초록 ▼

The central portion of the aft closure of a rocket motor case is recessed inwardly and held in fixed relationship to an apertured aft closure dome by brackets. A sleeve, operating in sealed relationship inside an annular, aftwardly extending flange fixed to the periphery of the recessed aft closure

The central portion of the aft closure of a rocket motor case is recessed inwardly and held in fixed relationship to an apertured aft closure dome by brackets. A sleeve, operating in sealed relationship inside an annular, aftwardly extending flange fixed to the periphery of the recessed aft closure section, is joined by radial arms to a socket on a ball joint centrally fixed to the aft side of the recessed aft closure section. A hollow spike nozzle member, attached to the socket by a hydraulic actuator, may operate with sliding motion and in sealed relationship to the inner, cylindrical surface of the sleeve. A cowl surrounds the spike nozzle member. It is fixed to the sleeve by brackets and may slide against a partial spherical surface on annular flanges surrounding the aperture of the aft closure dome, in sealed relationship therewith. Secondary hydraulic actuators, fixed to the radial arms on the sleeve bear against the recessed aft closure to rotate the sleeve, the cowl, and the spike nozzle member about the ball joint. The direction of the thrust vector of the rocket may be altered by this rotation, and its magnitude may be altered by axial movement of the spike nozzle member relative to its cowl.

대표청구항 ▼

A thrust nozzle apparatus for rockets comprising: a centrally apertured aft closure; a recessed aft closure section, having an aftwardly-extending, annular flange fixed to the edge thereof, spaced inwardly from the apertured aft closure by brackets fixed to the flange and to the aft closure; a ball

A thrust nozzle apparatus for rockets comprising: a centrally apertured aft closure; a recessed aft closure section, having an aftwardly-extending, annular flange fixed to the edge thereof, spaced inwardly from the apertured aft closure by brackets fixed to the flange and to the aft closure; a ball joint having a short shaft fixed centrally to the aft side of the recessed aft closure section; a socket on the ball joint; a sleeve concentric about the ball joint and operatively attached to the socket, the sleeve having an outer surface conforming to a spherical surface concentric about the ball joint and fitting a similar spherical surface on the inside of the flange on the recessed aft closure section in sealed relationship therewith; a hollow, spike nozzle member having a lip on the edge thereof that fits in sealed relationship with a cylindrical surface on the inside of the sleeve; an annular cowl surrounding the spike nozzle member and spaced therefrom by brackets attached to the sleeve; sealing means between the cowl and the apertured aft closure; a primary, fluid-operated actuator centrally attaching the hollow spike nozzle member to the socket joint for moving the spike nozzle member axially relative to the cowl, whereby the throat formed therebetween may be varied in size to vary the magnitude of thrust of the rocket; and secondary actuators operatively attached to the sleeve and having actuation arms that may bear against the recessed aft closure, whereby the sleeve, the spike nozzle member, and the cowl may be rotated as a unit about the ball joint to change the direction of thrust of the rocket.