USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Stanley J Olson

Stephen F Oliver

Antonio M Amaral

Robert F Doleski

Chahee P Cho

Anthony N Corvelli

Jonathan M Ferreira

An apparatus for determining the strength of composite sandwich beam in which an enclosure and insertable bladder is provided. The apparatus comprises positioning a bladder within the enclosure. The beam to be tested is slid through a cutout or aperture of the enclosure with support feet holding the beam in place within the enclosure. The enclosure supports the bladder sides with one face of the bladder pressuring the composite sandwich beam. For testing, water is pumped under pressure through a fitting into the bladder. The tolerances between the beam, enclosure and an extrusion seal do not allow the bladder to squeeze outward with the result being measurable testing pressure on the face of the composite beam.

Test apparatus to determine the shear strength of a composite sandwich beam under a high hydrostatic load

A tailcone assembly for an undersea vehicle includes a first tailcone portion having a cavity and a second tailcone portion positionable in and axially extensible from the cavity. An extensible drive shaft is provided for joining the vehicle's engine to a propeller. The extensible drive shaft includes a first drive shaft joined to the engine, and a second drive shaft rotating with the first drive shaft. The second drive shaft is supported by the second tailcone portion and is axially extensible from the first drive shaft upon deployment of the second portion. The propeller is positioned on the second drive shaft outside the second portion. A biasing means is provided between the tailcone portions for deploying the second portion.

Unmanned underwater vehicle tailcone assembly

In a submarine countermeasure vehicle and launch assembly the vehicle includes a forward end portion, an aft end portion provided with a propeller and fins, a hull portion extending between the forward and aft portions, the hull portion being circular in cross-section, and a thrust ring mounted on the fins and around the propeller, the thrust ring forming a convex configuration. The launch assembly includes a launch tube for retaining and launching the vehicle, a ram plate moveable in the launch tube to push the vehicle out an end of the launch tube, the ram plate having an engagement surface for contact with the thrust ring, the engagement surface being at least in part of a concave configuration. In a launch operation, the concave surface of the ram plate engages the convex configuration of the thrust ring.

Submarine countermeasure and launch assembly

A tailcone assembly for a submarine countermeasure includes a generally hemispherically shaped shell having a planar aft end and an annular open forward end. Fins are fixed to the shell equidistantly around the shell externally thereof, each of the fins having a planar outboard surface extending aft and inboard of the shell. Connector structure is on the forward end of the shell for connecting to an aft end of the countermeasure. A first aperture is disposed in a side of the shell and a cable extends from inside the shell therethrough. A second aperture extends through one of the fins and the cable extends therethrough. An opening is disposed centrally of the shell aft end, extends therethrough, and is adapted to retain a shaft assembly therein.

Tailcone assembly for a submarine countermeasure

A torpedo mounted dispenser for a coil of flex hose and control wire includes a rigid shell round in widthwise cross section, and a circular shock mount disposed centrally of the shell, the shell and the shock mount defining an annular chamber therebetween. Hooks are mounted on an exterior wall of the shell. Slots are defined by the shell, each slot being proximate one of the hooks. A retainer ring is disposed in the chamber. Retainer loops each extend at least partly around the retainer ring, through one of the slots, and is attached to one of the hooks. The coil of flex hose and control wire is disposed in the chamber and is movable lengthwise through the retainer ring while uncoiling and paying out from the dispenser.

Torpedo mounted dispenser for a coil of flex hose and control wire

A pressure balanced floating seal system positioned within a structure about a rotating shaft. The floating seal system has a cylindrical outer seal housing having a cylindrical internal recessed region formed in the outer seal housing with a retaining flange extending into said internal recessed region. A cylindrical inner seal housing is positioned within the internal recessed region. The inner seal housing has an annular internal surface for accommodating the rotating shaft. Two sealing member retaining grooves are formed in the inner seal housing annular internal surface and a lubricant recess is formed between the two grooves. An intermediate seal is retained on the forward side of the inner seal housing forward face between the inner seal housing and the outer seal housing at the retaining flange. Sealing members are positioned in the sealing member retaining grooves at substantially the same radius as the intermediate seal.

Axially pressure balanced floating seal system

A radially pressure balanced floating seal system is used to seal a rotating shaft, such as a drive shaft in a torpedo, or other type of vehicle or machinery. The radially pressure balanced floating seal includes an outer seal housing and an inner seal housing that floats with respect to the outer seal housing. The outer seal housing is secured proximate the shaft bearings, for example, in the tail cone of a torpedo. The inner seal housing is secured within an internal recessed region in the outer seal housing, and two or more discrete torque members or one distributed torque member extend from the outer seal housing to the inner seal housing to prevent rotation of the inner seal housing while allowing movement generally in a radial direction. The inner seal housing includes a lubricant recess formed within an internal annular aperture of the inner seal housing for containing lubricant. Double canted O-rings are disposed on each side of the lubricant recess in double canted O-ring grooves. The double canted grooves and O-rings prevent unbalanced radial forces that might cause rubbing of the shaft against the seal housing. In one embodiment, the lubricant recess is double canted to also minimize the sealing length.

Radially pressure balanced floating seal system

A compact floating seal system for sealing a rotating shaft within a structure. The floating seal system has a cylindrical outer seal housing positioned within the structure with a cylindrical internal recessed region formed in the outer seal housing and a retaining flange extending into the internal recessed region. An axial retaining means axially retains the outer seal housing against the structure, and an outer torque member prevents rotation of the outer seal housing with respect to the structure. An inner seal housing is retained within the internal recessed region and abuts the retaining flange for preventing axial movement of the housing. The inner seal housing has a shaft aperture therethrough. First and second sealing member retaining grooves formed within the shaft aperture retain O-rings. A lubricant recess is formed within the shaft aperture between the grooves. A rotation prevention means allows radial deflection of the inner seal housing within the outer seal housing but prevents rotation of the inner seal housing with respect to the outer seal housing.

Compact drive shaft floating seal system

The insertion tool is used to insert an oversized O-ring into a groove, such as a internal groove in an seal housing. The insertion tool includes a base for supporting the housing and an O-ring support extending into the housing and having a top support surface generally aligned with the groove. The O-ring is generally held into position proximate the groove using holding pins around which the O-ring is looped. Pie shaped segments are positioned onto the O-ring support between the holding pins to secure respective sections of the O-ring into the groove. Radial pushers are positioned in spaces between each of the segments, and a retainer ring is disposed over the segments and radial pushers. A central pusher rod extends through a hole in the O-ring support and base, and a cam plunger engages cam surfaces on the radial pushers. The holding pins are removed and movement of the cam plunger causes the radial pushers to move radially, thereby completely inserting the O-ring into the groove.

Insertion tool for inserting an O-ring into an internal O-ring

A joint band assembly secures payload and drive sections of a torpedo together and subsequently separates them while the torpedo is making a run. A pair of essentially semicircular bands is arranged in a ring shape have radially inwardly extending lip portions that compressively engage circumferential rims radially outwardly extending from a separation section having first and second parts connected to the payload and drive sections. Adjacent ends of the semicircular bands are coupled together by electro-explosive devices (EEDs) that each has a tubular body portion containing an explosive charge adjacent an annular segment of the tubular body portion. The annular segment has reduced thickness as compared to thickness of the tubular body portion to assure its rupture and separation of the body portion and the interconnected bands. The serial arrangement of bands and EEDs assures separation in the event that one of the electro-explosive devices should fail to detonate, and safety wire and a bonding agent hold separated parts together after detonation to prevent scattering of fragments and possible damage to the payload or drive sections.

Torpedo joint band with in-water separation capability utilizing frangible link EEDs

Three extender assemblies are mounted on the torpedo-mounted dispenser (TMD) of a torpedo to provide shock hardening of the TMD. In a first embodiment, the extender assemblies consist of short sections of metal tubes mounted on inner plate portions. The inner plate portions are bent to conform to the TMD radius and attach to the TMD such that the metal tubes are aligned longitudinally on the TMD. Outer plates are attached to the tubes and are in contact with the dolly used to support the torpedo and TMD. When the dolly the TMD is subjected to a shock load, the tubes deform to take up shock loads applied to the TMD through the dolly. To attach the assemblies to the TMD, slots on each inner plate are positioned over hooks on the outside surface of the TMD. The hooks are part of the TMD assembly and serve to secure o-ring or spring retainers for the cable within the TMD. An eye bolt fits over the hook and is bolted to a bent tab on the inner plate. To facilitate loading of the TMD into or out of the dolly, the ends of the tubes and plates are chamfered. In a second embodiment, the tubes are aligned circumferentially about the TMD.

Shock hardening device for torpedo-mounted dispensers on torpedoes

A fin assembly for effecting guidance of a vehicle through a fluid medium cludes an electromagnet fixed in a portion of the vehicle, and a rigid shaft fixed to a hull portion of the vehicle and extending outwardly therefrom and in alignment with the electromagnet. A fin is rotatably mounted on the shaft and is, at least in part, a permanent magnet. A switch assembly is provided in the vehicle for effecting in a first portion of the electromagnet an attractive force between the electromagnet and the permanent magnet, and in a second portion of the electromagnet a repelling force therebetween, to cause the fin to rotate on the shaft in a selected direction to effect the guidance of the vehicle.

Fin assembly for a vehicle

A flexible drive shaft coupling with two stage torsional flexibility. The exible drive shaft coupling allows axial, radial, and bending misalignment of the input and output shafts while vibrationally isolating the shafts from one another. At low torque, power is transmitted from the input shaft through an elastomeric ring to the output shaft. At higher torque the elastomeric ring is deformed to allow contact between a less resilient snubber assembly and a drive plate mechanically connected to the output shaft. Power is transmitted through less resilient snubber assemblies which provide for greater power transmission. The axis of the coupling can be provided with a flexible spool assembly to allow transmission of exhaust mass from the input shaft to the output shaft.

Growing community of inventors

Newport, RI, United States of America

Stanley J Olson