Stabilized rocket head

Claim 2

A rocket head for attachment to a spin stabilized rocket motor, said rocket head comprising, a body tube, means at the rearward end of said tube for closing said body tube and adapted for attachment to a rocket motor, a removable tube closure assembly attached to the forward end of said body tube, means actuated by rotation of the rocket head for releasing said removable tube closure, a plurality of packages of loosely packed radar reflective material removably contained within said body tube; and ejection means within the tube body for ejecting said packages one at a time with a time delay therebetween upon removal from said body tube of said removable tube closure assembly from the forward end of the body tube.

Claim 3

A rocket head adapted for attachment to a spin stabilized rocket motor wherein the rocket head is caused to rotate about its longitudinal axis upon launching of the rocket motor, said rocket head comprising a body tube, a rocket motor adapter fixedly connected to one end of said body tube and forming an airtight connection with said body tube whereby the rocket head is adapted for attachment to a rocket, a body tube closure assembly removably connected to the opposite end of said body tube in airtight relation therewith, means actuated by the rotation of said rocket head included in said body tube closure assembly for automatically disconnecting the assembly from the body tube after launching of the rocket head, a plurality of packages of radar reflective material within the body tube in abutment with the inner side of said body tube closure assembly, an ejector piston bearing against said plurality of packages of radar reflective material, a resilient means pressing said ejector piston against said packages thereby tending to eject them from the body tube upon the removal of said body tube closure assembly and means governing, the rate of movement of said ejector piston upon removal of said body tube closure assembly, said means being so adjusted that said packages are ejected from said body tube at predetermined intervals of time after removal of said body tube closure assembly.

Claim 4

A rocket head adapted for attachment to a spin stabilized rocket motor wherein the rocket head is caused to rotate about its longitudinal axis upon launching of the rocket motor, said rocket head comprising a body tube, a rocket motor adapter fixedly connected to one end of said body tube and forming an airtight connection with said body tube whereby the rocket head is adapted for attachment to a rocket, a body tube closure assembly removably connected to the opposite end of said body tube in airtight relation therewith, means actuated by the rotation of said rocket head included in said body tube closure assembly for automatically disconnecting the assembly from the body tube after launching of the rocket head, a plurality of packages of radar reflective material within the body tube in abutment with the inner side of said body tube closure assembly, an ejector piston bearing against said plurality of packages of radar reflective material, a resilient means pressing said ejector piston against said packages thereby tending to eject them from the body tube upon the removal of said body tube closure assembly and means governing, the rate of movement of said ejector piston upon removal of said body tube closure assembly, said means being so adjusted that said packages are ejected from said body tube at predetermined intervals of time after removal of said body tube closure assembly.

Claim 5

A rocket head assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said ejector piston has the peripheral portion thereof mounted in substantially air tight relation with the inner wall of said body tube, and the ejector piston has an orifice extending therethrough whereby air is allowed to flow into the area behind the piston thereby gradually breaking the vacuum created therein due to the relative movement of the piston relative to the body tube under the action of said resilient means.

Claim 6

A rockeT head as set forth in claim 2, wherein said body tube closure assembly comprises, a cup shaped member in air tight contact with the inner wall of said body tube and having mounted thereon at least one retractable locking member in removable engagement with said body tube thereby retaining said body tube closure assembly connected to the body tube, and means actuated by the rotation of the rocket head by a rocket motor adapted to remove said locking member from connection with said body tube, whereby said body tube closure assembly is adapted to be ejected from the end of said body tube thereby allowing ejection of the packages of said radar reflective material from the body tube.

Claim 7

A rocket head assembly adapted for attachment to a spin stabilized rocket motor whereby said rocket head assembly is caused to rotate about its longitudinal axis during flight, said rocket head assembly comprising a body tube, a rocket motor attaching adapter connected to one end of said body tube in air tight relation therewith, a removable and ejectable cover plate assembly attached to the other end of said body tube in air tight relation therewith, a plurality of sequentially arranged packages of radar reflective material within said body tube, a package ejector piston slidably mounted within said body tube and having a portion thereof in contact with at least one of said packages, resilient means tending to bias said ejector piston toward said packages to force the same against the inner side of the cover plate assembly, and means included in said cover plate assembly actuated upon rotation of the rocket head to disconnect the cover plate assembly from the body tube whereby said resilient means sequentially ejects said packages of radar reflective material with a time interval therebetween from the body tube upon removal therefrom of said cover plate assembly.

Claim 8

A rocket head assembly adapted for attachment to a spin stabilized rocket motor whereby said rocket head assembly is caused to rotate about its longitudinal axis during flight, said rocket head assembly comprising a body tube, a rocket motor attaching adapter connected to one end of said body tube in air tight relation therewith, a removable and ejectable cover plate assembly attached to the other end of said body tube in air tight relation therewith, a plurality of sequentially arranged packages of radar reflective material within said body tube, a package ejector piston slidably mounted within said body tube and having a portion thereof in contact with at least one of said packages, resilient means tending to bias said ejector piston toward said packages to force the same against the inner side of the cover plate assembly, and means included in said cover plate assembly actuated upon rotation of the rocket head to disconnect the cover plate assembly from the body tube whereby said resilient means sequentially ejects said packages of radar reflective material with a time interval therebetween from the body tube upon removal therefrom of said cover plate assembly.

Claim 9

A rocket head assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein, said cover plate assembly includes, a plurality of locking pins movably connected thereto and removably connected to said body tube, and means actuated by the spinning of said rocket head for removing the locking pins from engagement with said body tube, whereby said cover plate assembly is adapted to be ejected from the body tube by the action of said resilient means on said ejector piston and said packages.

Claim 10

A rocket head assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said packages of radar reflective material comprises, a circular band having an outer surface thereof substantially in contact with the inner wall of said body tube and has contained within its periphery said radar reflective material, said circular bands being separated from one another by a removable circular plate, and each of said circular plates having a hole formed substantially in the center thereof and extending therethrough.

Claim 11

A rocket head assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said ejector piston is substantially circular in form and wherein the peripheral surface thereof makes substantially air tight contact with the inner wall of the body tube and has the transverse surface thereof in contact with one of said packages of radar reflective material, said ejector piston further including an air passage formed therein and extending therethrough whereby after removal of said cover plate assembly air is adapted to pass through said body tube through the holes in said circular plates and the ejector piston to the compartment between said piston and said rocket connection adapter, thereby breaking any vacuum created in said compartment by the forward movement of said ejector piston under the influence of said resilient means.

Claim 12

A rocket head assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said resilient means comprises a compressed coil spring having one end thereof in abutment with the inside of said rocket connection adapter and the other end thereof in abutment with one side of said ejector piston thereby tending to bias said ejector piston and the packages of radar reflective material oUt of said rocket head upon removal therefrom of said coverplate assembly.

Claim 13

A rocket head assembly having one end adapted for attachment to a rocket motor, comprising, a body tube, a removable cover plate assembly connected to one end of said body tube, a plurality of superposed, sequentially arranged packages of radar reflective material within said body tube in removable relation with the interior of said body tube, one of said packages being in abutment with the inner side of said cover plate assembly, said cover plate assembly including means actuated by rotation of the rocket head by a rocket motor to release said cover plate assembly from the body tube; and ejector means acting upon said packages adapted to sequentially eject said packages with a time interval therebetween from said body tube upon removal therefrom of the cover plate assembly.

Claim 14

A rocket head assembly having one end adapted for attachment to a rocket motor, comprising, a body tube, a removable cover plate assembly connected to one end of said body tube, a plurality of superposed, sequentially arranged packages of radar reflective material within said body tube in removable relation with the interior of said body tube, one of said packages being in abutment with the inner side of said cover plate assembly, said cover plate assembly including means actuated by rotation of the rocket head by a rocket motor to release said cover plate assembly from the body tube; and ejector means acting upon said packages adapted to sequentially eject said packages with a time interval therebetween from said body tube upon removal therefrom of the cover plate assembly.

Claim 15

A rocket head assembly as set forth in claim 10, wherein said packages are interposed between the innerside of said cover plate assembly and an ejector piston slidably mounted within the body tube and spaced from said cover plate assembly, said ejector means including a compressed spring tending to bias said ejector piston and therefore said packages outwardly of the body tube upon removal from said body tube of said cover plate assembly.

Claim 16

A rocket head assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said packages are defined by a plurality of sequentially arranged annular members, a circular plate interposed between adjacent annular members, each of said circular plates having a hole formed therein and extending therethrough, and said ejector piston having its peripheral surface in substantially airtight contact with the inner wall of said body tube, said piston having an orifice formed therein and extending therethrough, whereby air may pass through said packages and through said ejector piston upon removal from the rocket head of said cover plate assembly, thereby breaking any vacuum created behind said ejector piston as it is biased toward the open end of said rocket head by said spring.

Claim 17

A rocket head assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein the hole in said ejector piston is of such a size as to cause the movement of said ejector piston relative to the body tube to be of such a speed as to eject said packages one at a time from the body tube at predetermined intervals of time.

Claim 18

A rocket head for attachment to a spin stabilized rocket motor for rotation with said motor, said rocket head comprising a body tube, a rocket attachment adapter plug attached to one end of said body tube, a cover plate assembly removably attached to the other end of said body tube, a plurality of sequentially arranged, removable packages of radar reflective material within said body tube, an ejector means between said adapter and said packages tending to eject said packages from the body tube, latch means in said cover plate assembly removably engaged with said body tube, and means in said cover plate assembly actuated upon rotation of the rocket head by a motor, to disengage said latch means from the body tube, so that said cover plate assembly and said packages are adapted to be ejected with a time interval therebetween from the tubes by said ejector means.

Claim 19

A rocket head for attachment to a spin stabilized rocket motor for rotation with said motor, said rocket head comprising a body tube, a rocket attachment adapter plug attached to one end of said body tube, a cover plate assembly removably attached to the other end of said body tube, a plurality of sequentially arranged, removable packages of radar reflective material within said body tube, an ejector means between said adapter and said packages tending to eject said packages from the body tube, latch means in said cover plate assembly removably engaged with said body tube, and means in said cover plate assembly actuated upon rotation of the rocket head by a motor, to disengage said latch means from the body tube, so that said cover plate assembly and said packages are adapted to be ejected with a time interval therebetween from the tubes by said ejector means.

Claim 20

A rocket head assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said removable tube closure assembly comprises, a cup shaped member having at least one retractable locking member mounted thereon and in removable engagement with said body tube, thereby retaining said removable tube closure assembly connected to the body tube, and said means actuated by the rotation of the rocket head by a rocket motor adapted to retract said locking member from connection with said body tube so that said removable tube closure assembly may be removed from the end of said body tube thereby allowing ejection of said packages of said radar reflective material from the body tube.