Wedge Clamp for Missile Launcher

This invention relates to a clamp for use with a missile launcher system which reduces vibration during captive flight.

Wingtip missiles on some aircraft are mounted on launcher rails with T-shaped hangers designed for missile launching. Normally the missiles are carried captive during air combat maneuvering training. Launcher snubbers are provided to keep the hangers in contact with the rail. It has been found that deficiencies in the snubbers permit vibrations in the launcher system. Vibration during captive flight causes rail erosion at the missile hangers. Replacement of damaged rails is quite costly. Some means is needed to reduce vibration during captive flight.

According to this invention an adjustable Teflon wedge clamp is positioned around each of the missile hangers and fills the gap between the missile lug and the launcher rail. The wedge clamps eliminate the missile hanger to launcher rail gap and reduce vibration during captive flight.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional launch missile.

FIG. 2 is a schematic partial sectional view of a conventional launch rail and missile hanger assembly used in the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a clamp device according to this invention, used with the device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a lower end view of the device of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the device of FIG. 3 in position around a missile hanger.

FIG. 6 is a schematic partial sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 with the clamp device of the invention between the hanger member and launcher rail.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 of the drawing which shows a missile 10, which is normally supported on an aircraft 11, by means of a launch rail 12 and hangers 14, as shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. Flanges 16 and 18 on hangers 14 engage rail track members 22 and 24 with launcher snubbers, such as shown schematically at 25, normally provided to take up slack between the rail and the hangers.

To overcome tension deficiencies in the launcher snubber 25, which permits vibrations between the hangers and the rail, thus causing damage to the rail during captive flight, an adjustable clamp 26 is positioned between the hangers 14 and the rail 12.

The wedge clamp members, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, include two elongated wedge members 27 and 29 with a pair of bolts 31 and 33 passing through holes near opposite ends of wedge members 27 and 29. Support plate members 34 and 36, made of a material such as steel, are positioned on bolts 31 and 33 adjacent to the wedge members 27 and 29.

When the missiles are carried during training flight, the wedge members 27 and 29 can be made of a material such as hard rubber or nylon. When the missile is to be launched, the wedge members must be made of a material with a low coefficient of friction. The material used also should be able to withstand high temperatures above 300.degree. F. Materials which could be used when the missile is to be launched are high temperature semi-resilient solid fluorocarbons with a low coefficient of friction such as polytetrafluoroethylene available under the trademark Teflon.

The clamp member is positioned around the hangers 14 and shown in FIG. 5. A pair of self locking nuts 38 and 40 are used to draw the clamp into position between the hangers 14 and the rail 12 so that the clamp wedge material flows into the spaces 42 and 44, as shown in FIG. 6.

In the operation of the device of the invention, after the missile is mounted on rail 12 by means of hangers 14, wedge clamps 26 are positioned around hangers by passing bolts 31 and 33 through plate member 34 and wedge member 27 and then on opposite sides of hangers 14 as shown in FIG. 5. The wedge member 29 and plate member 36 are then placed on the ends of bolts 31 and 33. Self locking nuts 38 and 40 are then threaded onto bolts 31 and 33. Nuts 38 and 40 are then drawn up to wedge the material of members 27 and 29 into spaces 42 and 44, to remove any slack between the rail track members 22 and 24 and the flanges 16 and 18. The nuts should not be drawn too tight so as to draw the hangers too tight against the rail.

There is thus provided a clamp member for use with rail launched missile which reduces vibration damage during captive flight.