US3112906A - Flying body construction - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 3, 1963 Filed June 27, 1961 F. ZEYHER FLYING BODY CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor:

FE/TZ Z15 7/7 15? -M p-rTat/V Dec. 3, 1963 F. ZEYHER FLYING BODY CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1961 United States Patent Ofi ice Patented ec. 3, 1963 3,112,906 FLYING RUDY CONSTRUCTION Fritz Zeyher, flttobrunn, near Munich, Germany, assignor to liiillrow-Entwicklungeu Kommanditgesellschaft, Postabholfach, Munich, Germany Filed June 27, 1% Ser. No. 119,970 Claims priority, application Germany .iuly 1, 1%0 19 Claims. (Cl. 244-138) This invention relates in general to aircraft or flying body constructions and in particular to a training head construction for a fllying body including means for slowing the descent thereof and for absorbing the impact shock upon landing thereof.

Prior to the present invention, it was known to employ devices for absorbing shocks for flying bodies or aircraft, such as rockets and missiles, which include certain portions which are made to deform or break off in effecting the braking action on the body while it hits the ground. For example, these parts are arranged so that they will be expanded, bent, out off, buckled or chipped. Devices of this character, however, have the disadvantage that because of the permanent deformation of the parts which takes place the training head cannot be used, or it can be used again only after a timeconsuming replacement of the deformed portions.

in some instances, devices of the above nature are supplemented by parachutes which are automatically ejected for braking the descent velocity of the flying body, but such devices have the disadvantage that they are not arranged to effect descent of the body with the head portion first, but, rather, the more fragile tail portion, in many instances, strikes the ground first upon impact. To employ a combination of devices of this character, it is necessary, therefore, to have additional shock absorbing equipment in the tail, as Well as in the head portion. When very large parachutes are employed, the bodies do not descend rapidly enough to prevent a drifting out of the training or target area.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a flying body construction which includes means for attaching a training head portion. The training head portion, in accordance with the invention, comprises severable shell portions shaped as a nose cone which are hinged at their base so that the shell portions may be separated to open the head portion when the flying body begins its descent. Arranged within the shell portions are a pair of small sized parachutes having guide line connections to support the flying body for descent with the forward or head portion downward.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the head portion includes a central ground penetrating spike or rod mounted and arranged so that a portion thereof penetrates the ground up to a predetermined extent, at which further penetration is restricted. The spike is advantageously mounted within a cylinder and the end of the spike is provided with a piston head portion which lies therein to permit absorption of the impact shock after the head portion strikes the ground and penetrates into the ground to a predetermined amount.

In a preferred arrangement, the spike member is provided with a shearing pin which holds the same in a fully extended position and which must be broken before the piston portion thereof may slide in the cylinder. This shearing pin insures that the spike will penetrate into the ground for at least a small amount until a force suflicient to shear the pin is encountered. Further shock absorption is thereafter accommodated by the movement of the piston within the cylinder. The cylinder is advantageously filled with a fluid which, in a preferred arrangement,

is displaced through small sized escape openings which are closed by a cover varnish which is pushed off by the force of the displaced fluid under the movement of the spike member. A feature of this particular provision is that the escape openings are covered during movement of the spike to gradually reduce the discharge area for the fluid and provide a uniform force action on the spike member during shock absorption.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved flying body construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flying body training head having means for permitting a rapid descent of the flying body and for absorbing the impact force which occurs when the flying body hits or strikes the ground and without destruction of the parts of the flying body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a training head construction for a flying body which includes shell portions which are hingedly connected at their bases to permit separation and opening thereof and including a shock absorbing spike member mounted within said shell portion arranged to penetrate the ground upon impact and thereafter to slide inside of a piston having fluid means for absorbing the shock of impact.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flying body which includes a severable head portion havinga pair of cooperating shell members which are hingedly mounted at their bases permitting outward separable movement to open the head portion and wherein the head portion includes a pair of parachutes having guide means for suspending the chutes from the trailing portion of the flying body, and further including fluid piston cylinder shock absorbing means with the shell members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flying body having parachutes stored in a head portion which opens at a predetermined time during flight and in which the parachutes are guided to suspend the flying body from the tail portion thereof, and further including shock absorbing means within the head portion displaceable upon contact of the head portion with the ground to absorb the shock of impact.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flying body construction which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a flying body having a head construction in accordance with the invention indicated in a position shortly after the actuation of the descent control mechanism;

FIG. 2 is an elevational View of the flying body in FIG. 1 indicated in the position it assumes upon contact with the ground; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section of the training head of the flying bodies indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the parachutes indicated in a position stored within the head portion.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein includes a flying body generally designated 30 having an elongated body portion 1 and a head portion generally designated 2 which is detachably secured thereto.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the head portion 2 includes a cylindrical base portion 10 having external threads 3 which engage an internal thread of the body portion 1. In accordance with-the invention, the training head 2 includes two complementary half conical members 2a and 2b which are hingedly mounted at their lower ends or bases on hinges 4 aflixed to the cylindrical portion 10.

In the interior space between the shell portions 2a and 2b there is provided a landing spike or element generally designated 5' having one end which includes a piston rod portion 5a, indicated in FIG. 3 in its extended position, in an upper sleeve portion 8, and a piston portion 11 which reciprocates in a cylinder 9 mounted on the cylindrical base it The cylinder 9 and the landing spike 5 are concentric with the axis of the flying body.

The spike member 5 is held in the extended position in respect to the cylinder 9 by a shearing pin 26 which permits the opposite end 51; to penetrate into the ground upon initial impact before the pin is sheared to cause reciprocation of the piston 11 within the cylinder 9 and a further absorption of the landing impact forces.

To insure that the spike member 5 penetrates the ground only a small extent, there is provided restriction means designated 16 which, in the embodiment indicated, is a flange which inhibits further penetration. The restriction means 16 may advantageously include spreading members of a size chosen to achieve the desired impact force distribution and ground penetration.

The interior spaces between the shell portions 2a and 2b are also filled with parachutes 6 and '7 which retard the descent of the flying body 20 after the shell portions 2:: and 2b separate to liberate the chutes. Means (not shown) are advantageously provided to insure automatic opening of the chutes in the air current. Shroud lines 13 and 14 are connected to the parachutes and extend through openings or cars 15 which are provided at a trailing end portion 26 of the flying body. The shrouds 12 and 14 extend back along the flying body and are secured within the head portion 2 to the cylinder 9. The directing of the shroud lines in this manner prevents the flying body from turning 180 to cause it to hit the ground with its trailing or tail end 26 striking first. In the arrangement illustrated, the flying body will maintain its position as shown in FIG. 2, even after the parachutes have opened. The speed of the flying body, due to the opening of the parachutes, is reduced to an extent which is in conformity with the strength of the landing spike 5 and the associated mechanism.

The shock absorbing action of the landing spike 5 is regulated by fluid such as air, water or oil which is placed in the cylinder 9 and which is displaced through small sized opening 12 in an amount equal to a value of kinetic energy which is the same as the kinetic energy which is to be withdrawn from the whole aircraft or flying body. By the controlled time dependent change of the converted energy amount, it is possible that the flying body is uniformly retarded or delayed in an optimum manner.

The delaying or retarding force is produced by the fluid pressure within the cylinder 9. The reaction force is transferred to the piston 11 which is slidable in the cylinder 9 and is transferred via the spike member 5 to the ground. Assuming that the flying body will strike a completely hard, unyielding surface, the initial flying body speed will be the same as the velocity of the piston 11.

Bores 12 are closed with a cover varnish and the liquid or fluid within the cylinder may flow out to the bores when the lacquer or cover varnish is pushed off. Due to the path of the piston past the bores 12 during shock absorption, the fluid exit or discharge cross section is continuously reduced so that the pressure within the cylinder 9 remains substantially constant. The velocity of the piston relative to the flying body and, thus, also the velocity of the flying body will be forced to be decreased in a desired manner.

Due to the penetration of the end 5b in the ground, the extent of delay of the retarding action is further enhanced. Further, the penetration of the shock absorbing point that hits the ground produces a further advantage for lightweight aircraft having only a small length, by preventing it from flipping over. When the spike 5 enters the ground it will remain in a vertical position as indicated in FIG. 2. The spike member 5 will not penetrate too deeply even in very soft areas, such as sandy or marshy areas, because of the resistance surface 16.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the severable half conical portions 2a. and 2b are auto matically separated by the explosion of a charge 17 in the spike member 5 which causes a cap 18 to be dislodged which holds the severable conical portions together. Means, such as a fuse connection between the charge and the flying body engine is provided to effect detonation 0f the charge after the engine has burned out.

The means for igniting the charge may advantageously include, for example, a battery 35 arranged at the bottom 10 and having a time clock 36 connected by means of lines 37 and 33 to the battery. An additional igniting lead extends through the bore 39 and is connected via lines 40 and 41 to an igniting member 42 located behind the charge 317. When the clock 36 runs down after being set, the time adjusted motor clock will cause ignition of the charge by a current impulse from the battery 45.

In order to prevent the parachutes from being dragged along the ground by the wind after landing, means are provided to cut the shroud lines 13 and 14 after landing.

The parachute lines 13 and 14 are guided upwardly (or forwardly) along the sleeve element 12 and extend into the cylinder 8 and are connected to a line-holding piston portion 32 secured to the spike S at a location removed from the piston 11. When the forward end of the spike contacts the ground, the piston element 32 moves relatively to the sleeve 38 and causes a cutting of the lines which are held in openings of the sleeve at each side of the piston. In this manner, the parachute will be freed immediately after the device has contacted the ground.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A flying body particularly adapted for training purposes comprising a body having a head portion including a base, a plurality of shell portions hingedly connected to said base and being displaceable about their hinge connection to open said head portion, a parachute enclosed in said head portion between said shell portions for slowing the descent of the flying body and connected to said body adjacent the end thereof opposite from said head to insure descent with the head portion first when said body is supported by said parachute, and piston and cylinder shock absorber spike means connected to said body and located within said head portion including relatively displaceable piston and cylinder means adapted to give upon contact with the ground to absorb the impact of landing.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the piston and cylinder means includes a piston spike member which is reciprocable in a cylinder secured to said base.

3. A flying body according to claim 2, wherein said piston spike member is located within said shell portions and carries a cap holding said shell portions together during flight.

4. A device according to claim 3, including means for causing said cap to be displaced to open said shell members.

5. A flying body according to claim 1, wherein said piston and cylinder shock absorber spike means includes an elongated cylinder having a plurality of openings along its length, and a spike having a piston portion displaceable along the length of said cylinder upon contact with the ground to expel fluid out said openings.

6. A flying body according to claim 5, wherein the openings of said cylinder are arranged so that a substantially constant force acts on said piston as the fluid is displaced out said openings.

7. A flying body according to claim 1, wherein said base is connected to a tail extending rearwardly from said head in respect to the flight direction of the flying body and said parachute includes means connected to said tail so that said parachute supports said flying body from the tail.

8. A flying body comprising a body, a head having a base portion connected to said body, a hollow cylinder mounted on said base portion and extending forwardly in a flight direction therefrom, a spike member having a piston end portion reciprocatable in said cylinder and extending forwardly therefrom to present an end for contact with the ground, said spike member being reciprocatable in said cylinder to absorb the impact forces of the spike member hitting the ground, a plurality of shell members enclosing said spike member and said cylinder and being displaceably connected to said base, and at least one parachute within said shell members having shroud means connected to said body at a location spaced rearwardly in respect to flight direction from said head, said shell members being openable to expose the parachute to retard the descent of the flying body.

9. A flying body according to claim 8, wherein said cylinder is provided with a plurality of openings spaced along the length thereof.

10. A flying body according to claim 9, wherein the openings in said cyclinder are covered with a displaceable material.

11. A flying body according to claim 8, including at least two parachutes within said shell portions connected to said body.

12. A shock absorbing device for the braking of flying bodies both during their descent and after their hitting the ground comprising a trailing body portion, a training head adapted to be positioned at the forward end of said trailing body portion and having at least two dish-shaped portions, a landing spike extending forwardly in said head and positioned within said dish-shaped portions and displaceable in an axial direction rearwardly upon impact to absorb shock, and a parachute located within said dish-shaped portions connected to said trailing body portion at a location to lower the trailing body portion and said training head with said training head first.

13. A shock absorbing device according to claim 12, wherein the landing spike includes a piston portion slidable in a fluid cylinder.

14. A shock absorbing device according to claim 13, wherein said fluid cylinder includes a plurality of openings along its length arranged so that the movement of the piston portion of said spike member is retarded in a constant manner during the entire shock absorption and braking movement of the flying body.

15. A shock absorbing device according to claim 13, wherein said spike is provided with a resistance surface to prevent too deep a penetration into soft ground.

16. A shock absorbing device according to claim 13, including a cap covering said severable dish-shaped portions.

17. A shock absorbing device according to claim 16, including explosive charge means for shooting off the cap to free said dish-shaped portions.

18. A shock absorbing device according to claim 12, including means for severing the line connecting the parachute to said trailing body portion after impact.

19. A flying body particularly adapted for training purposes, comprising a body having a head portion, a parachute having lines connected to the trailing end of said body to suspend the body head-first when opened during descent of the flying body and being located in said head portion, said head portion including shell portions enclosing the parachuate constructed and arranged to separate to expose the parachute, a shock absorber including a cylinder secured to said head portion and located within said shell portions and a spike element including a piston portion displaceable in said cylinder and having a forward portion adapted to penetrate the ground upon landing, said piston being displaceable in said cylinder upon receiving a landing impact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,777,188 Wiley Sept. 30, 1930 2,426,585 Bean et al. Sept. 2, 1947 2,713,467 Schreiber July 19, 1955

Claims (1)

1. A FLYING BODY PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR TRAINING PURPOSES COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A HEAD PORTION INCLUDING A BASE, A PLURALITY OF SHELL PORTIONS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID BASE AND BEING DISPLACEABLE ABOUT THEIR HINGE CONNECTION TO OPEN SAID HEAD PORTION, A PARACHUTE ENCLOSED IN SAID HEAD PORTION BETWEEN SAID SHELL PORTIONS FOR SLOWING THE DESCENT OF THE FLYING BODY AND CONNECTED TO SAID BODY ADJACENT THE END THEREOF OPPOSITE FROM SAID HEAD TO INSURE DESCENT WITH THE HEAD PORTION FIRST WHEN SAID BODY IS SUPPORTED BY SAID PARACHUTE, AND PISTON AND CYLINDER SHOCK ABSORBER SPIKE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BODY AND LOCATED WITHIN SAID HEAD PORTION INCLUDING RELATIVELY DISPLACEABLE PISTON AND CYLINDER MEANS ADAPTED TO GIVE UPON CONTACT WITH THE GROUND TO ABSORB THE IMPACT OF LANDING.

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