TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates generally to rocket and missile launchers and in particular to a positive detent and release mechanism for a- rocket or missile.

.-...BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Missile launchers are well known in the prior art and generally consist of a lightweight, relatively thin aluminum launch tube having a diameter that is slightly larger than that of the body of the missile. The launch tube may also be made of a composite material such as fiber glass or resin impregnated paper. The length of the launch tube is usually greater than that of the missile. A plurality of launch tubes may be assembled together into a pod which is carried on pylons beneath an airplane's wing or along the fuselage of a helicopter. The firing sequence of the individual rocket motors of a group of missiles is generally one at a time so that the total heat of combustion of the rocket motor exhaust gasses within the pod time is kept at a minimum. Also, missile collisions in free-flight are avoided. Alter¬ natively, the rocket propelled missile may be launched from a rail.

In addition to the standard launcher having a flat front, an experimental supersonic missile launcher has been fabricated for an. F-4 Phantom jet which carries eighteen 2.75-inch folding fin aircraft. missiles in

individual aluminum launch tubes. The individual launch tubes are spaced symmetrically about a central axis. The launcher consists of three major sections. The for¬ ward section contains 18 aluminum launch tubes and pro- vides the basic aerodynamic shape and main structural integrity and strength of the launcher. The middle section contains the electrical firing circuitry and missile retention mechanisms. The tail section of the launcher is a hollow aerodynamic fairing designed to reduce base drag. The launcher features a lightweight composite structure consisting of a foam encapsulated, integrally bonded aluminum tube matrix in combination with a glass fiber reinforced epoxy laminated structural system covered by an outer skin.. it is important that each of the missiles be fired properly and that each exit its respective launch tube without damaging it. In practice it has been acceptable to have a few launch tubes in a pod that are inoperative. If more than these launch tubes should be damaged in firing their cargo, the entire launcher would have to be discarded. Thus, every damaged launch tube is a potentially expensive occurrence.

One type of missile is provided with springioaded fins that can be folded backwards so that they extend be- yond the rear of the missile body and their leading edges lie within the projection of the body's circumference. After folding the fins, a rectangular plastic fin retaine is attached to the fin tips to keep them in place. A circular metal contact disc is disposed on the face of the plastic retainer facing away from the fins. An electrical wire connects the contact disc with the rocket motor igniting or firing mechanism within the missile. The fire signal is applied to the rocket motor through the metal contact disc. The body of the missile is "grounded" through the retainer's contact with the rocket.

I loading the missile into its launch tube, referred to as "up loading", the missile is slid into its launch tube until the circumferential ridge, at the aft portion of the missile body engages the detent/ release mechanism. The contact disc at the same time engages an igniter -contact arm through -which the "fire" signal is conducted to the solid propellant rocket motor. Up-loading most prior art launch tubes requires a sub¬ stantial amount of force. For example, it may require a 250 pound force to release the missile from the launch tube and conversely it may require that same amount to engage the detent, depending upon the con¬ figuration of the particular release mechanism. It is not unusual to see technicians literally flinging a missile into the launch tube in order to engage the detent mechanism.

In flying a mission the missile detent is required to perform several functions. It must keep the missile in place at all times irrespective of the craft's attitude and the forces which are exerted on it. For instance, during aerobatic maneuvers and during landings great forces and stresses are placed on the detent mechanism which is expected to restrain the missile. In carrier landings where arresting lines and hooks are used to stop the aircraft, it has been cal¬ culated that forces in excess of 9 g's are generated, which are also exerted on the detent mechanism. In catapult take-offs, forces of 6'gs have been calculated. If the detent mechanism malfunctions the missile could be separated from its launch tube possibly causing extensive damage to the craft, or persons and equip¬ ment near the craft.

When the rocket motor of this missile is fired, it is expected that upon the occurrence of a pre- determined thrust force, the release will be actuated and the missile will exit the launch tube. If upon

ignition of the solid propellant -the release mechanism should malfunction and fail to release the missile, called "hangfire", the launch pod could sustain sub¬ stantial damage negating further use as well as possible damage to the aircraft structure. Additionally, the aircraft may not be controllable.

The fin retainer is blown away by the exhaust gas blast of the rocket motor and as the missile exits its launch tube the spring loaded, foldedback fins are de- ployed to their proper positions within a few feet of the missile leaving the tube. In tests conducted on a number of launch tubes using prior art release mechanisms, it was found that the release forces required for each succeeding test tended to be substantially lower than the preceding test. In other words, each subsequent rocket launch occurred at lower thrust force levels than the last due to changes in the physical characteristics of the mechanism which degraded restraining performance from the prior firing. Eventually, the launcher will become unusable due to wear and deformation of the release mechanisms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION ' Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved, economical, and reliable detent/release mechanism.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a release mechanism having a predetermined con¬ stant release force. It is still another object of the present in¬ vention to provide an integrated detent/release-igniter contact arm mechanism.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide blast actuated positive release action for a missile.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic missile release mechanism.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a missile launch tube which may be loaded from either end.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a detent mechanism permitting a missile to be easily loaded.

In accordance with the foregoing, an automatic blast actuated positive missile release mechanism includes a movable lever having a detent or latch for releasably engaging a missile in a missile launching tube or rail and a blast actuated lever assembly, responsive to the products of combustion of the rocket motor of the missile, upon missile ignition, for moving said lever to disengage and release and missile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear or aft end view of a missile launching tube cluster and mechanism embodying the prin¬ ciples of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the missile launcher taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a blast actuated toggle lever arm; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of. the missile launcher showing the mechanism in a position releasing the missile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to FIG.-.l, there is shown the rear or aft end of a rocket tube assembly. A triangular support 42 permits a plurality of launch tubes 15 to be assembled together into a matrix. The missile 10 is shown in

place preparatory to being fired. The fin retainer 13a is clamped onto the fins 12a-12d to secure the spring loaded fins in folded positions. The contact disc 13b receives the electrical ignition signal through a toggle lever arm 44 which contacts the disc. Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, arm 44 is rotatably connected to the end of a connector arm 65 by means of a pin 45. The pressure of the spring loaded connector arm 65 maintains electrical continuity between the igniter contact arm 44 and a contact plate 46 mounted at the end of the hous¬ ing 42. The contact plate 46 behind the blast actuated toggle lever arm 44 receives the electrical ignition signal on a electrical wire (not shown). Preferably, the housing 42 is made of a dielectric material so that the metal contact plate 46 could be mounted directly to it without insulators to prevent shorting the fire signal to ground.

The thrust of the exhaust gases from the rocket exhaust nozzle 14a pushes against the arm 44, which func- tions as a two position toggle arm, and rotates it on its pin 45 out of the way, (see FIG. 4) to a second toggle position thereby disengaging the positive detent des¬ cribed below relative to FIG. 2.

The invention is described in greater detail with respect to FIG. 2 which illustrates the detent/release mechanism 40 in a position engaging the missile 10 in a launch tube 15.

The dielectric housing 42 mounts all the various arms and levers used in practicing the invention. The detent lever 50 has a notched detent member 52 extending into the launch tube 15. The rear lip 52b of the notch is slightly longer than. the front lip 52a in order to provide a positive aft stop for the missile if it is loaded from the forward end. The lever 50 is spring loaded by a pair of compression springs 56 and 58, (shown schemtically) which are forward of the notch 52 and

apply a resilient force to the spring seat 53. The com¬ pression rate and force of the springs 56 and 58 are determined by a number of parameters including the shock and vibration to which the missile rocket is subjected, the missile's thrust, and the release thrust desired if the igniter arm 44 fails to actuate the positive release feature of the invention. In this last respect, the springs 56 and 58 and the notch 52 are fail safe features. In other words, the shape of the notch 52 and its orienta- tion are such that if the igniter arm otherwise mal¬ functions, the missile's thrust would override the com¬ pression springs 56 and 58 and release the missile 10.

The detent lever 50 has a pivot 54 which rests within the opening in a pivot plate ^' 60. The metal pivot plate 60 is riveted onto the housing 42 and at one of the rivets an electrical lug (not shown) provides the ground signal to the missile 10 through the plate 60 and the lever 50. The other end of the detent lever 50 has a cam surface 55 through which the detent 52 is actuated. The pivotal action of the detent lever 50 is illustrated by the arrows.

A spring loaded sear 62 has a cam actuating surface 64 resting against the cam surface 55. A .return spring, shown here as a compression spring 68, is disposed about the sear's 62 connecting arm 65 and against the housing 42. The compression force is determined by the thrust release force during propellant burn and the area of the toggle lever arm 44 which catches the propellant blast. The sear 62 is preferably made of a dielectric material in order that the ground potential of the detent lever 50 be isolated from the electrical ignition signal applied to the plate 46 on which the toggle lever arm 44 slides. A metal strap 69 toward the end of the sear's connecting arm 65 maintains the sear 62 in place.

The toggle lever arm 44 is rotatably connected to the sear's connecting arm 65 at the pin 45. As des¬ cribed above, the toggle lever arm 44 rests against a contact plate 46 which receives the electrical ignition signal. The arm 44 has a protruding contact point 47 at its lower end for making electrical contact to the missile's ignition signal contact disc 13b.

The structure of the blast actuate of toggle lever arm 44 is briefly described in greater detail in the cros sectional view of FIG. 3. The front surface 48a receives the rocket blast for rotating the arm 44 from the first toggle position shown to a second toggle position (FIG. 4 Depending upon the thrust forces developed by the pro¬ pellant blast of a particular missile it may be necessary to vary the size of the front surface 48a from that de¬ picted in the figure. For example, a low thrust missile may require an igniter arm having a greater front surface and conversely for a high thrust missile. The rear surface 49 adds structural integrity to the arm 44 for a longer service life. The upper leading surface 48b has a small radius, for example, one sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch to permit the igniter arm 44 to slide smoothly on the contact plate 46 as it rotates aboμt pin 45.

FIG. 4 illustrates the missile 10 being released from the launch tube 15. The ignition signal is applied to the rocket motor through the contact plate 46 and the arm 44 and the contact disc 13b. After the rocket motor fires, it develops sufficient thrust to rotate the arm 44 its second toggle position, as shown. The exhaust gas fl consistently produces a static pressure in the launch tub in the 25 to 50 psi range, which when stagnated against the arm 44, develops a total pressure of 100 to 300 psi (or 25 to 150 pounds actuation force depending on selecte contact frontal area and the exhaust thrust of a particul missile) . As the sear 62 is drawn rearward due to the cam action of the arm 44, the cam actuating surface 64

slides along, pressing downward on the cam surface 55 and the detent lever 50 pivots about its pivot point 54. The detent notch 52 is drawn away from the ridge 11, releasing the missile 10. Thus, the invention provides a positive release.

One of the novel features of the present invention is that the arm 44 is rotated to a toggle position out of the way of the rocket blast as soon as sufficient thrust, has been developed to overcome the compression spring 68. Unlike most prior art arrangements employing si iliar igniter arms 44 solely for ignition contact purposes, the arm 44 of the present invention is sub¬ jected to fewer corrosive gases since it is moved out of the way. This, of course, prolongs the life of the igniter arm, which in turn prolongs the life of the entire rocket pod assembly. Up-loading of the rocket or missile is now possible. To load the rocket into the launch tube one need only flip the toggle arm 44 up and out of the way. Thence, the rocket 10 may be loaded from either fore or aft. The amount of force required to engage the detent is drastically reduced from the previous 100+ pounds to a mere 15 or 20 pounds. The down loading capability of the rocket _t launcher has been greatly improved and simplified. It only requires a relatively small force of the fingers to flip the arm 44 thereby disengaging the rocket 10. Thus, the blind probing with a special pry bar of the prior art has been eliminated.

Although the invention has been shown and des- cribed with respect to particular embodiments, nonethe¬ less, certain changes and modifications by one skilled in the art to which the. invention pertains are deemed within the purview of the invention.