Connecting device for a multipart thrust nozzle

Claim 2

A multipart thrust nozzle construction arranged to be employed in combination with a combustion chamber in a rocket and comprising wall means forming a plurality of serially arranged axially aligned separate thrust nozzle sections, and a connecting device for securing said separate sections together comprising at least one first member secured to one of said sections and at least one second member secured to another one of said sections and cooperating with said first member to form at least a portion of a pressure chamber in which each of said first member and second member has a portion of its surface extending transversely of the axial direction of the thrust nozzle, and means for supplying pressure to the surfaces of said first and second members within the pressure chamber for urging said first and second members in opposite axial directions of said thrust nozzle and thereby urging said separate thrust nozzles sections together in tightly held engagement.

Claim 3

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first member has a U-sahped cross section forming the sides and end walls of the pressure chamber and said second member comprises a piston movably positionable within the pressure chamber.

Claim 4

A multipart thrust nozzle Construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for supplying pressure comprises a supply conduit, said second member having a passageway extending therethrough connected to said supply conduit and communicating with the pressure chamber for supplying the pressure medium into the chamber.

Claim 5

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for supplying pressure comprises a spring member disposed within the pressure chamber for urging the opposed surfaces of said first member and said second member away from one another.

Claim 6

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said first members are made of cylindrically shaped containers each forming a piston cylinder, and one said second member disposed within each of said first containers and forming a piston movably positionable therein, and a ring-shaped supply conduit communicating with each of said containers for supplying a pressure medium thereto from a common source of supply.

Claim 7

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein said thrust nozzle construction comprises a convergent section, a neck section, and a divergent section, said neck section shaped about its circumferential ends for interengagement within the adjacent surfaces of said convergent and divergent sections, and said connecting device arranged to force said convergent and divergent sections into tightly held interengagement with the opposite ends of said neck section of said thrust nozzle.

Claim 8

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 6, wherein said first member comprises a ring member having a U-shaped cross section, said second member comprises an annular-shaped piston closely fitted within and in sliding engagement with the cross-sectional sides of said ring member, a radially inner sleeve arranged in interengagement at one end with said ring-shaped member and at the other end thereof with said convergent section, and a radially outer sleeve arranged in interengagement along one end thereof with said piston and on the other end thereof with said divergent section, said piston and said ring-shaped member forming a pressure chamber within the U-shaped cross section of said ring member for tensioning said inner and outer sleeve members and urging said divergent and convergent members toward one another in tightly held interengagement with said neck portion of said thrust nozzle.

Claim 9

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 7, wherein the circumferential end of said inner sleeve secured to said ring member and the circumferential end of said outer sleeve secured to said piston have a hook-shaped configuration arranged to fit within a corresponding annular-shaped recess within said ring member and piston respectively, and the opposite ends of said inner and outer sleeves having an annular-shaped recess located adjacent the end thereof, and a pair of clamp members each arranged to fit within the recess in a different one of said inner and outer sleeves, and one of said clamps attached to said convergent section and the other said clamp attached to said divergent section.

Claim 10

A thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 6, wherein a pair of said connecting devices are provided, one for securing member convergent section a and said neck section together and the other for securing said divergent section and said neck section, one of said connecting devices having said first member thereof comprised of a first ring collar mounted on a circumferentially extending frustoconically shaped portion of said exterior surface of said neck section an and a threaded member secured to the exterior surface of said neck section for securing said first ring collar in stationary position, and the second member thereof comprising a first ring-shaped piston member having an L-shaped cross section providing an axially extending leg and a radially extending leg relative to the axis of said thrust nozzle section, sAid axially extending leg interengaged within one of said divergent section and convergent section, and said radially extending leg mounted on the exterior surface of said neck section in sliding engagement therewith for affording a movably positionable piston portion relative to said first ring collar, the other said connecting device comprising a second ring collar formed integrally with said neck section and a second ring-shaped piston member having an L-shaped cross section comprising an axially extending leg and a radially extending leg with said axially extending leg thereof interengaged with one of said convergent and divergent sections and said radially extending leg thereof mounted in sliding engagement with the exterior surface of said throat section relative to said second ring collar, said first and second ring collars of said connective devices combining with said first and second piston member respectively to provide a pressure chamber within each of said connecting devices.

Claim 11

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 9, wherein said thrust nozzle has a plurality of liquid coolant ducts disposed along the interior surface thereof, said neck section of said thrust nozzle having a passageway extending therethrough between said coolant liquid ducts and said pressure chambers for supplying a pressure medium into said pressure chambers for urging said piston members away from said ring collars and thereby tightly interengaging said convergent and divergent sections with said neck section of said thrust nozzle.

Claim 12

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 6, wherein said first member of said connecting device comprises a ring-shaped collar, means for securing said collar to the exterior surface of one of said convergent section and divergent section, a ring-shaped piston member having an L-shaped cross section providing an axially extending leg and a radially extending leg arranged with said axially extending leg interengaged with the other one of said divergent and convergent sections and having the radially extending leg extending into sliding engagement with the exterior surface of the one of said converging and diverging section supporting said ring collar, said ring collar combining with said piston member and the exterior surface of said section of said thrust nozzle upon which it is mounted for forming the pressure chamber, and the pressure chamber adapted to contain means for urging said radially extending leg away from said ring collar thereby forcing said convergent and divergent sections into tightly held interengagement with said neck section of said thrust nozzle.

Claim 13

A multipart thrust nozzle construction as set forth in claim 11, wherein a spring member is disposed within the pressure chamber urging said ring collar and said oppositely disposed surface of said radially extending leg of said piston away from each other for affording a preload thereon for effecting the interengagement between said convergent and divergent sections and said neck section of said thrust nozzle, said thrust nozzle sections having a coolant liquid duct extending therethrough along the interior surface of said thrust nozzle for passing a coolant liquid therethrough in indirect heat exchange relationship with the atmosphere within said thrust nozzle, and a passageway extending between said coolant liquid duct and said pressure chamber for supplying coolant liquid from said duct into said pressure chamber for pressurizing the surfaces therein.