US2972144A

US2972144A - Antenna release mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2972144A
Application number: US789759A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard A Marsh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-01-28
Filing date: 1959-01-28
Publication date: 1961-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-02-14

Description

Feb. 14, 1961 R. A. MARSH ANTENNA RELEASE MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1959 INVENTOR, RICHARD A. MARSH.

Wan/x; Mai/tag? ATTORNEY Feb. 14, 1961 R. A. MARSH 2,972,144

ANTENNA RELEASE MECHANISM Filed Jan. 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

RICHARD A. MARSH.

By Max/207mg nr 'omwsx United States Patent l ANTENNA RELEASE MECHANISM Richard A. Marsh, Rochester, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Jan. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 789,759

Claims. (Cl. 343-709) This invention relates in general to air-sea communication systems and is directed in particular to improvements in antenna release mechanisms.

A pulsed homing beacon, when functioning in a complete homing system, provides a homing signal which allows for the locating and recovering of missile components by either surface vessels or aircraft. Ordinarily, the beacon operates from a location somewhere at sea slightly above the surface of the water. The beacon system comprises a transmitter, a pop-up antenna, a power pack, and a beacon light. Beacon action is initiated by a pair of water-activated batteries. The activated batteries fire a bellows motor which erects the pop-up antenna and switches on the power for the transmitter and the beacon light. This invention is limited to the release mechanism used for erecting the pop-up antenna.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide an antenna release mechanism capable of operating under .the most severe environmental conditions without impairment of its performance characteristics.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a release mechanism which is simple in construction, which requires relatively few parts and yet is extremely reliable in actual operation.

These and other objects of this invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the antenna release mechanism and the bellows motor housing assembly;

Fig. 2 shows the antenna release mechanism in its armed position;

Fig. 3 shows the antenna release mechanism an instant after the energization of the bellows motor; and

Fig. 4 shows the respective trajectories of the bellows motor housing assembly, the antenna spool and the popup antenna.

In Figures 1 and 2, the water-tight kidney-shaped can 1 houses the transmitter, the transmitter power supply and the beacon light battery supply (not shown). The flexible antenna 7 and the antenna release mechanism are mounted on the walls of the enclosure 8, as shown.

The bellows motor housing assembly 2 consists of the motor housing 9, the explosive bellows motor 10, the water activated cells 11 and the moving guide 12, as shown. The motor housing assembly 2 slides sungly into the fixed guide 3 and is held securely in position by the trigger release spring 13. The antenna is fixedly secured at one end thereof to the antenna mount 5, the other end being wound around the core of the antenna spool 4. Each of the outer and the

inner flanges

20 and 14 of the spool have a pair of lugs 15 and 16. The left hand lugs are securely held in position by notches 17 of the antenna mount 5; similarly the right hand lugs fit snugly into notches 18 of the moving guide 12.

In operation, each of the two parallel connected cells ice 11 produces 1.5 volts when activated by water, the resulting current of which fires the bellows motor 10. The motor contains explosive elements such as a dry load of approximately mg. of an intimate mixture of 50/50 black powder and lead mononitro resorcinate. The electrical resistance of the bellows motor igniter is such that the firing current from the water activated cells, which are galvanically connected to the input terminals of the motor, is limited to less than 50 microamperes, although any other value of current could be used, if desired. Gas resulting from the explosion expands bellows 21. The action of the bellows motor is very rapid and powerful (approximately 40 pound thrust).

The initial extension of the bellows depresses the trigger release spring 13 and releases the motor housing assembly 2 as shown in Fig. 3. Continued extension of the bellows motor forces the motor housing assembly up along the fixed guide 3 and ejects the motor housing assembly, thereby freeing the antenna from the antenna spool, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Movement of the motor housing assembly up along the fixed guide also releases the switch spring 19 which energizes the transmitter and the beacon light 6 in housing 1. After a small warming-up period the pulsed homing beacon provides a homing signal for locating and recovering of the accompanying missile or other components.

The flexible antenna 7, is a laminated assembly. Each of the six laminae is a length of /z wide spring steel strip stock slightly curved about its longitudinal center line (similar to the stock used in flexible steel measuring tapes). The laminae are prevented from separating by rivets installed through slots in the laminae. Slots are used to permit relative longitudinal movement of the laminae during coiling of the antenna. The outside lamina terminates in a clip that is used to anchor the antenna on the core of the antenna spool 4.

While this invention has been described in conjunction with present preferred embodiments thereof, it should be apparent that the invention is not limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A signalling device for indicating the location of submerged components, comprising a housing, an antenna mount within said housing, a spool having a core and two flanges, a pair of diametrically opposed lugs on each of said flanges, one pair of longitudinally opposed lugs detachably engaging said antenna mount, a flexible antenna having two ends, one of said ends being fixedly secured to said antenna mount, the other of said ends being releasably wound on said core; a positive-ejection mechanism, and means for detachably securing the other pair of said lugs to said mechanism.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said ejecting mechanism comprises an explosive bellows motor including water activated means for firing said motor and thereby erecting said antenna in a generally upward position.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said water activated means includes at least one voltage producing cell galvanically connected to said bellows motor.

4. A signalling device for indicating the location of submerged components, comprising a buoyant housing, a flexible antenna having two ends, means for fixedly securing one of said ends to said housing, a spool having a core and two flanges releasably mounted within said housing; the other of said ends being wound around said core; and means for forcibly ejecting said flanges and thereby freeing said other of said ends from the core of said spool and erecting said antenna in a generally upward position.

5. In a transmitter signalling device comprising a housing, an antenna mount fixedly secured to said housing, a flexible laminated antenna having two ends, a spool having a core and two flanges, a pair of diametrically opposed lugs on each flange, a Water-actuated ejecting mechanism, means including a trigger release spring for detachably retaining said ejecting mechanism to said housing in the absence of Water penetrating said mechanism; means for fixedly securing one end of said antenna to said antenna mount, the other end of said antenna being Wound around said core; means for detachably retaining one pair of longitudinally opposed lugs to said antenna mount, means for detachably securing the other pair of said lugs to said ejecting mechanism, and means including a bellows motor and a current producing cell Within said ejecting mechanism for releasing said trigger release spring upon the entry of water into said cell 4 and for forcibly ejecting said spool and upwardly unwinding said flexible antenna;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,481,605 Hayes Jan. 22, 1924 2,473,050 Camp June 14, 1949 2,528,799 Strong Nov. 7, 1950 2,593,432 Freas Apr. 22, 1952 2,675,568 King Apr. 20, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 526,629 Canada V June 6, 1956