Variable exhaust nozzle assembly

Claim 1

A VARIABLE AREA AND VARIABLE DIRECTION EXHAUST NOZZLE ASSEMBLY FOR JET PROPULSION ENGINES, SAID EXHAUST NOZZLE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: WALL MEANS FORMING AN AXIAL PASSAGEWAY FOR THE FLOW OF MOTIVE FLUID BETWEEN UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM ENDS THEREOF, SAID WALL MEANS ADJACENT THE DOWNSTREAM END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY HAVING THE CONFIGURATION OF A SPHERICAL SEGMENT, A RING HAVING THE CONFIGURATION OF A SPHERICAL SEGMENT SURROUNDING THE SPHERICAL PORTION OF SAID WALL MEANS IN PROXIMITY THERETO AND CONCENTRIC THEREWITH, A PLURALITY OF FLAPS CARRIED BY SAID SPHERICAL RING AND EXTENDING DOWNSTREAM THEREFROM TO FORM AN EXHAUST OPENING, MEANS TO VARY THE POSITIONS OF SAID FLAPS SO AS TO THEREBY VARY THE AREA OF SAID EXHAUST OPENING, AND MEANS TO ROTATE SAID SPHERICAL RING ABOUT AN AXIS TRANSVERSE TO THE DOWNSTREAM DIRECTION OF FLUID FLOW IN SAID PASSAGEWAY SO AS TO THEREBY VARY THE DIRECTION AT WHICH MOTIVE FLUID IS DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID EXHAUST OPENING.