Ships – Torpedoes – With power plants
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-06
2003-05-06
Carone, Michael J. (Department: 3641)
Ships
Torpedoes
With power plants
C114S020100, C114S230150, C114S238000, C244S003240, C244S003270, C244S003280, C244S003290, C244S063000, C416S138000, C416S142000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06559370
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by and for the Government of the United States of America for Governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to submarine underwater countermeasures assemblies and is directed more particularly to an improved countermeasure vehicle.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In
FIG. 1
, there is shown a typical submarine countermeasure apparatus
20
. The apparatus
20
includes a launch tube
22
which, in operation, is disposed outboard of the submarine pressure hull (not shown). A countermeasure vehicle
24
is housed in the launch tube
22
and includes an array assembly
26
and a tailcone assembly
28
. The array assembly
26
is protected by a surrounding sabot
30
. Disposed in the launch tube
22
is a ram plate
32
and a gas generator
34
. The launch tube
22
is closed by a forward tube cover
36
and an after tube cover
38
.
In operation, the gas generator
34
is activated by an electrical pulse from the submarine fire control system and generates sufficient gas pressure to move the ram plate
32
forward. The ram plate
32
in turn pushes the countermeasure vehicle
24
forward, breaking away the forward tube cover
36
and launching the countermeasure vehicle
24
from the launch tube
22
. In short order, the sabot
30
disengages from around the array assembly
26
and the array assembly is deployed.
The tail cone assembly
28
includes a propulsion propeller assembly (not shown in FIG.
1
), and the countermeasure vehicle
24
houses a motor (not shown in
FIG. 1
) which drives the propeller to position the countermeasure in a column of water.
It has been found that upon launch of the vehicle
24
, a combination of a high velocity launch, high forward speed of the submarine, and strong underwater currents, can subject the propeller blades to pressures and bending moments sufficient to damage the blades. Damaged propeller blades can adversely affect the ability of the countermeasure to hover at a selected depth in the water column, and thereby cause mission failure which places the submarine in a state of increased danger.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved propeller assembly which can withstand and survive the aforesaid launch conditions and assume operations leading to a successful mission.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an improved submarine countermeasure vehicle, featuring a propulsion assembly having facility to withstand the rigors of a launch and provide the propulsion needed to successfully complete a mission.
With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the present invention is the provision of a submarine countermeasure vehicle comprising an elongated body for supporting a countermeasure device, and a propulsion-assembly mounted on an after end of the body. The propulsion assembly comprises a rotatable propeller hub, propeller blades mounted on the hub and moveable between a first position wherein the blades extend substantially radially outwardly from the hub, and a second position wherein the blades extend generally axially of the hub. A spring is mounted on each of the blades and in the hub, the spring biasing the blades toward the first position, but of sufficient flexibility to permit the blades to move to the second position upon launch of the vehicle from an underwater launch tube.
The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular device embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 938290 (1909-10-01), Thompson
patent: 2481751 (1949-09-01), Godfrey
patent: 2608257 (1952-08-01), James
patent: 2847960 (1958-08-01), Endrezze
patent: 3690595 (1972-09-01), Rusbach
patent: 3790104 (1974-02-01), Jones
patent: 3918664 (1975-11-01), Grosswendt
patent: 4440360 (1984-04-01), Hallstrom
patent: 5082203 (1992-01-01), Baubry
patent: 5343823 (1994-09-01), Blaha
patent: 5452864 (1995-09-01), Alford et al.
patent: 6314886 (2001-11-01), Kuhnle et al.
patent: 6367401 (2002-04-01), Correia et al.
patent: 3320850 (1958-11-01), None
patent: 375628 (1961-11-01), None
patent: 1195204 (1965-06-01), None
patent: 1188651 (1970-04-01), None
Carone Michael J.
Kasischke James M.
McGowan Michael J.
Oglo Michael F.
Richardson John
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