Water-borne missile launcher

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AN ELONGATED MISSILE WHICH HAS A NOSE END, A BASE END WITH AN EXHAUST NOZZLE AND A SIDE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID NOSE AND BASE ENDS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE MISSILE ALONG ITS SIDE SO THAT THE MISSILE CAN BE ORIENTED IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION, MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SIDE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE MISSILE AT ITS BASE END SO THAT THE MISSILE CAN BE ORIENTED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, THE BASE END SUPPORTING MEANS BEING LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE PATH OF EXHAUST GASES FROM SAID NOZZLE SO THAT UPON FIRING THE MISSILE PRESSURE FROM THE EXHAUST GASES IS NOT CONFINED THEREBY, MEANS INCLUDED IN THE SIDE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR GUIDING THE MISSILE IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE NOSE END IS POINTED UPON FIRING THE MISSILE FROM THE DEVICE, A PLURALITY OF TANKS ATTACHED TO THE SUPPORTING MEANS WITH AN AGGREGATE VOLUME WHICH WILL DISPLACE ENOUGH WATER TO FLOAT THE DEVICE WHILE IT IS SUPPORTING THE MISSILE IN THE WATER, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY BALLASTING SAID TANKS, AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID TANKS BEING POSITIONED FROM ONE ANOTHER LENGTHWISE WITH RESPECT TO THE MISSILE WHEN THE MISSILE IS SUPPORTED BY THE LAUNCHING DEVICE SO THAT UPON SELECTIVELY BALLASTING THESE TANKS THE LAUNCHING DEVICE WILL CAUSE THE MISSILE TO ASSUME VARIOUS ATTITUDES WITH RESPECT TO THE EARTH''S SURFACE WHEREBY UPON LAUNCHING THE MISSILE IN A DESIRED ATTITUDE THE GUIDE MEANS WILL DIRECT THE MISSILE FROM THE LAUNCHING DEVICE IN A DIRECTION IN WHICH THE NOSE END OF THE MISSILE IS POINTED.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AN ELONGATED MISSILE WHICH HAS A NOSE END, A BASE END WITH AN EXHAUST NOZZLE AND A SIDE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID NOSE AND BASE ENDS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE MISSILE ALONG ITS SIDE SO THAT THE MISSILE CAN BE ORIENTED IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION, MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SIDE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE MISSILE AT ITS BASE END SO THAT THE MISSILE CAN BE ORIENTED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, THE BASE END SUPPORTING MEANS BEING LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE PATH OF EXHAUST GASES FROM SAID NOZZLE SO THAT UPON FIRING THE MISSILE PRESSURE FROM THE EXHAUST GASES IS NOT CONFINED THEREBY, MEANS INCLUDED IN THE SIDE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR GUIDING THE MISSILE IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE NOSE END IS POINTED UPON FIRING THE MISSILE FROM THE DEVICE, A PLURALITY OF TANKS ATTACHED TO THE SUPPORTING MEANS WITH AN AGGREGATE VOLUME WHICH WILL DISPLACE ENOUGH WATER TO FLOAT THE DEVICE WHILE IT IS SUPPORTING THE MISSILE IN THE WATER, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY BALLASTING SAID TANKS, AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID TANKS BEING POSITIONED FROM ONE ANOTHER LENGTHWISE WITH RESPECT TO THE MISSILE WHEN THE MISSILE IS SUPPORTED BY THE LAUNCHING DEVICE SO THAT UPON SELECTIVELY BALLASTING THESE TANKS THE LAUNCHING DEVICE WILL CAUSE THE MISSILE TO ASSUME VARIOUS ATTITUDES WITH RESPECT TO THE EARTH''S SURFACE WHEREBY UPON LAUNCHING THE MISSILE IN A DESIRED ATTITUDE THE GUIDE MEANS WILL DIRECT THE MISSILE FROM THE LAUNCHING DEVICE IN A DIRECTION IN WHICH THE NOSE END OF THE MISSILE IS POINTED.