Simplified air system for underwater rocket launching

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A missile launching system comprising a launching tube including a first chamber and a second chamber containing the missile to be launched, a source of gas compressed to a pressure substantially in excess of the pressure of the environment into which the missile is to be launched, and valve means for admitting said compressed gas into said first chamber a bulkhead between said first and second chambers, said bulkhead being formed with a plurality of openings, a plate formed with similar openings mounted for rotation on said bulkhead, and means for rotating said plate to gradually align the openings of the plate with the openings of the bulkhead during the launching movement of the missile in the launching tube to continually increase the flow of compressed gas from the first chamber to the second chamber causing a rapid rise of pressure in said first chamber and resultant constantly increasing pressure communicated to said second chamber via said adjustable orifice for launching said missile.
2.
A missile launching system, according to claim 1, wherein the plate rotating means comprises annular gear teeth formed on said rotatable plate and a motor driven gear in mesh with said annular gear teeth to rotate said plate.




Description:
This invention relates to a system for projectile ejection and more specifically to a system for ejecting a missile from its launching tube.
The ejection of a missile from its container or launching device has presented an increasingly serious problem as advances in the missile art have been made technologically feasible the firing of these devices from movable platforms or in unusual and adverse environments.
Formerly, when it was desired to fire a missile, the conventional procedure was to balance the device in an upright position on a flat firing pad constructed so as to withstand the considerable heat and pressure which inevitably attend a missile launching.
Now that weapons of this nature have been made relatively reliable it is desired to launch the missile from a mobile platform which of necessity cannot be constructed in the fashion of massive reinforced concrete slabs