Variable flow restricting devices
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsThaddeus Jakubowski, Jr., John K. Foster, Cory G. Keller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pneumatically operated stores ejector rack for an aircraft having an adjustable flow restricting device for variably apportioning the flow of pressurized gas from a manifold to the store ejection thrusters. The flow restricting device includes at least one adjustable valve assembly, having a valve and a valve body, for varying the pressure of gas supplied to the thruster. It also includes a feed conduit connecting the manifold and the valve, and a collar threadably engageable with the manifold and the feed conduit for urging the valve into contact valve body. Also disclosed is a method for apportioning the flow of pressurized gas between a pair of thrusters in a stores ejection rack which includes the flow restricting device.
Claims13
A stores ejector rack for an aircraft, the rack comprising:
- at least one pneumatically operated thruster for ejecting a store away from the aircraft;
- a manifold for distributing pressurized gas from a source to the thruster;
- an adjustable valve assembly for varying the pressure of the gas supplied to the thruster, the valve assembly including first and second valve members;
- a feed conduit connected to the manifold and to one of the valve members;
- and,
- a collar engageable with the manifold and the feed conduit for urging the valve members into contact.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a body portion;
- one or more lifting surfaces operatively coupled to the body portion;
- at least one engine operatively coupled to the body portion;
- and
- a store separation system operatively coupled to at least one of the lifting surfaces and the body portion, the store separation system including:
- a stores ejector rack comprising:
- at least one pneumatically operated thruster for ejecting a store away from the aircraft;
- a manifold operatively coupled to the at least one thruster and adapted to distribute a pressurized gas to the thruster;
- an adjustable valve assembly coupled to the manifold and adapted to vary the pressure of the gas supplied to the thruster, the valve assembly including first and second valve members;
- a feed conduit connected to the manifold and to one of the valve members;
- and
- a collar engageable with the manifold and the feed conduit for urging the valve members into contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.