Several pyrotechnic smoke screen sets are arranged on top of each other. Each of them has an igniter and a decomposition sets. They are in separate containers which, in succession, are ignited by a delay device at a desired interval.
For generation of smoke screens for civilian and military applications, briquetted, combustible masses are used, which, by means of scattering charges, are spread in a buckshot-like manner. Smoke charges serve mostly toxic substances which, at least when failing to burn or when only partly burning, constitute an environmental hazard. According to the invention, there is provided a device consisting of nontoxic, hygroscopic smoke charges fully encapsulated in a moisture-impervious ignition layer. An ammunition body comprises smoke charges of differing sizes and geometries, and facilitates the ground-covering laying of smoke screens over large target areas. A preferred manufacturing method for the smoke charges and the ignition layer is described.
A rapid-release smoke hand grenade comprising a manually actuatable igniter head (A) and an active mass member (B), wherein the striker located on the igniter head to initiate the chain of pyrotechnical activity is loaded by means of a safety clip so as to be safe to handle, the smoke-forming means located in the active mass member is in the form of combustible disc-shaped or disc sector-shaped thin leaves (flares) coated with smoke-forming agent based on red phosphorus which practically fill the canister of the active mass member around a capsule for the ignition/bursting unit located therein, the heavy components of this rapid-release smoke hand grenade are held together by connecting elements which are stable when it bursts, and the essential components of the grenade preferably consist of aluminium. In a likewise preferred embodiment the ignition/bursting charge of the ignition/bursting unit consists of a classical detonating charge of aluminium and potassium perchlorate in order to minimise the combustion gases evolved when it reacts.
A smoke-generating projectile has a decomposable effective mass, the mass including a quick-burning deception component for generating spontaneous smoke, and a slow-burning concealment component for generating persistent smoke. The projectile includes an igniter, an ejection charge and/or ignition decomposition charge and at least one ignition delay device. The projectile is constructed so that the energy of decomposition of at least one of the effective mass components is constrained in a radial direction. The ejection charge and/or the ignition decomposition charge, as well as at least one ignition delay device, is installed in the effective mass.
Infrared, visible or mm. radiation is screened by an aerosol comprising flakes (0.03-0.3.times.1.5-20 microns) of aluminum metal composition, having a mass extinction coefficient of at least 4.5 m.sup.2 /g in respect of infrared radiation and at least 3.5 m.sup.2 /g in respect of visible radiation. The invention includes also the flakes per se, and formulations containing them, the flakes being additionally characterized by the facts that the amount of manufacturing process additive with which they are coated has been reduced to between 0 and 2.5 weight percent, and that they have a bulk density at least 0.5, preferably at least 1.5 g/cc. The reduction in the coating additive may be achieved by modifying the amount of additive used in the manufacturing process, or by treating the conventionally manufactured flakes with solvents to reduce the amount of coating additive to the desired level. Compressing the thus-treated flakes increases bulk density, with no significant reduction in the mass extinction coefficient.
Smoke-producing compositions are disclosed that combine the low toxicity of an organic acid smoke and the high obscuration effect of a red phosphorus (RP) smoke. Phosphoric acid produced by RP is neutralized by an acid scavenger added to at least one of the RP or organic acid smoke formulations. To prevent chemical reaction between ingredients of the two smoke-producing formulations, they are separated in the apparatus of the present invention such that only the resulting smokes mix. Very small amount of a RP smoke formulation increases the obscuration index of organic acid smokes comparable to conventional hygroscopic chloride (HC) smokes.
