WO2016203279A1 - Throwing device, method for throwing an object, and method for installing the throwing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is a throwing device for throwing an object, particularly a winged aerial vehicle (26), the device comprising a throwing arm (10) having a throwing end (17) adapted for connecting the object thereto, a first shaft (14) rotatably connected to the throwing arm (10), and a support structure adapted for supporting the first shaft (14) allowing the rotation thereof. In the throwing device according to the invention the support structure comprises two support rods (12), each of which is connected to the first shaft (14) at respective lateral parts of the throwing arm (10), and, in a state wherein the throwing device is installed on a supporting surface (11), an actuating mass is connected to a second shaft (16) being rotatably connected to the throwing arm (10) between the connection of the first shaft (14) and the end of the throwing arm (10) being opposite the throwing end (17).

Description

THROWING DEVICE, METHOD FOR THROWING AN OBJECT, AND METHOD FOR INSTALLING THE THROWING DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a throwing device for throwing an object, particularly a winged aerial vehicle, and to a method for installing the throwing device.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventional fixed-wing aircraft are not capable of staying in the air below a certain speed. Until this speed is reached, the aircraft requires external assistance in order to compensate for the missing lift force. Piloted aircraft reach the required speed by accelerating on a runway. Unmanned aircraft can be launched e.g. by means of catapults, in which case the aircraft reaches the required speed while it moves along the rails of the catapult. Catapults are usually also provided with a system adapted for increasing acceleration (such as a spring mechanism that can be prestressed) in order to shorten the required length of the rails. According to known approaches, robotic aircraft or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) having small size and low takeoff weight are often launched manually. In addition to that, mechanisms comprising rails - and optionally resilient or other auxiliary means - are also known and applied widely for launching UAVs. Such a device is disclosed, by way of example, in US 7,143,974 B2. Apparatuses capable of throwing various objects are disclosed in GB 16,305, US 1 ,274,882, US 2,767,985, US 3,722,494, US 5,660,386, US 8,286,619 B2 and US 8,491 ,310 B2. In all of these devices, resilient energy storage means are applied for throwing objects. These known mechanisms have the disadvantage that they are very complex. As it is evidenced by the documents referenced above, the most widespread direction of development of throwing machines is improving such devices that are based on applying spring components.

US 8,276,844 B2 suggests solutions for both launching and landing UAVs. In the document, a simple throwing arm mechanism is suggested for launching UAVs, wherein the end of the throwing arm opposite the throwing end is moved applying a winch. The siege mechanisms invented in the ancient times had been perfected until the Middle Ages; in this time the so-called trebuchet (a counterweight throwing machine) was also applied. This has a long throwing arm, with a large weight being attached to one end, and a sling being attached to the other end (to the throwing end). It was mainly applied for launching large and heavy projectiles to destroy castle walls.

The projectile of the counterweight throwing machine was placed in a wide-mouth leather bag. A respective long rope (sling rope) was affixed at both ends of the bag's handles. One of the ropes was tied to the end of the arm of the throwing machine, while a metal ring was affixed to the end of the other rope, the ring being then pulled on a pin situated at the end of the throwing arm. The pin was set nearly parallel with the longitudinal axis of the arm. The projectile was launched into its own trajectory when the sling was swung forward with respect to the arm, and thus the ring slid off from the pin. This arrangement had the advantage that it was not necessary to construct a complex and potentially unreliable release mechanism. (It is easily understandable that in case the release mechanism malfunctions and fails to release the projectile, the entire device can be destroyed by the projectile swinging backwards.) The instant of launch/release was fine tuned by adjusting the angle of the pin. In light of the known approaches the need has arisen for a throwing device capable of throwing, i.e., launching particularly winged aerial vehicles, e.g. UAVs, that eliminates the disadvantages of known approaches to the greatest possible extent, while it is suitable particularly for throwing, i.e, launching, winged aerial vehicles, such as UAVs. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a throwing device, a method for throwing objects, and a method for installing the throwing device which are free from disadvantages of prior art approaches to the greatest possible extent.

A further object of the invention is to provide a throwing device that is preferably capable of launching UAVs, i.e. - when dimensioned appropriately - it is capable of launching an UAV with an appropriate initial speed, at an appropriate angle of attack, releasing the UAV at the appropriate time instant.

The objects of the invention can be achieved by the throwing device according to claim 1 , by the installation method according to claim 1 1 , and by the throwing method according to claim 12. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Contrary to the general trends observable in the field, for the throwing device according to the invention a mechanism with relatively simple structure - preferably adapted to be mounted on a roof rack of a motor vehicle - is suggested, wherein no spring mechanisms or guide rails are utilized for assisting takeoff. At the same time - provided that the dimensions and masses of the applied components are selected appropriately - the throwing device according to the invention is suitable for launching winged aerial vehicles, e.g. UAVs such that they are given appropriate starting motion parameters at launch. In the throwing device according to the invention, the energy required for throwing an object, particularly for launching an UAV, is stored as potential energy.

Compared to most known approaches, the throwing device according to the invention has lower purchase costs and provides easy maintenance. The throwing device according to the invention provides that the UAV can start flying at a height well above the ground level, which allows for avoiding smaller or larger ground obstacles during the initial phase of flight.

Due to its preferred portable, reconfigurable design, the throwing device according to the invention can preferably be transported to its intended place of operation in a motor vehicle. Preferably, components of such strength and weight are needed in the throwing device according to the invention which are not deformed when the actuating mass is moved, i.e. in case the actuating mass is a motor vehicle, the components are able to bear the weight of the vehicle.

The throwing device according to the invention has the following advantages compared to conventional aircraft catapults: The throwing device according to the invention does not require the application of sophisticated electric, hydraulic or pneumatic energy storage (the application of such drive systems), and since resilient energy storage is not applied either, resilient members (by way of example, springs or rubber ropes) subject to wear and ageing are not included.

Thanks to the simple mechanism described in the subsequent sections of this description the purchase and operating costs of the throwing machine according to the invention are low. Also, the launch height achievable with the throwing device according to the invention applying a throwing arm of appropriate length allows for take-off even from an area covered with smaller trees. Energy stored in the throwing device according to the invention does not pose a danger to personnel working near the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below by way of example with reference to the following drawings, where

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention,

Figs. 2A-2E are schematic side drawings illustrating the installation steps of the throwing device shown in Fig. 1 ,

Figs. 3A-3D are schematic side drawings illustrating the steps of launching a winged aerial vehicle applying the throwing device shown in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 4 is a schematic drawing illustrating the subassemblies of the throwing device of Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 5 is a schematic drawing illustrating an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention, showing the mass and the respective own coordinate systems of the individual subassemblies,

Figs 6A-6F are schematic drawings illustrating the operation of the throwing device according to the invention,

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the path along which the throwing arm and the winged aerial vehicle travel during the operation of an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention,

Figs. 8A-8E are schematic drawings illustrating, in an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention, the release of a connection member attached to release pins arranged on the throwing arm and on the winged aerial vehicle,

Fig. 9 is a schematic side view of a further embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention,

Fig. 10 is a schematic side view of a still further embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention,

Fig. 11 is a drawing illustrating the pass-through bores adapted for receiving the throwing arm shafts in an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention,

Figs. 12A and 12B illustrate an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention installed, respectively, on an even and an uneven supporting surface, and

Fig. 13 is a spatial drawing illustrating the connection between the throwing arm and the support rods in an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention, adapted for throwing an object, particularly a winged aerial vehicle 26. The throwing device depicted in Fig. 1 comprises a throwing arm 10 having a throwing end 17 adapted for connecting the object thereto, a first shaft 14 rotatably connected to the throwing arm 10, and a support structure adapted for supporting the first shaft 14 allowing the rotation thereof.

In the context of this application, the term "throwing end" refers to that end portion of the throwing arm to which the object to be thrown is connected, preferably in a prestressed state of the throwing device. The object is preferably connected to the terminal extremity of the throwing arm, but a solution wherein the object is connected to the throwing arm at a location slightly inwards from the end is also conceivable. In the context of this application the phrase "the object is connected to the throwing end" can refer to both of these solutions. As shown in Fig. 1 , the throwing arm 10 is tapering towards the throwing end 17, while it is broadening towards its other end, at the so-called head portion where the shafts are arranged. In the throwing device according to the invention the support structure comprises two support rods 12 each of which is connected to the first shaft 14 at respective lateral parts (sides) of the throwing arm 10. The support rods 2 are connected to the ends of the first shaft 14 situated at opposite sides of the throwing arm 10 typically at their respective ends, but both the support rods and the first shaft may extend further than the connection point. Preferably, the support structure does not comprise any other components than a pair of support rods 12, each connected to an end of the first shaft 14, and therefore - because in the installed state the throwing device is also supported by the motor vehicle 22 - in some embodiments the support structure consists only of these two support rods 12. In the state wherein the throwing device is installed on a supporting surface 1 1 , an actuating mass (counterweight) is connected (in this embodiment, by means of a connecting structure 18) to a second shaft 16 being rotatably connected to the throwing arm 10 between the connection of the first shaft 14 and the end of the throwing arm 10 being opposite the throwing end 17. In this embodiment the actuating mass is a motor vehicle 22. Preferably, the first shaft 14 is parallel with the second shaft 16.

In addition to that, in the installed state supporting ends of the support rods 12 are connected by respective first pivot connections 13 and the actuating mass is connected by a second pivot connection 15 to the supporting surface, i.e. the throwing device is connected to the supporting surface 1 1 by means of first pivot connections 3 realized between the supporting ends of the support rods 2 and the supporting surface 1 1 and by means of a second pivot connection 15 realized between the actuating mass and the supporting surface 1 1. Besides that, in the installed state the support rods 12 are rotatable about the respective first pivot connections 13 and the actuating mass is rotatable about the second pivot connection 5.

The pivot connections 13 allow for the rotation of the support rods 12 in any direction about the connection point defined by the pivot connection 13, the structure of the throwing device constraining the direction of rotation. The pivot connection 15 is adapted for allowing the rotation of the actuating mass about a connection point defined by the pivot connection 15; corresponding to the configuration of the throwing device according to the invention preferably one connection axis can be assigned to the pivot connection 15, about which axis the actuating mass can be rotated.

In some embodiments of the throwing device according to the invention - as in the illustrated embodiments - the throwing device is connected to the supporting surface 1 1 only by means of first pivot connections 13 realized between the supporting ends of the support rods 12 and the supporting surface 1 1 and by means of a second pivot connection 15 realized between the actuating mass and the supporting surface 1 1. In addition to the components described above, the term "pivot connection" refers to any such auxiliary components that contribute to the realization of the connections and come in contact with the supporting surface. In these embodiments, thus, the throwing device is supported on the supporting surface solely by means of the first and second pivot connections.

In this embodiment the pivot connection 15 between the supporting surface 1 1 and the motor vehicle 22 - the actuating mass - is realized in the installed state such that during the installation of the throwing device the pair of wheels of the motor vehicle 22 closer to the support rods 12 are lifted from the supporting surface 1 1 , and thereby during the operation of the throwing device the vehicle can be rotated about the two wheels that remain supported on the supporting surface 1 .

Some embodiments of the invention relate to a method for installing the throwing device according to the invention. In the course of this method an actuating mass rotatably connected to the throwing arm 10 through the second shaft 16 and supported against the supporting surface 1 1 is provided, the first pivot connections 13 between the supporting ends of the support rods 12 (rotatably connected to the throwing arm 10 through the first shaft 14) and the supporting surface 1 1 is established, and the throwing device is brought into its installed state by establishing the second pivot connection 15 between the actuating mass and the supporting surface 1 1 by moving (displacing) the actuating mass towards the first pivot connections 13. As a result of the fact that the ends of the support rods 12 are connected by the first shaft 14, the first pivot connections 13 provide that the shaft 14 can be rotated along a circular arc. An embodiment of the installation method according to the invention is illustrated in Figs. 2A-2E. Fig. 2A shows the motor vehicle 22 in its base position, before installation, with all four wheels supported on the supporting surface 1 1. In the above description, this state is referred to as a state wherein the actuating mass is supported on the supporting surface 11 . In this state the components of the throwing device are mounted on the roof rack of the motor vehicle 22 (the components can also be disassembled at the shafts but some connections may be retained even then, by way of example the pivot connection between the first shaft and the support rods shown in Fig. 12), i.e. in this embodiment the throwing device according to the invention can be transported by the motor vehicle 22, a possibility not provided by known throwing devices.

In this embodiment, in the base position before installation a connecting structure 18 adapted for rotatably connecting the throwing arm 10 and the motor vehicle 22 (functioning as an actuating mass or counterweight) is disassembled such that it can be arranged even more expediently on the roof rack. It is apparent from the comparison of Figs. 2A and 2B that the subassembly 20 of the upper horizontal support member of the connecting structure 18 is folded back in the state shown in Fig. 2A. The subassembly 20 has a horizontal support member and a protrusion projecting from it. The second shaft 16 of the throwing arm 10 is connected to this protrusion. As shown in Fig. 2A, the folded support rods 12 are also supported on the roof of the motor vehicle 22. The configuration of the first shaft 14 of the throwing arm allows that the support rods 12 are rotatable such that in the pre- installation state they can be folded beside the throwing arm 10, and thereby can be transported on the roof rack of the motor vehicle 22. In the illustrated embodiment, therefore, the throwing device is assembled as completely as possible even during transport, such that the number of assembly steps required during installation can be as low as possible.

According to the above, the throwing arm 10 is supported (laid) along the roof (preferably, the roof rack) of the motor vehicle 22. A subassembly 19 of the connecting structure 18 is fixedly mounted to the motor vehicle 22. In the position illustrated in Fig. 2B the subassembly 20 of the connecting structure 18 is folded out, which, as shown in the figure, results in the throwing arm 10 being supported on the structure constituted by the subassemblies 19 and 20 (to provide for that, the subassemblies 19, 20 can be fitted with an appropriate cross bar arranged parallel with the shafts 14, 16). In the state illustrated in Fig. 2B the support rods 12 are folded down, with their free ends being placed on the supporting surface 11. In this state the support rods 12 are arranged in a relatively slanted position. Preferably, a respective hinged disc is arranged at each support rod 12 end (supporting end) placed on the supporting surface 1 1 , the support rods 12 being connected to the supporting surface 1 1 by means of the hinged discs. Thanks to the hinges the discs can be supported against the supporting surface 11 , the hinges preferably also allowing the rotation of the given support rods 12 with respect to the discs. The discs can be kept stationary by the weight of the throwing device, but in some cases it may be needed to fix the discs to the supporting surface 1 1. To realize the pivot connection between the supporting surface 1 1 and the respective support rods 12 it is not required to include hinged discs; the pivot connection - i.e., a connection that allows rotation only about the support point of the given support rod 12 - can also be provided by placing the free ends of the support rods 12 on the supporting surface 1 1. However, it is more preferable to apply hinged discs because with the above described arrangement - in case the ground is soft - the supporting ends of the support rods may penetrate the ground surface, which can be preferably avoided with the application of hinged discs. In a manner illustrated in Fig. 2B the first pivot connections 13 are established by folding downwards the support rods 12. A sufficiently rigid connecting structure 18 is obtained by arranging a subassembly 21 - essentially, a stiffener structure - as shown in Fig. 1. The subassembly 21 of the connecting structure 18 connects the protruding end of the bracket formed by the subassemblies 19 and 20 with another bracket arranged at the bumper of the motor vehicle 22, the subassembly 21 being connected to the brackets. In the present embodiment the subassembly 21 has to be connected before performing the step illustrated in Fig. 2C. In this embodiment, therefore, the motor vehicle 22 is connected to the second shaft 16 by means of a connecting structure 18 attached to the roof portion and to the rear bumper of the motor vehicle 22.

In Fig. 2C a subsequent stage of the installation method is illustrated, wherein the second pivot connection 15 between the motor vehicle 22 (i.e. the actuating mass) and the supporting surface 1 1 is established by moving the actuating mass towards the first pivot connections 13. Thereby the so-called installed state is realized. In the present embodiment the installed state is realized as described below. It is provided - even by making the support rods 12 slightly penetrate into the supporting surface 1 1 (by positioning the rods appropriately on the supporting surface) or by means of appropriately arranged hinged discs - that the first pivot connections 13 cannot be moved when the actuating mass is brought nearer to them. The front-wheel drive motor vehicle 22 applied in this embodiment is made to start approaching (i.e. reversing towards) the support rods 12 - and thereby, the pivot connections 13. By including a suitable winch on the motor vehicle 22, the vehicle 22 can also be moved nearer the support rods 12 utilizing the winch. Then, since the support rods 12 can only undergo rotation about the pivot connections 13, the end of the motor vehicle 22 facing the pivot connections 13 starts to get lifted from the ground. This motion results from the support rods 12 being rotated about the pivot connections 13. Accordingly, the first shaft 14 supported by the support rods 12 starts to get lifted, i.e. the shaft 14 is pushed upwards by the support rods 12. As a result of that, the end of the throwing arm 10 where the shaft 16 is arranged is rotated downwards about the shaft 14 because it is pulled down by the motor vehicle 22. Continuing the reverse motion, at a given instance the rear wheels of the motor vehicle 22 are lifted from the supporting surface 1 1 due to the shaft 14 being raised sufficiently high by the support rods 12. Since the motor vehicle 22 is front-wheel drive, the motion approaching the pivot connection 13 can continue even after the motor vehicle 22 is lifted from the ground. By reversing towards the support rods 12 and the pivot connections 13 to a sufficient extent, the throwing arm 0 is made to assume a nearly vertical position. In this state - in the installed state - reversing is stopped, and the motor vehicle 22 is made stationary applying the parking brake. In this position the rear wheels are slightly off the ground with the springs fully extended.

Due to the parking brake being engaged, the wheels of the motor vehicle 22 cannot be turned with respect to the car body, i.e. the motor vehicle 22 cannot roll away. However, the pivot connection 15 can be realized by the blocked wheels, as the motor vehicle 22 can be rotated about them. Accordingly, if the motor vehicle 22 is raised or lowered by moving the throwing arm 10, the vehicle is turned together with the blocked wheels, i.e. it can roll on the supporting surface 11 together with the blocked wheels. The pivot connection 15 is thereby realized by the wheels of the motor vehicle 22 (in this case, the front wheels) that are situated on the supporting surface 1 1. If the wheels situated on the supporting surface 1 1 in the installed state cannot be blocked by engaging the parking brake (usually the rear wheels are blocked by the parking brake) they can also be blocked utilizing wedges such that the motor vehicle cannot roll away. In case the wheels are not braked but are blocked utilizing wedges, the pivot connection 15 is established not by the slight rolling of the braked wheels (together with the car body) but by means of the wheels supported against the supporting surface 1 1 about which wheels the car body can be rotated.

The pivot connection 15 is therefore established (realized) as described above. It is important that the wheels should not be able to roll along the supporting surface 11 because that would deteriorate the efficiency of storage of potential energy in the lifted motor vehicle 22 as the vehicle would roll away when it is lowered during the operation of the device.

In Figs. 2D and 2E the prestressing or keying up of the throwing device is illustrated, while Figs 3A-3D illustrate the launching of a winged aerial vehicle. In an analogous manner as described, the throwing device according to the invention can be utilized for throwing any object; however - as it is illustrated by examples below - with proper dimensioning it is particularly preferably applicable for launching winged aerial vehicles.

As shown in Fig. 2D, the throwing device is prestressed by moving the throwing end 17 of the throwing arm 10 (i.e. the end of the throwing arm 10 situated opposite the end fitted with the shaft 16) in the direction of the supporting surface 11. In the illustrated embodiment the throwing end 17 of the throwing arm 10 is initially moved to the right, i.e. further from the motor vehicle 22 (carried away from it). The throwing device can in principle be prestressed by turning the throwing arm 10 in the opposite direction, but in that case - with a throwing arm having insufficient length - the presence of the motor vehicle 22 could hinder the launch operation. Due to the configuration of the throwing device, by turning downwards the throwing end 17 of the throwing arm 10 the motor vehicle 22 is lifted. During prestressing, therefore, potential energy is loaded into the system by operating the throwing arm 10. In the illustrated embodiment the connection point of the shaft 14 divides the throwing arm 10 into two portions, with the distance between the connection points of shafts 14 and 16 being much shorter than the distance between the connection point of shaft 14 and the throwing end 17. Accordingly, prestressing is performed by a long lever arm, i.e. preferably with a relatively low force applied. As illustrated in Fig. 2D, by the time the throwing arm 10 is turned to an approximately 45° position the motor vehicle 22 will have been slightly lifted. The throwing arm 10 is then turned further, as shown in Fig. 2E, such that it assumes a substantially horizontal position, which results in the motor vehicle 22 being lifted up from the supporting surface 1 1 to a greater extent. As it is also illustrated in the figures, when the motor vehicle 22 is lifted from the ground, its body is rotated about the wheels, its center of gravity raising continually. During prestressing also the support rods 12 may rotate about the corresponding pivot connections 13 according to the constraint posed by the movement of the motor vehicle 22. Since the throwing arm 10 connects the connecting structure 18 affixed to the motor vehicle 22 with one end of the support rods 12, these three subassemblies (the motor vehicle 22, throwing arm 10 and support rods 12) move relatedly.

For example, the throwing device can be prestressed manually, preferably by pulling downwards the rope attached to the throwing end of the throwing arm. This results in the rotation of the throwing arm about the first shaft. Due to this rotation the shorter end of the throwing arm - to which the actuating mass is connected - is raised, and lifts the rear of the motor vehicle. It is worth noting here that in case of medieval trebuchets the shaft is kept stationary (by a rigid structure) in a coordinate system fixed to the ground, with the short end of the throwing arm moving about it along a quarter-arc as observed from the ground. In the present case, however, the shaft of the short end (second shaft) and the middle shaft (first shaft) are both displaced in a coordinate system fixed to the ground. The short end of the throwing arm is connected to a hanging point fixedly arranged at the front or rear portion of the motor vehicle, and thus it cannot be moved with respect to the car body, i.e. as the entire motor vehicle, it can only move along a circular path drawn around the support points of the front wheels (provided that the front wheels are blocked by the parking brake). This is made possible since the support rods can be slightly leaned backwards and the first shaft can move along a circular arc with respect to the ground about the first pivot connection. Thereby, a configuration much simpler and more easily installable than the support structure of medieval trebuchets is applied according to the invention. Because the first shaft is supported by the support rods, no other support is required (the throwing device according to the invention is also supported by the second pivot connection realized between the supporting surface and the actuating mass).

By attaching the throwing end 17 of the throwing arm 10 to the end of the support rods 12 connected to the supporting surface 1 1 the throwing device can be kept in a prestressed (keyed up) state. In contrast to known approaches, the throwing device according to the invention can remain in this state for a long period of time without its components being subjected to fatigue, or without posing a danger to personnel through a component failure or unintended launch.

The long end of the throwing arm should be pulled downwards by the rope to such an extent that the throwing arm assume a nearly horizontal position, where it can be affixed e.g. to the towing hook of the motor vehicle by a rope.

In Fig. 3A there is illustrated the manner of connection of a winged aerial vehicle 26 to the throwing device by means of a connecting member 24 in the prestressed state realized according to Fig. 2E. Figs. 3B-3D further illustrate the launching of the winged aerial vehicle 26. Some embodiments of the invention relate to a method for throwing an object, particularly a winged aerial vehicle by means of the throwing device according to the invention. In the course of the method for throwing objects, according to the invention the potential energy of the actuating mass is increased in the throwing device being in its installed state by approaching the throwing end of the throwing arm to the supporting surface. Subsequently, the throwing arm is released, and the object connected at (at the moment of) releasing by releasable connection to the throwing end of the throwing arm is thrown by means of the throwing device by releasing the releasable connection.

In the prestressed state illustrated in Fig. 3A the throwing arm 10 is secured in some way, e.g. by tying it to an object situated on the supporting surface 1 1 . Then, the aerial vehicle 26 is connected to the throwing end 17 of the throwing arm 10 by means of the connecting member 24, and the throwing arm is 10 is released. This is followed by that the lifted-up rear portion of the motor vehicle 22 start to decrease and the throwing end 17 of the throwing arm 10 start to raise; thereby the winged aerial vehicle 26 starts accelerating. Ascending further as illustrated in Fig. 3C; according to Fig. 3D the connecting member 24 and the winged aerial vehicle 26 are released from the throwing arm 10, i.e. the object connected to the throwing end 17 of the throwing arm 10 at the moment of release by releasable connection is thrown applying the throwing device by releasing the releasable connection. The mechanism adapted for releasing the object at the appropriate instant is explained below in relation to Figs. 8A-8E, also describing in detail the special measures expediently taken for launching winged aerial vehicles. In Figs 1 -4, which in this respect are schematic only, this mechanism is not shown.

Fig. 4 shows separately the individual subassemblies of the embodiment of Fig. 1 . In the figure the subassemblies 19, 20, 21 of the connecting structure 18 are shown, and U-shaped ends of the support rods 12 adapted for supporting the shaft 14.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic drawing of the throwing device according to the invention. In the present embodiment the throwing device according to the invention comprises five moving masses. According to the references shown in the figure these are:

ΙΓΗ : actuating mass 25 (e.g. a motor vehicle)

m₂: throwing arm 28

m₃: connecting member 29 (e.g. a sling rope)

m₄: winged aerial vehicle 26 (e.g. UAV)

m₅: support rod 27 The coordinate systems fixed to each movable mass are shown in the center of gravity of each mass. The figure shows only the x and z coordinate axes (x-i , z-i ; ... ; x₅, z₅), and because the coordinate systems are right-handed systems, the direction of the corresponding y axes can be defined. In Fig. 5 a first pivot connection Si between the support rod 27 and the supporting surface 11 , as well as a second pivot connection S₂ between the actuating mass 25 and the supporting surface 11 are shown. In Fig. 5 there are further illustrated a first shaft C₀ rotatably connecting the throwing arm 28 and the support rods 27, and a second shaft Ci connecting the throwing arm 28 and the actuating mass 25. The figure also shows a connection point C₂ arranged at a throwing end 31 for (releasably) connecting the throwing arm 28 and the connecting member 29, and a connection point C₃ adapted for (releasably) connecting the connecting member 29 and the winged aerial vehicle 26. As illustrated in Figs. 8A-8E, the connection points C₂ and C₃ can be realized e.g. by connecting a ring (loop) and a release pin to each other.

Each mass is acted upon by gravity and by the force arising in the attachment points. The only exception to that is the winged aerial vehicle, in case of which - in addition to the forces above - the effects of the so-called aerodynamic forces (aerodynamic drag, etc.) were also taken into account. In the simulation, all of the five components were modelled as individual rigid bodies rotatable with respect to one another about joints. The impulse equation can be obtained for each body in a coordinate system fixed to the center of gravity of the body as follows:

m •[_{i /} ^ _i V = _ffi._GG_{f +}∑(_iCF ₊. SF_k+M_1Af._Ai AF_I.

]

where the ap| Dlied symbols are defined in Table 1 below. mass of the i-th body

y± velocity of the i-th body in its own coordinate system

angular velocity of the i-th body in its own coordinate system transformation matrix rotating from the coordinate system fixed to the ground to the coordinate system of the i-th body

weight force of the i-th body in the coordinate system (frame of reference) fixed to the ground

iCF_j force arising in the j-th joint (shafts C₀, Ci and connection points

C₂, C₃) in the coordinate system of the i-th body

j F_k force arising in the k-th point of support (pivot connections Si and

S₂) in the coordinate system of the i-th body

transformation matrix rotating from the wind coordinate system of the i-th body to the coordinate system of the i-th body aerodynamic forces generated on the i-th body, in the wind coordinate system of the i-th body (taken into account only for UAVs)

Table 1

In a similar way, the angular momentum equation can be obtained for all bodies:

./^• Ω.+. Ω X_ Ιi. . Ω.= Υ i. r i._rCF_Bi. X ι.CF j. ) !+. r i.S_<:F_t7k. X ι. SF_I k_e+ ι. r l.A_Ai. X\ \ M ι.Α.ι.- Α.ι AF.) + . AM ι. where the applied symbols are defined below in Table 2.

Table 2

For modelling the joints ball joints were applied, which provide a mechanical constraint between the bodies as a result of which they can be rotated about their point of connection but cannot be displaced with respect to each other. This implies that the acceleration vector calculated based on the state of one of the joined bodies is equal at the location of the joint with the acceleration vector calculated based on the state of the other body at the same location. This is expressed by the followin equation:

where the applied symbols are defined below in Table 3. i ' iCk position vector, pointing from the center of gravity of the i-th body to the k-th point of joint (C₀-C₃), in the body's own coordinate system transformation matrix rotating from the coordinate system of the body to the coordinate system fixed to the ground

Table 3

The points of support were modelled applying ball joints stationary with respect to the coordinate system fixed to the ground. The resulting constraint equations can be obtained from the above equation by making one side the null vector (these equations can therefore be obtained only for the support rods and the actuating mass that are connected to the supporting surface by pivot connections).

M Gi _i V_j+_iQ_IX_LV_j+_i Ω,-Χ _i r_iSk +_f Ω,Χ _f Ω,-Χ ,· r _iSfc =Q where the applied symbols are defined below in Table 4. i ^riSk position vector, pointing from the center of gravity of the i-th body to the k-th point of support (Si es S₂) in the body's own coordinate system

Table 4

By expanding the brackets and rearranging the equations, the terms comprising derivatives of the unknown parameters are moved to the left side, and thus the formula

A -x= b [x) is obtained, where the vector containing the derivatives of the unknown parameters (x) is the following

where the applied symbols are defined below in Table 5.

Table 5

A simulation was prepared for describing spatial motions, i.e. the vectors representing forces and moments, as well as the position vectors have three components, and the transformation matrices have 3x3 components. Since for the time being we focused on describing motion in the plane of symmetry only, when solving the equation system scalar equations and components related to y- direction motion and to rotation about the x and z axes were discarded.

Dividing from the left the vector b with the system matrix £ obtained that way the vector x containing the derivatives of the unknown parameters is obtained. The equation system was calculated and solved utilizing Matlab M files. Integrating was performed applying the 4th-5th order Runge-Kutta method provided by the Matlab environment.

Therefore, simulations have been carried out to solve the above described system of equations. In the course of the simulations we continuously checked whether a given variant provided a sufficient efficiency and power, and also whether the conditions required for a successful launch were provided. In addition to that, the technical feasibility and the kinematic relations of the different variants, together with the approximate mass and inertia of the components and the possibility of installation of the device were continuously verified applying a mechanical design programme (analysing especially the relative motion of the throwing arm and the connecting member). (Applying a CAD model the mass and inertia of components having complex shapes can be calculated, while the manner of folding the device for transportation can be checked aided by an assembly drawing.) The simulations yielded the results summarized below in Table 6 (experiments with the actually built throwing devices were in accordance with the simulations):

Results obtained with each motor vehicle are shown in the corresponding column of the table. In the course of the simulations, the mass of the motor vehicles were taken as given. By running simulations for analysing the motion of the throwing device and the winged aerial vehicle releasably connected thereto via the connecting member (with the specified UAV masses) such dimensioning and settings (release pin angle, cf. Figs. 8A-8E) data were determined with which the UAV could be successfully launched applying the throwing device according to the invention, i.e. the UAV was given sufficient speed, angle of attack and flight path angle, while the connecting member (rope) was not torn during the acceleration phase. By "sufficient speed" it is meant that the UAV was accelerated above its stall speed (V_s). The stall speed is determined by the mass, wing area, wing profile, wing mechanization, etc. of the aircraft. In our tests, the launch speed was between 5 and 15 m/s, greater than the stall speed. To generate just the right amount of lift force, an appropriate combination of the angle of attack and speed parameters (in accordance with other parameters of the UAV) is required. In case the lift force is too large the wings may break, while with too low lift force the UAV may hit the ground after launch (sinks). If the angle of the trajectory is too large, the UAV cannot hold speed by itself, stalls and enters an irrecoverable spin resulting in a crash to the ground. On the other hand, if the angle of the trajectory is negative, i.e. the UAV is launched towards the ground, it may also hit the ground if there is not enough time for it to correct its trajectory.

As shown in the table, for given mass values the dimensions of the throwing device according to the invention can be determined by simulations such that it is capable of launching the UAV appropriately, i.e. with an appropriate speed, angle of attack and flight path angle. The angle of the release pin is measured in the plane of motion of the throwing arm, between the pin and the direction parallel with the throwing arm. With a 90° release pin angle, therefore, the release pin is perpendicular to the throwing arm. Disregarding friction, the ring will slide off the pin as soon as the force arising in the sling rope has a component (however small) that is parallel with the pin, i.e. the angle between the rope and the pin is not a right angle.

The first column of Table 6 shows data from tests with a Honda CRV motor vehicle (the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 -4). The mass of the motor vehicle, i.e. the actuating mass (counterweight) is 1420 kg. The simulations showed that for properly launching a UAV having a mass of 10 kg a throwing arm with a length of 3.5 m has to be applied, with the distance of the first and second shafts being 0.35 m. The proper motion is brought about if the length of the connecting member is 0.3 m, the time instant of release being optimal if the angle of the release pin is 85°.

Test results obtained with the motor vehicle B, a Suzuki Samurai, are summarized in the next column of Table 6 (realization of the embodiment of Fig. 9). This car has a mass of 950 kg. For launching a UAV having a mass of 10 kg, a throwing arm with a length of 5.25 m - that is, almost twice the length of the arm applied for the Honda CRV - and a connecting member with a length of 0.5 m have to be applied, with a distance of 0.65 m between the first and second shafts. In this case, the angle of the release pin has to be set to 40°. In this embodiment, therefore, such a release pin angle value has to be set in order to provide for a slightly ascending flight trajectory.

Analyzing the simulation results it can be seen that with the Volkswagen Transporter having a mass of 1600 kg a throwing arm with a length of 6 m and a connecting member with a length of 1.9 m are required for launching a 10-kg UAV. The Volkswagen Transporter was also tested for launching a lower-mass UAV (3 kg), in which case with a throwing arm of the same length it was sufficient to apply a connecting member with a length of 0.5 m, and the shaft distance can also be reduced compared to the first test with the same vehicle. Applying a throwing arm 90 illustrated in Fig. 1 1 the inter-shaft distance can be further reduced. The throwing arm 90 has multiple pass-through bores for receiving the first shaft, and thereby the two shafts can be mounted at different distances.

The motor vehicle C (a Lada Niva with a mass of 1200 kg) was tested for launching a UAV having a mass of 7 kg.

The operation of the throwing device is described by the above system of differential equations, by means of which the launch parameters can be simulated based on the mass and geometric parameters of the throwing device and on the geometric, aerodynamic and power parameters of the aircraft, and it can be decided whether a given configuration fulfills the predetermined requirements (flight path angle, initial velocity, loads, etc.). Utilizing the simulation, a suitable configuration can be established, and it is sufficient to manufacture only the configuration obtained by means of the simulations.

During the tests the position of the first shaft was adjusted in a wide range, such that the full-scale (largest) accelerating moment could be reached gradually during the tests. On the other hand, the throwing arm position corresponding to the lower dead point of the counterweight (motor vehicle) was also adjusted. (As shown in Fig. 11 , the throwing arm 90 also comprises such pass-through bores which are not situated along the main axis of the throwing arm (pass-through bores 94 and 97). The shaft is received in the bore rotatably, typically without being supported in a bearing. It can thereby be easily removed and inserted into another bore. Applying these bores for receiving the first shaft it can be provided that a slightly inclined (rather than vertical) throwing arm position corresponds to the lowermost position of the counterweight. This is important because the simulations indicated that the angle between the sling rope and the throwing arm closely depends on the wing loading of the aircraft (winged aerial vehicle). With a low wing loading the aircraft is constantly "trailing behind" the throwing arm during launch, and thus at the so-called upper dead point position (when the motor vehicle is unable to descend further due to the constraints posed by the support rods) the throwing arm is already ahead of the aircraft. The throwing device should therefore be adjusted (i.e. the appropriate pass-through bore of the throwing arm should be selected for inserting the first shaft) in such a manner that the throwing arm already points forward at the lower dead point position of the motor vehicle such that the aircraft can be released with the appropriate angle of attack. The first shaft can be inserted into any of the bores 93-97 formed in the joint plate of the throwing arm, and thus both the transmission ratio and the upper dead point position can be freely adjusted. In the embodiments of the throwing device according to the invention wherein the device is applied for launching a winged aerial vehicle, i.e. an airplane, an important design consideration was that - since the device is applied for launching an airplane - a near-horizontal trajectory should be provided at the instant of release. Therefore, in an embodiment of the invention the length of the sling rope and the angle of the release pin were adjusted taking into account various parameters, including the available actuating mass (counterweight) and the mass of the airplane to be launched. In order that the airplane has an appropriate angle of attack at the moment it is released, the exact position of the release pin (disposed on the airplane) was determined experimentally, with the rest position of the airplane at the instant the throwing device is started also being determined (it hangs on the sling rope in an inverted position, see e.g. Figs. 3A and 6A). According to the above, in some embodiments the possibilities provided by the motor vehicle applied for transporting the throwing device were made use of to a large extent. The motor vehicle performs the dual functions of a counterweight and a support structure, thereby eliminating the need for a heavy support structure typically applied in known throwing devices. The throwing device according to the invention does not comprise any guide members, the desired motion being achieved applying joint (pivot) points. By mapping out and making use of the possibilities provided by kinematic degrees of freedom (constrained motion about two pivot connections), the required "support structure" was reduced to two support rods, i.e. according to the invention the support structure preferably consist only of a pair of support rods, each connected to an end of the first shaft.

In the embodiment of the invention that applies a motor vehicle as actuating mass the throwing device is supported on all four support points also on uneven ground (due to their suspension the wheels of the motor vehicle assume the appropriate position on not perfectly even ground), i.e. the throwing device is free from wobbling. By the appropriate interconnection of the first shaft and the support rods of the throwing device according to the invention it can be ensured that the plane of throwing remains vertical also on uneven or sloping ground (this case is shown in relation to Figs 12A and 12B). The interconnection has to allow that the first shaft can be rotated and that the two support rods can be expanded independent of each other. Thereby the first shaft is set horizontal by the weight of the motor vehicle (applied as a counterweight) also on uneven ground, to which the suspension of the wheels can adapt successfully. The plane of throwing thus remains vertical. According to the invention, to bring the device in the installed state either the motor vehicle's own drive system (embodiment according to Fig. 1 and 10) or a winch unit mounted on the motor vehicle (embodiment according to Fig. 9) can be applied.

In Figs. 6A-6F the operation of the throwing device according to the invention, i.e. the launching (to an appropriate airborne trajectory) of the winged aerial vehicle 26 is illustrated by schematic drawings. In Figs. 6A-6F the components are shown schematically. In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 6A-6F the throwing device according to the invention comprises a throwing arm 30, support rods 32, and an actuating mass 42. As shown in Fig. 6A, the support rods 32 are connected to the throwing arm 30 and to the supporting surface 11 via a first shaft 34 and first pivot connections 38, respectively. The actuating mass 42 is connected to the throwing arm 30 via a second shaft 36, while the corner (or, in case of a rectangular block shape, edge) of the actuating mass 42 is supported against the supporting surface 11 , i.e. it is connected thereto by a second pivot connection 40. The winged aerial vehicle 26 is connected to the throwing end 33 of the throwing arm 30 by means of a connecting member 44. As illustrated also in Fig. 6A, the actuating mass 42 may be other thing than a motor vehicle. It is particularly preferable to apply a motor vehicle as actuating mass because when the device is brought into the installed state the motor vehicle can be moved applying its own power. In contrast to that, for moving a generic actuating mass other external devices may be required (e.g. in case the actuating mass is displaced towards the first pivot connection in order to establish the installed state). Accordingly, the invention may be implemented applying any type of counterweight; whether it is required to apply external power for moving the actuating mass or not does not affect the essence of the invention.

In Figs. 6B-6F the time instants following the release of the throwing arm 30 are illustrated. At this moment - as it was mentioned above - the center of mass of the actuating mass 42 starts to descend, while the throwing end 33 of the throwing arm 30 starts to raise. As shown in Figs 6B-6F, when the winged aerial vehicle 26 is raised higher and higher, the actuating mass 42 gets closer and closer to the supporting surface 11. Meanwhile the actuating mass 42 is rotated about the pivot connection 40. In addition to that, by the rotation of the throwing arm 30 the support rods 32 are also rotated, resulting in the shaft 34 being raised higher. In Fig. 6F the throwing arm 30 is in an almost vertical position, with the support rods 32 being also nearly vertical. Following this state the winged aerial vehicle 26 (and the connecting member 44) are released from the throwing device, followed by the connecting member 44 being released from the winged aerial vehicle 26. The release mechanism is not shown in the schematic Figs. 6A-6F. In accordance with the above, Figs. 6A-6F illustrate particularly well the characteristics of the motion brought about by the mutual constraints of the actuating mass 42, the support rods 32 and the throwing arm 30. Figs. 6A-6F essentially show the kinematic diagram of the throwing device. As with the above figures, it is shown that each support rod 32 is supported against the ground at a single point, with the other end of the rods supporting the first shaft 34 of the throwing arm 30. In case a motor vehicle is applied as actuating mass 42, a suspension point has to be selected on the vehicle, at which point the motor vehicle can be suspended on the end of the throwing arm 30 proximate the first shaft 34. In the installed state described above one of the axles of the motor vehicle is in the air, while the other axle is still supported against the ground through the wheels. When the end of the throwing arm 30 distal from the first shaft 34 is released, the motor vehicle moves downwards due to its own weight. Since - constrained by the support rods 32 - the first shaft 34 can only move along a circular path, the free end of the throwing arm 30 (the throwing end) starts raising. As the throwing arm 30 is rotated the forward motion of the first shaft 34 is followed by the support rods 32, while the motor vehicle functioning as the actuating mass 42 (counterweight) is slowly rotated about its forward or rear axle (because the wheels are fixed relative to the body due to the parking brake being engaged). At the upper dead point position of the throwing arm 30 the motor vehicle ceases to move as its center of gravity cannot descend further due to the geometry of the arms. At this time the upper end of the support rods 32 is moving forward together with the first shaft 34.

In Fig. 7 is a diagram that illustrates the operation of the throwing device according to the invention. The diagram shows the characteristic coordinates of the subassemblies of the throwing device. At point (0,0) there is shown the pivot point of the second pivot connection, while the pivot point of the first pivot connection is at point (4,0). In the diagram the actuating mass and the support rods are represented as respective line segments, and thereby - in addition to the point of the actuating mass connected to the pivot connection - the coordinates of the point at which the actuating mass is connected to the throwing arm (hereinafter: actuating mass end point) can be read from the diagram, together with the coordinates of both ends of the single support rod that is shown in the side view. As shown in Fig. 7 the actuating mass end point and the supporting end point of the support rod both describe a respective circular arc as a function of time. According to the above, the throwing arm (also represented as a line segment) is connected to these end points, and thereby the position of its end points can be read from the diagram. The connecting member, which due to the forces acting upon it during its motion remains straight, is connected to the throwing end of the throwing arm. The location of the interconnection between the connecting member and the throwing arm can be determined using the diagram such that at this point there is a break in the line at most time instants. The winged aerial vehicle is also represented by a straight line segment connected to the end point of the connecting member. This line essentially represents the motion vector of the winged aerial vehicle, i.e. the angle of attack of the winged aerial vehicle as a function of time can also be read from the diagram. It is important to note that the motion of the illustrated subassemblies depends among others on their length and mass, as it is described below in detail. Accordingly, the diagram shown in Fig. 7 illustrates an exemplary course (time series). As shown in Fig. 7 at a certain instant the winged aerial vehicle "overtakes" the throwing arm, which is followed by the throwing arm "taking the lead" again. It should be emphasized here that the simulated throwing illustrated in Fig. 7 could not be successfully implemented applying the passive hook-ring pair shown in Figs. 8A-8E, because the fact that after being overtaken the throwing arm "takes the lead" again poses problems for the launch process. It is, however, successfully illustrated in the figure that during launch the winged aerial vehicle undergoes a way more complex motion than simply moving along a circular path.

In Figs. 8A-8E the release of the winged aerial vehicle 26 from a throwing arm 50 during the operation of an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention is illustrated. Fig. 8A shows a schematic view of a state after releasing the throwing arm 50 but still near the prestressed state, showing only the throwing arm 50, a connecting member 56, and the winged aerial vehicle 26 out of the subassemblies of the throwing device. As illustrated in Figs. 8A-8E, the throwing arm 50 and the connecting member 56 are interconnected by means of a first release pin 52 arranged at the throwing end 51 of the throwing arm 50 and a first ring 54 arranged on the connecting member 56, while the connecting member 56 is connected with the winged aerial vehicle 26 by means of a second ring 58 arranged on the connecting member 56 and a second release pin 60 arranged on the winged aerial vehicle 26. In this embodiment the connecting member 56 is a rope; the release pins 52, 60 and the rings 54, 58 are made of metal. In addition to metal, the release pins and/or rings can be made of other materials, e.g. plastic. It is, however, important to provide a low friction coefficient. In the present embodiment, therefore, a first release pin 52 is connected to the throwing end 51 , to the first release pin 52 a winged aerial vehicle 26 having a second release pin 60 is connected prior to throwing by means of a connecting member 56 having a first ring 54 and a second ring 58 at its ends such that the first ring 54 is slid on the first release pin 52, and the second ring 58 is slid on the second release pin 60.

In Fig. 8A the throwing arm 50 has already been released from the prestressed state and is already accelerating the winged aerial vehicle 26. With the illustrated manner of connection, in the prestressed state the winged aerial vehicle 26 would be hanging down from the end of the throwing arm 50. As it can be observed in Fig. 8A, the upward motion of the throwing arm 50, i.e. its rotation towards the left of the figure results in that the release pin 52 pulls with itself the ring 54 connected to it, and thereby, through the release pin 60 seated from above into the ring 58 it also pulls with itself the winged aerial vehicle 26.

A similar hook and rope attachment principle is applied also for winch launching gliders, but in these known approaches the hook is pulled out from the metal ring applying a bowden cable to ensure secure release, which implies that in known approaches it is necessary to move the hook (release pin), a feature not required by the solution according to the invention.

In known approaches a release pin arranged near the center of gravity or in the nose of the aerial vehicle is applied. Neither of these positions is suitable for the purposes of the device according to the invention. Theoretical and empirical tests shows that the release pin arranged on the winged aerial vehicle is positioned well if the angle between the horizontal and the longitudinal axis of the winged aerial vehicle is 45-60 degrees when the winged aerial vehicle is hanging down from the sling rope (connecting member). This occurs in case the release pin is arranged between the center of gravity and the nose. Therefore, a release means or hook (a release pin 60) similar to the ones applied on gliders should be arranged, but the release means should be situated between the center of gravity and the position of the release means applied for (nose) winch launching such that the airplane can assume the necessary pitch angle and angle of attack at the time of launch. With a release pin 60 placed further forward, the angle of attack was not sufficient during accelerating, which resulted in that the airplane was not following the throwing arm stably, while with a release pin 60 placed further rearward the release came too early. The simulation can also be applied for determining the location of the release pin 60. In Fig. 8B a further state is illustrated wherein the throwing arm 50 has already turned more in the direction of the vertical position compared to the state illustrated in Fig. 8A. Since at this time the angle between the release pin 52 and the connecting member 56 is already smaller than in the state shown in Fig. 8A, the ring 54 starts to slide off from the release pin 52. In general, it can be stated that in case the angle between the release pin 52 and the connecting member 56 is greater than 90° - like in the state shown in Fig. 8A - the ring 54 slides to the bottom of the rele ase pin 52, effectively getting "hooked" on it. If, however, this angle is reduced below 90°, the ring 54 starts to slide off from the release pin 52, the beginning of which process being illustrated in Fig. 8B. In Fig. 8C a further state is illustrated. Here the throwing arm 50 and the connecting member 56 are nearly parallel to each other. As it is illustrated also in Fig. 8C, then the ring 54 of the connecting member 56 can already slide off from the release pin 52. Thus the connecting member 56 is released from the release pin 52, but still remains connected to the winged aerial vehicle 26. As shown in Figs. 8D and 8E, the ring 58 of the connecting member 56 - in this embodiment, practically a sling rope - finally slides off from the release pin 60 due to aerodynamic drag. Thereby the launch operations of the winged aerial vehicle 26 are completed, and the vehicle continues its flight.

In relation to Figs. 8A-8E the throwing (or launching) of a winged aerial vehicle was described. The steps of the launch process can be summarized as follows: First, the release pin of the winged aerial vehicle (airplane) and the release pin of the throwing arm are connected with the sling rope (connecting member), and the airplane is hung down from the release pin of the near-horizontal throwing arm. The launch is initiated by releasing the locking of the throwing arm (in the prestressed state). The throwing arm, the sling rope, and the airplane are then brought into motion by the weight of the motor vehicle - i.e. the potential energy stored in the motor vehicle -, with the support rods being also moved slightly about the circular arc path determined by the first pivot connection. In the near- vertical position of the throwing arm the sling rope is released from the throwing arm (as described above), which is shortly followed by the rope being released from the airplane (due to the drag of the sling rope), after which the airplane starts its free flight with the desired initial velocity. Due to its angular momentum, the throwing arm moves on, and after oscillating a few times it comes to rest in a nearly vertical position that corresponds to the installed state (the base position). The center of gravity of the actuating mass - in this embodiment, the motor vehicle - is at its lowest point in this position. After reaching the desired initial velocity the airplane is released such that the metal ring affixed to the end of the sling rope slides off from the metal pin disposed at the long end of the throwing arm at the instant when the angle of the throwing arm and the sling rope reaches its required value. By setting the angle of the release pin in case of medieval throwing machines the projectile was usually launched into a steeply ascending trajectory that provided the largest throwing distance. Compared to that - taking into account the properties of aerial vehicles - the present throwing device releases later, launching the aerial vehicle into a trajectory ascending only at an angle of 5-10 degrees. It is a very important consideration that not only the angle of the trajectory but also the pitch angle of the aerial vehicle (i.e. in which state the longitudinal axis of the airplane is at the time of launch) has to be appropriate to provide that the wings have a sufficient angle of attack for generating lift. The most important factor in that is the position of the release hook mounted on the aircraft. This requirement can be fulfilled by arranging the release pin of the airplane in a manner described above. In some cases the projectiles of medieval throwing devices continued their flight together with the sling rope after being released from the throwing device; in case of aerial vehicles this is advised against. By applying the release pin in the corresponding embodiments of the invention, the sling rope is released not only from the throwing arm but - after travelling a few meters together with it - also from the aerial vehicle due to its drag. In principle there could be an option according to which the sling rope is not released from the throwing arm if it is not carried away by the aerial vehicle. However, with certain geometric proportions this would result in late release because in the case described above the connection between the throwing arm and the sling rope is released first, the sling rope being released from the aircraft only later. Late release can be prevented by artificially braking the throwing arm, but the solution provided above seems simpler.

With certain geometric proportions significant centripetal forces are generated in the sling rope, the forces being as high as even 8-10 times the weight of the aircraft (approximately 500-1000 N); these forces are present usually for a few tenths of a second. If for other reasons such geometric proportions cannot be applied which would eliminate these forces then a pay-out mechanism can be applied for the sling rope, which upon exceeding a threshold force value allows for increasing the length of the sling rope and thereby reduces the centripetal force. A simple solution for that is applying a combination of a traction gas spring and a pair of pulleys. The traction gas spring (built inside the arm) is actuated by a force exceeding the bias force and pays out some rope from the arm. The pair of pulleys can increase the length of rope paid out. The effect is similar to a spring-biased rope drum with the difference that traction gas springs provide damping, which is more difficult to integrate in a rope drum. Applying such an arrangement the sling rope cannot separate from the throwing arm, and thereby an actively controlled release means capable of separating the aircraft from the rope at the right moment has to be implemented on the aerial vehicle. Using simulations, excessive forces can be prevented from being generated in the sling rope by providing appropriate geometric and mass relations, but the solution described above can also provide an alternative to applying a simple sling rope, especially for launching aircraft. Applying a connecting member (sling rope) is also preferred because without it a longer throwing arm would be needed for providing the desired trajectory. Since the simulation can be applied also for modelling the motion of the sling rope, its application does not involve any disadvantages, while the length of throwing arm can be reduced significantly.

In Fig. 9 a further embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention is illustrated. The main difference between this embodiment and the one illustrated in Fig. 1 is that here support rods 72 are arranged at the front portion of a motor vehicle 66. In this embodiment the support rods 72 provide support for a first shaft 74 connected to a throwing arm 70, with the motor vehicle 66, functioning as an actuating mass, being connected to the end of the throwing arm 70 situated opposite the throwing end 71 through a shaft 76 and a connecting structure 64. In Fig. 9 the prestressed state of the throwing device is illustrated, i.e. the motor vehicle 66 and the support rods 72 are connected to the supporting surface 1 1 via a second pivot connection 75 and a first pivot connection 73, respectively.

The column of Table 6 corresponding to this embodiment is the column related to the motor vehicle B. Comparing the mass of the various motor vehicles it can be observed that the motor vehicle B has the lowest mass of all tested vehicles. Lower motor vehicle mass allows for applying a slightly shorter throwing arm (compared e.g. to the motor vehicle D). As a result of that, however, it is expedient to launch the UAV from in front of the motor vehicle 66. Due to mass distribution and to the short roof of the motor vehicle 66, in the arrangement of Fig. 9 the so- called head portion of the throwing arm (which is thicker than the other portions) has to be situated near the rear of the motor vehicle during transportation. The built-in winch of such motor vehicles can be utilized for realizing the installed state. This is needed especially in case the motor vehicle 66 is front wheel drive. The connecting structure 64 is connected to the second shaft 76 by means of a lifting element 77. The lifting element 77 can be rotated both with respect to the shaft 76 and the connecting structure 64. The throwing process is not affected substantially by the lifting element 77, because due to its small length it will not cause any harmful oscillations in the throwing device.

Fig. 10 illustrates a still further embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention. In this embodiment such a throwing arm 80 is applied that is much longer relative to a motor vehicle 78 compared to the arms described above. In the present embodiment the winged aerial vehicle 26 is connected to the throwing end 81 of the throwing arm 80 by means of a connecting member 88. In this embodiment a first shaft 84 supported by support rods 82 is connected to the throwing arm 80. A connecting structure 83 adapted for connecting the motor vehicle 78 is attached to the throwing arm 80 by means of a second shaft 86. The connecting structure 83 is secured to the roof (roof rack) and front bumper of the motor vehicle 78. In Fig. 10 a prestressed state is illustrated; in this embodiment the prestressed throwing arm 80 extends behind the motor vehicle 78. In accordance with the above, the motor vehicle 78 schematically illustrated in the figure is, by way of example, a 3rd-generation Volkswagen Transporter, which has a rear-engine, rear wheel drive configuration. Therefore, in contrast to the process illustrated in Figs. 2A-2A, in this embodiment the motor vehicle 78 is capable of approaching a pivot connection 85 in forward gear in spite of the fact that its front wheels are lifted up from the ground. As with the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, a pivot connection 87 is realized by means of the rear wheels also in this embodiment. In the embodiments according to Figs. 9 and 10 the parking brake is always capable of blocking the rear wheels, and thus wedges need not be applied.

As a consequence of the above configuration the degree of prestressing is in principle limited by the motor vehicle 78, however, our experiments indicated that the maximum prestressing illustrated above was sufficient. In the present embodiment the support rods 82 are rotated about the first pivot connection 85, while the motor vehicle 78 is rotated about the pivot connection 87.

Fig. 1 1 illustrates that portion of a throwing arm 90 applicable in an embodiment of the invention connected to which a first shaft connecting the support rods and the throwing arm and a second shaft connecting the actuating mass and the throwing arm can be arranged. The first shaft can be connected in any of bores 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, while the second shaft can be inserted into a bore 92. In this embodiment, therefore, multiple pass-through bores 93-97 adapted for connecting the first shaft are formed on the throwing arm 90.

Figs. 12A and 12B are schematic drawings illustrating an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention. In Fig 12A the throwing device is shown installed on a flat supporting surface, while in Fig. 12B it is installed on uneven supporting surface. Unlike in the previous figures, in Figs. 12A and 12B the throwing device is shown in front view. Thereby a throwing arm 100 is schematically represented as a rectangle. There is also shown both support rods 102 that are connected with joints 105 to a first shaft 104 (in this embodiment, they are connected to the ends of the shaft). The joint 105 is e.g. a ball joint. In the figures there is also shown a second shaft 106, to which a connecting member 108 is connected by pivot connection such that it is essentially suspended on the second shaft 106. The connecting member 108 and an actuating mass 1 10 are connected to each other also by means of a pivot connection. In Fig 12A the support rods 102 are connected to the flat (even) supporting surface by a respective first pivot connection 103. For illustrating uneven ground, in Fig. 12B a protrusion (with respect to Fig. 12A) is shown at the location of the right-hand pivot connection 103.

Comparing Figs. 12A and 12B it can be observed that the support rods 102 are oriented at different angles in the two figures, but the first shaft 104 is horizontal in both figures. This can be explained as follows. When the support rods 102 are put on the supporting surface, they are not necessarily placed in an exactly symmetrical way. If the supporting surface is uneven near the connection points, exact symmetry cannot even be achieved (in front view). However, thanks to the pivot connections 105, as the shaft 104 gets loaded it is brought into a horizontal state by the load with a slight displacement of the support rods 102. This results from the fact that, loaded by the actuating mass the shaft 104 tries to assume the lowest possible position, and - thanks to the pivot connections 103 and 105 - in a preferred manner it can enter this state. The first pivot connections, and thus the pivot connections 103 are preferably implemented such that the support rod can be rotated about them in any direction. With any slight (i.e. typically occurring in practice) asymmetry in any direction (sideways or parallel with the throwing arm [longitudinal direction]) in the arrangement of the support rods 102 the throwing device is indeed capable of a kind of self-correction due to its configuration. Of course, a symmetrical arrangement of the support rods with respect to the first shaft is targeted, and thereby a substantially symmetrical arrangement of the support rods is produced when the supporting ends are placed on the supporting surface. According to the above, the pivot connection of the shaft 104 and the support rods 102 has the advantage that both the first shaft 104 and the second shaft 106 assume a horizontal position and thereby become (substantially) parallel to each other. Thereby the plane of the throwing arm's motion preferably remains vertical also on uneven ground when this solution is applied. This is particularly preferable for launching the winged aerial vehicle 26, as in the opposite case - i.e. in case the plane was not vertical - the lateral motion of the throwing end of the throwing arm 100 would cause adverse sideways oscillations in the trajectory of the winged aerial vehicle 26. In Fig. 13 the interconnection of a throwing arm 120 and support rods 122 is illustrated in an embodiment of the throwing device according to the invention. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment the rectangular cross-section support rods 122 end in a supporting fork 124. Utilizing a shaft indicated by a dotted line, bearing cases 126 are connected to the supporting forks 124. The bearing cases 126 can be rotated about a shaft connecting the supporting fork 124 and the bearing case 126. The first shaft that passes through the throwing arm 120 and is to be supported by the support rods 122 is not shown in Fig. 3, with the possible arrangement of the shaft being indicated in the figure by a dashed line. The bearing cases 126 are connected to the ends of the first shaft, such that they can be pulled on them. A bearing is arranged inside the bearing case 126; and the shaft can be connected to this bearing such that the bearing case 126 can be rotated about the first shaft. The arrangement shown in Fig. 13, therefore, is suitable (adapted) for supporting the first shaft in such a manner that the first shaft is rotatable. With this solution, during throwing the first shaft typically moves together with the throwing arm due to friction, being rotated instead in the bearing cases provided at the end of the support rods. This solution can be preferably applied in combination with the throwing arm 90 illustrated in Fig. 1 1 , since the first shaft can be passed through the chosen bore in a simple way, and the bearing cases are capable of allowing for the rotation of the shaft with respect to the support rods.

Since the supporting fork 124 and the bearing cases 126 realize a pivot connection, the support rods 122 are connected to the first shaft by pivot connections also in this embodiment. As it is mentioned above, a pivot connection provided with a ball joint can also be applied between the first shaft and the support rods.

The efficiency of the throwing device is affected by the ratio of the kinetic energy that is transferred to the projectile and that remains in the throwing device itself. Residual (waste) energy resides primarily in the counterweight itself, since it is moving in the time instant when the projectile is released. The hinged (pivot) connection of the counterweight is intended for reducing this waste energy. If the counterweight was fixedly attached to the arm of the throwing device, according to the principle of the physical pendulum its potential energy would also be converted into rotational energy in addition to translational energy. Counterweights with high mass also have significant moment of inertia, the rotation of which requires a significant amount of work. The hinged suspension eliminates this loss at the cost that the counterweight can only be lifted at smaller heights compared to the fixed connection of the counterweight to the throwing arm. The application of the sling rope is also intended for reducing waste energy, because with the help of the sling rope residual energy stored in the counterweight can be extracted to increase the kinetic energy of the object thrown.

The solution according to the invention provides that the counterweight comes to a rest at the lower dead point position, i.e. it will have no residual kinetic energy, as with the so-called floating (arm) trebuchets. However, compared to such trebuchets the device has much simpler configuration as it does not comprise pulleys and guide paths.

As it is supported by the evidence of simulations and experiments, the aircraft need not be fixedly secured (e.g. along a launch path) during launch in order that it is launched properly, i.e. into the appropriate trajectory with the appropriate speed.

Based on the above it can be readily seen that the throwing device according to the invention can be applied for throwing any object, and that it can be particularly preferably applied for launching winged aerial vehicles. The invention is, of course, not limited to the preferred embodiments described in details above, but further variants, modifications and developments are possible within the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. A throwing device for throwing an object, particularly a winged aerial vehicle (26), the device comprising

- a throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120) having a throwing end (17, 31 , 51 , 71 , 81) adapted for connecting the object thereto,

- a first shaft (Co, 14, 34, 74, 84, 104) rotatably connected to the throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120), and

- a support structure adapted for supporting the first shaft (Co, 14, 34, 74, 84, 104) allowing the rotation thereof,

c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the support structure comprises two support rods (12, 27, 32, 72, 82, 102, 122), each of which is connected to the first shaft (Co, 14, 34, 74, 84, 104) at respective lateral parts of the throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120), and, in a state wherein the throwing device is installed on a supporting surface (1 1),

- an actuating mass (25, 42, 1 10) is connected to a second shaft (C-i , 16,

36, 76, 86, 106) being rotatably connected to the throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120) between the connection of the first shaft (Co, 14, 34, 74, 84, 104) and the end of the throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120) being opposite the throwing end (17, 31 , 51 , 71 , 81), and

- supporting ends of the support rods (12, 27, 32, 72, 82, 102, 122) are connected by respective first pivot connections (S-i, 13, 38, 73, 85, 103) and the actuating mass (25, 42, 1 10) is connected by a second pivot connection (S₂, 15, 40, 75, 87) to the supporting surface (1 1 ), and the support rods (12, 27, 32, 72, 82, 102, 122) are rotatable about the respective first pivot connections (Si, 13, 38, 73, 85, 103) and the actuating mass (25, 42, 1 10) is rotatable about the second pivot connection (S₂, 15, 40, 75, 87).

2. The throwing device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the object is a winged aerial vehicle (26).

3. The throwing device according to claim 2, characterised in that a first release pin (52) is connected to the throwing end (51), to the first release pin (52) a winged aerial vehicle (26) having a second release pin (60) is connected prior to throwing by means of a connecting member (56) having a first ring (54) and a second ring (58) at its ends such that the first ring (54) is slid on the first release pin (52) and the second ring (58) is slid on the second release pin (60).

4. The throwing device according to claim 3, characterised in that the connecting member (56) is a rope.

5. The throwing device according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterised in that the release pins (52, 60) and/or the rings (54, 58) are made of metal.

6. The throwing device according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the actuating mass (25, 42, 1 10) is a motor vehicle (22, 66, 78).

7. The throwing device according to claim 6, characterised in that the motor vehicle (22, 66, 78) is connected to the second shaft (16, 76, 86) by means of a connecting structure ( 8, 64, 83) attached to the roof portion and to the front or rear bumper of the motor vehicle (22, 66, 78).

8. The throwing device according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that respective hinged discs are arranged at the supporting ends of the support rods (12, 27, 32, 72, 82, 102, 122), and the support rods (12, 27, 32, 72, 82, 102, 122) are connected to the supporting surface (1 1) by the hinged discs.

9. The throwing device according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that multiple pass-through bores (93-97) adapted for connecting the first shaft are formed on the throwing arm (90).

10. The throwing device according any of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the support rods (102, 122) are connected to the first shaft (104) by a joint (105). 1. Method for installing the throwing device according to any of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of

- providing an actuating mass (25, 42, 1 10) rotatably connected to the throwing arm ( 0, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 00, 120) through the second shaft (C-1 , 16, 36, 76, 86, 106), and being supported on the supporting surface (11),

- establishing the first pivot connections (S-i , 13, 38, 73, 85, 103) between the supporting ends of the support rods (12, 27, 32, 72, 82, 102, 122) rotatably connected to the throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120) via the first shaft (C₀, 14, 34, 74, 84, 104) and the supporting surface (11), and

- bringing the throwing device into its installed state by establishing the second pivot connection (S₂, 15, 40, 75, 87) between the actuating mass (25, 42, 1 10) and the supporting surface

(11 ) by moving the actuating mass (25, 42, 1 10) towards the first pivot connections (Si , 13, 38, 73, 85, 103).

12. Method for throwing an object, particularly a winged aerial vehicle (26) by means of the throwing device according to any of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of

- increasing potential energy of the actuating mass (25, 42, 1 10) in the throwing device being in its installed state by approaching the throwing end (17, 31 , 51 , 71 , 81) of the throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120) to the supporting surface (11),

- releasing the throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120), and

- throwing by means of the throwing device, the object connected at releasing by releasable connection to the throwing end (17, 31 , 51 , 71 , 81) of the throwing arm (10, 28, 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120) by releasing the releasable connection.