Westinghouse Electric Corporation

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

David F Weir

Joseph F Meier

George E Rudd

John T Siemon

James O Bowden

Shock absorbing missile launch pad for Mx type missiles having molded ethylene propylene diene terpolymer composition. Pad has curved resilient rubber pad with a Teflon-fiberglass laminate bonded to outer convex surface thereof, and has a support plate bonded to the inner concave surface thereof. Springs are provided to urge pad away from missile at launch to prevent damage to missile.

Shock absorbing missile launch pad

A flexible coupling for joining two rotating shafts, the coupling having opposed hubs one attached to each shaft, the hubs each having an annular array of radical grooves on opposing faces thereof and a plurality of generally rectangular shaped laminated graphite epoxy plates with radially extended projections which are provided with an integral laminated elastomer/metal shear sandwich structure and are held in the radial grooves by restraint fittings attached to the hubs.

Flexible coupling with deformable beam elements

Struts of an elastomer shock absorbing pad are formed with notches and tongue-and-groove portions adjacent the notches to key the contacting surfaces of the pad struts together to prevent relative rotation and shear displacement under heavy shock loading.

Growing community of inventors

San Ramon, CA, United States of America

David F Weir