Strut release mechanism for hydrofoil craft
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorGary J. Warner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A strut release mechanism for the forward strut of a hydrofoil craft will predictably fail when the strut experiences a predetermined impact. The failure occurs about a horizontal axis so that the strut follows a predetermined path while separating from the craft and thereby avoids impact damage to the strut or to the craft. Shear failure and tension failure structures are disclosed.
Claims13
In a hydrofoil craft having a forward, depending pivotal strut and a foil secured to the strut adjacent to the bottom of the strut, a king post connected to the frame of the hydrofoil craft, connection means securing said king post to said strut adjacent to the top of the strut;
- the improvement in said connection means comprising a pivot member separably disposed between said king post and said strut to define a pivot axis;
- frangible connector elements between said king post and said strut for normally retaining said king post and said strut in a rigid, fixed relationship with said pivot member therebetween;
- said frangible connector elements being adapted to rupture when said strut experiences an impact load exceeding a predetermined value;
- said pivot member being separably disposed between the said king post and the said strut such that the strut will pivot about the said pivot member upon rupture of said frangible connection means and the said strut will separate from the said king post downwardly, away from the hull of said hydrofoil craft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.