Aerial missile having multiple submissiles with individual control of submissible ejection

An aerial missile carrying multiple launching tubes for submissiles in a circular locus about the longitudinal axis of the aerial missile has independent activating means for each said launching tube to pivot the rear discharge end of each launching tube radially outwardly from the aerial missile. Means for ejecting the individual submissile rearwardly from the launching tube are provided. In one embodiment, a single gas generator activates the launching tube and ejects the submissile. Multiple pyrotechnic charges are provided in one embodiment to establish the ejection velocity of the submissile.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to an aerial missile containing multiple submissiles 
which can be individually ejected from the aerial missile in a direction 
which is generally opposite to the path of the missile. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Aerial missiles containing multiple submissiles are described in copending 
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 107,023, filed Dec. 26, 1979, now U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,372,216. Therein the aerial missile includes multiple launch 
tubes, each containing a submissile which can be ejected in a direction 
opposite to the path of the aerial missile. The launch tubes function in 
groups concurrently to discharge a volley of submissiles in response to a 
common actuator. The flexibility of the aerial missile could be greatly 
increased if the submissiles could be individually launched from the 
aerial missile without need to activate an entire group of launch tubes. 
The flexibility of the aerial missile could be further increased if the 
individual submissiles could be discharged at selected ejection 
velocities. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention, an aerial missile having multiple 
submissile launching tubes is provided wherein each of the submissile 
launching tubes is individually operable and is secured to the aerial 
missile by a mounting means which permits pivotal movement from an 
inactive position wherein the launching tube is generally parallel to the 
longitudinal axis of the aerial missile into an activated position wherein 
the rear portion of the launching tube is pivoted outwardly away from the 
aerial missile. According to the present invention appropriate power 
operated means are provided to accomplish the pivoting movement of each 
launching tube into its activated position. The power operated means are 
secured at one end to a structural component of the aerial missile and are 
secured at the other end to the launching tube at a location which is 
remote from the pivotal mounting means. The power operated means may be a 
cylinder and piston with gas generating means to advance the piston within 
the cylinder. In a preferred embodiment, a structural restraint is 
provided to limit the pivotal movement of the launching tube in its 
activated position. In a further embodiment, the gas generating means for 
activating each launching tube is a pyrotechnic charge. In a still further 
embodiment, the gas generating means has sufficient gas to pivot the 
launching tube and also to eject a submissile from the launching tube. ln 
a still further embodiment, a gas generating means is mounted within each 
launching tube. 
In another embodiment, the gas generating means includes multiple 
pyrotechnic charges and means for activating one or more of the 
pyrotechnic charges to establish the ejection velocity of the submissile 
from the launching tube. In a still further embodiment, a single gas 
generating means is provided for more than one of the launching tubes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
An aerial missile 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 corresponding to that 
described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 107,023, supra. 
The aerial missile 10 contains multiple groups 11 of launching tubes 12. 
The two forward groups 11a, 11b have their launching tubes 12a, 12b 
pivoted outwardly for rearward ejection of submissiles which are contained 
within those tubes. The operation of the rearward discharge missiles is 
more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The launching tubes 12b of the 
group 11b, in their normal flight position, FIG. 2, are aligned 
essentially parallel with the longitudinal axis 13 of the aerial missile 
10. According to the prior art, the entire group 11b of launching tubes 
12b can be activated by means of a power source 14 which pivots the 
launching tubes 12b about a forward pivotal mounting 15 for each of the 
tubes 12b. Preferably, each of the launching tubes 12b has a shield 
surface 16 which is a cylindrical fragment, as shown in FIG. 3 
When the launching tubes 12b are in the activated position, FIG. 3, a 
submissile 17 is rearwardly ejected from the launching tube 12b by means 
of a pyrotechnic charge schematically illustrated in detonation at 18. The 
submissiles 17 are ejected from the aerial missile 10 and assume 
independent flight toward a target. 
According to the present invention, FIGS. 4 and 5, the flexibility of the 
aerial missile 10 can be greatly increased if the aerial missile has the 
ability to activate less than a complete group 11 of launching tubes 12 
and to eject submissiles 17 independently. 
According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, this result can be 
achieved by providing for each launching tube 12 a forward pivotal 
mounting means 15 and a power operated means 19 which is secured at one 
end to a structural component 20 of the aerial missile and is secured at 
the other end to the launching tube 12 at a location 21 which is remote 
from the pivotal mounting 15. A typical power operated means 19 is 
illustrated in FIG. 8 including a cylinder chamber 22 in which a piston 23 
is slideably positioned and connected to a piston arm 24. The power 
operated means 19 is secured to the structural component 20. A gas 
generator 25 communicates with the cylinder chamber 22 and supplies 
pressurized gases when activated by an appropriate signal delivered from a 
controller 26 (FIG. 6) through wiring or tubing 27. The piston 23 advances 
and forces the piston arm 24 against the securing location 21 whereby the 
launching tube 12 pivots outwardly away from the aerial missile to permit 
ejection of a single submissile. Some restraining means is provided, 
schematically indicated in FIG. 6 as a cable 28 which is connected at one 
end to a bracket 29 which is connected to the structural component 20 and 
connected at the other end to a bracket 30 which is secured to the 
launching tube 12 remote from the forward pivotal mounting 15. 
Several alternative embodiments of the power operated means 19 are 
illustrated in FIG. 7. The means 19a corresponds to that already 
illustrated in FIG. 6. The means 19b is secured to the launching tube 12 
and the piston arm 24b is pivotally connected to the structural component 
20. The power operated means 19c is similar to 19a except that the piston 
arm 24c is connected to the launching tube 12 along the peripheral 
lengthwise surface of the launching tube. The power operated means 19d is 
secured to the peripheral wall of the launching tube 12 and the piston arm 
24d is secured to the structural component 20 of the aerial missile. A 
circular power operated means 19e is more fully illustrated in FIG. 9 
wherein an expansion chamber 31 is an annular space about a cylindrical 
shaft 32 which is geared to a shaft 33 which is fixed with respect to the 
aerial missile. An annular piston 34 is secured to the cylindrical shaft 
32. When a gas generator 35 is activated, the gas pressure increases in 
the expansion chamber 31 causing the annular piston 34 and the shaft 32 to 
rotate about the fixed shaft 33 in the direction indicated by the arrow 
36. The launching tube (not shown in FIG. 9) is secured to the shaft 32 
and is caused to pivot in the direction shown by the arrow 36 about the 
fixed shaft 33. 
Submissile Ejection 
FIG. 10 shows a submissile 17 mounted within a launching tube 12. 
Immediately following activation of the launching tube 12 into a pivoted 
position, the submissile 17 is energetically ejected rearwardly by means 
of a pyrotechnic charge 37 which is detonated by means of an appropriate 
initiator 38 under the influence of a controller 39. An appropriate sabot 
40 fills the bore of the launching tube 12 and centers the submissile 17 
throughout the ejection. The sabot 40 separates from the submissile 17 
when the independent flight of the submissile 17 commences. It will be 
observed that the pyrotechnic charge 37 is contained within the launching 
tube 12. 
A further improvement in the present invention is shown in FIG. 11 where 
the pyrotechnic charge 37 is provided in multiple cylindrical segments 
37a, 37b, 37c, each of which is provided with its own initiator 38a, 38b, 
38c, respectively. The charges 37a, 37b, 37c are of sufficient size that 
any one of the charges is adequate to expel a submissile from a launching 
tube. By using more than one of the charges 37a, 37b, 37c simultaneously 
or sequentially, the ejection velocity of the submissile can be increased. 
The charges 37a, 37b, 37c are separated by separator walls 41. 
In a further embodiment of this invention, a single power operated means 
may be employed to activate the launching tube by pivotal movement away 
from the aerial missile and also to eject the submissile within the 
launching tube. In FIG. 12, the launching tube 12 contains a submissile 17 
and a sabot 40. A power operated means 19, secured to a structural 
component 20 of the aerial missile, includes a cylinder chamber 22, a 
piston 23 and a piston arm 24 which is secured to the launching tube 12 at 
a location which is remote from a forward pivotal mounting 15. A 
connecting conduit 42 communicates between the cylinder chamber 22 and the 
forward chamber 43 of the launching tube 12. A pyrotechnic charge 37 is 
provided within the launching tube 12. An appropriate initiator 38 is 
provided for initiating the pyrotechnic charge 37 under the influence of a 
controller 39. The sequence of operations of the structure illustrated in 
FIG. 12 is that the initiator 38 ignites the pyrotechnic charge 37 which 
causes an increase in the gas pressure within the chamber 43. The increase 
in pressure is communicated through the conduit 42 into the cylinder 
chamber 22 causing the piston 23 and piston arm 24 to advance whereby the 
launching tube is activated by pivotal movement about the forward pivotal 
mounting 15. The increased gas pressure within the chamber 43 forces the 
sabot 40 and submissile 17 rearwardly for ejection from the launching tube 
12. 
A further embodiment of the combined launching tube activation and 
submissile ejection is illustrated in FIG. 13 where a power operated means 
19 is mounted within the forward chamber 43 of the launching tube 12. The 
forward chamber 43 contains a pyrotechnic charge 37. A piston arm 24 
engages a structural component 20 of the aerial missile. Because of the 
relatively short piston stroke which is available in this embodiment, the 
power operated means 19 is deployed at a short distance away from the 
forward pivotal mounting 15. An initiator 38, controlled by a controller 
39, initiates the pyrotechnic charge 37 in the forward chamber 43. The 
increased pressure in the cylinder chamber 22 causes the piston arm 24 to 
extend and causes the launching tube 12 to pivot outwardly about the 
forward pivotal mounting 15. Concurrently the pyrotechnic charge 37 forces 
the sabot 40 and submissile 17 rearwardly from the launching tube 12. 
A common advantage of the embodiments of FIGS. 12 and 13 is that any 
pressurized gases which are employed in operating the system will be 
released instantaneously from the system as the submissile 17 is ejected. 
The launching tube 12 will automatically return to its normal in-flight 
position, i.e., essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the 
aerial missile. 
FIG. 14 illustrates a still further embodiment of the present invention 
wherein a common gas generator 45 communicates through a plurality of 
valved conduits 46, each of which is connected to a separate one of the 
launching tubes 12. In operation, the launching tube 12 is activated by 
the power operated means 19 and the piston arm 24. The submissile 17 is 
ejected by means of pressurized gases delivered from the gas generator 45 
through the appropriate valved conduit 46 into the forward chamber 43 
against the sabot 40.