Jet propulsion power plant

Claim 1

A JET PROPULSION POWER PLANT INCLUDING MEANS FOR PRODUCING A SOURCE OF COMPRESSED AIR, WALLS DEFINING A NOZZLE, A CENTER BODY LYING WITHIN THE SALLS DEFINING THE NOZZLE AND DEFINING A NOZZLE OUTLET THEREWITH, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE CENTER BODY AXIALLY IN RELATION TO THE WALLS DEFINING THE NOZZLE BETWEEN AN UPSTREAM AND A DOWNSTREAM POSITION IN ORDER TO VARY THE EFFECTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE NOZZLE OUTLET, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A DOUBLE-ACTING RAM ASSEMBLY OPERATED BY COMPRESSED AIR AND MEANS FOR LEADING COMPRESSED AIR FROM THE SOURCE OF COMPRESSED AIR TO THE RAM ASSEMBLY, SAID RAM ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A MOVABLE CYLINDER WHICH CONSTITUTES A STEM FOR THE CENTRE AND WHICH IS FORMED WITH A NUMBER OF AXIALLY SPACED WALLS AT LEAST TWO OF WHICH ARE ACTED UPON BY THE COMPRESSED AIR DURING OPERATION OF THE RAM ASSEMBLY FOR MOVEMENT OF THE CYLINDER IN EITHER DIRECTION A SUPPORT TUBE MOUNTED IN FIXED RELATION TO THE WALLS DEFINING THE NOZZLE AND HAVING THE DOWNSTREAM END PROTION SURROUNDED AND OVERLAPPED WITH RADIAL CLEARANCE BY THE CENTER BODY, AND AT LEAST TWO SETS OF AXIALLY SPACED BEARINGS ON WHICH THE MOVABLE CYLINDER IS MOUNTED WITHIN THE SUPPORT TUBE, THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY OF THE CENTRE BODY AT LEAST IN ITS UPSTREAM POSITION LYING AXIALLY BETWEEN SAID SETS OF BEARINGS.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF OPERATING AN AXIALLY-DISPLACEABLE CENTREBODY LYING WITHOUT THE OUTLET NOZZLE OF A JET PROPULSION POWER PLANT, IN ORDER TO VARY THE EFFECTIVE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF THE NOZZLE OUTLET, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SUPPLYING COMPRESSED AIR TO BOTH SIDES OF A RAM ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING A MOVABLE CYLINDER CONNECTED TO THE CENTREBODY AND THEN REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON ONE SIDE ONLY OF THE RAM ASSEMBLY, SO AS TO CAUSE THE MOVABLE CYLINDER AND CENTREBODY TO BE DISPLACED IN THE REQUIRED DIRECTION AND ROTATING THE MOVABLE CYLINDER AND CENTREBODY ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDER DURING SUCH AXIAL DISPLACEMENT IN EITHER DIRECTION.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF OPERATING AN AXIALLY-DISPLACEABLE CENTREBODY LYING WITHOUT THE OUTLET NOZZLE OF A JET PROPULSION POWER PLANT, IN ORDER TO VARY THE EFFECTIVE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF THE NOZZLE OUTLET, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SUPPLYING COMPRESSED AIR TO BOTH SIDES OF A RAM ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING A MOVABLE CYLINDER CONNECTED TO THE CENTREBODY AND THEN REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON ONE SIDE ONLY OF THE RAM ASSEMBLY, SO AS TO CAUSE THE MOVABLE CYLINDER AND CENTREBODY TO BE DISPLACED IN THE REQUIRED DIRECTION AND ROTATING THE MOVABLE CYLINDER AND CENTREBODY ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDER DURING SUCH AXIAL DISPLACEMENT IN EITHER DIRECTION.