Anti-personnel device for war gaming exercises

Abstract

An anti-personnel device for use in war gaming exercises comprises at least one launching mechanism for launching at least one projectile outwardly from the anti-personnel device wherein the launching mechanism has at least one member biased away from another member in opposing directions. A material is affixed to the ends of the members that forms a loop depending from the ends of the members thereby capturing projectiles therein when the members are in a closed, armed position.

1 . In anti-personnel device for use in war gaming exercises which comprises at least one launching mechanism for launching at least one projectile outwardly from said anti-personnel device, said launching mechanism comprising at least two movable members biased in opposing directions, said launching mechanism affixed to a mounting base of an enclosure, at least one of said movable members having a latching mechanism associated therewith for holding said movable members in a closed, armed position, said latching mechanism comprising a latch plate overlying said at least one movable member, said latch plate affixed to a cover of said enclosure and having a terminal end thereof captured by a latch hook, said movable members having a material affixed to ends thereof, said material comprising a loop depending from said ends of said movable members, the improvement wherein said loop of material captures a plurality of said projectiles in said loop when said movable members are in a closed, armed position, said projectiles selected from the group comprising paintballs, hollow thermoplastic balls, metal BB's, elastomeric BB's, soap pellets, rubber pellets, Buckshot or other simulated munitions, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       2 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 1  wherein said movable members of said launching mechanism are resettable to said closed, armed position thus rendering said anti-personnel device re-useable.  
   
   
       3 . (previously canceled)  
   
   
       4 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 2  wherein said latching mechanism has a releasing mechanism associated therewith, said releasing mechanism moving said latch hook from engagement with said latch plate.  
   
   
       5 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 4  wherein said releasing mechanism has a trip wire affixed to a lever end thereof for moving said latch hook from engagement with said latch plate when said trip wire is moved a predetermined distance.  
   
   
       6 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 4  wherein said releasing mechanism has an electrical wire affixed to a lever end thereof for moving said latch hook from engagement with said latch plate when said electrical wire is energized from a remote source, wherein said electrical wire is a Nickel/Titanium alloy which shrinks upon application of electrical current thus releasing said latch hook from engagement with said latch plate.  
   
   
       7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . (previously canceled)  
   
   
       9 . (previously canceled)  
   
   
       10 . (previously canceled)  
   
   
       11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 1  wherein said material is removably affixed to said ends of said movable members whereby said material may be replaced when worn.  
   
   
       13 . In anti-personnel device for use in war gaming exercises which comprises at least one launching mechanism for launching at least one projectile outwardly from said anti-personnel device, said launching mechanism comprising a movable member biased in a direction away from a fixed member, said launching mechanism affixed to a mounting base of an enclosure, said members having a material affixed to ends thereof, said material comprising a loop depending from said ends of said members wherein said material captures a plurality of said projectiles in said loop when said members are in a closed position at least one of said members having a latching system associated therewith for holding said movable member in said closed, armed position said latching system comprising a latch plate overlying said movable member, said latch plate affixed to a cover of said enclosure and having a terminal end thereof captured by a latch hook the improvement wherein said projectiles are loaded into said loop of material through a pour spout formed through a wall of said mounting base.  
   
   
       14 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 13  wherein said movable member of said launching mechanism is resettable against said fixed member to said closed, armed position thus rendering said anti-personnel device re-useable.  
   
   
       15 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 13  wherein said projectiles are selected from the group comprising paintballs, hollow thermoplastic balls, metal BB's, thermoplastic BB's, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       16 . In an anti-personnel device for use in war gaming exercises which comprises an array of launching mechanisms, said launching mechanisms having means for launching multiple projectiles outwardly from said anti-personnel device in a random pattern, each said launching mechanism of said array comprising at least two movable members biased in opposing directions, said launching mechanism affixed to a mounting base of an enclosure at least one of said movable members having a latching mechanism associated therewith for holding said movable members in a closed, armed position, said latching mechanism comprising a latch plate overlying said at least one movable member, said members having a material affixed to ends thereof said material comprising a loop depending from said ends of said members the improvement wherein said loop of material captures a plurality of said projectiles in said loop when said movable members are in a closed, armed position, said projectiles selected from the group comprising paintballs hollow thermoplastic balls, metal BB's, thermoplastic BB's, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       17 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 16  wherein said array has a common trip wire associated with said latching mechanism of each of said launching mechanisms for releasing said latching mechanism when said trip wire is moved a predetermined distance.  
   
   
       18 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 17  wherein said launching mechanisms of said array are actuated simultaneously.  
   
   
       19 . An anti-personnel device as in  claim 17  wherein said launching mechanisms of said array are actuated sequentially.  
   
   
       20 . (canceled)