GB1182275A - Means for Retaining Rockets in Rocket Launchers. - Google Patents

Abstract

1,182,275. Rocket launchers; rocket tails. DYNAMIT NOBEL A.G. 13 April, 1967, No. 17109/67. Headings F3A and F3C. A rocket 1 is retained in a rocket launcher 2 by a mechanism comprising at least one connecting element 9 adapted to engage the rear portion of the rocket 1 and a locking member 11 which in the pre-rocket firing position releasably co-operates with the or each connecting element 9 to hold the or each connecting element in engagement and the rear portion of the rocket in engagement. the locking member being released by the gas jet generated by the firing of the rocket such that the rear portion of the rocket becomes disconnectible from the or each connecting element. In the construction shown in Fig. 2, the connecting elements comprising latching elements, are attached to a rocket fin retaining ring 4, and comprise resilient lugs 10, indented parts of which co-operate with a complementary shaped part of the nozzle 7 of the rocket. The ring 4 is held in the launcher 2 between a stop member (Fig. 1, not shown) and a latch 6. In a modification (Figs. 4, 5, not shown), the resilient lugs project inwardly of the rocket launcher and co-operate with the interior surface of the nozzle, the locking member having a surface projecting into the nozzle and engaging the latching elements. The latching elements 9 may not be fixed to a flange 8 of the ring 4, but may be loosely interposed between this flange 8 and a projection 15 of the rocket or a flange of the locking member 11. The locking member may be provided with a plurality of fixing bolts which each co-operates with a pair of springs fixed to the flange of the holding ring, the springs each having a formation which, after the bolts are engaged between the springs, engages a face of an annular flange of the rocket remote from the locking member to releasably lock the rocket to retaining ring (Figs. 6, 7, not shown). In the construction of Fig. 8 the latching elements 9 comprise two armed levers pivoted on the retaining ring flange 8, one arm of the levers cooperating with the locking member 11 and the other arm with a specially shaped surface of the nozzle 7 of the rocket. In a modification (Figs. 10, 11, not shown) the locking member engaging arm is provided with spring loading opposing the locking action. The latching elements may comprise one armed levers projecting into the nozzle of the rocket (Figs. 12, 13, not shown). In a further embodiment (Fig. 14, not shown) a latching element consists of a wedge-shaped member interposed between the flange of the holding ring and the locking member, the tapered surface of the wedgeshaped member engaging a similar surface on the nozzle of the rocket. Further spring lugs may be attached to the nozzle of the rocket which are housed within a bore of a member fixed to the retaining ring, the lugs being spread into locking engagement with a widened portion of the bore by fitting bolts attached to the locking member (Figs. 15, 16, not shown).