Ships – Torpedo launching
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-31
2002-07-16
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Ships
Torpedo launching
C114S318000, C089S001810, C089S001818
Reexamination Certificate
active
06418870
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to torpedo tubes for surface ships, and more particularly to an improved torpedo tube breech therefor and a method for launching torpedoes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The vast majority of surface ships worldwide utilize substantially the same mechanism and method for launching lightweight vehicles, such as torpedoes, from a tube. This technology was first developed in the 1950's, and has been utilized virtually unchanged since that time.
A conventional tube used for launching a lightweight vehicle, such as a torpedo, from a surface ship is schematically illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. In existing systems, the torpedoes are carried in a tube
10
disposed on the surface of the ship. Tube
10
is generally cylindrical in shape, and includes a discharge end
12
having a closure
16
and a breech end
14
. A torpedo
18
with fins
13
is manually loaded into tube
10
through discharge end
12
, upon opening of closure
16
. Torpedo
18
resides in closely spaced relation with ridges or lands
15
on the side walls of tube
10
. Ridges
15
are raised areas on the interior surface of the tube
10
which extend parallel to the long axis of the tube. Ridges
15
are designed not only to guide the fins
13
of the torpedo
18
but also to allow the body of the torpedo to fit snugly within the tube while allowing free passage of the fins
13
. Ridges
15
also contribute to a pressure buildup upon launch, as they restrict the space within which the gas may escape in a forward direction.
Breech end
14
includes breech
20
, and a weapons securing mechanism
24
for retaining the torpedo
18
within tube
10
during storage. Breech
20
is affixed to tube
10
by locking ring assembly
115
, which comprises an interrupted screw mechanism. Rotation of locking ring assembly
115
allows opening of breech
20
and loading of a vehicle, such as a torpedo
18
, into the breech end
14
. Breech
20
includes a flask
22
and a control mechanism
26
responsive to a firing command for releasing the torpedo and expelling it from tube
10
. Flask
22
contains air under high pressure. An air port
28
couples the interior of flask
22
to control system
26
. Firing valve
30
permits air from within flask
22
to escape into tube
10
to expel torpedo
18
, once valve
30
is opened. Weapons securing mechanism
24
includes jaws
32
which are configured to grasp a correspondingly shaped end tip
19
of the torpedo
18
. Jaws
32
retain torpedo
18
in its desired position within tube
10
under normal, non-firing conditions. Jaws
32
are disposed within cylinder
31
which is slidably mounted. Cylinder
31
holds jaws
32
in their closed position grasping tip
19
. Pressurized gas passed to port
27
from air port
28
by way of control system
26
causes cylinder
31
to move away from flask
22
(to the left as shown in
FIG. 2
) allowing the jaws
32
to open as the outer surfaces of the jaws
32
ride along sloped surface
33
of cylinder
31
. Movement of cylinder
31
toward flask
22
closes jaws
32
.
Firing valve
30
includes closure
34
, sliding portion
36
and spring
38
. Spring
38
biases sliding portion
36
against closure
34
into a normally closed position to prevent air within flask
22
from escaping to the interior of tube
10
under normal, non-firing conditions. A lever
40
is pivotally coupled to cylinder
31
at point
41
, so that when cylinder
31
moves away from flask
22
, lever
40
pivots and presses sliding portion
36
toward flask
22
and against the bias of spring
38
to unseat valve
30
and to allow air to escape into tube
10
.
Tube
10
also includes an electrical connection
50
which provides electrical signals and power to torpedo
18
when it is being stored within tube
10
. Electrical connection
50
includes an umbilical cable
52
and a plug
54
which is normally coupled to a correspondingly shaped female receptacle (not shown) in torpedo
18
. Umbilical cable
52
is coupled to a lever arm
56
which is in turn coupled to a valve
58
. When pneumatically actuated by air from control system
26
, valve
58
pivots lever arm
56
to retract plug
54
from torpedo
18
.
In operation, closure mechanism
16
is first opened to allow the torpedo
18
to pass through discharge end
12
. When a command is received by control system
26
to fire the torpedo, air is bled through port
28
from the interior of flask
22
into control system
26
via a valving mechanism (not shown). The air from port
28
is conducted to port
58
to cause pivoting of lever arm
56
and thus retraction of plug
54
. The air is then conducted through port
27
to cylinder
31
of weapons securing mechanism
24
causing jaws
32
to open, and lever
40
to pivot about pivot point
41
. Lever
40
depresses sliding portion
36
, opening firing valve
30
and releasing the high-pressure air from within flask
22
into the interior of tube
10
. This air pressure is calculated to be sufficient to expel torpedo
18
from tube
10
once jaws
32
are opened to release end tip
19
.
The structure and operation of the foregoing prior art torpedo tube and launching mechanism are fully described in Technical Manual SW395-AC-MMO-010/OP3355, NSNO640-LP-002-3000 entitled
Description, Operation, Maintenance, and Illustrated Parts Breakdown, Surface Vessel Torpedo Tube Mark
32
Mods
5
and
7, which is published by direction of the Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command. The latest revision of this technical manual is dated Sep. 16, 1988, and is specifically incorporated herein by reference.
This prior art system has several drawbacks. In the first place, after a torpedo is manually loaded into tube
10
through breech end
14
after opening of breech
20
, breech
20
must be recharged with high-pressure air. About 1600 lbs of air pressure are required for each flask
22
. Therefore, it takes about one to one and one half hours to recharge the flasks for all six tubes that are normally carried on a typical ship. In adverse weather, the time required to recharge the flask in each tube can be potentially much longer. For those ships having tubes in external location outside the skin of the ship, the charging operation is also very hazardous if it must be performed in bad weather or in the dark. Some ship classes necessitate training the tubes outboard prior to charging. This recharge time produces a lengthy delay between the firing of one round of torpedoes, and readiness to fire the next round of torpedoes. Such a delay could prove disastrous in a combat situation.
Another drawback of the existing system is that all of the flasks presently found on most ships in the fleet have corrosion problems. As a partial consequence of these corrosion problems, the flasks do not hold the air charge indefinitely. They have to be recharged regularly, typically every 12-24 hours. Therefore, combat readiness could be affected by the failure to ensure that each flask remains fully charged.
Another problem associated with existing systems is that misalignment of the breech with respect to weapons securing mechanism
24
could and has caused accidental movement of lever
40
and opening of flask
22
. Such an accidental opening could cause the breech to fly off while assembling the breech, or while charging the flask. Obviously, such a condition can be quite dangerous to the crew members who are involved in manually loading the tube and charging the flasks. Serious accidents have occurred during the removal and reinstallation of the air flasks, resulting in personal injury and loss of valuable man days, not to mention loss of combat readiness.
Also, all of the pneumatics associated with each tube are exposed to the salt atmosphere, and are subject to corrosion problems requiring frequent and intensive maintenance and repair.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing drawbacks of existing vehicle launch mechanisms for surface ships are overcome by the present invention, in which the air flasks in existing breeches are replaced by gas g
Berlam Gary R.
Godfrey Daniel M.
Lanowy Michael J.
Lussier David A.
Rodrigues Mark A.
Jordan Charles T.
Systems Engineering Associates Corporation
Wolf Greenfield & Sacks P.C.
Zerr John W.
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