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Mine Sandals-sapper’s sandals: The latest product , an inflatable Mine sandales that distribute your weight in away that the operator will avoid triggering land mines
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Minefield Safety Shoes enable the wearer to safely traverse
a mine field and cross an terrain by inflating the two air cushions built into the shoe.
The inflated shoes distribute the weight of the wearer and his equipment
spreading it over a larger contact area.
CHARACTERISTICS
Dimensions
Folded 43*18*10 (l/w/h)
Operational 43*70*11 (l/w/h)
Total Weight
4.4 Kg (2.2*2)
OperatingTemperature
0°c -+45°c
Mine Sandals
INFLATABLE SANDALS FOR MINE-CLEARING SAPPERS
One of the most complex, delicate and dangerous tasks of the infantry
on the modern
battlefield is clearing mine-fields and leading troops through them.
Leading combat troops through a mine-field is a complex and dangerous
task which
calls for skill, professional know-how and the use of dedicated
protective equipment to
safeguard the leading soldier who looks for the safest path over which
to lead the troops
marching after him.
One of the most important means of reducing the hazard of inadvertent
triggering of a
mine by the sapper as he steps into a suspected mine-field is the
inflatable sapper’s
sandal.
Mines – Principle of Operation
-There are many different types of mines, which differ from one another
in their
purpose (“anti-personnel”, “anti-vehicle”, “anti-armored vehicle”), but
their
manner of operation is identical in principle:
The mine is an engineered structure containing a quantity of high
explosive,
which is buried in the ground. Mine operation is triggered by a fuse
some part of
which is inserted into the explosive while the rest projects above
ground and to
prevent discovery is usually camouflaged by dirt, loose stones, etc.
Treading on the fuse triggers a chain of chemical or mechanical
reactions which
ultimately lead to the activation of the explosive contained in the
mine.
Mine fuses differ in the minimum weight required to trigger them (in
accordance
with their different purpose), in the depth at which they are buried in
the ground
(and hence in the dimensions of the fuse) as well as in the fuse
surface area.
Use of sapper’s sandals
Sappers’ sandals were developed in order to reduce the hazard of
setting-off a mine.
The principle of operation is simple: the large surface area of the
sapper’s sandal
(compared to a soldier’s boot without the sandal) enables the soldier’s
body weight to
be spread over a larger contact area so that the weight per unit area
is reduced below the
minimum force required to trigger a mine.
The contact area with the ground of the inflatable sapper’s sandal was
calculated so as
to distribute sufficiently the soldier’s weight including all his
equipment, even when
standing on one foot only (as he must when walking, for example) and to
bring it down
to a value considerably lower than the minimum required to trigger a
mine.
4
Structure and mode of operation of the inflatable sapper’s sandal
The sandal is made up of three main sub-assemblies:
a. Flexible fabric envelope, resistant to tearing and to wear. This
envelope is made
of material which permit use over any terrain, including sharp rocks,
thorny
vegetation and even barbed wire (!) without risk of tearing.
b. The fabric envelope houses a two-layer system of air-cells, five
cells in each
layer, with internal engineered air passages (no external hoses)
enabling
controlled passage of air from one air-cell to another. The air
passages enable
controlled airflow among all the cells within the same layer but not
between
layers.
The special construction of the air-cell systems and the passages
between the cells
enable the sapper’s sandal to closely hug any surface. The controlled
airflow
between the cells enables distribution of the soldier’s weight over the
entire
surface of the sandal also while walking.
The internal air-cells are made of a two-ply plastic laminate, airtight
and wear-
resistant.
Even in case one of the air-cells is punctured, air would leak out very
slowly,
allowing ample time of activity before deflation.
c. A metal tread is installed on top of the aforesaid fabric envelope,
forming the rigid
platform which the soldier has underfoot and through which his weight
is transmitted
and distributed over the sandal area.
5
The air-cells
The construction of two separate layers of air-cells, one on top of the
other, resulted
from years of development and experimentation. This structure has
several proven
advantages:
a. Higher operational capability – even in case of a puncture or hole
in one of the
air-cells of the lower layer, the air remaining in the upper layer
cells enables
continuation of safe operation.
b. The soldier’s body weight is distributed more evenly over the area
of contact with
the ground.
c. Enhanced sensitivity in walking and better flexibility and feel of
the ground
surface.
The air-cells in the sapper’s sandal are inflated using disposable
compressed-air
bottles. The sandals can also be inflated by blowing through provided
mouthpieces.
Advantages of the improved construction
All air passages interconnecting the cells are formed in the course of
production. This
minimizes the failure rate of the inflatable sandal, providing:
-Increased safety in operation, even when a puncture occurs: a puncture
in the aircells
of the bottom layer does not affect the quantity of air in the top
layer.
-Improvement of operational performance compared to other products on
the
market (see Performance Comparison Report).
-Since the air passages are internal and there are no complex couplings
or
appendages which tend to snag, twist, or loosen, the risk of air leak
is minimized.
-Significant reduction of overall weight.
-Reduced sandals storage volume compared with similar products on the
market.
-Simplified procedures of donning the sandals and of folding them.
6
Use of sapper’s sandals
The sapper’s sandals are packed folded up in a special rucksack carried
on the back of
the sapper, whence they can be readily pulled out and donned.
Their low weight (about 2,100 gram per sandal) and their small
dimensions when folded
(43 ª 18 ª 10 cm) leave the soldier free to engage in other operational
activity.
Donning the sandals is very simple: to minimize possibilities of
failure, when the
sandals are donned as well as during use, the sapper’s sandals were
designed without
any complex interconnections and devices. The sandal is simple and easy
to put on and
only requires fastening fabric bands!
To put the sandals on in 3 steps:
a. Spread out the folded sandal and inflate the two air-cell layers.
b. Install the boot tread.
c. Strap the sandal on the soldier’s boots.
Putting the sandals on takes very little time, no more than 2 minutes
(!!) for a trained person
7
The Development and Production Process
The development of the inflatable sapper’s sandals took about 3 years
(!), in the
course of which a large number of prototypes were designed and tried,
which
were improved time and again. We aimed to improve item performance,
make it
safer, simplify user operation and restrict the likelihood of
operational failures.
In designing and developing the prototypes our team consulted
specialists in the
fields of engineering, textile and academic research, as well as in the
fields of
battlefield engineering, high explosives and military development.
The inflatable sapper’s sandals are manufactured from high-tech
materials using
unique production technologies.
THE TEST RIG
In the course of development of the sandal we also designed and built a
complex
dedicated test rig, the only one of its kind in the world, designed to
simulate and
scientifically test the operation of sapper’s sandals as they press on
fusing devices of
various mines.
Mines differ in type as well as in the triggering device.
The advanced
test rig which
was built enables us to obtain accurate results concerning the force
applied on a given
type of fuse, its dependence on the fuse surface area, the fuse height
protruding above
ground and the weight of the soldier exerted on it.
The rig enables the application of a given load on various dummy fuses,
with variable
sectional areas and heights, in variable relative positioning of the
soldier’s center of
mass and treading position of the boot, under short or excess quantity
of air in the aircells,
and it can also be used as a comparative test instrument in order to
grade the
various other brands of sapper’s sandals offered worldwide.
It is also possible to regulate the rate of loading of the mine fuse to
receive data on how
the triggering of the mine depends on the speed of walking of the
soldier, etc.
The test rig is quite important, since it provides an objective
scientific test of various
parameters (as aforesaid) which until now could not be accurately
established.
It is also important to note that in addition to the tests and
objective data supplied by
this measuring instrument, we have also carried out field trials in
which soldiers have
subjectively tested the sandals. The trials included personal
impression as to the
simplicity and readiness of operation, the freedom to carry out other
tasks and the
ability to use the sapper’s sandals also under the extreme conditions
of deep mud, scree
and dense vegetation.
8
Test procedure
The test procedure includes the following operations:
a. Mounting a device simulating the mine fuse surface area: for that
purpose several
dummy-fuses were made up, having different surface areas, to correspond
with
the relevant types of mine fuses.
b. Positioning of the dummy fuse at a given height over the base
surface: the dummy
fuse may be placed on the test table at various heights and at various
locations
relative to the position of the sapper’s sandal – at the center of the
sandal, at its
edge, at the space between one air-cell and the next, etc.
c. Preparation of the sapper’s sandal for harnessing – inflation of the
air-cells (as
needed, under-or over-pressure), intentional puncturing, etc.
d. Harnessing of the sapper’s sandal to the loading rig – on top of the
rig there is a
weight simulating the weight of an average soldier, including his
combat gear.
e. Controlled loading of the sapper’s sandal as it is lowered onto the
dummy fuse –
including variable rate of descent of the sandal (to simulate the
soldier’s walking
speed). This affects the obtained data and enables us to determine the
optimum
walking speed.
f. Read-out of the weight exerted on the fuse surface, digitally
displayed on a screen.
In case the walking speed is also tested, this is indicated on an
oscilloscope
screen, as a function of the various variables. Since it is known what
weight is
required to trigger the fuse, it can be definitely established whether
the fuse (and
the mine) would have been triggered or not.
g. Similarly it is possible in this way to compare different makes of
sapper’s sandals
in order to obtain the respective data under various activity
scenarios.
h. The displayed data are stored, edited and printed out in the form of
reports,
diagrams and graphs whereby all parameters and relevant variables are
weighted
appropriately.
9
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL
10
INFLATABLE SAPPER’S SANDALS
Operating principle, Use instructions, Treatment and Maintenance
Dear soldier!
- This equipment is designed to safeguard your life, but to fulfill its
function it
must be kept in good order!
-Properly maintain the equipment issued to you. If your discover any
defect
in one of the components, submit the equipment right away for
comprehensive inspection.
-Take good care of the equipment to save your life!
Working principle
The ground contact area of the inflatable sapper’s sandal was
calculated so as to
distribute the weight of the soldier, including all his equipment, even
when he is
standing on one foot only (while walking, for example), in order to
bring it to a
value significantly lower than the minimum force needed to trigger a
mine.
Structure of the Inflatable Sandal
The inflatable sandal is made up of three main parts.
1. Flexible fabric envelope, resistant to tearing and wear. This
envelope is
made of tough material enabling use of any terrain, including sharp
stones,
thorny vegetation and even barbed wire without tearing.
2. The fabric envelope contains a system of two layers of air cells,
five cells in
each layer, interconnected by internal air passages enabling air flow
between the cells in each layer, but not between the two layers. This
special
structure allows controlled air flow in order to distribute the
soldier’s weight
over the entire surface of the sandal also while walking.
The air cells are made of a unique two-ply plastic, air-tight and wear
resistant. The air cells are inflated with a pump which is separately
applied
to each air cell layer.
It is also possible to inflate the cells by
blowing
through two mouthpieces.
Even if one of the air cells is punctured, the rate of leak will be
very low
allowing considerable time of activity before deflation.
3. A metal tread is installed on top of the fabric system, serving as a
stiff
platform on which the soldier treads and through which his weight is
transmitted and distributed over the sandal area by means of a system
of
rods made of armored plastic.
11
Assembly and Operation
a. Take out from the rucksack one of the rolled up sapper’s sandals.
b. Find a flat and clean surface and spread the sandal on it.
c. Manual Inflation of the Sandal with the PUMP
The quantity of air in each layer is critical in order to obtain
optimum
performance:
1. Open the Velcro closures which cover the inflation mouthpieces
and pull out the mouthpieces (Fig. 1).
2. A one-way valve is installed in each mouthpiece: in order to
enable inflation turn the safety nut and verify that the
mouthpiece can admit air (Fig. 2).
3. Inflation of the bottom layer: Connect the pump (Fig 3) to the
inflation mouthpiece, press the mouthpiece and pump 9 strokes.
4. Inflation of the top layer: Connect the pump (Fig 3) to the
inflation mouthpiece, press the mouthpiece and pump 18
strokes.
Fig. 3 Fig. 2 Fig. 1
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d. Inflation by MOUTH * (option )
1. Inflation of the bottom layer: Blow through the mouthpieces exerting
5
blows with your mouth on the inflation valve.
2. Inflation of the top layer: Blow through the mouthpieces exerting 8
blows with your mouth on the inflation valve
.
3. After inflation turn the safety nut to preclude incidental pressure
on the
inflation valve and the emission of air through the mouthpiece (Fig.
3).
Fig. 3 Fig. 2 Fig. 1
4. Repeat the actions described in point 3 above also with the other
mouthpiece.
f. Insert the mouthpieces back in their place and close the pocket with
the
Velcro fasteners.
13
g. Take from the rucksack one of the metal treads (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4.
h. Loosen the holding straps stitched on the top of the inflated
sandal.
i. Slide the thread under the holding straps. It does not matter which
end is
j. Stretch and tauten all holding straps which fasten the metal tread
to the
k. Repeat the above steps before the second sandal.
l. Putting on the inflated sandals:
1. The metal tread is equipped with straps for fastening the boot.
Verify
that these straps are loose.
2. Put your foot on the metal tread. (Fig. 7). Verify that the boot
heal is
pressed against the stop provided at the end of the thread. (Fig. 8).
Fig. 7 Fig.8
3. Tighten the straps well on the boot, so that the sandal does not
fall off
during activity.
m. Repeat all these operations to put on the second sandal.
14
Folding the sandals after use
The folding steps are the assembly steps in reverse order:
1. Remove your foot from the metal tread. Close the Velcro fasteners of
the
straps to prevent their entanglement.
2. Open the holding straps of the tread to the sandal envelope.
3. Slide out the metal tread from the holding straps.
4. Clean the metal thread of dirt, mud, thorns etc.
5. Put the tread back in place in the rucksack.
6. Clean the inflated sandal of any remaining dirt, mud etc. Take care
to
remove any thorns and sharp objects from the fabric envelope.
7. Open the Velcro fasteners of the inflation mouthpieces and pull
these
mouthpieces out.
8. Turn the safety nut and press the inflation valve, then squeeze out
all the
trapped air (Fig. 9). Verify that all the air is emptied.
Fig. 9
9. Roll up the emptied sandal. Start rolling tightly from the end
farthest from
the inflation mouthpieces.
10. Put the rolled up sandal back in its place in the rucksack.
11. Repeat the above steps for the second sandal.
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