Apparatus for the reclamation of solid propellant rocket motor cases

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR DISINTEGRATING AND REMOVING FROM A ROCKET MOTOR CASE A SOLID PROPELLANT GRAIN THAT HAS BEEN CAST THEREIN, COMPRISING A BOTTOM RING THAT IS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON THE OPEN END OF THE MOTOR CASE IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY-SPACED, VERTICALLY-DISPOSED SUPPORT RODS SECURED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS TO SAID BOTTOM RING, A POWER UNIT, SAID POWER UNIT COMPRISING A LOWER CIRCULAR PLATE SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT RODS, A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY-SPACED, VERTICALLY-DISPOSED SUPPORT RODS SECURED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS TO SAID LOWER CIRCULAR PLATE AND AN UPPER CIRCULAR BEARING PLATE SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID LAST SAID SUPPORT RODS, A POWER SOURCE MOUNTED ON SAID LOWER CIRCULAR PLATE, A GEAR ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID UPPER CIRCULAR BEARING PLATE AND HAVING A DRIVE CONNECTION WITH SAID POWER SOURCE, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED TUBULAR MEMBER EXTENDED THROUGH SAID GEAR ASSEMBLY AND HAVING A DRIVE CONNECTION THEREWITH, A FLUID SUPPLY CONDUIT MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND RIGIDLY CONNECTED THERETO, A SECOND POWER SOURCE MOUNTED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID UPPER CIRCULAR BEARING PLATE, A SECOND GEAR ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID UPPER CIRCULAR BEARING PLATE AND HAVING A DRIVE CONNECTION WITH SAID SECOND POWER SOURCE, A FIRST VERTICALLYDISPOSED, TRAVERSING SCREW CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND POWER SOURCE, A FIRST OUTPUT SOURCE SECURED TO SAID FIRST TRAVERSING SCREW, A SECOND VERTICALLY-DISPOSED TRAVERSING SCREW MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID LOWER CIRCULAR PLATE, A SECOND OUTPUT SOURCE SECURED TO SAID SECOND VERTICALLY-DISPOSED, TRAVERSING SCREW, A FLEXIBLE DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND OUTPUT SOURCES, A FOLLOWER PLATE SECURED TO SAID VERTICALLY DISPOSED TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID FOLLOWER PLATE HAVING OPERATIONAL CONNECTION WITHIN SAID FIRST AND SECOND TRAVERSING SCREWS WHEREBY SAID FOLLOWER PLATE AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBER ARE RECIPROCATED WITHIN SAID MOTOR CASE, A MANIFOLD CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID FLUID SUPPLY CONDUIT AND A PLURALITY OF FLUID EJECTION NOZZLES SECURED TO SAID MANIFOLD FOR DIRECTING JETS OF FLUID AGAINST THE SOLID PROPELLANT GRAIN IN SAID MOTOR CASE FOR THE DISINTEGRATION AND REMOVAL THEREOF.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR DISINTEGRATING AND REMOVING FROM A ROCKET MOTOR CASE A SOLID PROPELLANT GRAIN THAT HAS BEEN CAST THEREIN, COMPRISING A BOTTOM RING THAT IS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON THE OPEN END OF THE MOTOR CASE IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY-SPACED, VERTICALLY-DISPOSED SUPPORT RODS SECURED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS TO SAID BOTTOM RING, A POWER UNIT, SAID POWER UNIT COMPRISING A LOWER CIRCULAR PLATE SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT RODS, A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY-SPACED, VERTICALLY-DISPOSED SUPPORT RODS SECURED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS TO SAID LOWER CIRCULAR PLATE AND AN UPPER CIRCULAR BEARING PLATE SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID LAST SAID SUPPORT RODS, A POWER SOURCE MOUNTED ON SAID LOWER CIRCULAR PLATE, A GEAR ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID UPPER CIRCULAR BEARING PLATE AND HAVING A DRIVE CONNECTION WITH SAID POWER SOURCE, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED TUBULAR MEMBER EXTENDED THROUGH SAID GEAR ASSEMBLY AND HAVING A DRIVE CONNECTION THEREWITH, A FLUID SUPPLY CONDUIT MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND RIGIDLY CONNECTED THERETO, A SECOND POWER SOURCE MOUNTED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID UPPER CIRCULAR BEARING PLATE, A SECOND GEAR ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID UPPER CIRCULAR BEARING PLATE AND HAVING A DRIVE CONNECTION WITH SAID SECOND POWER SOURCE, A FIRST VERTICALLYDISPOSED, TRAVERSING SCREW CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND POWER SOURCE, A FIRST OUTPUT SOURCE SECURED TO SAID FIRST TRAVERSING SCREW, A SECOND VERTICALLY-DISPOSED TRAVERSING SCREW MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID LOWER CIRCULAR PLATE, A SECOND OUTPUT SOURCE SECURED TO SAID SECOND VERTICALLY-DISPOSED, TRAVERSING SCREW, A FLEXIBLE DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND OUTPUT SOURCES, A FOLLOWER PLATE SECURED TO SAID VERTICALLY DISPOSED TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID FOLLOWER PLATE HAVING OPERATIONAL CONNECTION WITHIN SAID FIRST AND SECOND TRAVERSING SCREWS WHEREBY SAID FOLLOWER PLATE AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBER ARE RECIPROCATED WITHIN SAID MOTOR CASE, A MANIFOLD CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID FLUID SUPPLY CONDUIT AND A PLURALITY OF FLUID EJECTION NOZZLES SECURED TO SAID MANIFOLD FOR DIRECTING JETS OF FLUID AGAINST THE SOLID PROPELLANT GRAIN IN SAID MOTOR CASE FOR THE DISINTEGRATION AND REMOVAL THEREOF.