Integral accumulator valve and ram assembly for pneumatic weapon ejection system
AssigneeMcDonnell Douglas Corporation
InventorThaddeus Jakubowski, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pneumatic actuation assembly for use in an ejection system capable of unlocking and forcibly ejecting stores from racks mounted on an aircraft or similar weapon carrier. The actuation assembly including a primary valve and release ram attached to one-another for joint, reciprocating movement along a common longitudinal axis between closed and open positions. A solenoid control valve initiates movement of the primary valve by creating a pressure imbalance across the primary valve member. Pressurized gas is caused to vent to the atmosphere, allowing the primary valve member to move the attached release ram into engagement with a mechanism capable of unlocking the hooks before moving thrust pistons to forcibly eject the unlocked stores.
Claims18
A pneumatic actuation assembly adaptable for use as part of an ejection system capable of releasing and forcibly ejecting a store from an aircraft, and comprising:
- an accumulator for receiving and storing a quantity of pressurized gas;
- a primary valve mounted for reciprocating movement within a fluid chamber between open and closed positions, wherein the fluid chamber includes a front end portion in fluid communication with the pressurized gas from the accumulator, and a back end portion in selective fluid communication either with the pressurized gas from the accumulator or with atmospheric pressure, depending on whether the primary valve is in its open or closed position;
- a release ram attached to the primary valve for joint movement along a common longitudinal axis:
- and
- a control valve device for initiating movement of the primary valve from its closed position to its open position, whereby pressurized gas in the back end portion of the fluid chamber is vented to the atmosphere, allowing pressurized gas occupying the front end portion of the fluid chamber to initiate movement of the primary valve though the back end portion of the fluid chamber until the release ram attached to the primary valve engages and moves the hook release mechanism from a locked to an unlocked position, thereby releasing the store from the aircraft.
A pneumatic actuation assembly comprising:
- a primary valve mounted for reciprocating movement within a fluid chamber between open and closed positions, wherein the primary valve includes a front end opening forming a fluid passageway with a release mechanism when the primary valve is in its open position;
- a source of pressurized gas in continuous fluid communication with a front end portion of the fluid chamber and in selective fluid communication with a back end portion of the fluid chamber;
- a control valve device for selectively venting pressurized gas from the back end portion of the fluid chamber, thereby creating a pressure imbalance across the primary valve, causing the primary valve to move towards the back end portion;
- and
- a release ram engaging a lock mechanism responsive to movement of the primary valve to its open position.
In a stores ejection system of the type adaptable for mounting a jettisonable store on an aircraft, and using an on-board source of pressurized gas for providing the source of energy and the transfer mechanism for an actuation assembly to release and forcibly eject the store, an improvement comprising:
- a primary valve included as part of the actuation assembly and positioned for movement in a fluid chamber having an opening at one end and attached to a release ram for joint reciprocal movement along a common longitudinal axis responsive to pressurized gas flowing into or out of a back end portion of the fluid chamber;
- and
- control valve means for selectively creating a fluid passageway between the back end portion of the fluid chamber and either the source of pressurized gas or the atmosphere, whereby pressurized gas moves the primary valve from a closed position in which the front end of the fluid chamber is closed, to an open position in which pressurized gas moves the primary valve, causing the release ram to engage and unlock the stores while pressurized gas flowing from the front end of the fluid chamber forcibly release the stores from the aircraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.