one or more peripheral bridging tabs for holding each arming slider in the piece of sheet metal, includes machining a setback slider slot in the main arming portion, includes machining a setback slider projecting out of the setback slider slot, includes machining a spring extending from the main arming portion to the setback slider, and further includes machining one or more latching projections extending from the periphery of the main body portion outwardly, thereby providing a plurality of arming slider preforms secured together in the piece of sheet metal, each arming slider preform secured within the piece of sheet metal by one or more peripheral bridging tabs; b) heat treating the piece of sheet metal; c) machining a micro firetrain charge recess in each of the main body portions of each of the plurality of slider preforms; d) depositing an energetics charge into the charge recess of the main body of each of the arming slider preforms; e) cutting each of the one or more peripheral bridging tabs securing each arming slider preform of the plurality of arming slider preforms in the piece of sheet metal thereby separating the respective arming slider preforms from the piece of sheet metal thereby providing a plurality of arming sliders; f) placing each of the plurality of arming sliders into respective ones of a plurality of arming slider frames, each arming slider frames defining a recess for receiving the respective arming slider preform and providing three positions for each arming slider in the respective slider frame, a first unarmed position, a second intermediate position, and a third armed position, whereby each of the discrete arming sliders placed in respective ones of the plurality of slider frames defining a plurality of setback arming mechanisms; g) assembling each of the setback arming mechanisms into a respective one of a fuzing assembly by placing an initiator portion at one face side of the setback arming mechanism and a warhead detonation portion at an opposite face side of the setback arming mechanism. a) machining using thin wire electronic discharge machine to simultaneously machine a plurality of arming slider preforms in a piece of sheet metal, each arming slider preform having a length dimension of less than a centimeter, having a width dimension of less than a centimeter, having a thickness dimension of less than 2 millimeters, the electronic discharge machining includes machining substantially JI of a periphery of a main body portion of each arming slider except for one or more peripheral bridging tabs for holding each arming slider in the piece of sheet metal, includes machining a setback slider slot in the main arming portion, includes machining a setback slider projecting out of the setback slider slot, includes machining a spring extending from the main arming portion to the setback slider, and further includes machining one or more latching projections extending from the periphery of the main body portion outwardly, thereby providing a plurality of arming slider preforms secured together in the piece of sheet metal, each arming slider preform secured within the piece of sheet metal by one or more peripheral bridging tabs; b) heat treating the piece of sheet metal; c) machining a micro firetrain charge recess in each of the main body portions of each of the plurality of slider preforms; d) depositing an energetics charge into the charge recess of the main body of each of the arming slider preforms; e) cutting each of the one or more peripheral bridging tabs securing each arming slider preform of the plurality of arming slider preforms in the piece of sheet metal thereby separating the respective arming slider preforms from the piece of sheet metal thereby providing a plurality of arming sliders; f) placing each of the plurality of arming sliders into respective ones of a plurality of arming slider frames, each arming slider frames defining a recess for receiving the respective arming slider preform and providing three positions for each arming slider in the respective slider frame, a first unarmed position, a second intermediate position, and a third armed position, whereby each of the discrete arming sliders placed in respective ones of the plurality of slider frames defining a plurality of setback arming mechanisms; g) assembling each of the setback arming mechanisms into a respective one of a fuzing assembly by placing an initiator portion at one face side of the setback arming mechanism and a warhead detonation portion at an opposite face side of the setback arming mechanism.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12313389

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12313389