PAYLOAD DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM FOR A SUBMARINE

• US 20090158990A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Babcock IP Management (Number One) Limited
• Original Assignee: 2019 S&H Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeffreys, Dale Michael, Clarke, Peter David, Smith, Jeremy William, Owen, Bryan Jeffery
• Granted Patent: US 7,997,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 114/316
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/32 of torpedo-launching means torpedo-launching means per se F41F3/00; of torpedo stores or handlers
• CPC Class Codes: F41F 3/10 from below the surface of the water

Abstract

A payload deployment system for a vessel, such as a submarine, which includes a cable extending between a piston in a piston tube and an ejection element in an ejection tube, wherein the ejection tube is suitable for holding the payload, such as a torpedo. The system is arranged such that movement of the piston in the piston tube causes movement of the cable which, in turn, exerts a force on the ejection element to move it in the ejection tube to eject the payload from the ejection tube.

Claims

1. A payload deployment system for a vessel, the system including:

an ejection tube for holding a payload;

an ejection element in the ejection tube, the ejection element being moveable in the ejection tube and being arranged releasably to engage the payload;

a piston tube containing a piston and defining a piston chamber on one side of the piston, the piston being moveable in the piston tube; and

means for supplying compressed gas or fluid to the piston chamber, thereby to move the piston in the piston tube;

characterized in that a cable extends between the piston and the ejection element, the cable passing through an aperture of the piston tube into the piston chamber; and

in that the movement of the piston is arranged to cause movement of the cable which causes movement of the ejection element in the ejection tube, thereby to eject the payload from the ejection tube.

2. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein the cable is fixed to the piston.

3. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein the cable is fixed to the ejection elements.

4. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein the cable is fixed to the ejection tube and part of the cable between the piston and the fixing to the ejection tube engages with the ejection element.

5. A payload deployment system according to claim 4, wherein the engagement with the ejection element is via a pulley rotatably mounted on the ejection element.

6. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein the piston tube is fixed relative to the ejection tube.

7. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, including a first opening in the ejection tube and a second opening in the piston tube, which second opening is located on the opposite side of the aperture from the piston, wherein part of the cable passes through the first and second openings.

8. A payload deployment system according to claim 7, including a cable runner located in or adjacent to the first and second openings, wherein part of the cable passes around the cable runner such that the path of the cable is changed by the cable runner, the path of the cable from the ejection element to the first opening in the ejection tube being in the opposite direction from the path of the cable from the second opening in the piston tube to the piston.

9. A payload deployment system according to claim 8, wherein the cable runner is a wheel.

10. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, further including a sealing element in the piston tube through which the cable passes, the sealing element having a profile that conforms with the inner walls of the piston tube, whereby said compressed gas or fluid is deliverable between the sealing element and the piston.

11. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein a part of the ejection element engages the ejection tube and said part has at least one gap therein thereby to define a fluid flow path around the ejection element in the ejection tube.

12. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element is moveable in the ejection tube between a rest position, at which the piston chamber is vacant of said compressed gas or fluid, and a deployed position, at which said piston chamber contains said compressed gas or fluid,

wherein the ejection tube includes a third opening in the longitudinal surface thereof, which third opening defines a fluid flow path between the interior and the exterior of the ejection tube, and

wherein the third opening is blocked by a further part of the ejection element when the ejection element is in the rest position, and is unblocked when the ejection element is in the deployed position.

13. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein the ejection tube includes a retention latch arranged releasably to engage with the payload.

14. A payload deployment system according to claim 13, wherein said retention latch is disengaged from the payload when a duct between said means for supplying compressed gas or fluid and a release mechanism connected to the retention latch contains said compressed gas or fluid.

15. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein a vent is located in the piston tube on the opposite side of the piston from the piston chamber.

16. A payload deployment system according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element is releasably fixed to the walls of the ejection tube via frangible blocks.

26. A vessel including the payload deployment system of claim 1.

17. A payload deployment system for a vessel, the system including:

an ejection tube for holding a payload; and

an ejection element in the ejection tube, the ejection element being arranged releasably to engage the payload, and being moveable in the ejection tube between a rest position, at which it is at a first distance from one end of the ejection tube, and a deployed position, at which it is at a second distance from said end of the ejection tube, the second distance being greater than the first distance;

wherein the ejection tube includes an opening in the surface thereof, which opening defines a fluid flow path between the interior and the exterior of the ejection tube;

characterized in that the opening is blocked by a part of the ejection element when the ejection element is in the rest position, and is unblocked when the ejection element is in the deployed position.

18. A payload deployment system according to claim 17, wherein a further part of the ejection element engages the ejection tube and said further part has at least one gap therein thereby to define a fluid flow path around the ejection element in the ejection tube.

19. A payload deployment system according to claim 17, wherein the opening is in a longitudinal surface of the ejection tube.

20. A payload deployment system for a vessel, the system including:

an ejection tube for holding a payload, the ejection tube including retaining means arranged releasably to engage with the payload;

characterized in that the retaining means comprises;

a retention latch movable between a first position at which it is engaged with the payload and a second position at which it is disengaged from the payload, and

a release mechanism operated by fluid or compressed gas connected to the retention latch;

and in that the system further includes mean for supplying fluid or compressed gas to the release mechanism, thereby to operate the release mechanism;

wherein operation of the release mechanism is arranged to cause movement of the retention latch to the second position.

21. A payload deployment system according to claim 20, wherein the retention is rotatable between the first and second positions.

22. A payload deployment system according to claim 21, wherein the ejection tube includes at least one opening in the surface thereof, said at least one opening defining a fluid flow path between the interior and exterior of the ejection tube, and the retention latch has at least one projection, the at least one opening being blocked by the at least one projection when the retention latch is in the first position and being unblocked when the retention latch is in the second position.

23. A payload deployment system according to claim 20, wherein the system includes:

an ejection element in the ejection tube, the ejection element being arranged releasably to engage the payload, and being moveable in the ejection tube between a rest position, at which it is at a first distance from one end of the ejection tube, and a deployed position, at which it is at a second distance from said end of the ejection tube, the second distance being greater than the first distance;

wherein the ejection tube includes an opening in the surface thereof, which opening defines a fluid flow path between the interior and the exterior of the ejection tube;

wherein the opening is blocked by a part of the ejection element when the ejection element is in the rest position, and is unblocked when the ejection element is in the deployed position.

24. A payload deployment system according to claim 20, wherein the system includes:

an ejection element in the ejection tube, the ejection element being arranged releasably to engage the payload, and being moveable in the ejection tube between a rest position, at which it is at a first distance from one end of the ejection tube, and a deployed position, at which it is at a second distance from said end of the ejection tube, the second distance being greater than the first distance;

wherein said means for supplying fluid or compressed gas to the release mechanism is also for supplying fluid or compressed gas to drive means connected to the ejection element, thereby to move the ejection element in the ejection tube from the rest position.

27. A vessel according to claim 24, wherein said vessel is a submarine.

25. A payload deployment system for a vessel, the system including:

an ejection tube for holding a payload, the ejection tube including retaining means arranged releasably to engage with the payload;

characterized in that the retaining means comprises;

a retention latch rotatable between a first position at which it is engaged with the payload and a second position at which it is disengaged from the payload, and means for driving the retention latch to rotate it from the first position to the second position.