Gimbaled, partially submerged rocket nozzle

Claim 1

IN A CASING DEFININE A COMBUSTION CHAMBER, SAID CASING HAVING AN EXIT OPENING; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: (A) A PIVOTED DE LAVAL NOZZLE HAVING ITS ENTRANCE CONVERGENT PORTION PARTIALLY EXTENDING THROUGH SAID EXIT OPENING AND INTO SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, THE ENTRANCE EDGE THEREOF BEING WITHIN SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND REMOTE FROM THE INNER WALL OF SAID CASING AND SAID OPENING IN ALL POSITIONS OF THE NOZZLE; (B) SAID DE LAVAL NOZZLE HAVING ITS REGION ADJACENT ITS THROAT THICKENED AND PROVIDING AN EXTERNAL SPHERICAL SURFACE FOR CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTING THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGE DEFINING HE EDGE OPENING; (C) A GAS SEAL MEANS BETWEEN THE CONTIGUOUS SURFACES OF SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGE AND SAID SPHERICAL SURFACE FOR PREVENTING GASES FROM THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER FROM ESCAPING; AND (D) AN ANNULAR RESILIENT BOOT SEAL EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ENTRAN CE CONVERGENT PORTION OF SAID NOZZLE WITHIN SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CASING TO PREVENT ANY SUBSTANTIAL FLOW OF HOT GASES TOWARD SAID GAS SEAL MEANS.