Method and apparatus for disassembling and reassembling projectiles

摘要

A method and apparatus are provided for dismantling and reassembling projectiles which contain a plurality of safety-activatable bomblets in one or more cluster layers. The method and apparatus are particularly useful for disassembling bomblets from a projectile of a first caliber, and loading the bomblets into a projectile of a second caliber. In the first projectile having its casing and components disassembled uncovers an uppermost bomblet layer. The bomblet layer is seated against a first transport cover configured to correspond to a positional pattern for those bomblets of the projectile being disassembled. The bomblet layer is pneumatically held against the first transport cover. A bottom cover is detachably secured to the first transport cover under the bomblet layer, and the fuse of each bomblet is secured. This forms a safe container for moving the bomblets. The individual bomblets are them removed, and least some may be arranged on a second transport cover fashioned according to another positional pattern corresponding to a second projectile to be assembled. That bomblet layer is lowered into the second projectile casing as the lowermost bomblet layer. The above steps are repeated until either the lowermost bomblet layer is removed from the first projectile or until an uppermost bomblet layer is introduced into the projectile to be assembled.