Apparatus, And Methods Of Use, For Launching Vehicles From Ships

This non-provisional patent application claims priority to, and incorporates herein by reference in its entirety, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/752,468 that was filed Jan. 31, 2025.

The embodiments of the present disclosure may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present disclosure relates in general to the field of launching devices, and in particular to systems and methods and apparatuses for launching submergible vehicles from the top surface of the hull of ships.

Basic techniques for manually loading, retaining, launching vehicles from ships are known in the art. Past methods for the retaining and discharging of submergible vehicles, however, are labor-intensive and dangerous due to the human participation in the maintenance and manipulation of vehicles having substantial weight and size. Improved solutions are desired for retaining, and launching on command, submergible vehicles from the topside of water-surface crafts that may be unmanned. Features of the present disclosure overcome various deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method, system and apparatus having advantages that will become apparent from the following disclosure.

The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure, nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts, in accordance with the disclosure, in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description presented herein.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the disclosed device may comprise a launcher for retaining and releasing vehicles from the top surface of the hull of water-surface crafts or ships. The launcher may be adapted to retain a submergible vehicle at varying angles prior to launch. The launcher may comprise a bottom member adapted for receiving the submergible vehicle. In some embodiment, the launcher may be mounted on the top surface of the hull of a ship by welding the legs or feet of the launcher to the ship. The launcher may be adapted to be tilted at varying angles, which may include a horizontal orientation for loading the vehicle and a raised orientation for launching the vehicle. Once the vehicle is secured within the launcher, a bottom member of the launcher may be tilted to be in a launch-ready orientation such that the loaded vehicle may be retained in the launcher until a command is received to release the vehicle to enable the vehicle to slide off of the bottom member into the water. In some embodiments, the launcher may have legs or weldments adapted to buckle or pivot such that the orientation of the launcher may be adjusted between the load-ready orientation and the launch-ready orientation.

The position of the loaded vehicle may be adjusted to align with the launcher by rotating the vehicle within the bottom member. An alignment fixture may be used to engage alignment protrusions or slots on the exterior surface of the loaded vehicle, and to confirm alignment of the vehicle in a launch-ready position. A top member may be attached to secure the aligned vehicle within the launcher at varying angles prior to launch. The orientation of the launcher may be adjusted prior to launch by lifting the aft bottom end of the bottom member. In an embodiment, the launch angle may be a 15-degree angle. Upon command, the vehicle may be launched from the ship. Further advantages and features of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail below.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods may comprise a launcherfor retaining and releasing submergible vehicles.depicts an exemplary implementation of such a launcher or launching device/system, which may be adapted to retain a submergible vehicleat varying angles prior to launch. In some embodiment, as shown in, the launchermay be configured to be mounted on or integrated with the top surfaceof the hullof a water-surface craft or ship. Such shipsmay be unmanned or autonomous, and the launchermay be adapted to release the submergible vehicleinto the waterbased on a command that may be remotely received or programmed based on predetermined instructions, as further described below. The launchermay have legs or weldments,adapted to secure the launcherto the hullof the ship. The launchermay be adapted to be mounted on land or stationary platforms, such as piers or offshore platforms or cliff-launch pads, in accordance with certain embodiments.

Referring back to, the launchermay comprise a bottom memberor slide bottomadapted for receiving the submergible vehicle. The launcher, or the bottom memberof the launcher, may be further adapted to be tilted at varying angleswhich may be measured relative to the top surfaceof the ship, the horizon, or the water surface. At one such angle, the launchermay comprise an orientationfor loading the vehicleonto the bottom member. For example, the bottom membermay be tilted to be in a horizontal orientation′ such that a submergible vehiclemay be horizontally mounted.

Once the vehicleis secured within the launcher, the bottom membermay be tilted to be in a launch-ready orientation″ such that the loaded vehicle′ may be retained in the launcheruntil a command is received to release the vehicleand enable the vehicleto slide off of the bottom member. In some embodiments, a predetermined set of legs or weldmentsmay be adapted to buckle, collapse, bend, shorten or lengthen such that one end of the bottom membermay be raised or lowered in order to adjust the orientationof the launcherbetween a load-ready orientation′ and a launch-ready orientation″. In an embodiment, a load-ready orientation′ may represent the positioning of a launcherhaving a longitudinal axisparallel to the top surfaceof the ship, the horizon, or the water surfacesuch that the angleof the launcheris zero degrees. A launch-ready orientation″ may represent the positioning of a launcherhaving a longitudinal axisat a predetermined anglerelative to the top surfaceof the ship, the horizon, or the water surface. The predetermined launch anglemay comprise an angleselected from an angle range′ between 15 degrees and 60 degrees. In an embodiment, the predetermined anglemay be a 15-degree angle.

In accordance with certain embodiments, as depicted in, the presently disclosed methodof using a launchermay comprise the step of loading a submergible vehicleonto a bottom memberof the launcherin a horizontal or load-ready orientation′ [block]. As shown in, the bottom membermay be adjusted to be in a horizontal orientation′ [block] by buckling the aft weldmentsand pivoting the bottom memberabout the fore weldment. Accordingly, the vehiclemay be received by the bottom memberin a horizontal orientation′. In some embodiments, a loading device or cranemay be used to lower the vehicleinto the bottom memberin a horizontal orientation′ to reduce the likelihood of the vehiclefalling and being damaged.illustrates a vehicleloaded on the bottom memberof the launcherin a horizontal orientation′.

In certain embodiments, as illustrated in, the methodmay further comprise the step of aligning the loaded vehicle′ within the bottom member[block]. This step may comprise rotating the vehicle′ within the bottom member. A precise alignment may be accomplished by first attaching an alignment fixture[block] which may be adapted to be mounted on the bottom memberof the launcher, as shown in.illustrates an exemplary implementation of an alignment fixture, in accordance with certain embodiments. The alignment fixturemay be configured to engage an alignment member, such as a stop bolt or alignment protrusion or alignment slot, on an exterior surfaceof the loaded vehicle′. Alignment membersare depicted in, which illustrates the aligned vehicle″ within the bottom memberafter the step of removing the alignment fixturefrom the bottom memberof the launcher[block].

Referring back to, the alignment fixturemay comprise a plurality of mounting plates,indirectly secured to one another by being coupled together via support pipes. The alignment fixturemay comprise a forward mounting plateand a back mounting plate. A top portion of one or more of the mounting plates,may be indirectly coupled via top bars. A bottom portion of one or more of the mounting plates,may be indirectly coupled via two or more alignment plates, which may be adapted to be mounted along opposite sides of the exterior surfaceof a loaded vehicle′. In an embodiment, the fore ends of two alignment platesmay be attached or welded to the opposite ends of the forward mounting plateas shown in, or to opposite ends of the back mounting plateas shown in. The bottom surface of the alignment platesmay be configured to be received by, and mounted upon, a bottom bolt-lip memberof the mid-sectionof the bottom memberof the launcher. The mounting plates,may comprise interior edgeshaving a concave shape configured based on the exterior surfaceof the vehicle. The concave-shaped interior edgesmay form a cavityadapted to receive a top section of the exterior surfaceof the loaded vehicle′. The interior edgesof the top portion of the mounting plates,may comprise a notchadapted to receive and/or engage an alignment memberprotruding from the exterior surfaceof the loaded vehicle′.

As illustrated in, the methodmay further comprise the step of securing the aligned vehicle″ within the launchersuch that the vehicle″ is securely retained until launch time. This step may comprise coupling or attaching a top memberof the launcherto the bottom memberof the launcher[block], as shown in.illustrates an exemplary implementation of the top member, in accordance with certain embodiments. The top membermay be configured to be removably coupled to the bottom member. The top membermay be coupled and decoupled, such that a submergible vehiclemay be repeatedly loaded, retained and launched. In an embodiment, the top membermay be adapted to be locked to the bottom memberof a launcherto prevent the authorized removal of the vehiclefrom the ship. In some embodiments, the top membermay retain the loaded vehicle′ within the launcheroriented at varying anglesprior to launch.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the disclosed methodof use may comprise the step of adjusting the orientationof the launcherto a launch-ready orientation″ [block]. This step may comprise tilting the launcherto a launch-ready orientation″ of approximately 15 degrees, as shown in. In some embodiments, the step may further comprise the unbuckling of the aft weldmentsand the pivoting of the bottom memberabout the fore weldmentsuch that the bottom membermay be adjusted from the horizontal orientation′ to the launch-ready orientation″. A sling, rope, chains or strapsmay be looped around the longitudinal railsnear the aft bottom endof the bottom member. The slingmay be lifted by a crane or loading deviceadapted to raise the launcherto a predetermined anglefor launching the vehicle. Such a loading devicemay also be used to lower the launcher, which may be tied to or supported by the sling, to a load-ready or horizontal orientation′. For example, after a vehicleis launched, the cranemay lower the launchersuch that the bottom memberis adjusted to be in a horizontal orientation′ and ready to receive another vehiclefor launching from the ship.

The disclosed methodmay comprise the step of launching the aligned vehicle″ [block] by releasing the vehiclefrom the retained position within the launcher, in accordance with certain embodiments. This step may comprise receiving a launch commandand enabling the vehicleto slide out of the launchersuch that the vehicledeparts from the hullof the shipand enters into the waterbelow, as shown in. Upon being unlocked and/or released from the launcher, the vehiclemay be permitted to free-fall under the force of gravity. As used herein, the vehiclemay comprise an autonomous vehicle, unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), unmanned water-surface vehicle, drone, maneuverable projectile, glided projectiles, hybrid mobile vehicle/buoy, multi-rotor mobile buoy, floating buoy, submerged buoy, sonobuoy, wave glider, or sea glider. In some embodiments, the vehiclemay transport or be integrated with radio devices, optical sensors, communication devices, sonar equipment, acoustic sensors, recordation devices, homing and docking systems, propellers, fins, explosive material and module tools adapted to manipulate objects. In an embodiment, the diameter of the vehiclemay be twenty-one inches.

andillustrate various views of the presently disclosed launcherand its components, which may be provided as a kit, that may be assembled and installed upon a ship. Such launcher kit componentsmay comprise: the slide bottomor bottom member; the slide topor top member; the alignment fixture; an A-cable extension pipe, aft weldments; fore weldments; stop levers; and/or, a loading device. As shown in, certain componentsof the assembled kit′ may form the launcherwhile other componentsmay be included as part of the kityet packaged separately. In embodiment, at least some of the launcher kit componentsmay be preassembled for shipping purposes. In some embodiments, each of the componentsmay be separately packaged and assembled upon delivery.

Referring back to, the bottom membermay comprise a bottom mid-sectionwhich may further comprise a rounded bottom plate. As shown in, the rounded bottom platemay be configured to receive an underside portion of the vehicle. The rounded bottom platemay further comprise a bottom bolt-lip memberwhich may be configured to receive the bottom surface of the alignment platesof the alignment fixture, as illustrated in. The bottom bolt-lip membermay be also configured to receive the top bolt-lip memberof the top member, as illustrated in

Referring back to, the bottom membermay comprise an aft bottom endand fore bottom end. In embodiment, the bottom membermay comprise a support baror athwartship i-beamwhich may be adapted to be mounted on the aft weldments. Longitudinal railsmay traverse the length of the bottom member. The longitudinal railsmay comprise two sets of a linear plurality of rail members, each linear set lined up end to end. The longitudinal railsmay be mounted on rail-support tubes. The aft bottom endand the fore bottom endof the bottom membermay comprise an aft-end plate′ and a fore-end plate′, respectively. Curved rail sectionsmay project from the aft bottom endof the bottom member. In certain embodiments, the rail sectionsmay be downwardly curved and adapted for the vehicleto slide off and away from the launcher. The fore bottom endof the bottom membermay be adapted to receive an A-cable extension pipe. The A-cable extension pipemay comprise an A-cable stop plateand an A-cable clamp, which may be secured by a nut and bolt. An A-cable(now shown) may traverse the A-cable extension pipe. As the vehiclelaunches and slides away from the launcher, the A-cablemay snape off, shear away or break away such that this safety mechanism disengages enabling the vehicleto be started.

Referring back to, in accordance with certain embodiments, the slide topor top membermay comprise an ejection release member or mechanism (ERM)which may be adapted to unlock and/or launch the vehicle. In an embodiment, as shown in the enlarged view corresponding to the circular reference denoted as Z in the prospective view, the release membermay be coupled to a ERM platewhich may be adapted to trigger the ejection release mechanism. The release membermay be mounted on an outer side of a top tube member, which may traverse the length of the top member. A top railmay be mounted on the opposite side of the top tube member, which may be adapted to engage an exterior surfaceof the vehicleand enable the vehicleto smoothly slide down and away from the launcherupon release. The top membermay comprise a top mid-sectionincluding a rounded top plate, which may be configured to wrap around a portion of the exterior surfaceof the vehicle, that may have a top bolt-lip member. The top bolt-lip membermay be configured to be mounted on the bottom bolt-lip memberof the bottom member, as illustrated in. In some embodiments, as shown in, the ends of the top tube membermay be coupled to a top-tube end plate. Top padeyesmay be mounted on the outer side of a top tube member. The padeyesmay be adapted to be engaged by a sling or straps, which may be connected to a crane or loading device, such that the top membermay be lifted and removed from the launcher. The loading devicemay also be used to lower the top memberunto the bottom memberover the aligned vehicle″ prior to launch. Once secured by the top member, the aligned vehicle″ may be tilted into launch-ready orientation″ with the fore vehicle end or nosepointing slightly downward and the aft vehicle endpointing slightly upward, in accordance with certain embodiments. The slingattached to one of the top padeyesmay be lifted by the loading deviceto raise an end of the launcherto a predetermined anglefor launching the aligned vehicle″.

As shown in, the aft weldmentsmay be adapted to support the launcherand adjust its orientation. The aft weldmentsmay comprise an aft base plateadapted to be mounted on the top surfaceof a hullfor a ship, in accordance with certain embodiments. An aft first beammay be mounted on the aft base plate. In some embodiments, the aft base platemay comprise an aft lower beamhaving an aft lower padeyeadapted to connect to an aft upper padeyeof an aft upper beam. An aft pivot platemay be positioned between the aft lower beamand the aft upper beam. The aft first beammay be attached to the aft upper beam. A top end of the aft upper beammay include an aft mounting plateadapted to support an aft alignment plateconfigured to reinforce the athwartship i-beamas the aft weldmentssupport the bottom member.

The fore weldments, as illustrated in, may also support the launcherand be further adapted to enable the launcherto pivot in relation to the top surfaceof the hullof the ship. The fore weldmentsmay comprise a fore base platehaving fore gussetsand fore beams. The top ends of the fore beamsmay include fore mounting plates, which may support fore padeyesadapted to connect to a pair of bottom padeyesmounted on a bottom portion of the bottom memberas shown in

shows a stop lever, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure, which may be adapted to restrain vehiclesintended for launch via the stop boltor other exterior geometric members protruding beyond the diameter of the vehicle. The stop levermay comprise a stop bolt rail, which may support chute wallssurrounding a front levelconfigured to engage the stop boltof the vehicles. As shown in, a portion of the top railof the top membermay comprise the stop lever. Referring back to, the stop levermay be adapted to engage a rear flipperto enable a stop-bolt restraint mechanism to secure the vehicleuntil launch time when the ejection release member (ERM)is triggered by an electrical impulse or command. Prior to receiving a launch command, the untriggered ERMmay restrain the stop levelto hold the vehiclein place within the launcher.

While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Although some of the drawings illustrate a number of operations in a particular order, operations that are not order-dependent may be reordered and other operations may be combined or broken out. While some reordering or other groupings are specifically mentioned, others will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and so do not present an exhaustive list of alternatives. The presently disclosed instructions and code are examples, which may vary as understood by those skilled in the art, that are listed in order to illustrate the nature of certain embodiments.