Solid rocket motor bolted thrust takeout structure
AssigneeAerojet-General Corporation
InventorsJeffrey D. Gladstone, John Mouritsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid rocket motor used as a booster rocket for a launch vehicle is provided with a mounting structure that permits attachment of the rocket motor to the vehicle in a manner that accommodates the expansion that the rocket undergoes during firing without risking disengagement of the rocket due to the shear forces caused by the expansion. The mounting structure includes a raised hub to which the thrust pin is attached, a series of aft-directed struts and a pair of transverse struts, all terminating in separate plates for bolting to the rocket motor case.
Claims12
A mounting structure for securing a rocket motor to a core vehicle, said rocket motor having an outer surface of a predetermined contour and an axis defined by a thrust direction, said mounting structure comprising:
- a support plate with a thrust pin mounted thereto;
- a plurality of longitudinal struts extending from one end of said support plate;
- a pair of transverse struts extending from opposing sides of said support plate;
- said longitudinal and transverse struts terminating in feet with undersurfaces that collectively define a contour complementary to said predetermined contour of said rocket motor outer surface, said struts being angled relative to said feet such that said support plate is raised relative to said feet;
- and
- means for securing said feet individually to said rocket motor such that said longitudinal struts are aligned approximately along said thrust direction.
A solid rocket motor attachable to a core vehicle, said solid rocket motor comprising:
- solid propellant encased in a rocket motor case having a cylindrical outer surface of a predetermined contour and an axis defined by a thrust direction;
- and
- a mounting structure for securing said rocket motor case to said core vehicle, said mounting structure comprising:
- a support plate with a thrust pin mounted thereto;
- a plurality of longitudinal struts extending from one end of said support plate;
- a pair of transverse struts extending from opposing sides of said support plate;
- said longitudinal and transverse struts terminating in feet with undersurfaces that collectively define a contour complementary to said predetermined contour of said rocket motor outer surface, said feet being individually secured to said rocket motor case such that said longitudinal struts are aligned approximately along said thrust direction, and said struts being angled relative to said feet such that said support plate is raised relative to said rocket motor outer surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.