Abstract:
A rotating launcher system includes a plurality of rocket or missile housing tubes arranged in a circular pattern within a carousel, a set of frames, a cylindrical protective skin, an aerodynamically optimized nose cone with a bore, and an optional door covering the bore, enabling rockets or missiles to exit the launcher. The rotating launcher system may also include an aerodynamically optimized tail cone with a bore, and an optional door covering the bore, enabling exhaust from the rockets or missiles to exit the launcher. The rotating launcher system also includes an integral controller for an indexing motor, and an indexing motor enabling the bores of the nose and tail cones to align with different rockets or missiles in the carousel by either rotating the nose and tail cones, or by rotating the carousel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/119,065 filed Dec. 2, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to airborne rocket and missile launching systems and, more particularly, to an aerodynamically optimized rotating launcher. 
     Summary of the Invention 
     The rotating launcher disclosed is an airborne rocket and missile launching system designed to reduce drag. 
     In an embodiment, the rotating launcher system includes: a plurality of rocket or missile housing tubes arranged in a circular pattern within a carousel, a set of frames, a cylindrical protective skin, an aerodynamically optimized nose cone with a bore, and an optional door covering the bore, enabling rockets or missiles to exit the launcher. The rotating launcher system may also include an aerodynamically optimized tail cone with a bore, and an optional door covering the bore, enabling exhaust from the rockets or missiles to exit the launcher. The rotating launcher system also includes an integral controller for an indexing motor, and an indexing motor enabling the bores of the nose and tail cones to align with different rockets or missiles in the carousel by either rotating the nose and tail cones, or by rotating the carousel itself. 
     In the first configuration for the rotating launcher, an arming signal sent to the integral controller causes the doors over the bores of the nose and tail cones to open and create a clear path for the rocket or missile to exit the launcher. A subsequent firing signal causes the rocket or missile to fire and exit the launcher. Upon exit of the rocket or missile, the integral controller sends a signal to the indexing motor causing it to rotate the nose and tail cones by equal amounts either clockwise or counter-clockwise in order to align the bores of the nose and tail cones with another rocket or missile in the carousel. If the controller receives another firing signal it will repeat the launching sequence. If the controller receives a disarming signal, it will send a signal to the door actuators to close the optional doors covering the bores of the nose and tail cones, if applicable. In this configuration, the carousel is rigidly mounted, and the nose and tail cones are directly coupled together and to the indexing motor by coupled shafts and free to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the launcher based on the indexed position of the motor. 
     In a second configuration of the rotating launcher, the overall arming, firing and disarming sequences are the same as the first configuration, but the circular carousel housing the rockets or missiles is rotated instead of the nose and tail cones. In this configuration, the nose and tail cones are rigidly mounted and the carousel is coupled to the indexing motor and is free to rotate about the launcher&#39;s longitudinal axis based on the indexed position of the motor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings where like reference numbers indicate similar structure. 
         FIG. 1  is a representation of an embodiment of a rotating launcher with the nose and tail cone launch doors closed. 
         FIG. 2  is a representation of the rotating launcher of  FIG. 1  with the nose and tail cone launch doors opened. 
         FIG. 3  is a wire frame representation of the rotating launcher of  FIG. 1  with internal components visible. 
         FIG. 4  is a wire frame representation of the rotating launcher of  FIG. 1  with a shaded view of the indexing motor and shafts. 
         FIG. 5  is a wire frame representation of the rotating launcher of  FIG. 1  with a shaded view of the carousel frames and tubes. 
         FIG. 6  is a representation of the rotating launcher of  FIG. 1  with the nose cone removed and rockets or missiles visible. 
         FIG. 7  is a representation of the rotating launcher of  FIG. 1  with the nose and tail cones indexed to an initial position, the nose and tail cone doors opened, and a rocket or missile being fired out of the launcher. 
         FIG. 8  is a representation of the rotating launcher of  FIG. 1  with the nose and tail cones indexed to an alternate position, the nose and tail cone doors opened, and a rocket or missile armed and ready to fire. 
         FIG. 9  is a flow chart showing the signaling and control sequence for the rotating launcher. 
         FIG. 10  is a close up view of a portion of the rotating launcher of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of a rotating launcher  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Rotating launcher  100  is an airborne rocket or missile launcher designed to reduce drag. Rotating launcher  100  includes a nose cone  101 , skin  102  and a tail cone  103  designed with such a shape as to reduce aerodynamic drag. Nose and tail cones  101 / 103  have tapered outer surfaces to create the aerodynamic shape. Skin  102  is rigidly mounted to an airframe (not shown). Nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  each have a bore  201 ,  202 , shown in  FIG. 2 , coaxial to one another, and running parallel to the longitudinal axis  404  of the launcher, in order to enable a rocket or missile to exit launcher  100 . Bores  201 ,  202  may be covered by a nose cone door  301  and a tail cone door  302  to further optimize the rotating launcher. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the doors are closed during flight when the rockets or missiles are not needed. The nose cone door  301  and tail cone door  302  have the ability to open mid-flight to expose bores  201 ,  202 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , in order to create a clear path for the rocket or missile to exit launcher  100 . Although the figures show a single bore in each of the nose and tail cones, one skilled in the art would recognize that multiple bores may be utilized. For example, multiple concentric circles of launcher tubes may be utilized and separate bores may be aligned with each of the circles instead of a larger single bore. Further, bores may be provided 180 degrees apart and the nose or tail cone may rotate 180 degrees instead of 360 degrees. 
     The rockets or missiles  601 , shown in  FIG. 6 , are housed inside of tubes  501 , shown in  FIG. 5 , which are preferably arranged in a circular pattern about and the longitudinal axis of the launcher and equidistant from the longitudinal axis of the launcher. Additionally, the bore  201  in nose cone  101 , the bore  202  in tail cone  103 , and all of the tubes  501  are preferably equidistant from the longitudinal axis of launcher  100 . 
     In an embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , an indexing motor  401  is rigidly mounted to one of frames  502 . Nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  are free to rotate about the launcher&#39;s longitudinal axis  404 . Tubes  501  and frames  502  together form the carousel housing the rockets or missiles, and are rigidly mounted to skin  102 . Nose cone  101  is coupled to the rotating shaft of indexing motor  401  through shaft  402  and tail cone  103  is coupled to the rotating shaft of indexing motor  401  through shaft  403  such that any rotation of indexing motor  401  to any position causes nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  to rotate by equal amounts. Nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  may be coupled to shafts  402 / 403  using fasteners such as bolts, welding, or any other coupling known to those skilled in the art. Nose and tail cones  101 / 103  may be removably coupled to shafts  403 / 403 . Nose and tail cones  101 / 103  are rotatable relative to the carousel. In one embodiment shown in  FIG. 10 , a portion of nose cone  101  overlaps skin  102  of the carousel. Skin  102  includes a flange  110  such that there is a smooth transition between nose cone  101  and skin  102 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . Nose cone  101  may also abut skin  102 , or other suitable configurations may be used such that nose cone  101  is rotatable relative to skin  102 . The configuration shown in  FIG. 10  may also be used between skin  102  and tail cone  103 . Indexing motor  401  has the ability to rotate nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  through shafts  402  and  403  in such a way as to align bore  201  in nose cone  101  and bore  202  in tail cone  103  with any one of tubes  501 . Indexing motor  401  may be a stepper motor, a brushless DC motor with position sensors, or other suitable motors known to those skilled in the art. 
     Once bores  201 ,  202  in nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  are aligned with any one of tubes  501 , launcher  100  is ready to fire. Once fired, rocket or missile  601 , exits the launcher through nose cone  101  as seen in  FIG. 7 . Once rocket or missile  601  exits the launcher, indexing motor  401  rotates nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  to align bores  201 ,  202  of nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  with any one of the other tubes  501 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . Once rotation is complete and if the launcher is disarmed, optional nose cone door  301  and optional tail cone door  302  may be closed in order to minimize drag. Alternatively, nose cone door  301  and tail cone door  302  may stay open to enable the next rocket or missile to launch. 
     In another embodiment, indexing motor  401  is coupled to one of frames  502  such that rotation of indexing motor  401  causes a corresponding rotation of the frame  502 . Indexing motor  401  may be coupled to one of frames  502  using fasteners, for example, or by other means known to those skilled in the art. Nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  are rigidly mounted to skin  102  such that nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  do not rotate relative to skin  102 . Nose cone  101  and tail cone  103  are also preferably coupled to indexing motor  401  through shafts  402 ,  403  such that rotation of indexing motor  401  does not rotate nose cone  101  and tail cone  103 . Tubes  501  and frames  502  are coupled to each other and are free to rotate as a set (i.e., the carousel) about the launcher&#39;s longitudinal axis  404 . Due to indexing motor being mounted to one of frames  502 , any rotation of indexing motor  401  to any position causes tubes  501  and frames  502  to rotate by equal amounts. Indexing motor  401  has the ability to rotate tubes  501  and frames  502  in such as way as to align the bore  201  in nose cone  101  and the bore  202  in tail cone  103  with any one of the tubes  501 . Thus, similar to the embodiment described above, an aircraft (not shown) with launcher  100  attached to it can fly with reduced drag compared to a launcher without nose cone  101  or tail cone  103 . The aircraft can fly with the optional doors  301 ,  302  closed. When a missile or rocket  601  needs to be fired, doors  301 ,  302  are opened and the missile or rocket  601  is fired, leaving one of the tubes  501  empty. Indexing motor  401  is then rotated, thereby rotating tubes  501  and frames  502  such that one of the tubes  501  with a missile or rocket therein is aligned with bores  201 ,  202 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates the signaling and control sequence for the rotating launcher. An arming signal  902  is sent to the integral controller to open the optional doors over the bores of the nose and tail cones to create a clear path for the rocket or missile to exit the launcher. A subsequent firing signal  904  causes the rocket or missile to fire and exit the launcher. Upon exit of the rocket or missile, the integral controller sends a signal  906  to the indexing motor causing it to rotate the nose and tail cones by equal amounts either clockwise or counter-clockwise in order to align the bores of the nose and tail cones with another rocket or missile in the carousel. If the controller receives another firing signal it will repeat the launching sequence. If the controller receives a disarming signal  908 , it will send a signal to the door actuators to close the optional doors covering the bores of the nose and tail cones, if applicable. 
     The parts of the launcher system may be made of suitable materials known to those skilled in the art, for example, aluminum, carbon-fiber, and high temperature composite material. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, material selection may be made based on weight, strength, and other relevant characteristics of the material. In a non-limiting example, the skin of the system may be may be made of carbon fiber, the nose and tail cones may be made of carbon fiber and high temperature composite material, the frames may be made of aluminum, the shafts may be made of aluminum or steel, and the launcher tubes may be made of high temperature composite material. 
     While the particular rotating launcher implementations as herein disclosed and shown through the figures are fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages a rotating launcher system, they are merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and as such, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown. Further, while the embodiments have been described with a nose cone and a tail cone, one skilled in the art would recognize that a rotating launcher system with only one of a nose cone or tail cone may be utilized. Similarly, although the particular rotating launcher has been shown with five tubes to hold five missiles, it would be understood that a rotating launcher with more or less tubes and missiles is within the scope of this invention.