Granted Patent B2

US 8,333,138 · App. 12/556,705 · Granted Dec 18, 2012

Abstract

Claims (30)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a frame portion:

comprising metal, wherein the frame portion has a substantially elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction and defines one or more cavities extending in the longitudinal direction; and

comprising one or more missile guides extending in the longitudinal direction, the one or more missile guides each comprising an externally opening slot formed in the metal and having at least one internal corner and the slot configured to slidingly engage a missile hanger within the slot; and

a composite material enclosed within the one or more cavities and operable to structurally reinforce the frame portion and the at least one internal corner of the one or more missile guides.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the metal comprising aluminum.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the composite material comprising a resin and a plurality of fibers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a protective layer disposed outwardly from the frame portion for corrosion resistance and impact resistance.

5. The method of claim 1 , the composite material comprising a plurality of fibers soaked in resin, the plurality of fibers selected from the group consisting of graphite, fiberglass, and KEVLAR.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the slot is free of the composite material.

7. A method comprising:

forming a frame portion of a missile rail from a metal using an extrusion process, the frame portion:

having a substantially elongated shape with a longitudinal direction;

defining one or more cavities situated in the longitudinal direction; and

comprising one or more missile guides extending in the longitudinal direction, the one or more missile guides each comprising an externally opening slot formed in the metal and having at least one internal corner and the slot configured to slidingly engage a missile hanger within the slot; and

enclosing a composite material within the one or more cavities, the composite material operable to structurally reinforce the frame portion and the at least one internal corner of the one or more missile guides.

8. The method of claim 7 , the disposing the composite material within the one or more cavities further comprising performing the following for a cavity:

soaking a plurality of fibers in a resin, the plurality of fibers having a length substantially equal to a length of the cavity; and

disposing the plurality of fibers within the cavity according to a pultrusion process.

9. The method of claim 7 , the disposing the composite material within the one or more cavities further comprising performing the following for a cavity:

soaking a plurality of chopped fibers in a resin; and

disposing the plurality of chopped fibers into the cavity according to a stuffing process.

10. The method of claim 7 , the disposing the composite material within the one or more cavities further comprising:

disposing resin and a plurality of fibers in the cavity; and

curing the resin.

11. The method of claim 7 , the composite material comprising a plurality of fibers soaked in resin, the plurality of fibers selected from the group consisting of graphite, fiberglass, and KEVLAR.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

coupling the missile rail to one or more missile launcher components to form a missile launcher; and

coupling the missile launcher to an aircraft.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein, in the enclosing, the slot remains free of the composite material.

Assignments (8)