Disiccant plug for missile launcher

Claim 2

In a missile launching apparatus having: a frame; a launcher tube mounted on the frame and having an open forward end and an open rearward end; a container tube having an open nose end and a hermetically closed tail end, the container tube being disposed in coaxial relation to the launcher tube with said nose end slidably received in said rearward end; a device releasably retaining the container tube to the frame; and a missile which is adversely affected by humidity and is disposed in the container tube between said ends thereof, the improvement comprising: a hollow cylindrical plug which has a periphery slidably fitted within the launcher tube and within the nose end of the container tube, has a perforate end, and has an axially opposite closed end, the plug being extended through the launcher tube with the perforate end of the plug received in the nose end of the container tube and with the closed end of the plug adjacent to the forward end of the launcher tube; a quantity of desiccant disposed within the plug; and means for retaining the desiccant within the plug so that the desiccant absorbs humidity entering the plug through the perforate end thereof from the container tube.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the launcher tube has a predetermined axial length and wherein: the plug bears at said closed end means for positioning said closed end at the forward end of the launcher tube when the plug is inserted therein in a direction toward the container tube; the axial length of the plug is such that when said positioning means so positions said closed end in relation to said forward end, the perforate end of the plug is received within the container tube inwardly of the nose end thereof; and the plug bears annular sealing means circumscribing the plug adjacent to said perforate end thereof for minimizing passage of humidity into the container tube through the nose end thereat between the interior of the container tube and the periphery of the plug.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 1 further comprising: valve means disposed at the perforate end of the plug for opening and closing communication between the interior of the plug and the interior of the container tube; and means, which are mounted on the plug and accessible from the exterior of the launcher tube when the plug extends therethrough, for manually actuating the valve means to selectively open and close said communication.

Claim 5

A desiccant plug for use with a cylindrical tube containing a missile and having an axially open end, the plug comprising: a cylindrical body having a first axial end portion coaxially and slidably receivable within the tube through said open end, a second axial end portion opposite said first end portion, a cylindrical shell extending between said end portions, a perforate disk extending transversely of the shell across said first end portion and bearing a annular valve seat disposed peripherally of said first end portion and oppositely thereof from said second end portion, and a bulkhead spaced from the perforate disk toward said second end portion and extended transversely across the shell in closing relation thereto; a valve rod extending through said bulkhead and said disk axially and centrally of the body; means for mounting the valve rod on the body for movement axially thereof; first sealing means, which is received in the body and circumscribes the valve rod, for minimizing leakage of humidity therealong between said end portions; a quantity of desiccant received in the shell between said disk and said bulkhead; a valve disk mounted on said rod oppositely of said perforate disk from the bulkhead, the valve disk being connected to said rod for movement therewith toward and from seated relation of the valve disk with the valve seat; manually actuated means, which are connected to the valve rod and are disposed at the first end portion of the plug for access axially thereof, for selectively moving the valve rod and the valve disk to move the valve disk toward and from said seated relation; and annular second sealing means, which circumscribes the body of the first end portion thereof and is disposed for engagement between the body and said tube when said end portion is received within the tube, for minimizing leakage of humidity into the tube along the periphery of the body.

Claim 6

A desiccant plug for use with a cylindrical tube containing a missile and having an axially open end, the plug comprising: a cylindrical body having a first axial end portion coaxially and slidably receivable within the tube through said open end, a second axial end portion opposite said first end portion, a cylindrical shell extending between said end portions, a perforate disk extending transversely of the shell across said first end portion and bearing a annular valve seat disposed peripherally of said first end portion and oppositely thereof from said second end portion, and a bulkhead spaced from the perforate disk toward said second end portion and extended transversely across the shell in closing relation thereto; a valve rod extending through said bulkhead and said disk axially and centrally of the body; means for mounting the valve rod on the body for movement axially thereof; first sealing means, which is received in the body and circumscribes the valve rod, for minimizing leakage of humidity therealong between said end portions; a quantity of desiccant received in the shell between said disk and said bulkhead; a valve disk mounted on said rod oppositely of said perforate disk from the bulkhead, the valve disk being connected to said rod for movement therewith toward and from seated relation of the valve disk with the valve seat; manually actuated means, which are connected to the valve rod and are disposed at the first end portion of the plug for access axially thereof, for selectively moving the valve rod and the valve disk to move the valve disk toward and from said seated relation; and annular second sealing means, which circumscribes the body of the first end portion thereof and is disposed for engagement between the body and said tube when said end portion is received within the tube, for minimizing leakage of humidity into the tube along the periphery of the body.

Claim 7

The plug of claim 4 wherein: said quantity of desiccant is disposed in a generally turoidal package which is slidably received in the shell in circumscribing relation to the valve rod; the perforate disk is releasably connected to the shell for removal of said disk from the shell to insert said package therein and for installation of said disk to the shell to retain said package therein; and the valve disk is releasably connected to the valve rod for removal of the valve disk therefrom for access to the perforate disk and said package and for attachment of the valve disk to the valve rod for movement of the valve disk therewith.