US2435980A - Tow target exchange device - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 17, 1948. M PYLE TOW TRGT EXCHANGE DEVICE Filed OCT.. 25, 1944 INVENTOR. /VQI//N /DVLE Patented Feb. 17,1948 'il Y.

UNITED STATES 'row TARGET E'XCHANGEl DEvIcE Marvin L. Pyle, Los Angeles; 'Califf Application octet-er 251944', serialfNof.: 561x295" Y 1 cina; (cine- 1055351 (Granted under nie-- act of Maren 3; lists-ias amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to aerial tow targets and more particularly to devices for exchanging targets at the end of a tow line while an airplane is in flight.

The usual tow target exchange device comprises a mechanism adapted to be towed by an airplane at the end of a tow line, the mechanism being adapted to releasably secure an air lled sleeve after it has been hit by anti-aircraft fire and substitute a new sleeve therefor, as described in the United States Patent to Foulk N0. 1,971,340 granted August 28, 1934. The new sleeve is attached to the tow line at the airplane end thereof by means of a, slip ring adapted to slidably encompass the line, the sleeve then being slid along the tow line to the exchange device by virtue of the forward flight of the plane. Upon the arrival of the slip ring at the end of the tow line it engages the exchange device, actuating a detent mechanism therein to release the hit target sleeve which is thus dropped to the ground, the new target sleeve then moving into position whereat the slip ring thereof is arrested by the detent mechanism, and is in position to be iired upon. As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, one of the drawbacks of present target exchange devices resides in the fact that at the point of attachment between the tow line and the exchange device a certain amount of angularity exists .between the tow line and the forward portion of the device due to swerving of the airplane and changing wind conditions acting on the tow line and the target. As a result of this angular relation the slip ring of the new target sleeve cannot slide smoothly from the tow line to the exchange device and at the point of attachment therebetween, which is the vertex of the angle, the slip ring brings a shock force to bear which is at times sufficient to cut the tow line at this point, the exchange mechanism and the sleeve being thus lost. The principal object of my invention is to overcome this diculty and, accordingly, I provide a target exchange device comprising a universal joint incorporated therein between the front portion thereof, l. e., the nose piece, which is attached to the tow line, and the detent mechanism. Such a structure provides for a substantially straight path between the tow line and the nose piece of the exchange device so that the slip ring has substantially passed beyond the tow line before it can bring any shock force to bear, the shock force 2 then being taken by the body of the device which is substantially stronger in shear than the tow line and unlikely to be cut by the slip ring.

A detailed disclosure of my invention now follows with reference to the appended drawing in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional tow target exchange device for the purpose of clearly demonstrating the distinction in operation between my invention and prior device;

Fig. 2 illustrates a general view of the improved tow target exchange device; and

Fig. 3 illustrates the invention in operation.

With reference to Fig. 2, there is disclosed a tow target exchange device having a body comprising a nose piece I adapted to be attached to a tow line (not shown) and articulated to an elongated housing element of a detent mechanism, generally indicated by A, through a conventional universal ball and socket joint structure comprising a ball 3 and the universally movable sockets or retaining members 5 and 6 secured to nose piece I and the mechanism portion of the body, respectively, the said articulated body being of substantially cylindrical shape to permit unobstructed passage of an exchange target from the nose piece and over the ball and socket joint to the detent mechanism of the housing element when the nose piece and the housing element are aligned. The detent mechanism is of conventional form and comprises a trigger 8 cooperating with a catch or detent lever 9 and a leaf spring iIl. The structure and the operation of the mechanism is substantially the same as that described in the aforementioned United States Patent to Foulk No, 1,971,340, the operation being dependent upon engagement of a slip ring Il of a new target sleeve (not shown) with the trigger 8 therebyA actuating the lever 9 against the bias of spring I0, the hook I2 on lever `9 releasing the slip ring I3 of the hit target sleeve (not shown) which is carried off by the air current and drops to the ground.

In flight, as shown in Fig. 3, a tow line I5 being attached to nose piece I and being pulled in the -direction of the arrow, the tow line I5 assumes a substantially straight line with respect to the nose piece I due to the universal joint provided between the nose piece I and the detent mechanism A. Accordingly, a slip ring I'I of a substitute target sleeve I8 will have substantially a straightpath in passing from the tow line I5 to and over the nose piece I, the shock due to angularity between the tow line and the release mechanism A being taken along the body of the 3 device, and loss of the device due to cutting of the tow line being thereby eliminated.

Having thus described my invention and the manner in which it overcomes disadvantages of prior constructions, I claim:

A tow target exchange device comprising a body including a nose piece adapted to be attached to a tow line and an elongated housing element having therein a. detent mechanism adapted to releasably secure a tow target. and a universal joint comprising a retaining member secured to said nose piece and a second retaining member secured to said housing element and a spherical member retained between said retaining members whereby said body is pivotally articulated intermediate said nose piece and said housing element for the purpose of providing a straight path for movement of an exchange target between said tow line and said nose piece, said body being of substantially cylindrical shape to permit unobstructed passage of the exchange target from the nose piece to the detent mechanism of the housing element when said nose piece and housing element are aligned.

MARVIN L. PYLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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