Apparatus for towed aircraft

Claim 1

A LAUNCHING, RETRIEVING AND SECURING APPARATUS FOR TOWING AN AIRCRAFT, COMPRISING: A FAIRING FORMED TO BE FIXED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF A TOWING AIRPLANE, MOTORIZED REEL CONTAINED IN SAID FAIRING ADAPTED TO BE CONTROLLED FROM A REMOTE STATION, A TOWLINE CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID REEL, SWIVEL MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID TOWLINE AND FORMED TO BE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE NORMALLY DISPOSED TOPSIDE OF THE TOWED AIRCRAFT, SADDLE MEANS FORMED ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID FAIRING TO NESTLE THE TOPSIDE OF THE TOWED AIRCRAFT WHEN IN A SECURED POSITION, A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT MEANS SECURED TO THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID SADDLE MEANS FOR PROVIDING COMPLIANCE BETWEEN SAID SADDLE MEANS AND THE TOWED AIRCRAFT IN THE SECURED POSITION, SAID SADDLE MEANS FORMING AN OPENING FOR ADMITTING SAID TOWLINE AND SAID SWIVEL MEANS INTO SAID FAIRING, A SUPPORT HOUSING FIXED WITHIN AND TO SAID FAIRING ADJACENT TO SAID OPENING FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID SWIVEL MEANS, SAID SUPPORT HOUSING BEING FORMED THEREIN TO CONSTRAIN SAID SWIVEL MEANS AGAINST FORWARD AND LATERAL MOTION WHEN IN THE SECURED POSITION, SHEAVE MEANS ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT HOUSING HAVING THE SHEAVE GROOVE THEREOF TANGENTIALLY ABUTTING SAID SWIVEL MEANS WHEN IN THE SECURED POSITION TO CONSTRAIN THE LATTER AGAINST AFTWARD MOTION AND TO PROVIDE ROLLING CONTACT FOR SAID TOWLINE DURING LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING, A NOTCH FORMED IN SAID SWIVEL MEANS, PAWL MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED WITHIN AND TO SAID SUPPORT HOUSING FOR NORMALLY LATCHING INTO SAID NOTCH WHEN SAID SWIVEL MEANS IS IN THE SECURED POSITION, TOGGLE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID PAWL MEANS AND SAID SUPPORT HOUSING, COCKING PLUNGER MEANS RETRACTABLY EXTENDING INTO SAID SUPPORT HOUSING AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID TOGGLE MEANS FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, THE OTHER END OF SAID PLUNGER MEANS NORMALLY OBSTRUCTING THE ADMISSION OF SAID SWIVEL MEANS INTO SAID HOUSING, ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED WITHIN AND TO SAID FAIRING ADAPTED TO BE CONTROLLED FROM THE REMOTE STATION, LOST-MOTION MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ACTUATING MEANS AND SAID TOGGLE MEANS, AND FORCE-EXERTING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FAIRING AND SAID TOGGLE MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID PAWL MEANS AND SAID PLUNGER MEANS IN LATCHING AND OBSTRUCTING POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY; WHEREBY POSITIVE SECUREMENT OF THE TOWED AIRCRAFT CAN BE OBTAINED IRRESPECTIVE OF AMBIENT TURBULENCE, AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE.