Improvements in or relating to rockets

Claim 2

A self-propelled missile having a front end and a rear end, first and second chambers, the first chamber being positioned rearwardly of the second chamber, a combustible propellant charge contained in said first chamber, an explosive charge contained in said second chamber, said explosive charge comprising a fixed portion and a movable portion, and means for moving said movable portion of said explosive charge into said first chamber upon completion of combustion of said propellant charge, the means for moving the movable portion of the explosive charge comprising means for transmitting the pressure of the propulsive gases generated by combustion of said propellant charge to said movable portion and further comprising means for delaying movement of the movable portion of the explosive charge until shortly before completion of the combustion of the propellant charge, the delaying means comprising an accumulator chamber, means connecting said accumulator chamber with the first chamber and means connecting said accumulator chamber with that portion of the second chamber containing the movable portion of the explosive charge.

Claim 3

The missile claimed in claim 1 wherein the movable portion of the explosive charge is housed in a sheath disposed coaxially within and rearwardly movable with respect to the fixed portion of the explosive charge.

Claim 4

The missile claimed in claim 2 wherein the sheath enclosing the second portion of the explosive charge comprises guide grooves and locking grooves and wherein the missile comprises locking studs engaging said guide and locking grooves and spring means urging said studs into engagement with said grooves.

Claim 5

The Missile claimed in claim 2 wherein the sheath housing the second portion of the explosive charge comprises guide grooves and locking grooves, and wherein the missile comprises locking studs engaging said guide and locking grooves and means for transmitting the pressure of the propulsive gases to said studs for disengaging said studs from said grooves.

Claim 6

The missile claimed in claim 4 wherein the second portion of the explosive charge is housed in a sheath fixed to a movable block, and the propellant charge is suspended from said block.

Claim 7

The missile claimed in claim 5 wherein the sheath has a forward face and wherein the missile comprises an accumulator chamber, first duct means in the movable block connecting said accumulator chamber to the propellant charge and second duct means in the fixed portion of the explosive charge and connecting said accumulator chamber with the forward face of said sheath.

Claim 8

The missile claimed in claim 1 wherein the first chamber is positioned rearwardly of the second chamber, and wherein the missile comprises a sheath enclosing the movable portion of said explosive charge, said sheath having a forward face, a movable block at the rear end of said sheath, said block forming the forward wall of the first chamber enclosing the propellant charge, locking studs normally engaging said sheath, an accumulator chamber, valved duct means for transmitting propulsive gases from said first chamber to said accumulator chamber but blocking transmission of gases from said accumulator chamber to said second chamber, means for transmitting the pressure of propulsive gases from said accumulator chamber to said locking studs to disengage said studs from said sheath and means for transmitting the pressure of propulsive gases from said accumulator chamber to the forward face of said sheath to cause rearward movement of said sheath and said block into said first chamber when the pressure in said accumulator chamber exceeds the pressure in said first chamber, and means for venting said accumulator chamber when said sheath has moved into said first chamber, thereby to permit said locking studs to re-engage said sheath.

Claim 9

The missile claimed in claim 7 wherein the fixed explosive charge has the shape of two frustrated cones joined at their major bases.