Aircraft controlled launch container for multiple stores

The disclosure shows a multi-store, electrically-operated sonobuoy launcher hat is connected to the sonobuoy launcher power system of the aircraft. The sonobuoys are sequentially stacked inside the launcher and current switching and blocking means regulate and direct pulses from a switch in the aircraft to ensure individual, single sonobuoy launches.

There are instances where it is desirable to launch a multitude of stores, 
for instance sonobuoys, over a selected area and from a transporting 
aircraft. These two requirements, in turn, dictate numerous other 
conditions to be satisfied: construction, cooperation and size of the 
aircraft interface and the equipment holding the buoys; a means to 
energize this equipment and eject a buoy at the proper time and speed; and 
safety, convenience and efficiency of design as regards to storage and 
handling. With certain types of aircraft, there are specific requirements 
that any add-on equipment must meet over and above any mission essential 
requirements. This becomes especially true when state-of-the-art 
electronics is incorporated into the package. 
In one particular program, the aircraft that delivered the sonobuoys was 
well-suited to the type of mission desired. Accordingly, the launcher that 
would be used would have to mechanically and electrically connect into 
that particular aircraft's systems. The launcher had to be triggered 
either manually by a 15 volt, indefinite pulse or by an on-board computer 
and a 15 volt, 70 msec pulse, and it had to have compatible interlocking 
structure where it interfaced with the aircraft. It is also necessary to 
have such a launcher where only one buoy could be fired per launch pulse, 
although a plurality of buoys were carried simultaneously. Additionally, 
again because of the sensitive electronics involved and the 
launcher/aircraft physical configuration, it was necessary that no 
electro-explosive devices be used, and that whenever a buoy was launched, 
it would leave the launch container at at least 15 feet per second minimum 
velocity. Finally, due to space limitations, no external power source, 
such as batteries, would be used, i.e. the system would have to work off 
of only aircraft power. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi-store 
launcher that will mechanically and electrically interface with existing 
transporting aircraft. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a multi-store 
launcher that only receives launch signals and power from the transporting 
aircraft. 
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a 
multi-store launcher that carries electrical means to switch the launch 
signal to the next sequential store. 
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide such a 
launcher with electrical means to prevent more than one store from being 
launched at a time. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are 
achieved by providing a tubular launch container filled sequentially with 
sonobuoys, or similar devices, that directly connects, electrically and 
mechanically, with an existing aircraft to allow an operator in the 
aircraft to control individual launches of the buoys. Individual 
compressed gas cartridges, activated by a spring-biased striker that is 
released upon failure of a burn-resistor, provide propulsion to an 
individual buoy to eject it at the proper velocity. An electrical circuit 
in the launcher, using a silicon controlled rectifier and a capacitor, 
controls power from the aircraft system and regulates and directs it to 
ensure a successful launch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, 
FIG. 1 shows a partially broken away perspective view of the fuselage of 
an aircraft 10 that can be used to carry and dispense stores, such as 
munitions or sonobuoys. These stores, such as sonobuoys 23a-f, are placed 
in launch containers 15 (as seen in FIG. 2) which are then packed, in the 
regular manner, into individual chutes 12 located in the belly 11 of the 
plane. FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal view of an individual launch container 
15, with phantom lines for the inside walls of chute 12, having portions 
cutaway to show greater detail. Container 15 is a tubular shaped body with 
a breech end 16 and a discharge end 25 and can be made from any 
lightweight, but rigid, material such as ABS plastic or aluminum. 
Container 15 is snapped into fitting contact, through flange 18 at the 
breech end thereof, with the inner, dome-shaped structure 39 of chute 12 
so that a thin contact plate 38 atop control module 22 rests inside 
receptacle 23 and touches aircraft power lead 40. Container 15 has a 
centrally-situated control module 22 removably inserted at its breech end 
and an integral wiring harness, composed of power lead 14 and return leads 
17a-f, such as copper strips, running from module 22 to each of a 
plurality of launch assemblies 20a-f, respectively. Leads 17a-f and power 
lead 14 are bonded along the inner bore of container 15. As will be 
discussed, stores 20a-f are ejected through discharge end 25. 
Each launch assembly 20a-f comprises a pressure plate 21a-f, each 
removeably secured by a pair of breakaway shear pins 19a-f, a store 23a-f 
and a gas generator and obturator package 28a-f. As shown more clearly in 
the cutaway portions of FIG. 2, a launch assembly is created by first 
inserting a gas generator and obturator package, a store and then a 
pressure plate held in place by pins 19. Each plate 21a-f can be made of a 
similar plastic material as container 15 and is made of sufficient 
thickness to accommodate the ends of pins 19a-f. Pins 19a-f are fastened 
through apertures 24a-24 f in predetermined locations in the sides of 
container 15 and forced into smaller diameter holes 27 in matching 
locations in plates 21. Each plate 21 is made to a prespecified diameter 
that ensures a snug, airtight fit inside of container 15 that will 
withstand a greater pressure than pins 19a-f. Pins 19a-f are made with a 
defect therein, as is known, to guarantee that they will shear off when an 
appropriate predetermined pressure is applied. 
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional plan view of container 15 taken along lines 
III--III of FIG. 2 showing the inside of gas generator and obturator 
package 28a. Packages 28a-28f can be made from a combination of ABS 
plastic shell 25 filled with polyurethane or other similar material to 
secure and cushion parts therein and are appropriately sized to fit 
snuggly inside container 15 with gas escape holes 57 cut through the 
bottom, as shown. Each package 28 comprises a source of compressed gas, 
such as gas cartridge 26, and an electro-mechanical firing mechanism 30. 
Cartridge 26 is securely held in place by a molded hollow indentation 29 
in the wall of package 28 and a plastic receptacle 32. A thin metal 
hermetic seal 33 is placed over cartridge 26 to retain the pressurized gas 
therein, as is known in the art. 
Mechanism 30 comprises a pivoting striker 35, rotatable on a predetermined 
pivot point 37, that has at one end, a sharp spike 39, and at the other 
end, a biasing means, such as helical tension spring 42 of predetermined 
strength. Striker 35 is restrained, initially, to the open position shown 
in full by a burn resistor 44, connecting ends of restraining wire 46. 
Wire 46 is connected into the firing circuitry, as will be explained, such 
that, on one end, a spring-mounted plunger 48, which is electrically 
connected by compression spring 51 to wire lead 53, maintains contact with 
a positive lead 14 and, on the other end, terminal 56 is connected via 
wire lead 59 to rivet 22 which is connected to SCR anode by by any of 
leads 17a-17f. 
FIG. 4 shows schematically the circuit used to sequentially fire a store, 
or buoy 23. The aircraft circuitry that provides the appropriate 28 volt 
signal at aircraft power lead 40 is surrounded by the dashed line and is 
essentially comprised of a combination of the manual (off-line) circuit 
and the computer-controlled (on-line) circuit, as shown. One of a 
plurality of launch chutes 12 can be chosen by either manual selection, 
from a spring-loaded, contact switch 81, or automatically, as by computer 
83. Either signal is then fed through an SCR Driver 85 to SCR 87. 
As seen in FIG. 4, the launch circuitry inside control module 22 consists 
principally of a blocking capacitor 91, a second SCR 93, a diode 95 that 
prevents transient signals from feeding back and resistors 96, 97 and 98. 
Resistor 96 acts to limit the current moving through the circuit; resistor 
97 is a bleed resistor; and resistor 98 allows interrogation signals from 
the aircraft circuitry to determine if this particular chute is loaded 
with sonobuoys. One working circuit has a 2.0 uf capacitor 91, a 430 ohm 
resistor 96, a 51,000 ohm resistor 97 and a 10 ohm resistor 98. As the 
signal is sent to buoy 23a and resistor 44a fails, buoy 23a will be 
discharged. As buoy 23a leaves its space in launcher 15, a micro-switch 60 
completes the circuit for the next store 23b such that the next pulse will 
cause burn resistor 44b to fail and so forth. 
Operation 
A plurality of buoys 23a-f are packed into each launch assembly 15 and, as 
each individual buoy is secured, normally-closed switch 60 is opened. 
Assemblies 15 are then secured into chutes 12. A buoy may be launched 
manually when an operator selects a chute 12 and depresses switch 81. 
Closing this switch applies 28 volts D.C. simultaneously to SCR Driver 85 
and Driver relay 89. This signal will cause relay 89 to close, thereby 
completing the circuit to the chute selected (as at 40). SCR Driver 85, 
after a 50 ms delay, sends a short pulse to the SCR trigger and turns on 
SCR 87 applying 28 volts to the launcher. The delay insures that relay 89 
is fully closed before the SCR turns on. SCR 87 will remain on as long as 
switch 81 is depressed; as soon as switch 81 opens, relay 89 will open and 
SCR 87 will turn off, thus stopping the signal. When buoy launch is in the 
automatic mode, computer 83 selects the chute and sends a firing pulse 
thru launch control buffer relay 84. At the proper time, relay 84 applies 
28 volts to SCR Driver 85 and relay 89. Further sequence of operations is 
similar to the off-line mode, as described above, except that the pulse 
duration is limited to 70 ms, or some other computer preset value. 
SCR 87 directs an appropriate pulse of power from the aircraft thru copper 
strip 14 to a predetermined burn resistor 44, causing it to fail. Burn 
resistor 44 can be either a standard 1 ohm carbon resistor or a composite 
of a small gauge nichrome wire coiled around a 30/1000 inch thick segment 
of Dacron TM cord. Once burn resistor 44 fails, two independent actions 
will happen: firstly, the spring tension in spring 42 will overcome 
restraining wire 46 allowing spike 39 to puncture seal 33 and release the 
compressed gas and also the failure of burn resistor 44 breaks the circuit 
to the mode of SCR 93, thus turning that SCR off. Capacitor 91 remains in 
a fully charged condition as long as an aircraft pulse is present and this 
precludes current from flowing to the trigger of SCR 93. In this way, SCR 
93 cannot be turned on even though switch 60 is closed for the next store 
23 to be fired. When the aircraft pulse is finally removed by relay 89 
opening, capacitor 91 discharges thru resistors 97 and 98. With capacitor 
91 discharged, SCR 93 is ready to be turned on again by the application of 
another firing pulse from the aircraft firing circuitry. Escaping gas from 
cartridge 26 forces buoy 23a to break shear pins 19a and eject at a 
predetermined rate, not less than 15 feet per second, along with plate 
21a. As store 23a exits, the next switch 60 is allowed to close to 
complete the circuit to ready buoy 23b for discharge. Remaining buoys are 
discharged in like manner. 
Finally, while the multi-store launcher has been described with reference 
to a particular embodiment, it should be understood that the embodiment is 
merely illustrative as there are numerous variations and modifications 
which may be made by those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention is to 
be construed as being limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended 
claims.