Lightweight composite launcher pod
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsLawrence D. Hoffmeister, Richard J. Thompson
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Abstract
A lightweight composite launcher pod which includes a multiplicity of eloted launcher tubes that are accurately aligned in a composite material with the composite material having four outer sides with alignment surfaces on three of the sides and bearing and alignment surfaces on the other side, and the lightweight composite launcher pod being capable of serving as the shipping and storage container for rockets before launching of the rockets as well as for launching the rockets therefrom when mounted in a launcher structure.
Claims10
A lightweight composite launcher pod comprising a multiplicity of elongated composite launch tubes that are mounted in a cluster in a composite material that completely surrounds each of said elongated launch tubes about the circumference thereof and for the length thereof with the axis of each of the elongated launch tubes being substantially parallel to each of the other axes and said composite material having outer surfaces that bearing and locking structure on one side of said composite launcher pod, an alignment surface on said composite material and on an opposite side of said launcher pod from said bearing and locking structure, and alignment surfaces on said composite material that are parallel and on opposite sides of said launcher pod such that said parallel alignment surfaces on opposite sides are perpendicular to said alignment surface on said side opposite said bearing and locking structure, said alignment surfaces each being spaced inwardly from outer most side surfaces and being spaced so as to produce a more uniform thickness of said composite material surrounding said elongated launch tubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.