Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between fixed parts or static contact against... – Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine – or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-01
2002-01-08
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3626)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between fixed parts or static contact against...
Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine, or...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06336641
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a break-away muzzle cap retention mechanism. More particularly, the invention relates to a break-away muzzle cap retention mechanism which utilizes retractable pins in place of shear pins.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The current art for break-away muzzle cap retention mechanisms are varied. Certain United States Navy Submarine countermeasures are housed in launch tubes external to a pressure hull where an external surface of the tubes are subjected to depth pressure. An internal part of the tube, where the countermeasure is housed, is maintained dry and at one atmosphere. The muzzle cap is designed to both seal the internal environment of the tube from water, and to release when the internal pressure reaches a predetermined amount. When a command is given for launch, a gas generating device is ignited and pressure quickly increases in the tube until the pressure is great enough to overcome the shear strength of shear pins holding the current muzzle cap in place and depth pressure acting on a face of the muzzle cap. The manufacture of the current shear pins, as well as the installation of the pins, is prohibitively expensive, and necessitates the drilling of holes through the launch tube wall. It is desirable for future launch tubes to be reusable and less expensive, thus a new muzzle cap retention mechanism was needed to both decrease costs, and to avoid the drilling of holes through the launch tube wall, especially if the tube is made of a wound glass fiber composite material instead of the current more commonly used steel material.
Thus, a problem exists in the art whereby a consistently operable and inexpensive mechanism for a break-away muzzle cap is not known.
The following patents, for example, disclose various types of locking mechanisms, but do not disclose a consistently operable a break-away muzzle cap retention mechanism utilizing a retractable pin mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,914 to Boyle et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,097 to Bloch;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,248 to Flux;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,826 to Mantovani et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,208 to Lawandi;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,209 to Naka et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,087 to Butkovich et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,330 to Henkel et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,448 to Courgeon et al.; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,385 to Fechter.
Specifically, the patent to Boyle et al. discloses a quick release guide sleeve assembly including an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve axially slidably received in the outer sleeve and having first and second axial positions with respect to the outer sleeve; and a locking mechanism movably mounted on the outer sleeve for frictionally engaging wall surfaces defining an opening for receiving the outer sleeve. The locking mechanism is a locking ball 5, radially movable within a nesting port 4 and has a locking position in which at least part of the locking mechanism projects radially outwardly beyond the external circumferential surface of the outer sleeve. The locking mechanism further has a releasing position in which the locking mechanism is in a radially inwardly withdrawn state relative to the circumferential surface of the outer sleeve. The assembly further includes a camming arrangement carried on the inner sleeve for pressing the locking mechanism into the locking position when the inner sleeve is in the first axial position and for allowing the locking mechanism to assume the releasing position when the inner sleeve is in the second axial position. A spring urges the inner sleeve continuously into the first axial position.
The patent to Bloch discloses a clamping device for securing an object within an aperture of a ring member utilizing a shape memory alloy material. The shape memory alloy material contracts when heated and operates to bias pin members inwardly within a central opening of the ring to thereby secure an object such as a canister placed therein. The shape memory alloy material may be in the form of a strap or wire which is easily heated and provides for a fast clamping and release action of the clamping device.
Flux discloses a plug-in connector device having a ringlike head portion and a hollow shank. The shank has locking balls which can be held to project outwardly of the shank in a locked condition of the device, and can also move to a retracted position under the control of an axially slidable probe, the movement of which is controlled by an actuator lever on the head portion which can only be moved to release the locking balls from their locked condition on a separate manipulation of a second lever, or in other embodiments a safety catch button, also mounted on the head portion.
Mantovani et al. disclose a device for locking the base of a blood centrifugation cell on a retractable generally disc shaped chuck plate. The chuck plate encloses a plurality of elastic locators which extend radially a slight distance from the periphery of the plate. The plate further encloses a plurality of locking means which are biased to remain within the dimensions of the plate at rest and which are radially extendable by centrifugal force to extend beyond the periphery of the plate. An annular locking ring engages the base of the cell and extends around the periphery of the chuck plate. The locking ring has a plurality of internal recesses for initially receiving the elastic locators, and the locking means during centrifugation to secure the cell to the chuck plate.
Lawandi discloses a knockdown furniture, such as a chair, having a series of elongated tubular members adapted to be interconnected with quick release automatically locking coupling to form a frame of the furniture. A canvas panel having end sleeves can be mounted to the frame to provide a support surface, such as a seat panel, of the furniture. Pockets are provided on one side of the support panel, such as the underside of the seat panel, in order to receive the individual tubular members when the furniture is disassembled. A zipper which is provided at opposed end edges of the support panel is used to form a sleeve therewith which contains the pockets and thus the tubular members, thereby resulting in a compact storage of the dismantled furniture.
Naka et al. discloses an attaching device for attaching a tool to a tool manipulation arm and having a first attachment member affixed to the tool manipulation arm which is adapted to engage a second attachment member affixed to the tool. The first attachment member includes a locking device which is engageable with a cam surface formed on the second attachment member such that the engagement urges a seating surface defined on the first attachment member and a mounting surface defined on the second attachment member into sealing contact with each other. The seal effected by the contact of these surfaces hermetically seals the locking device such that it is not susceptible to contamination by the dust water, sand, ships, oil, etc, which may be present in the working environment in which the robot is located.
The patent to Butkovich et al. discloses a locking mechanism in the form of locking balls for releasably fixing an externally splined power take-off shaft to an output shaft of off-highway equipment such as a tractor. The output shaft has a hollow, integrally splined hub portion adapted to axially receive the externally splined power take-off shaft to prevent relative rotational movement between the power take-off and output shafts. The locking mechanism includes a locking member supported within a radial opening in the power take-off shaft so as to be radially moveable between an outer locking position and an inner unlocking position. In the outer locking position, the locking member is engageable with a recess formed in the hub portion of the output shaft to prevent relative axial movement between the power take-off shaft and the output shaft. In the inner unlocking position, the locking member is disengaged from the recess in the output shaft to permit such relative axial movements. An elongated actuator i
Kasischke James M.
Lall Prithvi C.
McGowan Michael J.
Sandy Robert J.
Schwing Karlena D.
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