Pointing Device Inertial Isolation and Alignment Mounting System

Abstract

An inertial isolation and alignment system for a sensitive component or apparatus affixed to a mortar barrel comprising a barrel clamp assembly which supports two parallel bearing rail followers and pointing device cage assembly which supports two parallel linear bearing rails. The bearing rail followers and linear bearing rails form a simple sliding contact linear motion bearing system. The bearing rail followers on the barrel clamp assembly allow the cage assembly to slide freely along the length of the linear bearing rails. During firing, the travel vector is decoupled from the cage assembly by the bearing rail followers as they move with the barrel along the linear bearing rails leaving the cage assembly suspended in inertial space. The cage assembly then accelerates under the force of gravity over the distance of the displaced travel of the bearing rail followers back to its rest position landing on dampers, each on a linear bearing rail.

1 . An inertial isolation and alignment assembly for aligning and isolating a shock of a sensitive component affixed to a barrel, the inertial isolation and alignment assembly comprising:
 a saddle clamp structure configured to removably affix the inertial isolation and alignment assembly to the barrel;   a cage assembly affixed to the saddle clamp structure and configured to encase the sensitive component; and   a linear motion bearing system comprising at least two linear bearing rails and at least two bearing rail followers, wherein the linear bearing rails and bearing rail followers cooperate to inertially isolate the cage assembly from the saddle structure, and wherein the at least two linear bearing rails are anchored to the cage assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The inertial isolation and alignment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the saddle clamp structure comprises clamps. 
     
     
         3 . The inertial isolation and alignment of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two bearing rail followers is configured to accept a respective one of the at least two linear bearing rails to form a sliding contact linear motion bearing system. 
     
     
         4 . The inertial isolation and alignment assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two bearing rail followers is configured to accept a respective one of the at least two linear bearing rails so that each of the at least two linear bearing rails is substantially parallel to the mortar barrel. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The inertial isolation and alignment assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising shock dampers disposed at an end of each of the at least two linear bearing rails. 
     
     
         7 . The inertial isolation and alignment assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a quick release mechanism for the cage assembly. 
     
     
         8 . A method for isolating a shock of a sensitive component affixed to a mortar barrel using an inertial isolation and alignment assembly, wherein the inertial isolation and alignment assembly comprises a saddle clamp structure configured to removably affix the inertial isolation and alignment assembly to the mortar barrel, a cage assembly affixed to the saddle clamp structure and configured to encase the sensitive component, and a linear motion bearing system, wherein the linear motion bearing system comprises at least two linear bearing rails and at least two bearing rail followers, wherein the linear bearing rails and bearing rail followers cooperate to inertially isolate the cage assembly from the saddle structure, and wherein the at least two linear bearing rails are anchored to the cage assembly, the method comprising:
 sliding the at least two linear bearing rails through the at least two bearing rail followers when a projectile is fired through the mortar barrel, thereby causing the cage assembly to be suspended in inertial space; and   dampening a fall of the cage assembly.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , the method further comprising affixing a saddle structure that contains the at least two bearing rail followers to the mortar barrel. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the at least two bearing rail followers is configured to accept a respective one of the at least two linear bearing rails. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , the method further comprising providing that the at least two linear bearing rails are substantially parallel to the mortar barrel. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein dampening comprises providing shock dampers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , the method further comprising releasing the cage assembly from the saddle structure when dismounting the sensitive component.