Patent ID: 8042470

Claim:
In a cartridge comprising a case with a head assembly and a load carrying projectile fitted to said case, said projectile having programmable electronics mounted therein at its forward end and an electrically conductive cylindrical container for tracer or base burner compound or a rocket motor system positioned at the rear of said projectile, an electromechanical electronics-setting circuit present within said cartridge for transmitting an electrical setting signal originating from an external fire control system through the head assembly to said programmable electronics, said circuit comprising: a) an electrically conductive seat positioned within the case for receiving and seating the electrically conductive container; and b) a first electrically conductive pathway extending from said head assembly to said seat as a first portion of said electromechanical electronics-setting circuit wherein: c) said electrically conductive seat and electrically conductive container are electrically insulated from said case; and d) the electrically conductive container is slideably engageable with the electrically conductive seat, whereby, by the mechanically seating of the electrically conductive container into said seat, a portion of said electromechanical circuit is simultaneously established; and with said electromechanical circuit having a path originating from said external firing control system, to an electrode present in said head assembly, to a first conductor, to said electrically conductive seat, to said electrically conductive container, to a second conductor, to a fuze contact within said projectile, to a third conductor to said programmable electronics, returning via a surface of said cartridge to ground.