Pneumatic projectile launcher and sonobuoy launcher adaptor

• US 20060213492A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Larcheveque, Jon F., Nielsen, Jan M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,278,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 124/71
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/00 Compressed-gas guns, e.g. air guns; Steam guns

Abstract

A pneumatic sonobuoy launcher adapted for simultaneously storing, and sequentially and independently launching, at least two sonobuoys includes a barrel with a closed back end, an expulsion end opposite the back end and an interior sonobuoy-guiding channel extending between the opposed ends. The channel is adapted for storing a series of sonobuoys including rearwardmost and forwardmost sonobuoys stored, respectively, closest to the back end of the barrel and closest to the expulsion end of the barrel. Each stored sonobuoy occupies a distinct region of the channel separated by an interval from at least one other region. An expulsion-gas delivery system includes at least one valve that is selectively connectable into fluid communication with an expulsion-gas supply and is pneumatically switchable from at least (i) a first gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced through the valve is directed to a first interval between sonobuoys to (ii) a second gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced into the valve is directed to at least one of (a) a second interval located to the rear of the first interval and (b) a location within the channel behind the rearwardmost sonobuoy. A feedback conduit communicates pneumatic back pressure created upon the expulsion of a sonobuoy to the switchable valve in order to switch the valve from the first gas-channeling state to the second gas-channeling state for the launch of a subsequent sonobuoy.

Claims

1. A pneumatic launcher adapted for storing and expelling, in sequence, at least two projectiles, the pneumatic launcher comprising:

a barrel including a barrel wall having an inside surface extending longitudinally between a closed back end and an expulsion end and defining an interior projectile-guiding channel, the channel being adapted to slidably receive and store plural, serially arranged projectiles each of which projectiles, when in a stored position, occupies a distinct region of the channel separated by an interval of space from at least one other region within the barrel, the plural projectiles including a rearwardmost projectile stored closest to the back end of the barrel and a forwardmost projectile stored closest to the expulsion end of the barrel;

an expulsion-gas delivery system including at least one valve selectively connectable into fluid communication with an expulsion-gas supply and having a pneumatically-responsive pilot for switching the valve from at least (i) a first gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced through the valve from the expulsion-gas supply is directed through a first outbound conduit in fluid communication with a first interval between projectiles to (ii) a second gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced into the valve from the expulsion-gas supply is directed through a second outbound conduit in fluid communication with at least one of (a) a second interval located to the rear of the first interval and (b) a location within the channel behind the rearwardmost projectile; and

a switching-gas channeling system including a feedback conduit for communicating pneumatic back pressure created upon the expulsion of a projectile to the pneumatically-responsive pilot of at least one of the at least one valves in order to switch that valve from the first gas-channeling state to the second gas-channeling state.

2. The pneumatic launcher of claim 1 wherein the projectiles that the barrel is adapted to receive, store and expel are sonobuoys.

3. The pneumatic launcher of claim 2 wherein the pneumatic launcher is a modular sonobuoy launcher adaptor for converting a single-projectile, pneumatic launch tube having a breech end connectable into fluid communication with a source of compressed gas, a projectile-ejection end opposite the breech end and a wall extending longitudinally between the breech and projectile-ejection ends into a pneumatic launcher having the capacity to store and sequentially launch at least two sonobuoys, and wherein the modular sonobuoy launcher adaptor further comprises:

a housing defined by a housing wall including interior and exterior surfaces extending between rear and front ends, the housing furthermore retaining and at least partially housing the barrel, the expulsion-gas delivery system and the switching-gas channeling system and being adapted for selective insertion into, and retention by, the single-projectile, pneumatic launch tube.

4. A pneumatic sonobuoy launcher adapted for simultaneously storing, and sequentially and independently launching, at least two sonobuoys, the sonobuoy launcher comprising:

a barrel including a barrel wall having an inside surface extending longitudinally between a closed back end and an expulsion end and defining an interior projectile-guiding channel, the channel being adapted to slidably receive and store plural, serially arranged sonobuoys each of which sonobuoys, when in a stored position, occupies a distinct region of the channel separated by an interval of space from at least one other region within the barrel, the plural sonobuoys including a rearwardmost sonobuoy stored closest to the back end of the barrel and a forwardmost sonobuoy stored closest to the expulsion end of the barrel;

an expulsion-gas delivery system including at least one valve in selectively connectable into fluid communication with an expulsion-gas supply and being pneumatically switchable from at least (i) a first gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced through the valve from the expulsion-gas supply is directed through a first outbound conduit having a distal end in fluid communication with a first interval between sonobuoys to (ii) a second gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced into the valve from the expulsion-gas supply is directed through a second outbound conduit having a distal end in fluid communication with at least one of (a) a second interval located to the rear of the first interval and (b) a location within the channel behind the rearwardmost sonobuoy; and

a switching-gas channeling system including a feedback conduit for communicating pneumatic back pressure created upon the pneumatic expulsion of a sonobuoy to at least one of the at least one switchable valves in order to switch that valve from the first gas-channeling state to the second gas-channeling state.

5. The pneumatic sonobuoy launcher of claim 4 wherein the rearwardmost stored sonobuoy occupies a region of the channel defined such that there exists a void between the back end of the barrel and the rearwardmost stored sonobuoy and wherein at least one of the at least one valves has a second gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced into that valve from the expulsion-gas supply is directed to the void behind the rearwardmost stored sonobuoy.

6. The pneumatic sonobuoy launcher of claim 5 wherein the pneumatic sonobuoy launcher is a modular adaptor for converting a single-sonobuoy, pneumatic launch tube having a breech end connectable into fluid communication with a source of compressed expulsion gas, a projectile-ejection end opposite the breech end and a wall extending longitudinally between the breech and projectile-ejection ends into a pneumatic sonobuoy launcher having the capacity to simultaneously store, and sequentially and independently launch, at least two sonobuoys, and wherein the modular sonobuoy launcher adaptor further comprises:

a housing defined by a housing wall including interior and exterior surfaces extending between rear and front ends, the housing furthermore retaining and at least partially housing at least one of the barrel, the expulsion-gas delivery system and the switching-gas channeling system and being adapted for selective insertion into, and retention by, the single-sonobuoy, pneumatic launch tube.

7. The modular sonobuoy launcher adaptor of claim 6 wherein the at least one valve is selectively connectable into fluid communication with the source of compressed expulsion gas through the breech end of the single-sonobuoy, pneumatic launch tube such that the source of compressed expulsion gas to which the breech end is selectively connectable into fluid communication serves as the expulsion-gas supply for the modular sonobuoy launch adaptor.

8. The pneumatic sonobuoy launcher of claim 4 wherein the pneumatic sonobuoy launcher is a modular adaptor for converting a single-sonobuoy, pneumatic launch tube having a breech end connectable into fluid communication with a source of compressed expulsion gas, a projectile-ejection end opposite the breech end and a wall extending longitudinally between the breech and projectile-ejection ends into a pneumatic sonobuoy launcher having the capacity to simultaneously store, and sequentially and independently launch, at least two sonobuoys, and wherein the modular sonobuoy launcher adaptor further comprises:

a housing defined by a housing wall including interior and exterior surfaces extending between rear and front ends, the housing furthermore retaining and at least partially housing at least one of the barrel, the expulsion-gas delivery system and the switching-gas channeling system and being adapted for selective insertion into, and retention by, the single-sonobuoy, pneumatic launch tube.

9. The modular sonobuoy launcher adaptor of claim 8 wherein the at least one valve is selectively connectable into fluid communication with the source of compressed expulsion gas through the breech end of the single-sonobuoy, pneumatic launch tube such that the source of compressed expulsion gas to which the breech end is selectively connectable into fluid communication serves as the expulsion-gas supply for the modular sonobuoy launch adaptor.

10. A modular sonobuoy launcher adaptor for converting into a pneumatic launcher having the capacity to simultaneously store, and sequentially and independently launch, at least two sonobuoys a single-sonobuoy, pneumatic launch tube having a breech end, a projectile-ejection end opposite the breech end and a side wall defining a sonobuoy-retaining cavity extending longitudinally between the breech and projectile-ejection ends and being selectively connectable into fluid communication with a source of compressed expulsion gas through a gas port, the sonobuoy launcher adaptor comprising:

a housing defined by a housing wall including interior and exterior surfaces extending between rear and front ends and adapted for selective insertion into the sonobuoy-retaining cavity of the launch tube for retention thereby;

a barrel retained and at least partially housed by the housing and including a barrel wall having an inside surface extending longitudinally between a closed back end and an expulsion end and defining an interior projectile-guiding channel, the channel being adapted to slidably receive and store plural, serially arranged sonobuoys each of which sonobuoys, when in a stored position, occupies a distinct region of the channel separated by an interval of space from at least one other region within the barrel, the plural sonobuoys including a rearwardmost sonobuoy stored closest to the back end of the barrel and a forwardmost sonobuoy stored closest to the expulsion end of the barrel;

an expulsion-gas delivery system including at least one valve selectively connectable into fluid communication with an expulsion-gas supply and pneumatically switchable from at least (i) a first gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced through the valve from the expulsion-gas supply is directed through a first outbound conduit having a distal end in fluid communication with a first interval between sonobuoys to (ii) a second gas-channeling state in which expulsion gas introduced into the valve from the expulsion-gas supply is directed through a second outbound conduit having a distal end in fluid communication with at least one of (a) a second interval located to the rear of the first interval and (b) a location within the channel behind the rearwardmost sonobuoy; and

a switching-gas channeling system including a feedback conduit for communicating pneumatic back pressure created upon the pneumatic expulsion of a sonobuoy to at least one of the at least one switchable valves in order to switch that valve from the first gas-channeling state to the second gas-channeling state.

11. The modular sonobuoy launcher adaptor of claim 10 wherein the at least one valve is selectively connectable into fluid communication with the source of compressed expulsion gas through the gas port of the single-sonobuoy, pneumatic launch tube such that the source of compressed expulsion gas to which the sonobuoy-retaining cavity is selectively connectable into fluid communication serves as the expulsion-gas supply for the modular sonobuoy launch adaptor.