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US 4,363,257 AGranted
Strikedown service mechanism for a vertical launching system
AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorsRobert M. Harris, Edward R. Betzold
Life of this patent
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AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorsRobert M. Harris, Edward R. Betzold
Estimating the term…
A service mechanism for a shipboard missile vertical launch system has a base assembly which rides on a set of parallel tracks spanning a missile housing array. A carriage assembly is mounted for movement along the base assembly in a direction normal to the tracks. A portion of the carriage assembly is disposed for 360.degree. rotation about a vertical axis. A cradle elevator is mounted for movement on vertically running tracks on the rotatable portion of the carriage assembly. A cradle is adapted to engage and hold a missile cannister and is rotatably mounted on the cradle elevator to dispose the missile cannister with its long axis in either a vertical or a horizontal position. The cradle includes a hoist pawl which is adapted to engage one end of the missile cannister to raise or lower the cannister in the cradle when the long axis is disposed vertically. The base assembly is hinged intermediate its ends so that when the vertical launching system is not being serviced the carriage assembly may be positioned adjacent to one end of the base assembly and the other end of the base assembly may be folded upwards to lie alongside the carriage assembly. With the cradle elevator lowered and the cradle disposed in a vertical condition, the base assembly is secured to an elevator which lowers the serice mechanism to a stowed position below the ship's deck.
A service mechanism adapted to interface with a vertical launching system having an array of missile housings storing missiles in a launching condition, comprising a base assembly, said base assembly being adapted to move bidirectionally over the array of missile housings when in an operational condition, one end of said base assembly being movable relative to the other end to assume a stowed condition, a carriage assembly mounted to move bidirectionally on said base assembly when said base is in said operational condition so that said carriage may be positioned proximate to each missile housing in the array, a cradle assembly mounted on said carriage, and means on said cradle assembly for providing raising and lowering movement of said cradle assembly and a missile relative to said carriage, said cradle assembly being adapted to securely engage the missile so that the missile may be moved between a receiving position displaced from the array and ones of the missile housings.
A service mechanism for a vertical launching system having an array of missile housings for accepting missiles and being convertible between operating and stowed configurations, comprising a base assembly, first and second sections in said base assembly releasably locked in one of an extended condition in the operating configuration and a folded condition in the stowed configuration, a carriage assembly extending upwardly from said base assembly and having means for engaging said base assembly and for providing movement therealong when said base assembly is in said extended condition, a cradle elevator mounted for substantially vertical movement on said carriage assembly, a cradle adapted to engage the missiles and mounted for rotational movement on said cradle elevator, whereby missiles may be engaged and moved between a receiving point adjacent said array and ones of said missile housings, and means for positioning said first base assembly section between said extended and folded conditions when said second base assembly section is supporting said carriage assembly, so that said first base section, carriage assembly and cradle are in substantially aligned side-by-side position when in the stowed configuration.
A service mechanism for a vertical missile launching system having an array of missile cannister housings wherein tracks are laid out on a surface adjacent the array of housings and a power receptacle is accessible on the surface, comprising a base including means adapted to engage the tracks so that said base may be moved over the surface on the tracks, a carriage supported on said base for movement therealong in a direction angularly disposed from the direction of the tracks, an upper portion on said carriage being movable in azimuth with respect to a lower portion, a cradle movably mounted on said carriage upper portion adapted to engage and transport a missile cannister between a receiving position and ones of the cannister housings, and means coupled to the power receptacle for moving said carriage and cradle to effect transport of the cannisters, said base, carriage and cradle being selectively movable relative to each other and the array to assume a stowed configuration.
A service mechanism for interfacing with a vertical launching system having a grid-like array of missile cannister housings formed to accept missile cannisters and having a set of parallel tracks running along the array comprising a base disposed across and overlying the set of tracks, means disposed between said base and tracks providing movement of said base to selected positions along the tracks, a lower carriage mounted on said base for linear movement thereon in a direction substantially orthogonal to the parallel tracks, an upper carriage pivotally mounted on said lower carriage and movable rotationally relative to said lower carriage so that said upper carriage may assume selected azimuth positions, a cradle elevator disposed for raising and lowering motion on said upper carriage, and a cradle mounted on said cradle elevator adapted to engage and support a missile cannister, said cradle being disposed for rotation between positions wherein the cannister long dimension is oriented horizontally and vertically, said base comprising a displaceable end and a support end, means for positioning said displaceable end between a lowered operational position and a raised stowed position whereby cannisters may be moved between the cannister housings and a loading position adjacent the grid-like array when said base is positioned in said operational position and the service mechanism may be stowed when said base is in said stowed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.