초록 ▼

A rocket motor extendible nozzle, in a first embodiment of the invention, is made by folding a sheet stock (metal, etc.) development of a membrane in the form of a cone or conical frustum (with a straight meridian) in such manner that the aft or larger diameter region of the cone that is constructed

A rocket motor extendible nozzle, in a first embodiment of the invention, is made by folding a sheet stock (metal, etc.) development of a membrane in the form of a cone or conical frustum (with a straight meridian) in such manner that the aft or larger diameter region of the cone that is constructed by joining the opposed edges may have the aft portion collapsed for stowage in a single layer of fluted form contained between two planes perpendicular to the axis of the cone with reduced overall length, and the forward portion extensively folded for substantially increased rigidity in comparison with the fully deployed unit. A second embodiment of the invention differs from the first embodiment in the further development of the membrane such that the aft end of the cone may be collapsed for stowage in multiple layers with vastly reduced overall length while retaining the increased rigidity of the forward portion in the stowed condition. Deployment is induced by forward-to-aft gas flow of the rocket motor within the cone.

대표청구항 ▼

The method of making an extendible nozzle exit cone for attachment to the exit end of a rocket motor nozzle with a portion at least of said extendible nozzle exit cone being initially folded inwardly thereof for compact stowage relative to the rocket motor nozzle and adapted to be unfolded upon firi

The method of making an extendible nozzle exit cone for attachment to the exit end of a rocket motor nozzle with a portion at least of said extendible nozzle exit cone being initially folded inwardly thereof for compact stowage relative to the rocket motor nozzle and adapted to be unfolded upon firing of the rocket motor due to forward-to-aft flow of rocket motor gas therethrough for substantially increasing the ratio of the effective rocket motor nozzle/extendible nozzle exit cone exit plane area to the rocket motor nozzle throat area, said method comprising: (a) cutting a workpiece of thin sheet heat-resistant ductile material into plan view arcuate form having first and second transverse regions between inner and outer arcuate sides, the outer arcuate side being longer than the inner arcuate side, and including opposed ends that may be brought into edge-to-edge relationship to form a frustum of a cone the smaller radius end of which is suitable for attachment to the exit end of a rocket motor nozzle and the larger radius end of which is of such size as to provide the desired increase in area ratio; (b) deforming said arcuate workpiece adjacent the longer arcuate side from one end of the arcuate workpiece to the other so as to include in said first arcuate region of said workpiece a plurality of spaced creases running transversely thereof in first and second sets with the apex of each of the creases of the first set pointing at the viewer and the apex of each of the creases of the second set pointing away from the viewer, some of the creases of said first and second sets being normal to the outer arcuate side of said workpiece and disposed in alternating relation with each other, such creases of the first set being shorter than such creases of the second set, so as to include in said second arcuate region of said workpiece others of the creases of the second set of creases that uniformly extend part way through said second region toward the shorter arcuate side of said workpiece from the inner end of an associated one of said first set of creases, in alignment therewith, at the interface of said first and second regions, and so as to include others of said creases of said first set extending between the other end of an associated one of such other creases of the second set and the inner end of an associated one of the second set of creases first mentioned, and so as to include at the interface of said first and second regions creases of the first set that extend longitudinally of said workpiece, such that when the opposed ends of said workpiece are attached to each other in edge-to-edge relationship, the surface of the cone, for a portion at least of the length thereof, may be folded inwardly and forwardly in at least a single layer of fluted form between two planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cone and in which a forward portion of the cone is extensively folded whereby the cone may be stowed in a reduced envelope and in the stowed form is quite rigid; (c) attaching the opposed ends of the arcuate workpiece together to form a frustum of a cone; and (d) progressively folding, inwardly and forwardly of the larger radius end of said frustum of a cone, the aft surface of said cone in a single inwardly folded layer of fluted form, and progressively folding a forward portion of said cone; whereby said frustum of a cone so made is adapted to be attached at the smaller radius end thereof to the exit end of a rocket motor nozzle with the cone in a stowed position relative thereto; and whereby upon rocket motor firing, the stowed frustum of a cone may deploy due to the forward-to-aft flow of rocket motor gas therethrough to provide a substantially increased ratio of the effective rocket motor nozzle/extendible exit cone exit plane area to the rocket motor nozzle throat area.