Missile launcher

Claim 2

A missile launcher including a body having side and bottom walls, a floor spaced above the bottom wall and an open forward end, a door mounted for movement in the body, actuating means between the bottom wall and the floor and operable for moving the door to an open position between the bottom wall and the floor or to a closed position closing the forward end, a launcher rail mounted in the body and including forward and aft rail sections, said forward rail section being hingedly connected to the aft rail section with its forward end movable to an elevated position to clear the aft end of a missile moving from the launcher, guide rails mounted in opposed relation on the side walls and being engageable with missile fins during movement of a missile through the launcher, a frangible wall closing the body at its aft end, said aft end wall being destructible by rocket exhaust as a missile leaves the launcher, and arming means on the launcher for such missile.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1, including additionally means on the body for preventing aft movement of such missile prior to arming and firing thereof.

Claim 4

A missile launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein said body includes tracks, and wherein said door is movable in said tracks, said door including a plurality of slats mounted for cooperating articulating movement.

Claim 5

A missile launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein said actuating means includes a pneumatic actuator.

Claim 6

A missile launcher as recited in claim 4, including additionally a carriage connecting the door to the pneumatic actuator, and guide rails on the body, said carriage being slidable on the guide rails.

Claim 7

A missile launcher as recited in claim 4, including a fluid source between the bottom wall and the floor, and means carried by the body and operatively connecting the fluid source with the pneumatic actuator,

Claim 8

A missile launcher as recited in claim 6, wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a plurality of air lines, a valve operatively connected to the air lines, and electrically operated means for controlling the valve.

Claim 9

The invention as recited in claim 7, wherein said electrically operated means comprises a solenoid, a relay, an electric power source, and circuit connections between said solenoid, said relay and said elecTric power source.

Claim 10

The invention as recited in claim 8, including additionally indicator lights, and circuit connections between said relay, said lights and said electric power source.

Claim 11

In a missile launcher as recited in claim 1, including additionally means for preventing aft movement of such missile prior to arming and firing thereof, said aft movement preventing means comprising an aft latch engageable with a missile shoe.

Claim 12

A missile launcher as recited in claim 10, including additionally a restrainer latch engageable with a missile shoe.

Claim 13

The invention as recited in claim 1, including additionally tracks on the launcher rail, and further including an aft latch in one of said tracks for engagement with a missile shoe on one of the tracks for preventing aft displacement of a missile in the launcher, and a restrainer latch in one of said tracks for engagement with such missile shoe for arresting forward movement of such missile until a predetermined amount of thrust is developed thereby.

Claim 14

The invention as recited in claim 12, including additionally an arming and firing mechanism having an arming lever engageable with an arming switch on a missile on the launcher rail.

Claim 15

The invention as recited in claim 1, including additionally means urging said forward rail section toward said elevated position, latch means for initially retaining said forward rail section in a lowered position, and releasing means engageable by a missile shoe for releasing said latch means and permitting said urging means to move said forward rail section to said elevated position.

Claim 16

The invention as recited in claim 14, wherein said urging means includes an actuator having a piston rod, a crank connected to the piston rod, and a clevis connecting the crank to the launcher rail.

Claim 17

The invention as recited in claim 14, including additionally a tripper mechanism carried by the rail and having a housing, a latch carried by the housing and engageable with the body, means carried by the housing and normally maintaining the latch in engagement with the body, means actuated by a moving missile shoe for releasing the latch, and means carried by the housing and connected with the body for moving the rail to an elevated position upon actuation of said latch releasing means.

Claim 18

A missile launcher as recited in claim 1, including additionally a console positioned remotely from said launcher, electric circuit connections between the launcher and the console, control means carried by the console for controlling operation of the launcher, and indicator means on the console for indicating operations effected by said control means.

Claim 19

A missile launcher as recited in claim 1, including additionally means for connection to said launcher for facilitating the loading of a missile therein.

Claim 20

A missile launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein said body is of oblong rectangular contour and comprises a frame having spaced forward, intermediate and aft frame sections, side rails connecting the sections, a bottom wall carried by the frame, and a forward door carried by the frame, said forward door being movable from an open position lying above the bottom wall to a closed position in said forward frame section.

Claim 21

A missile launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein said actuating means includes a pneumatic actuator mounted beneath the floor, a carriage connecting the actuator with the door, and guide rails on the body for guiding the carriage, said pneumatic actuator including buffer means for cushioning movement of the door as it moves to full open or full closed position.

Claim 22

A missile launcher as recited in claim 20, wherein said pneumatic actuator includes a main cylinder, a main actuator piston in the main cylinder and having a shoulder, and a latch having a bolt enGageable with the shoulder, said bolt being displaceable from the shoulder by a gas under pressure to permit movement of the main actuator piston in the main cylinder.

Claim 23

A missile launcher as recited in claim 21, wherein said latch includes a housing having a cylinder therein, a piston in the cylinder and mounting the bolt, a base for said latch housing, said base and said piston defining a fluid chamber and said bolt having a bore communicating between the interior of the latch and said chamber, and means for introducing fluid under pressure to said latch, said fluid flowing through said bore into said fluid chamber for displacing the bolt from said shoulder for releasing the main actuator piston.

Claim 24

A missile launcher as recited in claim 21, wherein said buffer means includes a primary buffer and a hydraulic buffer, said primary buffer including a buffer rod, a buffer piston rod connected to the buffer rod, a driven element on the buffer piston rod, a driving element mounted for limited sliding movement on the buffer rod and on the buffer piston rod, and spring means between the driving element and the driven element.

Claim 25

A missile launcher as recited in claim 23, wherein said spring means comprises a plurality of stacked Belleville washers.

Claim 26

The invention as recited in claim 23, wherein said spring means comprises a plurality of stacked Belleville washers, the washers of at least one pair of said washers being positioned with their concave surfaces in opposed relation.

Claim 27

The invention as recited in claim 23, wherein the hydraulic buffer includes a buffer body having a wall formed with a sump, said wall being tapered in thickness toward one end, and a piston on the piston rod and movable therewith in the buffer body toward said tapered wall for displacing a liquid in said buffer body about said piston and through said sump, whereby the movement of said piston and piston rod will be buffered.

Claim 28

The invention as recited in claim 1, wherein said guide rails are tapered toward each other throughout portions of their lengths and away from each other throughout other portions of their lengths, whereby said fins will be rocked as they move through the launcher and thus prevented from sticking.

Claim 29

A missile launcher including a body of oblong rectangular contour and comprising a frame having spaced forward, intermediate and aft frame sections and top, side and bottom walls, a floor spaced above the bottom wall, a forward door carried by the frame and movable from an open position lying between the floor and the bottom wall to a closed position in the forward frame section for closing the forward end of the launcher, said door comprising a plurality of slats connected for articulating movement, a missile having self-erecting foldable fins, and a shoe, a launcher rail mounted in the body and supported by the frame sections, said launcher rail supporting said missile for movement from the launcher and having forward and aft rail sections, said forward rail section being hingedly connected to the aft rail section with its forward end movable to an elevated position to clear the aft end of the missile as it moves from the launcher, and guide rails mounted in opposed relation on the side walls and being engageable with missile fins during movement of the missile through the launcher, said fins erecting as the missile leaves the launcher.

Claim 30

A missile launcher including a body of oblong rectangular contour and comprising a frame having spaced forward, intermediate and aft frame sections and top, side and bottom walls, a floor spaced above the bottom wall, a forward door carried by the frame and movable from an open position lying between the floor and the bottom wall to a closed position in the forward frame section for closing the forward end of the launcher, said door comprising a plurality of slats connected for articulating movement, a missile having self-erecting foldable fins, and a shoe, a launcher rail mounted in the body and supported by the frame sections, said launcher rail supporting said missile for movement from the launcher and having forward and aft rail sections, said forward rail section being hingedly connected to the aft rail section with its forward end movable to an elevated position to clear the aft end of the missile as it moves from the launcher, and guide rails mounted in opposed relation on the side walls and being engageable with missile fins during movement of the missile through the launcher, said fins erecting as the missile leaves the launcher.

Claim 31

The invention as recited in claim 28, wherein said missile includes a rocket, and including additionally a frangible wall closing the aft end of the body, said frangible wall being destroyed by the exhaust of the rocket as the missile leaves the launcher.

Claim 32

The invention as recited in claim 28, including means on the body for establishing electrical connection with the missile.

Claim 33

The invention as recited in claim 28, including means for Preventing premature movement of the missile in the body.

Claim 34

The invention as recited in claim 28, including a missile connector for establishing electrical connection with the missile, said missile connector comprising a missile socket on the aft end of the missile, a frame socket on the aft end of the launcher body, and an expendable wiring harness connecting the missile socket with the frame socket.

Claim 35

The invention as recited in claim 32, including additionally a housing for the wiring harness and an adapter connected between the harness and the missile socket.

Claim 36

A missile launcher as recited in claim 28, including additionally arming means on the missile, firing means on the missile, and means on the launcher and engageable with the arming and firing means for arming and firing the missile.

Claim 37

A missile launcher as recited in claim 28, including additionally an arming switch on the missile, a contact button on the missile, an arming lever on the launcher rail and having an arming shoe engageable with the arming switch, a contact plunger on the launcher rail and having a contactor engageable with the contact button, and means carried by the launcher rail and operable for moving said arming lever and said contact plunger and contactor into operative positions for arming and firing the missile.

Claim 38

A missile launcher as recited in claim 35, wherein said means includes a cam shaft mounting the arming lever, a crank carried by the cam shaft and having a crank pin, said plunger having an arcuate cam slot receiving said crank pin, and a pneumatic jack having a cylinder connected to the launcher rail and a piston rod connected to the arming lever.

Claim 39

The missile launcher as recited in claim 28, including a tripper mechanism for initially retaining the forward rail section in lowered position, said tripper mechanism having a tripper engageable by the shoe for releasing said forward rail section, and fluid operated means for effecting upward swinging movement of the forward rail section.

Claim 40

The missile launcher as recited in claim 37, wherein said fluid operated means includes an actuator having a piston rod, and means for providing buffering action for the piston rod.

Claim 41

A missile launcher including a body of oblong rectangular contour and having a frame having spaced forward, intermediate and aft frame sections and top, side and bottom walls, a floor in the body and spaced above the bottom wall, a launcher rail in the body and mounted on the frame beneath the top wall, a missile on the launcher rail for launching from the body and having a forward shoe and erectable folded fins, guide rails in the body adjacent the side walls and engageable with the fins as the missile moves through the launcher, an arming switch on the forward shoe, a cam shaft on the launcher rail, an arming lever on the cam shaft and having an arming shoe thereon, a contact button the missile, a contact plunger on the launcher rail and having a contactor engageable with the contact button, a positive motion cam having a latch member and a driven element, a driving element on the cam shaft and engageable with the driven element, said latch member being engageable with the missile forward shoe for arresting premature forward movement of the missile, means operatively connecting the contact plunger with the cam shaft, and a pneumatic jack connected to the arming lever, said jack being operable for moving the arming lever for engaging the arming shoe with the arming switch for arming the missile, movement of the arming lever shifting the contact plunger and engaging the contactor with the contact button for firing the missile, movement of the cam shaft moving the driven element of the positive motion cam for releasing the latch member from the missile shoe for permitting movement of the missile frOm the launcher.

Claim 42

A missile launcher including a body of oblong rectangular contour and having a frame having spaced forward, intermediate and aft frame sections and top, side and bottom walls, a floor in the body and spaced above the bottom wall, a launcher rail in the body and mounted on the frame beneath the top wall, a missile on the launcher rail for launching from the body and having a forward shoe and erectable folded fins, guide rails in the body adjacent the side walls and engageable with the fins as the missile moves through the launcher, an arming switch on the forward shoe, a cam shaft on the launcher rail, an arming lever on the cam shaft and having an arming shoe thereon, a contact button the missile, a contact plunger on the launcher rail and having a contactor engageable with the contact button, a positive motion cam having a latch member and a driven element, a driving element on the cam shaft and engageable with the driven element, said latch member being engageable with the missile forward shoe for arresting premature forward movement of the missile, means operatively connecting the contact plunger with the cam shaft, and a pneumatic jack connected to the arming lever, said jack being operable for moving the arming lever for engaging the arming shoe with the arming switch for arming the missile, movement of the arming lever shifting the contact plunger and engaging the contactor with the contact button for firing the missile, movement of the cam shaft moving the driven element of the positive motion cam for releasing the latch member from the missile shoe for permitting movement of the missile frOm the launcher.

Claim 43

The invention as recited in claim 39, wherein said arming switch has an arming pin, and wherein said arming shoe has a cam surface and a stop wall engageable by the arming pin.