US1971340A - Tow target releasing device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1934. A. c. FOULK TOW TARGET RELEASING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1953 RKMM M T. M my@ m w? ,Q /ff,

Patented Aug. 428, 1934 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOW TARGET RELEASING DEVICE Albert G. Foulk, Riverside, Calif.

Application August 5, 1933, Serial No. 683,758

3 Claims. (Cl. 124-16) (Granted under the act o! March .3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. '157) determined course of re upon an extended towtarget. One method consists of releasing the extended tow-cable and attached target and of permitting-'the same to fall in the vicinity of the battery firing, whereupon the aircraft returns to its airdrome for replacements. The secv ond method consists of reeling in the exposed tow-target, of attaching a fresh tow-target to the tow-cable, and of unreeling the same; following which procedure the former target is retained in the aircraft or dropped to the battery below, as desired. Both of the foregoing methods consume a considerable periodv of time. 'Ifhe latter method often results in a broken tow-cable.

It is an object of my invention to attach a plurality of tow-targets tothe inner portion of an extended tow-cable by means of slidable rings and to` successively release these rings and attached targets for rearward travel toward the outer extremity of `the tow-cable. Each newly released tow-target automatically displaces its predecessor, which thereupon falls to the battery below. y

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists of certain new and novel improvements yin tow-target releasing devices, which will beV hereinafter more fully villustrated and described in the` accompanying drawing, and more vparticularly pointed out in the appended Claims. I l i rvg.

Referring to the drawing in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several claims:

Fig. 1 isa side elevation of my invention, with a tow-target ring attached thereto.

Fig-2 shows my invention in the process of releasing an old and receiving a new tow-target ring.

Referring to Fig. 1, the body portion of my invention consists of an elongated U-shaped channel 1 provided at one extremity with a tapered` e'ncl"..,2 and atthe other` extremity with a closed end'f. VA tow-cable 4 is pivotally' attached to the ,tapered` end 2 by means of a xed pin 5. Anvopening 6 is provided in the channel 1 immediately adjacent the closed end 3. A lever 7 is pivotally attached between ends to the channel 1 by means of a clevis pin 8 and a cotter pin 9. The lever 7 is provided at one of its extremities with an engaging hook 10 adapted to register with the opening 6 in the channel 1 and at its other extremity with a tapered end 11. A leaf spring 12 is flxedly attached at one of its ends to a key-hole 13 provided in the base of the engaging hook 10. The lever 7 is normally disposed in the position shown in Fig. 1. The base of a lever 14 is pivotally attached to the channel 1 by means of a clevis pin 15 and a cotter pin 16 and is provided with a lobed projection 17 adapted to limit clockwise rotation of the lever 14. The mid-portion of the lever 14 is provided with a cammed surface 18 for engaging the outer extremity of the tapered end' 11 of the lever 7. The outer endof the lever 14 comprises a lever portion 19 adapted to be depressed entirely within the channel 1, as shown in Fig. 2. The foregoing parts complete the engaging and releasing portion of my invention.

A plurality of rings 20 are iixedly attached to a like plurality of tow-targets by means of hinged brackets 21 and target cables 22. As has been previously stated, the rings 20 are slidably secured to the tow-cable 4 at its point of attachment to the aircraft proper. Any suitable device may be employed to retain the rings 20 within the ,aircraft during extension or retraction of the towrelease of one tow-target is accomplished through arrival of a new tow-target at the engaging and fr releasing portion of my invention. The on-coming rings 20h, hinged bracket 2lb and tow-cable 22h have traveled past the tapered end 2 and coming into engagement with the trigger portion 19 of the lever 14, have forced the latter into the enclosure formed by the channel 1. Corresponding upward movement of the cammed surface 18 rotates the end 11 upward and the engaging hook 10 downward. The foregoing rotation of the lever '7 is accompanied by release of the outgoing ring 20a, hinged bracket 21a and tow target cable 22a from further connection with the aircraft. As

the ring h clears the trigger portion 18, in its aft passage along the channel 1, the leaf spring 12 automatically returns the engaging hook 10 of the lever 'I to the position shown in Fig. 1. Projection of the engaging hook 10 through the opening 6 of the channel 1 prevents further passage of the ring 20h to the rear. The foregoing operation is repeated as each successive ring is released from the aircraft.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section -through the channel 1, just forward of the outgoing ring 20a and engaging hook 10. Attachment of the former ring to the tow-cable 22a, by means of the hinged bracket 21a, is also clearly shown as are crosssections of the lever 'I and leaf spring 12.

I claim:-

1. A tow-target releasing device comprising, an elongatedv U-shaped channel having a tapered leading end and a trailing end provided with an elongated opening at its outer extremity through the bottom of said channel, an engaging lever having the mid-portion pivotally secured to said channel and having a forward portion tapered in side profile and an aft portion terminating in` an outwardly turned hook adapted to project through said elongated opening, spring means for normally retaining said lever in engaging position,

and a releasing lever pivotally secured just aft of the tapered leading end of said channel hav'- ing a cammed surface for engaging the tapered forward portion of said engaging lever, said releasing lever further having a portion projecting without said channel and a lobed projection forward of its point of pivotation for engaging the bottom of said channel such that said cammed surface continuously contacts the forward portion of said engaging lever.

2. A tow-target releasing device comprising, an elongated U-shaped channel having a tapered leading end terminating in a fixed pin and a trailing end provided with an elongated opening at the outer extremity through the bottom of said channel, an engaging lever having the mid-portion secured to said channel by a bearing pin and having a forward portion tapered in side prole and an aft portion terminating in an outwardly turned hook adapted to project through said elongated opening and having a spring retaining recess at the base of said hook, a leaf spring having one end fixed within said spring retaining recess the bottom oi' said channel such that said cammed surface continuously contactsthe forward portion oi.' said engaging lever.

3. A tow-target releasing device comprising,

an elongated. U-shaped channel having a tapered leading end terminating in a xed pinand a closed trailing end provided with an elongated opening at its outer extremity through the bottom of said channel, an engaging lever having the mid-portion secured to said channel by a bearing pin and having a forward portion tapered in side profile and an aft portion terminating ln an outwardly turned hook adapted to project through said Pelongated Vopening and having a spring retaining recess at the base of said hook, a leaf 'spring having one end fixed within said spring retaining recess and its body portion extending substantially forward of the engaging lever Abearing pin such that the outwardly projecting hook of said engaging lever is normally retained in engaging position, within said channel, and a releasing lever secured just aft of the tapered leading end of said channel by a bearing pin and having a cammed surface for engaging the tapered portion of said engaging lever and depressing the same against the bent portion of said channel, said retaining lever further having a portion normally projecting without but adapted to be rotated entirely within said chan-

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