Patent GB-1156504-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a Launcher for Airborne Stores or other Missiles
Inventor: LARDIN ARTHUR RUPERT
IPC: B64D5/00
Filed: 1966-09-06
Abstract: 1,156,504. Linkwork. A. R. LARDIN. 6 Sept., 1966, No. 39768/66. Heading F2K. [Also in Division F3] A launcher for discharging missiles, stones or the like from aircraft comprises a hollow housing 20 and an integrated launching linkage pivotally mounted in the housing. The linkage includes a pair of spaced front launching arms 24, a pair of spaced rear launching arms 25, a front toggle linkage 26, 26a pivotally connected at one end to the housing 20 and at its other end to the front launching arms 24, and a rear toggle linkage 27, 76 pivotally connected at one end to the housing 20 and at its other end to the rear launching arms 25. An elongated missile or store carrier 29 is pivotally mounted to the outer ends of the launching arms, the inner ends of the launching arms being connected by a link 32. A gas expansion motor 38 is pivotally mounted in the housing and the main working piston of the motor is connected to the front toggle linkage 26, 26a by a piston-rod 57. A secondary piston is also provided in the motor 38 (Fig. 2, not shown) and is actuated before the main piston to urge its associated piston-rod 51 into engagement with the link 76 of the rear toggle linkage to move this linkage from a locked inoperative condition (shown in dashed lines). The main piston is then actuated to apply a force to the front toggle linkage to swing the front launching arms 24 from their inoperative position to their launching position. Further outward movement of the main pistonrod 57 urges the front toggle linkage into the position shown in dash-dot lines whence the launching arms 24, 25 and rear toggle linkage return to their inoperative positions. The main cylinder is vented towards the end of the operating stroke of the main piston. The motor is actuated by firing a pair of cartridges and the main piston is provided with a cavity to prevent the rapidly expanded gases from actuating the main piston too violently. The carrier 29 is provided with a slidable plate 72 having two openings 73, 74 which, in the missile or store release position of the plate 72, are in correspondence with two openings 69, 70 in the carriage 29, and a pair of release wedges 75. In the missile or store holding position the plate 72 is moved such that the wedges 75 pass through lugs 71 of the missile or store 65. The plate 72 is operated from the rear launching arms 25 by means of a link 85, the link 85 being locked to the arms 25 by a latch member. The latch member comprises a spring-loaded transverse pin 89 which seats in a pair of recesses 80 of arcuate segments 79 of the arms 25. The pin 89 can be manually detached from the recesses 80 such that a store or missile can be loaded on to the carrier 29 in any position of the carrier. The carrier 29 can be manually lowered by means of a worm gear device which co-operates with a splined bore in the rear toggle linkage pivot 77 (Figs. 7, 8, not shown). The missile or store is clamped against movement by a pair of elongated sway braces 66, one positioned on each side of the missile or store, the sway braces 66 being screwed on to the carriage.