US2339011A - Glider torpedo - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 11, 1944. H A GURNEY 2,339,011

GLIDER TORPEDO Filed Aug. 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l a H/ lwA/v A. GUR/VEY V HA RA /s, mic/7g F05 775/? & HA RAP/5 J 1944- H. A. VGURNEY 2,339,011

' GLIDER TORPEDO Filed Aug. 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arro IVE K5.

Patented Jan. l1, 1944 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE GLIDER. TORPEDO Harlan A. Gurney, Enclno, Calif. Application August 11, 1941, Serial No. 406,247

6 Claims.

My invention relates to aerial warfare, with special reference to aerial bombing and is directed to an improved form of bomb providing for automatic flight control.

In bombing operations the problem is to launch a bomb from a moving airplane von a path to reach a given objective. Dropping a bomb on a curved trajectory from level flight involves a special technique to take into account a number of critical factors and is not suitable for many types of targets and operating conditions. For such targets and operating conditions some type of dive bombing is required. One of the great advantages of dive bombing is the simplicity of the aiming techniquie, since it is necessary merely to dive the airplane toward the objective to launch the bomb on an eflective path. A serious disadvantage of ordinary dive bombing, however, is that the airplane must swoop relatively close to its target along a path that is highly vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire.

One object of the present invention is to achieve simplicit of aiming comparable to that of dive bombing but without undue exposure of the aircraft to defensive batteries at the target. More specifically stated, it is proposed to provide a glider torpedo that may be launched at a substantial distance from the target from a position unfavorable for anti-aircraft guns at or near the target.

With reference to the design and construction of such a glider torpedo, the invention has the following objects: to provide a glider that will automatically maintain a given heading after release from the airplane; to provide a gyro glider control that is automatically uncaged for operation when the glider is released; to utilize the surrounding air stream to energize the gyro means; to utilize the surrounding air stream to actuate the glider control surfaces in response to the gyro mechanism; and to provide automatic means to cause the glider to initially swerve away from the airplane when released for gliding flight.

A further object of the invention is to so design a bomb and so mount the bomb on an airplane that the bomb will, in efiect, sustain its own weight in the course of airplane flight to the zone of operations. By virtue of such an arrangement the airplane need not be designed to carry a great weight and a light combat plane may be used to carry a relatively heavy bomb. An additional load is, of course, imposed on the power plant of the airplane in carrying the bomb, but as soon as the bomb is released the airplane recovers its full efllciency and capacity to maneuver for ofiense or defense.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings which are to be considered as illustrative only,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an airplane equipped with a glider torpedo in accord with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the glider torpedo in gliding flight;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the glider torpedo;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rear portion of the glider torpedo with a portion of the glider wall removed to show the internal control mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the mechanism in one of the gyro controls;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale through a valve shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale through a pneumatic actuator employed in the control arrangement; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through an automatic device employed in the arrangement. The torpedo glider shown in Figs. 1 to 3 has a body or fuselage 20 containing a quantity of explosive and housing certain control mechanism, a pair of wings 2|, a fin 22, a rudder 23, a horizontal stabilizer 25, and an elevator 26. The upper surface of the glider body 20 is provided with three loops or eyes 21 (Fig. 3) that are adapted for releasable engagement by suitable shackles 28 (Fig. 1) on the under side of the transporting airplane '30. When the glider is mounted as shown in Fig. 1, the glider will be substantially self-sustaining in the course of airplane fiight, the wings of the glider being sufficiently spaced from the wings of the airplane to avoid any substantial mutual interference with aerodynamic efficiency.

The control system of the glider torpedo may be disposed in a rearward compartment 3| in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. The principal parts of the depicted control mechanism are: a directional gyro unit generally designated 32 operatively connected to a control valve generally designated 33 for governing the rudder 23; a pneumatic actuator 35 for moving the rudder 23 in response to operation of'the valve 33; a second gyro unit generally designated 36 operatively connected to a control valve generally designated 31 governing the elevator 26; and a pneumatic actuator 38 for moving the elevator 26 in regimbal ring sponse to operation of the control valve 81. While I have chosen to energize the control system pneumatically and, as will be explained, have chosen to derive the pneumatic energy from the air stream around the glider, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other energizing arrangements and expedients may be employed within the scope of my invention.

On the under surface of the torpedo body I mount an air scoop 48 that is the equivalent or a forwardly directed Pitot tube to create a zone of relatively high pressure therein. To create a zone of relatively low pressure, I may mount a Venturi tube 4| on the exterior of the torpedo body or may rely simply on the well known low pressure effect achieved by placing a port in the torpedo body perpendicularly to the exterior surface of the body. The provision of either or the two zones may provide a sufllcient pressure differential to operate the control mechanism, but I prefer to achieve a relatively high pressure differential by utilizing both zones.

The direction gyro 32 comprises a housing 42 containing a gyro which may be of the wellknown construction shown in Fig. 5. In this construction a rotor 45 driven by a nozzle 48 is mounted on suitable bearings 41 in a horizontal gimbal ring 48, the horizontal gimbal ring being mounted in turn by trunnions 58 in a vertical The vertical gimbal ring 5| is carried by a horizontal rotary table 52 that is suitably mounted on a fixed base 53, and the upper side of the vertical gimbal ring is fixedly connected by a fitting 55 to a vertical valve stem 58 of the control valve 33.

The caging rod 51, which corresponds functionally in major respects to the usual caging knob of a conventional directional gyro, terminates in a caging tooth 58, the caging tooth being adapted to retractably enter a suitable notch 60 in the rotary table 52 to immobilize the vertical gimbal ring 5| until the time arrives to release the glider and gyro control. Since it is desirable to likewise immobilize the horizontal gimbal ring 48, a caging arm 8| of a well-known construction is included in my preferred arrangement. When the caging rod 51 is moved inward to seat the caging tooth58 in the notch 88, the caging arm BI is tilted upward by 'means well known in directional gyros, such means including a bracket 82 carried by the caging rod and a concealed spring plunger'operated thereby. Upward tilting of the caging arm 5| forcefully brings a flat surface of the caging arm against a flat surface of the horizontal gimbal ring to force the gimbal ring into a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the vertical gimbal ring 5|.

To provide a jet of air from the nozzle 48 for propelling the rotor 45, the nozzle may be connected directly to what may be termed a pressure line 85 from the air scoop 48 and the gyro housing 42 may be connected to what may be termed a vacuum line 86 from the venturi 4|, the gyro housing being designed for little or no air leakage to make the described arrangement pneumatically effective.

The control valve 33 may, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, include a cylindrical body 81 with an axially located vacuum port 88 connected with the vacuum line 88, a peripheral pressure port 18 connected to the pressure line 85, and two spaced peripheral control ports 1| and 12. Within the valve body 81 is mounted a rotary valve member 13 unitary with the previously mentioned valve stem 58. The rotary valve member 13 is peripherally recessed to cooperate with the surrounding valve body 81 in Iorming two pressure spaces 15 and 16 and an intermediate vacuum space 11. The two pressure spaces 15 and 18 are continuously in communication with the pressure port 18 by virtue 01 two bores 18 in the rotary valve body 13, and the vacuum space'11 is continuously in communication with the vacuum port 88 by virtue of a radial bore." and an axial bore 8| in the rotary valve member.

The described valve construction is such that when the valve is in the neutral position indicated in Fig. 6, a portion 82 0! the rotary valve member 13 between the pressure space 15 and the vacuum space 11 cuts oil the control port 1| and simultaneously a portion 83 o! the valve member between the pressure space 15 and the vacuum 7 with the control port 12.

space 11 cuts 011 the control port 12. It the valve member 13 is rotated irom its neutral position in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6, the pressure space 15 is shifted into communication with the control port 1| and simultaneously the vacuum space 11 is placed in communication Counterclockwise movement will produce the opposite effect of placing the pressure space 18 in communication with-the control port 12 and placing the vacuum space 11 in communication with the control port 1|.

The control port 1| of the control valve 33 is connected by a pipe 85 to one side of the pneu- 'matic actuator 35 and the control port 12 is connected by a pipe 86 to the other side of the actuator. As shown in Fig. 7, the pneumatic actuator 35 is in the form of a chamber that is divided by a diaphragm 81 into two compartments 88 and 98, each of the compartments being provided with a small bleeder port or vent 9| to the atmosphere. The diaphragm 81 is connected to an operating rod 92 that in turn is operatively connected to an arm 93 unitary with the rudder 23. It is apparent that relative rotation of the valve member 13 from neutral by the gyro will cause low pressure in one of the compartments 88 and 88 and high pressure in the other compartment with consequent actuation of the rudder, the direction of rudder movement depending on the direction of relative rotation of the valve member.

The arrangement for controlling the elevator- 28 is similar to' the above described arrangement for controlling the rudder except that the control valve 31 associated with the gyro unit 35 is disposed on a substantially horizontal axis. The gyro unit 38 includes a housing into which extends a longitudinally movable caging rod 98. Concealed within the housing is a gyro rotor (not shown) having a sub-.

stantially vertical axis for rotation, the rotor being mounted in a vertical gimbal ring (not shown) that is in turn mounted in a horizontal gimbal ring (not shown) and the horizontal gimbal ring being operatively connected to the control valve 31. A pressure line 91 from the air scoop 40 is connected both to the gyro housing 95 and to the pressure port of the valve 31, and a vacuum line 98 from the Venturi tube 4| is connected both to the gyro housing 98 and to the vacuum port of the control valve 81. One of the control ports of the control valve 81 is connected by a pipe I08 to one side of the pneumatic actuator 38 and the other control port is connected by a second pipe IM to the other side of the pneumatic actuator. The pneumatic actuator 38 controls an operating rod I02 that is connected to a control arm I03 unitary on the elevator 26.

The four pipes 85, 86, I and |0I associated with the two pneumatic actuators 35 and 38 are equipped with regulating valves I that are adjusted to regulate the rate at which the two actuators respond to the two control valves. Adjustment of the regulating valves I05 must be based upon whatever pressure differential in the pneumatic system is anticipated at the velocity with which the released torpedo glides toward its objective.

It is contemplated that the gyro units 32 and 36 will be uncaged automatically upon release of the torpedo glider from the airplane, and it is further contemplated in the preferred practice of my invention that the released glider will initially swerve downward clear of the airplane. The means for automatically uncaging the two gyro units may be separate and apart from the means for causing the initial swerve of the torpedo glider, but in the present arrangement these two means are structurally combined.

In the combined structure I employ a valve body I06 (Fig. 8) having two ports I01, one of the ports being connected to the previously mentioned vacuum line 66 and the other port being connected by a pipe I08 to the previously mentioned pipe I00 leading to the actuator 38. In effect the arrangement provides a by-pass from the vacuum side of the pneumatic system to the actuator 38 around the control valve 31. Inside the valve body I06 is a valve member I 09 that may be moved from the open position shown in Fig. 8 to a position cutting ofi flow between the two ports I01. The'valve member I09 is mounted on a control plunger H0 and is continuously urged" toward its closed position by a suitable springl I I. The upper'end of the control plunger IIO isformed with a suitable head II2 that is slightly'recessed' to receive the lower end of a fixed .finger II3 that extends downwardly from the airplane 30, the arrangement being such that the finger necessarily denresses the control plunger IIO against opposi- ':ion of the spring III when the glider torpedo mounted on the airplane by the shackles 28. Release of the torpedo glider by the shackles permits the spring III to move the control plunger IIO upward to a position at which the valve member I09 cuts off flow through the valve body I06.

Preferaby some provision is made for delayed action in the upward return of the plunger I I0 at a time interval of delay unafiected by changes in atmospheric pressure. In the present structure, the valve member I09 is in the form of a piston and a suitable liquid is introduced below the piston for a dash-pot action. The liquid is supplied from a reservoir II4 through a pipe H5 and passes through a metering orifice II6 controlled by a manually adjustable regulating valve III.

The lower end oithe control plunger IIO extending downwardly from the valve body is connected to a pair of links II 8 that are connected respectively to a bell-crank II9 on the gyro unit 32 and a bell-crank I20 on the gyro unit 36. The bell-crank H9 is operatively connected to the caging rod 51 of the gyro unit 32 and the bell-crank I20 is likewise connected to the car;- ing rod 96 of the second gyro unit 36.

Preparatory to mounting the torpedo glider on the under side of an airplane the rotary tables of the two gyro units are disposed in rotary positions to receive the caging teeth on the inner ends of the two caging rods. When the glider is connected to the shackles 28 of the airplane, the control plunger I I0 is automatically depressed by engagement with the airplane finger I I3 with the result that the two gyro units are caged or immobilized, and the valve member I09 is shifted to open position. It will'be understood that when the two gyro units are caged, the corresponding control valves 33 and 31 are in neutral position.

As soon as the airplane takes off with the underslung torpedo glider, the air stream surrounding the glider becomes efiective to create a pressure difierential in the control system, with resultant initiation of the air jet flow to energize the rotors of the two gyro units. Since the caging of the gyro jets immobilizes the two valves 33 and 31 in their neutral positions, the pressure difierential does not afiect the two actuators 35 and 38 through the valves. It will be noted in Fig. 4, however, that the vacuum line 66 is in communication through the valve body I06 with the actuator 38 while the airplane is in flight, the result being the creation of a vacuum in one compartment of the actuator 38 to pull the elevator rod forward and thereby depress the elevator 26.

When the pilot of the airplane approaches a target the gyros are caged but the rotors of the gyros are adequately energized for control. The pilot maneuvers the airplane to make good a track toward the target, and when he is satisfied with his flying alignment he operates a suitable control to cause the shackles 28 to release the glider torpedo. As soon as the glider torpedo is released, the spring III moves the control plunger IIO upward to uncage the two gyro units 32 and 36 for control of the rudder and elevator. At the moment of release from the airplane the elevator of the glider is depressed, as above described, and therefore causes the glider to swerve away from the airplane independently of the gyro control in the glider. Since the valve member in the valve body I06 immediately cuts oil" the by-pass communication to the actuator 38 through the pipe I08, control of the elevator is immediately turned over to the gyro unit 32. In practice the adjustment is such that the glider torpedo swerves sufliciently to clear the airplane but does not swerve to such an extent as to throw the glider torpedo oil" the intended track to any significant extent. The launched glider torpedo is automatically held on the intended track by the automatic gyro control notwithstanding interference by nearby shellbursts. The concussion of exploding shells may momentarily shift or divert the glider torpedo, but the gyro control will steadfastly operate to align the torpedo glider for movement along the track.

Fortuitously a glider designed to sustain substantially the whole of its own weight while being carried by an airplane in the manner described will have a relatively low minimum gliding angle and may be released to descend at a relatively low vertical velocity. One of the important advantages of providing for a relatively low rate of vertical drop is that an altimeter may be employed to control the detonation of the glider explosive in response to change in elevation or atmospheric pressure.- An altimeter cannot be-employed for detonation control on a free falling bomb because of lag in the responsiveness of the altimeter to changes in atmospheric pressures. Thus, the lag in response of an altimeter dropping at 2000 feet per minute is on the order of 150 feet. The rate of drop provided by the described glider torpedo is commensurate with the rate of response of an altimeter with resultant elimination of altimeter lag and the altimeter may be relied upon to detonate the explosive at a predetermined elevation with reasonable accuracy.

The preferred form of my invention described herein in detail for the purpose of disclosure and to illustrate the underlying principles will suggest various changes and substitutions within the scope of my concept. I reserve the right to all such departures from the preferred form of my invention that are defined by my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an airplane of: a glider carrying an explosive and adapted for releasable attachment to the airplane, said glider having flight controls including a movable airfoil; automatic means on the glider to guide the released glider for control of said airfoil to a cou'rse determined by the heading of the airplane at the moment of release; means, operative during attachment of said glider to said airplane, removing control of said airfoil from said automatic means and adapted to swing said airfoil to a position to cause the glider to swerve away from the airplane when the glider is released; and delayed action means on the glider to restore said airfoil to control by said automatic means.

2. An aerial torpedo to be carried and released by an airplane, comprising: a glider carrying an explosive and having movable flight controls; fluid-pressure-actuated means on the glider for actuatingaid controls; a first valve means to control said fluid-pressure-actuated means; gy-

roscopic means operatively connected with said valve means; a second valve means to control said fluid-pressure-actuated means, said second valve being movable between an effective position to cause the glider to nose off its course and an ineffective position to place the glider under sole control of the gyroscopic means and said firstvalve means, said second valve being adapted to maintain its effective position in response to attachment of the glider to said airplane; and yielding means to urge said second valve to its ineffective position upon release of the glider- 3. The combination with a main and auxiliary aircraft wherein the auxiliary aircraft is carried by the main aircraft and released therefrom, and

said auxiliary aircraft is Provided with its own sustaining and control surfaces, including an elevator, of a control apparatus for said elevator,

comprising: pneumatic means deriving its pressure from the air stream surrounding the auxiliary aircraft for actuating said elevator; a gyroscope; valve means controlled by said gyroscope for regulating said pneumatic means; a bypass valve member for said pneumatic means having a holding. position for causing said pneumatic means to hold said elevator in a predetermined position irrespective of said gyroscopecontrolled valve, and a non-holding position wherein said pneumatic means is subject to regulation by said gyroscope-controlled valve; and means operable in the course of releasing said auxiliary aircraft from said main aircraft for causing said by-pass valve to move from its holding to its non-holding position.

4. The combination with a main and auxiliary aircraft wherein the auxiliary aircraft i carried by the main aircraft and released therefrom, and which is provided with its own sustaining and control surfaces, including an elevator, of a control apparatus for said elevator, comprising: a pneumatic means for controlling said elevator, including a source of fluid pressure, a pressure responsive element connected with said elevator, a control valve for regulating said pressure responsive element, and a by-pass valve having a holding position causing said pressure responsive element to hold said elevator in a predetermined position irrespective of said control valve, and a non-holding position wherein said pressure responsive element is regulated by said control valve, a gyroscope unit for actuating said control valve; means for restraining operation of said gyroscope unit and restraining said by-pass valve in its holding position, said restraining means being operatively connected with said main air- 1 craft to release said gyroscope and move said bypass valve to its non-holding position when said auxiliary aircraft is released from the main aircraft.

5. A construction, as set forth in claim 3 wherein a time-delay means is incorporated in said. by-pass valve for delaying movement thereof from its holding to its non-holding position until the auxiliary aircraft is clear of the main aircraft.

6. A construction, as set forth in claim 4 wherein a time-delay means is incorporated with said by-pass valve to delay movement thereof from its holding to its non-holding position until the auxiliary aircraft has moved clear of said main aircraft.

HARLAN A. GURNEY.

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