Sealing means for rocket nozzle and jet deflection device mounted thereon

Claim 1

A PROPULSION DEVICE HAVING A NOZZLE WITH A DISCHARGE ORIFICE, SAID NOZZLE HAVING A SPHERICAL EXTERIOR SURFACE ADJACENT SAID DISCHARGE ORIFICE, A RING MEMBER SURROUNDING SAID SPHERICAL EXTERIOR SURFACE, SAID RING MEMBER HAVING A SPHERICAL INTERIOR SURFACE CONFORMING TO SAID SPHERICAL EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID NOZZLE AND SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREOF, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID RING MEMBER ON SAID NOZZLE FOR MOVEMENT THEREOF INTO THE PATH OF GASES DISCHARGED FROM SAID NOZZLE, THE FORWARD END PORTION OF SAID RING MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR CUT-OUT PORTION OPENING THROUGH SAID SPHERICAL INTERIOR SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF ANNULAR SEALING SEGMENTS DEFINING AN ANNULAR SEALING MEMBER DISPOSED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER WITHIN SAID ANNULAR CUT-OUT PORTION, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID PLURALITY OF ANNULAR SEALING SEGMENTS SEALINGLY ENGAGING THE FORWARD END PORTION OF SAID RING MEMBER AT LOCATIONS THEREON DEFINING THE END BOUNDARIES OF SAID ANNULAR CUT-OUT PORTION, AND MEANS DISPOSED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID PLURALITY OF ANNULAR SEALING SEGMENTS WITHIN SAID ANNULAR CUT-OUT PORTION AND URGING SAID PLURALITY OF ANNULAR SEALING SEGMENTS AGAINST SAID SPHERICAL EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID NOZZLE IN SEALING RELATION THEREWITH, SAID MEANS URGING SAID PLURALITY OF ANNULAR SEALNG SEGMENTS AGAINST SAID SPHERICAL EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID NOZZLE COMPRISING A SPLIT RING OVERLYING THE OUTER PERIPHERIES OF SAID PLURALITY OF ANNULAR SEALING SEGMENTS AND IN ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, AND MEANS EXERTING A RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED BIASING FORCE AGAINST SAID SPLIT RING, SAID SPLIT RING TRANSMITTING THE RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED BIASING FORCE TO SAID PLURALITY OF ANNULAR SEALING SEGMENTS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION PATTERN.