Aircraft missile launcher snubber apparatus
AssigneeVaro, Inc.
InventorRonald L. Dale
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A missile launcher and missile snubbing apparatus (32) includes a pair snubber blocks (34, 36) slideable along angled side edges of a wedge (38). The snubber blocks (34, 36) are biased by respective springs (48, 50) in a first direction, while the wedge (38) is biased in an opposite direction by a spring (84). A spring biased cam (86) is operative to move the wedge (38) in a direction to reduce the effective width of the snubber block assembly (32) so that a missle can be downloaded from the rear of the launcher (10). A spring clip (85) is engageable with a rod (43) attached to the block (38), and responsive to the action of the cam (86) for locking the wedge (38) in a first position. The spring clip (85) is shaped so as to be responsive to the downloading of the missile (12) for releasing the locked wedge (38).
Claims15
Apparatus for use with a missile having a hanger structure moveable with respect to a launcher having a rail structure, comprising:
- a pair of snubber blocks engageable with the hanger structure and the rail structure to effect frictional engagement therebetween, each said block having an angled surface;
- a moveable wedge having opposing angled surfaces slideably engageable with the respective angled surfaces of said snubber blocks;
- and
- means for maintaining said wedge in a first position for allowing said snubber blocks to move with respect to said wedge in response to missile movement for effecting lateral expansion of said apparatus to frictionally lock said missile hanger structure to said launcher rail, and for moving said wedge to a second position to prevent said lateral expansion and thereby allow said missile hanger structure to move freely within said launcher rail.
A snubber for frictionally engaging a missile hanger structure to a launcher rail structure, comprising:
- a pair of snubber blocks each having an outside surface substantially parallel with respect to each other, and each having an angled inside surface;
- a wedge having angled outside surfaces each slideably engageable with a respective angled inside surface of each said snubber block;
- an elongate rod fixed to said wedge and operative to move said wedge with respect to said snubber blocks to effect lateral expansion of said snubber blocks and thereby frictionally engage said missile hanger structure to said launcher rail structure;
- means for biasing said snubber blocks for slideable movement with respect to said wedge to maintain said lateral expansion;
- means for biasing said rod in a direction opposite said biasing of said snubber blocks;
- cam means responsive to a rotational movement thereof for pushing said rod in a direction causing said snubber to become laterally contracted;
- and
- latch means for latching said rod so that said snubber remains laterally contracted.
Apparatus adapted for snubbing a missile to a missile launcher, said missile and launcher being of the type having members slideably engageable, comprising:
- a pair of elements slideable along common inclined surfaces therebetween so that slideable movement in a first direction causes a lateral expansion of the width of the combined pair of said elements, and movement in an opposite direction causes a lateral contraction of said pair of elements;
- means for moving one said element with respect to the other said element to place said elements in said contracted position;
- latching means for latching said elements in said contracted position to facilitate movement of missile with respect to the launcher;
- and
- means responsive to the removal of the missile from the launcher for releasing the latched condition of said elements so that the missile is frictionally engaged to the launcher.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.