US3650348A — Supersonic noise suppressor

Claim 1

Independent Claim 281 words

A combined multi-tube subsonic jet noise suppressor and supersonic exhaust gas expansion nozzle for supersonic aircraft jet propulsion plants comprising: a plurality of jet exhaust tubes for passage of jet exhaust gas therethrough, each of said tubes having a longitudinal axis and terminating in a downstream end; first longitudinally extending segments pivotally attached to the downstream ends of at least certain of said exhaust tubes and having arcuate longitudinal edges; said first segments converging inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said exhaust tubes when positioned in a subsonic noise suppression position, and said first segment diverging outwardly away from the longitudinal axis of said exhaust tubes when positioned in a supersonic cruise position; longitudinally extending second segment means having arcuate longitudinal edges pivotally attached to the longitudinal edges of said first segments; said second segment means cooperating with said first segments to form radIally outwardly extending corrugations downstream of said exhaust tube ends when said first segments are positioned in the subsonic noise suppression position, and said second segment means cooperating with said first segments to form a substantially continuous curvilinear divergent exhaust gas expansion surface downstream of said exhaust tube ends when said first segments are positioned in the supersonic cruise position; and actuating means operatively associated with said first segments for selectively moving said first segments between the subsonic noise suppression position and the supersonic cruise position wherein said plurality of jet exhaust tubes are circumferentially enclosed within a tubular nacelle and further including ventilating means in the nacelle wall upstream of said tube ends for selectively admitting ambient air flow into the nacelle and between said tubes to mix with the exhaust gases downstream of said tube ends.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 281 words

A combined multi-tube subsonic jet noise suppressor and supersonic exhaust gas expansion nozzle for supersonic aircraft jet propulsion plants comprising: a plurality of jet exhaust tubes for passage of jet exhaust gas therethrough, each of said tubes having a longitudinal axis and terminating in a downstream end; first longitudinally extending segments pivotally attached to the downstream ends of at least certain of said exhaust tubes and having arcuate longitudinal edges; said first segments converging inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said exhaust tubes when positioned in a subsonic noise suppression position, and said first segment diverging outwardly away from the longitudinal axis of said exhaust tubes when positioned in a supersonic cruise position; longitudinally extending second segment means having arcuate longitudinal edges pivotally attached to the longitudinal edges of said first segments; said second segment means cooperating with said first segments to form radIally outwardly extending corrugations downstream of said exhaust tube ends when said first segments are positioned in the subsonic noise suppression position, and said second segment means cooperating with said first segments to form a substantially continuous curvilinear divergent exhaust gas expansion surface downstream of said exhaust tube ends when said first segments are positioned in the supersonic cruise position; and actuating means operatively associated with said first segments for selectively moving said first segments between the subsonic noise suppression position and the supersonic cruise position wherein said plurality of jet exhaust tubes are circumferentially enclosed within a tubular nacelle and further including ventilating means in the nacelle wall upstream of said tube ends for selectively admitting ambient air flow into the nacelle and between said tubes to mix with the exhaust gases downstream of said tube ends.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 122 words

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ventilating means comprises: means defining a plurality of circumferentially arranged apertures, each of said means having an upstream edge wall and a downstream edge wall; blow-in door means, partially closing the apertures, pivotally attached to said upstream edge wall and operable to open inwardly of said nacelle wall in response to the pressure differential between the ambient air and the exhaust gases; scoop door means, closing the apertures in cooperation with said blow-in door means, pivotally attached to said downstream edge wall and operable to open outwardly of the nacelle wall in response to the opening of said blow-in door; and linkage means interconnecting said blow-in door means and said scoop door means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 160 words

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprises: collar means slideably mounted for longitudinal movement on each of said exhaust tubes adjacent the downstream ends thereof; cam means carried by each of said collar means; longitudinally extending lever means having upstream ends and downstream ends, said downstream ends attached to said first segments; cam follower means carried by the upstream end of said lever means and engaging said cam means; actuating ring lattice means surrounding each of said exhaust tubes and connected to each of said collar means for longitudinal movement therewith; and power operative means operatively connected to said actuating ring lattice means for selective reciprocal longitudinal movement of said lattice means; whereby the selective reciprocal longitudinal movement of said power operating means is transferred by said lattice means to synchronously actuate each of said cam and cam follower means for moving said first segments between the noise suppression position and the supersonic cruise position.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 76 words

The apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of jet exhaust tubes are spaced apart in hexagonal array and each of said exhaust tubes terminate in a hexagonally shaped downstream end; and wherein said first segment and said second segment means associated with each of said exhaust tubes have downstream terminating ends nesting adjacent the corresponding downstream terminating ends associated with surrounding exhaust tubes, when said first segments are positioned in the supersonic cruise position.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 247 words

A multiple tube exhaust nozzle for aircraft jet propulsion plants comprising: a plurality of exhaust tubes for passage of exhaust gases therethrough, each of said tubes terminating in a fixed geometry downstream end; longitudinally extending articulating segments mounted on the downstream ends of said exhaust tubes, said segments cooperatively forming outward radially extending corrugations downstream of said exhaust tube ends when moved to a first position for jet exhaust noise suppression, and said segments cooperatively forming a substantially continuous divergent exhaust gas expansion surface downstream of each exhaust tube end when moved to a second position for aircraft supersonic cruise; and actuating Means operatively associated with said segments for selectively moving said segments between the first and the second position; wherein said plurality of jet exhaust tubes are circumferentially enclosed within a tubular nacelle and further including ventilating means in the nacelle wall upstream of said tube ends for selectively admitting ambient air flow into the nacelle and between said tubes to mix with the exhaust gases downstream of said tube ends. 6 The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said plurality of jet exhaust tubes are spaced apart in hexagonal array and each of said exhaust tubes terminate in a hexagonally shaped downstream end; and wherein said longitudinally extending articulating segments associated with each of said exhaust tubes have downstream terminating ends nesting adjacent the corresponding downstream terminating ends associated with surrounding exhaust tubes, when said articulating segments are positioned in the supersonic cruise position.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 138 words

The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said longitudinally articulated segments comprise: first longitudinally extending segments pivotally attached to the fixed geometry end of said exhaust duct and having longitudinal edges; said first segments converging radially into the exhaust gas stream when in a noise suppression position, and said first segments diverging radially outward when in a cruise position, and longitudinally extending second segment means having longitudinal edges pivotally attached to the longitudinal edges of said first segments; said second segment means cooperating with said first segments to form radially outwardly extending corrugations downstream of said fixed geometry end when in the noise suppression position, and said second segment means cooperating with said first segments to form a substantially continuous divergent exhaust gas stream expansion surface downstream of said fixed geometry end when in the cruise position.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-03-21	1975-09-20	1976-03-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-03-21	1979-09-20	1980-03-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-03-21	1983-09-20	1984-03-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Supersonic noise suppressor

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