Articulated eyeball radome

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PRFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning to FIG.
1 of the drawing, a missile 10 includes a radome in accordance with the invention designated generally by the numeral 12.
The missile includes a cylindrical body 14 as shown in FIG.
2, having an opening in the forward end thereof in which the generally spherical shaped radome 12 is mounted.
The radome can be mounted in the forward end of other air frames other than missiles.
The radome comprises a generally spherical dome structure 16 having a diameter slightly greater than that of the tubular housing 14 or body of the missile, and sealingly mounted in the forward open end thereof by means of a seal 18.
The greater diameter of the spherical housing reduces or eliminates air turbulence behind it.
The seal 18 is preferably of a low friction material such as Teflon.
The spherical housing structure is mounted within the housing 14 and supported by means of mounting assembly including a base or bulkhead member 20, with a forwardly extending bifurcated post or bracket member 22 which pivotally supports the spherical housing by means of a pivot pin 24 extending through bores in the outer end of bracket 22, and through a bore in a frame consisting of side rails 26 and 28.
A sector gear 30 pinned or keyed to shaft 24, which in turn is keyed to the side rails 26 and 28, and is driven by means of a servo motor 32 and pinion gear 34.
The motor 32 operates to pivot the radome spherical housing in either direction about the pivot axis of pin 24.
The dome structure 16 is then pivotally mounted at each end of the frame 26, 28 by means of pivot pins 36, 38 for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of shaft 24.
This permits the dome structure to pivot about two transverse axes which are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the airframe 10.
Thus, with this arrangement, the radome is mounted for pivotal movement about a pair of transverse axes extending substantially at 90.
degree.
to one another and at 90.
degree.
to the longitudinal axis of the missile to permit a wide angle of scanning ahead of the missile