US3200586A

US3200586A - Nozzle adjusting mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3200586A
Application number: US114710A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dale S Ernest
Original assignee: Kelsey Hayes Co
Current assignee: Kelsey Hayes Co
Priority date: 1961-06-05
Filing date: 1961-06-05
Publication date: 1965-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-17

Description

Aug. 17, 1965 .D. s. ERNEST NOZZLE ADJUSTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets"'-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1961 Aug. 17, 1965 .D- s. ERNEST NOZZLE ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed June 5. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,200,586 NOZZLE ADJUSTING MECHANISM Dale S. Ernest, Beltsville, Md., assignor to Kelsey-Hayes Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 5, 1961, Ser. No. 114,710 1 Claim. (Cl. 60-3555) This invention relates to a device for controlling the flight of an aircraft, rocket, missile or the like and, particularly, to a nozzle adjusting mechanism for a guided vehicle having an angularly adjustable exhaust nozzle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a nozzle adjusting mechanism for a missile or the like which is sturdy in construction, reliable in operation and inexpensive of manufacture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a nozzle adjusting mechanism of the above character in which a feedback potentiometer or guidance control system component is reliably and positively actuated simultaneously with the actuation of the nozzle to provide an accurate indication of the position of the nozzle.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device of the above character which is compact in size, has a minimum number of separate conduits and fittings, and effects positive and direct movement of the parts intended to be actuated.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyin g drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a missile embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG; 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3 thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a-sectional view of the structure illustrated in in FIG. 3 taken along the line 44 thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a missile having a main body provided with a rear wall 12. Mounted on the rear wall 12 are a plurality of exhaust nozzles 13 spaced symmetrically about the longitudinal mid-line or axis of the missile as may be seen in FIG. 2. Eachof the nozzles 13 is mounted in an identical manner and each nozzle 13 is provided with its own actuating mechanism, the construction and details of which are .indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The rear wall 12 is provided with a plurality of openings 14 and each nozzle 13 is mounted over an opening 14 so as to guide and direct the expanding products of combustion or jet stream emitted from the missile. The missile 10 is adapted to be propelled by the reactive force of the hot gases emitted from the nozzles 13 and the direction in which the gases leave the missile will, in the absence of other influencing factors, control the direction of flight of the missile. The nozzles 13 serve to con-fine the gases as they leave the missile in the Well known manner and are so arranged that upon angular or rotational adjustment of each nozzle, the direction of thrust of the gases discharged therefrom will be altered for purposes of controlling the path of flight of the missile.

Each of the openings 14 on the rear wall 12 of the missile is surrounded by a raised rib 16 having a rearwardlyopen circular groove 18 formed in the outer sur: face thereof. Conformably and tightly surrounding each rib 16 is a mounting collar 20 extending rearwardly beyond the rib 16 and having a radially outwardly extending base portion 22 lying flatly against the rear wall 12 and secured thereto. Each of the mounting collars 20 and the rib 16 associated therewith serves as supporting means for a nozzle 13. *FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate one of 3 ,28,586 Patented Aug. 17, 1965 "Ice such nozzles and a description of the structure illustrated therein Will serve to describe each of the nozzles 13 and the adjusting mechanism associated therewith.

As may be seen in FIG. 3, the collar 20 carries a split ring 24 adjacent its outer end which serves to confine the outer race 26 of a ball bearing unit 28 against the end of the rib 16, thereby holding the outer race 26in a stationary position relative to the missile. The inner race 30 of the ball bearing unit is threaded onto the end of a tail block member 32, as is indicated at 34. The inner race 30 seats against a shoulder 36 formed on the tail block member 32 and is held thereagainst by a nut 38 having an integral ring .portion 40 guidingly seated in the groove 18. A seal 40 is positioned between the nut 38 and the outer race 26 to prevent the passage of expanding gases thereby.

The ball bearing unit 36 serves to support the tail block 32 of the nozzle 13 for rotational or oscillatory movement about an axis A and the inner and outer races 30 and 26, respectively, are concentric with the axis A. The tail block 32 has a portion 44 which defines the throat of the nozzle and an outwardly flaring portion 46 at the outer end thereof. Both the throat portion 44 and the outwardly flaring portion 46 are internally lined, as indicated at 48, with a suitable protective material, such as arc-sprayed tungsten, for protection against the hot and corrosive gases passing therethrough. The outwardly flaring port-ion 46 of the tail block 32 is joined to a cone member 50 which forms a smooth continuation of the inner and outer surfaces of the tail block 32. The portion 46 and the cone member 50 define an outwardly flaring, inwardly concave nozzle element of circular cross section which is symmetrical about the axis -B. Thus, the expanding products of combustion or jet stream passing through the nozzle will be centered about and have the direction of the axis B in being discharged from the large open end 54 of the nozzle. Both the outwardly flaring section 4-6 and the cone member 50 are externally coated with an insulating material 52. It will lbe appreciated, however, that the selection of the materials of the nozzle 13 or the insulating or protective note any particular cross-sectional shape.

coatings used therewith form no part of the present invention.

The tail block 32 has a milled, segmental cylindrical surface 56 formed on the side thereof to which a toothed pinion segment 58 is mounted by means of cap screws 60 so as to be concentric with the axis A. The pinion segment 58 is engaged by a reciprocal or shiftable element in the form of a rack 62 carried on one side of a cylinder or housing 64. As used herein the word cylinder is intended to mean any member having a fluid chamber enclosing a piston or the like and is not intended to de- The cylinder 64 is rectilinearly and axially movable on a shaft 66 which is fixedly mounted between a pair of brackets 68 and 70 fastened to the base 22 of the collar20. The shaft 66 has threaded, reduced diameter end portions 66:: and 66b extending through the brackets 68 and 70, respectively, and receiving nuts 72 and 74 which bear against the brackets 68 and 70 to maintain the shaft 66 in place. In addition, a pair of hoses or flexible conduits 76 and 78 are connected to the end portions 66a and 66b. The hose 76 is adapted to deliver hydraulic fluid to and evacuate hydraulic fluid from a passage 80 extending axially through the left-hand end of the shaft 66 (as viewed in FIG. 4) which communicates with a port 82 formed on a shouldered portion 84 of the shaft 66 located within the cylinder 64. The hose 78 is adapted to deliver fluid into or receive fluid from a passage 86 extending axially through the right-hand end of the shaft 66 and terminating in a port 88, formed on 3 a shouldered portion 90 of the shaft 66, and located in the cylinder 64. An annular piston member 92 carrying an O-ring 94 in sealing engagement with the inner wall of the cylinder 64 is disposed on'the shaft 66 and is held against the shouldered portion 90 by means of a split ring 96 fitted between the one side of the piston 92 and the shouldered portion 84. The leftand right-hand ends of the cylinder (as viewed in FIG. 4) are closed by means of a pair of centrally apertured end wall mem bers 98 and 100, respectively. The end wall members serve'to guide and support the cylinder 64 for reciprocation on the shaft 66 and are provided with O-rings 102 and 104 which sealingly engage the shaft 66 to prevent the passage of hydraulic fluid thereby. The hoses 76 and 78 are adapted to be connected to suitable valve mechanism (not shown) so that when fluid is forced through the hose 76 and out of the port 82 to the lefthand end of the cylinder, a force will be exerted against the end wall 98 to cause the cylinder to move in a lefthand direction. Such fluid as may remain in the righthand end of the cylinder is forced out of the cylinder through the port 88 and is evacuated throughthe hose '78. Such movement will cause the rack 62 to rotate the pinion segment 58 in a counterclockwise direction,v

thereby inclining the axis B relative to the position of the axis B as it is shown in FIG. 3. It will, of course, be appreciated that fluid may be admitted to the rightobjects above stated, it will be appreciated thatthe invention is susceptible to, modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:

In a propulsively driven vehicle'having an angularly adjustable discharge nozzle, collar means for rotatably securing said nozzle to the vehicle, said collar means including anti-friction means annularly disposed about a portion of said nozzle for rotatably holding said nozzle and including seal means peripherally disposed about a portion of said nozzle for preventing the escape of gases between said collar means and said nozzle, a shaft mounted on said collar means adjacent said nozzle, a piston on said shaft, a cylinder enclosing said piston and shiftable on said shaft under the influence of fluid power, said cylinder having opposite end walls having openings through which said shaft extends for supporting and guiding said cylinder, means for admitting fluid into said cylinder on opposite sides of said piston, angularly driven sensing means for continuously sensing the angular position of said shaft and for providing a signal having a magnitude varying in accordance with variations in the angular position of said nozzle whereby the angular hand end of the cylinder 64 to shift the cylinder 64 in a a potentiometer is indicated at 106 as being mounted on the collar 20. The shaft of the potentiometer is provided with a pinion 108 which is engageable with a rack 110 carried on a side of the cylinder 64 opposite the rack 62. Thus, shifting of the cylinder 64 will uniformly move both the rack 62 and the rack 110, and simultaneously actuate the nozzle 13 and the potentiometer 106.

In FIG. 3, the axis B is in a position parallel to the, longitudinal axis of the missile.

missile would thus tend to uniformly propel the missile, assuming a uniform thrust from each nozzle and the absence of gravitational or other external forces. In order to compensate for any such external forces or to correct any deviation from the desired path of the misposition of said nozzle can be controlled in accordance with said signal, a pinion drivably connected .to said sensing means, a pinion segment on said nozzle, and rack means on said cylinder engageable with said pinion and pinion segment for producing angular. movement of said nozzle and said sensing means. upon shifting movement of said cylinderon said shaft, said rack means.

comprising a first gear rack mounted on said piston and engageable with said pinion segment with one gear ratio I The several nozzles 13 being equally spaced-about the longitudinal axis of the sile, fluid is directed into the cylinder in a suitable direction to incline the axis B by any desired amount.

It will be appreciated that the shifting of the cylinder in either direction will uniformly and positively rotate or angularly adjust the position of both the nozzle and the potentiometer 106, whereby the potentiometer will I accurately and reliably-respond to evenvery slight movements ofthe associated nozzle 13, yet the mechanism of thepresent invention provides a device which is extremely'sturdy in construction and which may be very inexpensively fabricated. Further, the present mechanism contains a minimum of separate parts which can 5 become damaged or misadjusted.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment herein illustrated is well calculated to fulfill the and a second gear rack mounted on said piston" and engageable with saidpinion with a different gear ratio, said sensing means comprising a resistance element actuable for varying said magnitude of said signal.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 859,737 7/07 Brown 121-50 877,635 1/08 Dietz 0 .121-50 2,490,174 12/49 Teague 121-41 2,587,893 3/52 Pridy et al 121-50 X 2,590,272 3/52 Robertson et al. -3555 2,688,313 9/54 Bauer- 2,800,766 7/57 Hemsworth 60-356 2,840,170 6/58 Best 121-50 X 2,944,395 7/60 Doak 60-3554 2,950,594 8/60 Mitrovich et al. -2 60-356 2,986,877 6/61 Emmons et al. 60-3555 2,995,319 8/61 Kershner et al. 60-3555 X 3,013,386 12/61 Meyer 60-3554 3,018,988 1/62 Ernst et al 91-363 X 3,050,937 8/62 James et'al. 60-3554 FOREIGN PATENTS 727,255 3/55 Great Britain.

755,019 8/ 56 Great Britain.

853,450 11/60 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Flight Publicationflan. 13, 1961; pages. 42 and 43.

SAMUEL LEVINE, Primary Examiner.

JULIUS E. WEST, ABRAM BLUM, Examiners.