Variable area ratio rocket nozzle

Claim 1

AN ADJUSTABLE NOZZLE COMPRISING A DIVERGING NOZZLE HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR DISCHARGE ORIFICE FOR EXHAUSTING GASES IN A CONICAL STREAM, A GENERALLY CONICAL RINGSHAPED MEMBER, THE OPENING AT THE REAR END OF SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER PROVIDING A SECOND DISCHARGE ORIFICE FOR EXHAUSTING GASES, THE OPENING AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A DIAMETER EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID GENERALLY CIRCULAR DISCHARGE ORIFICE OF THE DIVERGING NOZZLE, THE SLOPE OF THE INTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE SLOPE OF THE INTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID DIVERGING NOZZLE, SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER IN ITS NORMAL POSITION HAVING ITS FORWARD END TELESCOPING THE REAR PORTION OF SAID DIVERGING NOZZLE WHEREBY SAID INTERNAL SURFACE OF THE GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER LIES OUT OF THE STREAM OF GASES EXHAUSTED FROM SAID DIVERGING NOZZLE, MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTING SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER ON SAID DIVERGING NOZZLE FOR REARWARD MOVEMENT TO A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID OPENING AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER IS AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID GENERALLY CIRCULAR DISCHARGE ORIFICE OF THE DIVERGING NOZZLE, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER REARWARDLY TO SAID SECOND POSITION WHEREBY SAID INTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER IS CONTIUNOUS WITH SAID INTERNAL SURFACE OF THE DIVERGING NOZZLE; SAID MOVING MEANS INCLUDING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLUID CONDUCTING PASSAGE IN SAID DIVERGING NOZZLE, AT LEAST ONE PISTON ELEMENT AND ONE CYLINDER ELEMENT, ONE OF SAID ELEMENT BEING CONNECTED TO SAID DIVERGING NOZZLE AND THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID GENERALLY CONICAL RING-SHAPED MEMBER, SAID PISTON ELEMENT BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED RELATIVE TO SAID CYLINDER ELEMENT, SAID ELEMENTS EXTENDING IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, AND A CONDUIT CONNECTING SAID FLUID CONDUCTING PASSAGE WITH SAID CYLINDER ELEMENT WHEREBY FLUID SUPPLIED TO SAID CYLINDER ELEMENT WILL SEPARATE SAID ELEMENTS IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION; LATCH MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID PISTON AND CYLINDER ELEMENTS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, AND A ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE SENSITIVE DEVICE FOR RELEASING SAID LATCH MEANS AT A PREDETERMINED LOW ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE THEREBY PERMITTING SEPARATION OF SAID ELEMENTS BY FLUID SUPPLED THERETO.