US3249011A - Missile tray with clamp - Google Patents

Description

Filed Dec. 31, 1962 May 3, 1966 P. G. WERMAGER ETAL 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 3, 1966 P. G. WERMAGER Em. 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31, 1962 May 3, 1966 P. s. WERMAGx-:R ETAL 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 31, 1962 May 3 1966 P. G. WERMAGER ETAL 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP Filed Dec. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 3, 1966 P. G. WERMAGER ETAL 3,249,011

MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP Filed Dec. 31. 1962?.v

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O m 3,249,011 MISSILE TRAY WITH CLAMP Palmer-G. Wermager and Bertram J. Matson, `Minne apolis, Minn., assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Dec. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 248,822 1 Claim. (Cl. 89-1.7)

The present invention relates to handling and supporting structure for a missile and in particular to new and novel supporting structure for releasably retaining a missile thereon while in storage land while in transit from storage to the missile hoist whereby the missiles are thereafter lifted into position for transportation to the launcher.

The trays of this invention, often referred to as readyV service trays, are a part of a ready service mechanism for a yguided missile launching system which is the subject of co-pending application entitled Guided Missile Launching System, Serial No. 265,581, tiled M-arch 7, 1963, by GaroldA. Kane et al. The subject matter of this invention is shown and described, but not claimed, in the above-mentioned co-pending application to Kane et al..

y This missile or weapon handling and storage equipment is of la type yadapted for use in guided missile launching systems wherein the launching, loading and ring mechanisms are eiectively isolated from the areas occupied by projectile stowage facilities. The missiles are moved from the stowage level to the missile launching and tiring equipment .by means of missile hoists and rails. This invention facilitates handling and storage of missiles in the stowage space or magazine adjacent or surrounding the hoists and greatly reduces the manual Y effort required in moving the missiles from these stowage assemblies to a position on the hoist.

' A preferred embodiment of the storage tray equipment is described with relation to a ready service ring and hoist assembly structure of the hereinbefore cited copending application, but is not to be construed as being limited to such usage; This invention is, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, well adapted for a use with rapid-lire missile launching system assemblies Whereby a constant supply of missiles is required to he delivered to the launching and firing equipment. The instant invention accomplishes this result without the necessity for a large crew of personnel to manually handle the Weapons and to load the hoist of the rapid lire missile systems. VIt is the provision of adequate facilities for high-rate handling of projectiles that the apparatus embodiment of the present invention is intended.

It has been the practice in the past to handle missile Weapons and similar weapon Iarticles by manual labor or perhaps with cranes and hoists aided lby slings or extemporaneous pallets. The increase in size, complexity and delicacy of missile weapons to be stored and handled, in addition to the demand for automatic, rapid selection of particular missile weapons from a store of missile weapons at a particular station and quick transfer thereof to a further station, has 'rendered such handling methods obsolete. Prior art methods of projectile handling have included, in addition to the manual hand handling, the

Patented May 3, 1966 The projectile handling and storage trays of the instant invention are also adapted for use in receiving missiles from the hoist during a missile strike down or unloading cycle prior to disassembly o f the missile.

One object of the present invention is the provision of ya new and improved automatic missile storage tray mechanism for use with a -guided missile launching system in which -manual effort in moving missiles'from a stowage space on a service ring to a hoisting position is materially reduced over the handling methods heretofore or now in general use, and in which the possibility of mishandling or misalignment during engagement with the missile hoist is reduced to a minimum.

An additional object of this invention lies in the provision of a rapid rate handling and stowage mechanism for use with guided missile launching system ready service ring assemblies. v

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved means of missile transfer from a stowage position to a position at the missile hoist wherein the missile is moved along a predetermined,

path of travel and is held in a steady position during such transfer, and in which tipping, falling or misalignment of the projectile during such movement is reduced to zero.

Additionally, an object of this invention is to provide a misslie support tray arrangement wherein positive control of the missile is maintained during the full cycle of movement thereof from a -stowage space to the hoist or vice versa.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a missile supporting tray which automatically positions and releases a missile contained thereon at a predetermined location.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a missile storage tray which may he adapted to receive, store and handle any one of a variety 'of different types of missiles. i

Another object of this invention resides in a new and improved missile storage tray wherein a missile may be secured and protected against damage during handling and storage.

A further object of this invention is to provide struc-' -ture for supporting missiles during movement from positions of storage to the missile hoist regardless of rolling or pitching of the ship whereby the rate of lire may be maintained under adverse conditions and where the alignment of the missile at its hoist position is maintained under all of the aforementioned conditions.

Additional objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiment of the invention taken in consideration with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial cut-away view of the general arrangement o-f a guided missile launching system showing the launcher, one conveyor trunk, a missile hoist and two ready service rings equipped with trays incorporating the new and novel structural features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial pictorial view of one ready service ring and an associated missile tray;

FIG. 3 is a partial pictorial view which is a continuation of the structure of FIG. 2 and disposed to the right of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a missile tray assembly equipped with a missile clamp, portions of the supporting ready service ring and portions of a tray shift mechanism;

FIG. 5 is anenlarged view of the missile clamp taken substantially along the lines 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of a tray assembly and missile clamp with the clamp in closed position;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of a tray assembly with the missile clamp in opened position; and

FIG. 8 is a diametric view of the clamp actuating linkage.

Referring now to the drawings for a more complete understanding of the invention, FIG. l shows an embodiment thereof incorporated in a missile launching system. The system generally comprises a launcher 10 selectively positionable with regard to train and azimuth. A loader rail 11 is utilized to convey missiles from the magazine to the launcher. The magazine comprises a plurality of tube like trusses 12, generally referred to as ready service rings, around the periphery of which missiles and their associated boosters are maintained in storage. The missiles are transported between positions of storage on the ready service ring upward through magazine doors 14E-'and into association with the loader rail by means of a magazine hoist 13. Referring additionally to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the ready service ring is provided with individual trays 1S in which the missiles are retained. These trays rotate in unison around each truss so that any missile can be indexed into a position over the associated magazine hoist. The trays are slidably secured to the ready service ring along three bearing assemblies or rings 20, 21 and 22. Longitudinal sliding motion of the tray and its associated missile, from a forward position wherein the missile is secured to the ready service ring to a rearward position wherein the missile is secured to the hoist, is provided by a tray shift mechanism 23. This mechanism is essentially a piston 24 linked to a sliding bar 25 which in turn engages a projection on the tray 15.

The tray assembly embodying features of the present invention comprises a booster saddle 30, a center saddle 31, a missile saddle 32 and two interconnecting members 33. The three saddles have attached slides 34 which mate with slides 34 provided on each of the bearing assemblies 20, 21, and 22 of the ready service ring thereby permitting the aforementioned longitudinal movement of the tray and associated missile. Each saddle is essentially a semicircular cradle-like member in which portions of the missile-booster combination are supported.

Booster saddle is locatedadjacent the aft bearing assembly 22 and is provided with a cut-out portion 3S through which a handling T lug on the booster may project in contact alternatively with either the T lug retainer 35 on ready service ring or the aft hoist mechanism 13. The center saddle is larger than either the missile saddle or ybooster saddle land supports both the mail of fthe missile and the forward end of the booster. A large opening 36 is provided in the bottom of the center saddle to 4permit the booster U lug to project downward into contact with either U lug retainer 36 or forward hoist 13 and to permit the forward hoist to raise the weapon. A grooved projection 37 at the bottom of the center saddle engages the tray retaining ring 21 `in all circumferential positions except at the transfer location where it engages the slide 25 of the tray shift mechanism.

A missile saddle 32 has associated therewith clamping structure 40 for releasably securing the missile to the tray as may be seen in FIGS. 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8. Clamp 40 comprises two clamp arms 41, 42 pivotably attached to missile saddle 32 by pins 43, 44. Swiveled to the lower extremities of clamp arms by pins 45, i6V are links 47, 48 having integral therewith on their free ends clevis 49 and 50. These clevis portions are, in turn, coupled together by gudgeon 51. A sleeve S2 is spaced on gudgeon 51 within clevis 50, and has depending therefrom connecting arms l 53, 54 rotatably afxed by pin 55. Hinged at one end to the connecting arms by pin 56 is an actuating clevis 57. The other end of the actuating clevis is revolvably secured to the missile saddle 32 through depending lug 58.

A pair of cam rollers 61 are affixed on the actuating clevis midway between the ends thereof. These rollers reside in a cam track 62 which is secured to the forward bearing assembly 20. As may be seen in FIGS. 5, 6, and

8, cam rollers 61 are at the apex of their travel within cam tracks 62 when the tray is shifted to the forward position on the ready service ring. In this position pins 56 and 51 are in their uppermost positions thereby causing clamp arms 41, 42 to be actuated to the closed position through links 47, 48. As a result a missile on said tray is securely attached thereto.

As may be seen in FIGS. 5 (dotted lines), 7 and 8, cam rollers 61 are carried downwardly and to the rear of cam track 62 when the tray is shifted aft, thereby causing pins 56, 51 to be moved to their lower-most positions. As a result of this movement, clamp arms 41 and 42 are actuated outwardly to the open position through links 47, 48, thereby releasing a missile which had been secured within the missile tray. Thus, as a missile tray is retracted aft, thereby locating the lower missile handling lugs adjacent hoists 13, 13', the clamping structure 40 is released from engagement with the missile thereby freeing the missile for transportation therefrom.

During strike-down, the procedure outlined hereinbefore is reversed. A missile is lowered from the loader rail by hoists 13, 13 into engagement with an empty tray on the ready serv-ice ring. The tray and missile are then shifted forward by the tray shift mechanism 23 thus actuating clamp 40 to the closed condition and securing the lower missile and booster handling lugs -within the ready service ring.

Provision is made for the adaptation of the missile trays of the present invention with any one of a variety of missile-booster sizes and shapes. The provision comprises tray inserts 70 which may be secured to the saddles and which conform generally to the shape thereof, as well as to the missile which is to be retained thereon.

In the foregoing description, terms such as upwardly, downwardly, forward and aft are employed in describing the movements of members as illustrated in the drawings with the bow of the vessel, on which the launching system is mounted, generally directed toward the left. It will be apparent, moreover, that the illustrative embodiments of the invention described above are susceptible to various modifications within the purview of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiment shown and described but is of the scope defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a missile launching system of the type having a missile storage magazine:

a missile supporting tray slidably attached within said magazine;

missile clamping means attached to said tray for retaining said missile on said tray including:

clamp arms pivotably mounted on said tray; and

clamp actuating linkage mounted on said tray comprising:

swivel links rotatably attached at one end to each of said clamp arms; and

an actuating clevis secured at one end to said tray;

the other ends of said clevis and swivel links being gimbal-joined; and

cam and cam track meansl mounted on said magazine and clevis whereby relative slid-ing motion of said tray, magazine, cam and cam track imparts motion to said clevis and swivel links thereby actuating said clamp arms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,485,909 10/1949 Mosteller 214-1 X 2,826,120 3/1958 Lang et al 89-1.5 X 3,029,703 4/1962 Smith 89-1.7 X 3,054,330 9/1962 Carlberg 89-l.7

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

S. W. ENGLE, Assistant Examiner.

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