Hughes Aircraft Company

Raytheon Company

Hughes Missile Systems Company

Rudolph Adolph Eisentraut

George W LeCompte

Martin Allen Kebschull

John Christopher Parine

Moran Coxon

Andrew B Facciano

Richard Dryer

Stephen D Haight

Edgar R Melkers

Kevin R Greenwood

Harold E Andrews

George H Hulderman

Stanley P Peterson

Juan A Perez

Mark L Bouchard

Ryan D Lamberton

John D Smith

Purna Gogineni

John O Breninger

A winged vehicle includes an elongated fuselage, and a wing mechanism affixed to the fuselage. The wing mechanism has a wing-support-body track affixed to and extending lengthwise along the fuselage, a translating wing-support body engaged to and translatable along the wing-support-body track, and exactly two deployable cantilevered wings. Each deployable cantilevered wing has a wing pivot mounted to the translating wing-support body so that the deployable cantilevered wing is pivotable about the translating wing-support body. The two deployable cantilevered wings are each pivotable between a stowed position and a deployed position. An actuation mechanism is operable to controllably move the translating wing-support body along the wing-support-body track and to controllably move the two deployable cantilevered wings between the stowed position and the deployed position.

Winged vehicle with variable-sweep cantilevered wing mounted on a translating wing-support body

The present invention concerns a method for designing a deployment mechanism for a flight surface on an airborne body, including the steps of determining a stowed position of the flight surface, determining a deployed position of the flight surface, identifying a first rotation axis and respective rotation angle and a second rotation axis and respective rotation angle about and through which the flight surface is rotatable in sequence to move the flight surface from the stowed position to the deployed position, or vice versa, and using the identified first and second rotation axes and rotation angles to determine a single equivalent rotation axis and angle, about and through which the flight surface can be rotated from the stowed position to the deployed position, or vice versa.

Method for designing a deployment mechanism

A deployment mechanism () in combination with a missile (), guided projectile () or other ordnance that automatically pivots and rotates a fin () from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation. The deployment mechanism () includes a tubular cam () having a retention mechanism () that retains the fin () simply and reliably in the stowed orientation. The tubular cam also guides the fin () quickly to the deployed orientation.

Deployment mechanism for stowable fins

A missile in combination with a deployment mechanism that automatically pivots and rotates a fin from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation. The deployment mechanism includes a spring that provides a biasing force that urges the fin to move quickly, simply and reliably from the stowed orientation to the deployed orientation. The deployment mechanism also includes one or more cams or the like for guiding the fin from the stowed orientation to the deployed orientation.

Missile having deployment mechanism for stowable fins

A passive suspension system for supporting an instrument relative to a rigid support structure while preserving angular alignment of the instrument. The suspension system includes an instrument platform, the instrument being secured to the platform, and first and second vibration isolator systems. The first ends of the isolator systems are attached to the rigid support structure so that axes of the vibration isolators extend transverse to the instrument axis. The first and second isolator systems resist motion transverse to the instrument axis and provide shock and vibration isolation transverse to the instrument axis. First, second and third stabilizing struts extend parallel to each other and the instrument axis, and are of equal length. A first set of bearings connects ends of the struts to the instrument platform in a spaced relationship, and allows motion transverse to the struts. A second set of bearings connects opposing ends of the struts to the rigid support structure in a spaced relationship. The second set of bearings permits motion transverse to the struts.

Instrument suspension system for preserving alignment

A mechanism locking and controllably releasing two space vehicles along a preselected separation axis. The mechanism including a mechanical lock/release and a spring separation device that controllably forces the two space vehicles apart. An electrical interconnect maintains electrical communication between the two space vehicles when locked together. The two space vehicles can be reliably separated by activating a single disengagement actuator.

Stage separation mechanism for space vehicles

An apparatus for uniformly applying a compressive force against a filament to pneumatically drive the filament or fiber optic cable against a capstan without any concentrated amount of stress at any point on the filament is effectuated by pneumatically forcing the filament into an equatorial V-groove defined in the capstan. Pneumatic pressure is applied to a predefined segment of the capstan by a pneumatic shoe having an internal shoe pressure chamber. The pressurized gas or air is applied to the segment from the chamber within the shoe into the proximity of the equatorial V-groove on the equator of a disc shaped capstan. The V-groove is vented to atmosphere so that the cable is forced or blown into the V-groove. Side and end clearances between the rotating capstan and the shoe are sized to allow the viscosity of the pressurized gas to operate to retard the escape of the pressurized gas from the predefined segment of the capstan. Annular interleaved baffles may also be provided on the equatorial surface of the capstan and the opposing surface of the shoe to provide additional frictional engagement between the pressurized gas and the elements in the proximity of the predetermined segment of the capstan. Utilizing such an arrangement, approximately 10 kilometers or more of filament can be paid out in approximately 32 seconds or less.

Pneumatic shoe for high speed filamentary capstan

A lens focusing mechanism 10 including a bracket 18 for retaining a lens 14. The bracket 18 has a bearing 22 attached thereto or integral therewith. The bearing 22 is eccentric relative to the leans 14 and is effective to move the lens 14 along an optical axis 16 thereof. Movement is effectuated by a drive mechanism 34 in a smooth manner and without lubrication. In a specific embodiment, the bearing 22 is eccentric and external to a cylindrical volume defined by the periphery of the lens 14.

Lens focusing mechanism

An apparatus and methodology for uniformly applying a compressive force against a filament to pneumatically drive the filament or fiber optic cable against a capstan without any concentrated amount of stress at any point on the filament is effectuated by pneumatically forcing the filament into an equatorial V-groove defined in the capstan. Pneumatic pressure is applied to a predefined segment of the capstan by a pneumatic shoe having an internal shoe pressure chamber. The pressurized gas or air is applied to the segment from the chamber within the shoe into the proximity of the equatorial V-groove on the equator of a disc shaped capstan. The V-groove is vented to atmosphere so that the cable is forced or blown into the V-groove. Side and end clearances between the rotating capstan and the shoe are sized to allow the viscosity of the pressurized gas to operate to retard the escape of the pressurized gas from the predefined segment of the capstan. Annular interleaved baffles may also be provided on the equatorial surface of the capstan and the opposing surface of the shoe to provide additional frictional engagement between the pressurized gas and the elements in the proximity of the predetermined segment of the capstan. Utilizing such an arrangement, approximately 10 kilometers or more of filament can be paid out in approximately 32 seconds or less.

An optical fiber bending stress proof tester 40 which provides multiple mandrels or roller elements 22 and 24 for applying compression and tension stresses to multiple planes on the periphery of an optical fiber 10. In one embodiment, first and second roller elements 22 and 24 are incorporated in a roller block 50 which is stable in either of two angular orientations with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fiber 10. The fiber 10 is bent in an S curve around the two rollers 22 and 24. The rollers 22 and 24 control the bend radius and therefore the stress induced in the outer fibers of the filament. In a specific extension of this embodiment, multiple sets of first and second roller elements are provided in additional roller blocks. Each block is stable in a first loading position and a second test position. In the test position, discrete planes around the entire periphery of the fiber are exposed to bending stress in a single pass through the tester. A device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention would effectively bend the fiber in several planes with a controlled bend radius. More significantly, the device would subject the fiber to high stress levels for a very short period of time thereby minimizing the possibility of damaging the fiber.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Rudolph Adolph Eisentraut