Movable thrust nozzle and sealing means therefor

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A JET PROPELLED VEHICLE HAVING A CASING WITH A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND PROVIDED WITH A COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND A REARWARDLY DIRECTED OPENING THROUGH WHICH HOT MOTIVE GASES ARE EXPELLED DURING THE COMBUSTION PROCESS, A THRUST NOZZLE HAVING AN ANNULAR BEARING SURFACE FORMING A MOUNTING FOR SAID NOZZLE WHICH IS ADAPTED FOR MOVEMENT IN SAID OPENING TO CONTROL THE LINE OF ACTION OF THE GASES FLOWING THERETHROUGH, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID THRUST NOZZLE FOR ACTUATING SAID THRUST NOZZLE TO EFFECT ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID THRUST NOZZLE RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS, AN ANNULAR FLEXIBLE ELASTOMERIC ENCLOSURE HAVING SEALING EDGES ALONG ITS INNER DIAMETER WHICH ARE SPREAD APART TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID ENCLOSURE, AN ANNULAR FLANGED MEMBER FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID CASING, AN AN ANNULAR FLANGED MEMBER FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID NOZZLE, THE SPREAD APART SEALING EDGES OF SAID ANNULAR FLEXIBLE SEAL IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FLANGED MEMBERS AND DEFINING A SEALED ENCLOSURE SURROUNDING THE BEARING SURFACE BETWEEN SAID NOZZLE AND CASING AND OPEN TO THE INGRESS OF GASES LEAKING PAST SAID BEARING SURFACE WHICH IS TERMINATED AS A FLOW WITHIN SAID FLEXIBLE ENCLOSURE, SAID FLEXIBLE SEAL BEING DEFORMABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIVERSAL PIVOTAL ACTUATION OF SAID THRUST NOZZLE.