GB1605389A - Improvements in launching arrangements for missiles - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN LAUNCHING ARRANGEMENTS FOR MISSILES (71)WE, SHORT BROTHERS & HARLAND LIMITED, a Northern Ireland Company, of Airport Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to launching arrangements for missiles under command guidance control.

In our copending British Application No.

7298/63 (Specification No 1605400), there is described a missile which is eminently suitable for use by armed land forces against attacks by aircraft flying at low level. A launcher for the missile is required which can easily be carried by one man and held by him during firing of the missile so that he can direct the missile against an approaching aircraft.

The launcher conveniently consists of a long cylindrical tube carried on a supporting structure which can be held by the operator or carried for example on his shoulder. With the missile mounted in the tube the latter may be directed by the operator toward the target and the missile rocket motor fired so that the missile is ejected forwardly out of the tube at considerable speed.

The missile is provided with an electrical control apparatus for guiding the missile in its flight in response to command signals transmitted from a radio transmitter controlled by the operator at the ground station and it is necessary to provide on the missile a radio receiving aerial for receiving the command signals from the transmitter. It is highly desirable to provide a simple form of receiving aerial on the missile and to arrange for this to be accommodated in the launcher and it is an object of the present invention to provide a missile and launcher assembly facilitating the housing of the receiving aerial in the launcher and its deployment when the missile is fired.

According to the present invention there is provided a missile and launcher assembly in which a receiving aerial provided on the missile is in the form of a long flexible cable of wire secured at one end to the missile so that it can trail from the missile when the latter is in the flight, the trailing portion being secured to the launcher when the missile is housed therein, and the means and manner of attachment of the trailing portion to the launcher being such that when the missile is fired successive parts of the trailing portion are in turn detached from the launcher so that the aerial finally takes up a trailing position from the missile when the latter leaves the launcher.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:- Fig. 1 is a broken perspective view of the front end of a missile and launcher assembly according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a section of a part of the launcher shown in Fig. 1 drawn to a larger scale, and Fig. 3 is a section of a further part of the launcher shown in Fig. 1. taken on the line m m in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, a missile 11 comprises a main body portion 12 upon the forward end of which is mounted a nose portion 13 arranged for free rotation about the longitudinal axis of the missile.The nose portion 13 carries a pair of elevator control surfaces 14 and 15 and a pair of aileron control surfaces one of which is shown in Fig.l and indicated by the reference numeral 16. Upon the main body portion 12 of the missile is arranged a metal sleeve 17 which can freely slide along the body portion 12 and is provided with four equiangularly spaced radially projecting fins 18 welded to the sleeve 17.

The missile Il is mounted in a launcher 19 comprising a metal tube 20 of slightly larger diameter than the sleeve 17 and in the preferred arrangement the tube 20 is mounted on the upper end of a vertically arranged support (not shown) for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, and the support is adapted to rest upon the shoulder of the operator who is also provided with a handle control bar mounted on the launcher tube 20 and by means of which he can direct the tube 20 at the required angle of elevation, and by turning round with the launcher follow the target.

The missile 11 is mounted in the launcher tube 20 as shown in Fig. 1 by bringing the sleeve 17 carrying the stabilising fins 18 forward on the main body portion 12 of the missile and inserting the missile, with its rear end first, into the forward end of the tube 20, the sleeve 17 being held forward of the launcher tube 20 by abutrnent of the fins 18 with the ends of slots 21 cut into the forward end of the tube 20 and fixed by a weak "shear pin" arrangement as shown in Fig.

3. Referring to Fig. 3 the shear pin arrangement comprises a leaf spring 201 secured at one end by a rivet 202 to the tube 20 and carrying at its other end a shear pin 203 which engages in a locating hole in the sleeve 17 so as to hold the latter in relation to the tube 20. A square metal flange 22 is welded to the forward end of the tube 20 and is, as shown, formed with a forwardly turned edge 23 and for transportation and storage the forward end of the missile 11 is protected by a pyramidal cap or cover 24 which is placed over the nose portion 13 and the sleeve 17 with its stabilising fins 18 and which fits on to the edge 23 of the flange 22. In preparation for firing the missile the protective cap 24 is removed.

A long flexible wire 25 is employed for the receiving aerial of the missile and is attached at one end to the main body portion 12 of the missile, the wire passing over the sleeve 17 and back to the flange 22 where it is laid turn upon turn in a channel formed by the edge 23 and a rail 26. The turns are held in place by tear-off strips 27.

In preparation for firing the missile, the protective cap 24 is removed. The launcher tube 20 is then directed by the operator towards a target and the rocket motor of the missile fired, whereupon the missile 11 is projected forwardly in the tube and ejected from the forward end thereof at high speed. The sleeve 17 carrying the stabilising fins 18, being free on the main body portion 12 of the missile, is almost instantaneously gathered by the rear end of the missile as the latter leaves the end of the launcher tube 20, the shear pin 203 breaking and releasing the sleeve 17 from the tube 20. Successive turns of the coiled portion of the aerial wire 25 are in turn pulled out of the channel and the wire deployed behind the missile during its flight.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A missile and launcher assembly in which a receiving aerial provided on the missile is the form of a long flexible cable or wire secured at one end to the missile so that it can trail from the missile when the latter is in flight, the trailing portion being secured to the launcher when the missile is housed therein, and the means and manner of attachment of the trailing portion to the launcher being such that when the missile is fired successive parts of the trailing portion are in turn detached from the launcher so that the aerial finally takes up a trailing position from the missile when the latter leaves the launcher.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the launcher comprises a cylindrical metal tube within which the missile can be slidably mounted and wherein the tube is provided with a large flange which is arranged at the forward end of the tube and to which the trailing portion of the aerial is removably attached.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein the trailing portion of the aerial is mounted on said flange in the form of a coil round the launcher tube.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein the coil is held in place by tear-off strips so that successive turns of the coil are in tum detached from the flange.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein the flange is formed with a peripheral groove within which the trailing portion is laid turn upon turn.

6. A missile and launcher assembly substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. carrying the stabilising fins 18 forward on the main body portion 12 of the missile and inserting the missile, with its rear end first, into the forward end of the tube 20, the sleeve 17 being held forward of the launcher tube 20 by abutrnent of the fins 18 with the ends of slots 21 cut into the forward end of the tube 20 and fixed by a weak "shear pin" arrangement as shown in Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 3 the shear pin arrangement comprises a leaf spring 201 secured at one end by a rivet 202 to the tube 20 and carrying at its other end a shear pin 203 which engages in a locating hole in the sleeve 17 so as to hold the latter in relation to the tube 20. A square metal flange 22 is welded to the forward end of the tube 20 and is, as shown, formed with a forwardly turned edge 23 and for transportation and storage the forward end of the missile 11 is protected by a pyramidal cap or cover 24 which is placed over the nose portion 13 and the sleeve 17 with its stabilising fins 18 and which fits on to the edge 23 of the flange 22. In preparation for firing the missile the protective cap 24 is removed. A long flexible wire 25 is employed for the receiving aerial of the missile and is attached at one end to the main body portion 12 of the missile, the wire passing over the sleeve 17 and back to the flange 22 where it is laid turn upon turn in a channel formed by the edge 23 and a rail 26. The turns are held in place by tear-off strips 27. In preparation for firing the missile, the protective cap 24 is removed. The launcher tube 20 is then directed by the operator towards a target and the rocket motor of the missile fired, whereupon the missile 11 is projected forwardly in the tube and ejected from the forward end thereof at high speed. The sleeve 17 carrying the stabilising fins 18, being free on the main body portion 12 of the missile, is almost instantaneously gathered by the rear end of the missile as the latter leaves the end of the launcher tube 20, the shear pin 203 breaking and releasing the sleeve 17 from the tube 20. Successive turns of the coiled portion of the aerial wire 25 are in turn pulled out of the channel and the wire deployed behind the missile during its flight. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A missile and launcher assembly in which a receiving aerial provided on the missile is the form of a long flexible cable or wire secured at one end to the missile so that it can trail from the missile when the latter is in flight, the trailing portion being secured to the launcher when the missile is housed therein, and the means and manner of attachment of the trailing portion to the launcher being such that when the missile is fired successive parts of the trailing portion are in turn detached from the launcher so that the aerial finally takes up a trailing position from the missile when the latter leaves the launcher.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the launcher comprises a cylindrical metal tube within which the missile can be slidably mounted and wherein the tube is provided with a large flange which is arranged at the forward end of the tube and to which the trailing portion of the aerial is removably attached.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein the trailing portion of the aerial is mounted on said flange in the form of a coil round the launcher tube.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein the coil is held in place by tear-off strips so that successive turns of the coil are in tum detached from the flange.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein the flange is formed with a peripheral groove within which the trailing portion is laid turn upon turn.

6. A missile and launcher assembly substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.