CA2012623C - Combat vehicle with extendible combat platform - Google Patents

Abstract

A combat vehicle utilization system including a plurality of extensible elevating members each adapted for mounting to a combat vehicle at a first end and carrying a combat platform at a second end is utilized to increase armament and effectiveness of a combat vehicle whereby the vehicle is able to target and combat a plurality of targets in both aerial and ground elevations and at varying directions.

Description

CO~ VEH~~TaE wI'~H EE3QD~E%.~ ~0~' pI~~F~7Rhi ~~6~~1.~c~ the ~n~~smtion The pr~s~nt inv~nt,ion re3.ates t~ military combat vehicles and more particularly to ~ni~.~.taa~ v~hiclss having a plurality of weapons car sensors 3ocat~d on the booms or arms ~upportst~ on '~ha main carriage of th~ v~hicle. rn the even gsaatar particularity the present invention relates to oombat vehicles wha.rain a plura~.x.ty of eactsnded booms are utilizod to c~~ploy woapons anr~
s~nsors at ~lwations and aaimuths relative to the main game while in a combat ~odl~.
o ,c~acound c! txxs ~,~~~ t n P~il3,tary co~abat vehio7l~es ~r.ith manned and un~aanned coaabat plat~o~ms ~rhich can be elevated have !seen suggested in they early seventies in s~v~ral variants. Ec~. ~~:~-~a~n 22 05 926, 235?505, 29542?$, which show light vehicl~ss without armor, with raiseabla unmanned platforans o~° tJp-1~S 3?s?635, DE-OSen 2622995 anal 35924244 a,s well as 1~E~P~ 312m~3a which shows ~w arnaorcd c~c~mbat vehicle with a raieabla ta~xmanned combat platform plus an additional rais~abls get of visionias. these three basi~a types which have evoJ.ved during the last. few years have since been further dc~velope~ arid rei'sa~ed. X11 0~ these are based on the following military reeoe~nition: "with hc~i~ht ~n~ ga~in~ de~at~h'e.
Fur°~hera~ore, ths~y ~ffer the possibility to ~coep the vehicle and cr~w under crwer an~1 e~p~se only the weapons and observation system to direct enemy fire.

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The main purpess~ caf v~hic:laas with raiseable combat platfo.rra~s is seen in their deployment against mas~iv~ly attacking tanks and their possible helicopter-escoms. fox this x~aason armored, and preferably cha~.l~ equipped, vehicles are b~aing progc~sed for oarr~.ers ref carnbat platforms and the~,x elevatinr~ mechanisms. For instance, He:mao orb, "~attendibl~a anti-tank and observeation pla:tform,'~ in "~zznada International'° 6/~,98~ au~ggegts to re~-equip combat tanks or similar slated for retirement, for this purpose.
It is the o;~ject of the present invention to prov3r~e a combat vehicle having twa elevating mechan3.sms and combat platforms which can be deployed indmp~ndently from each other and are thus aapalala of combat against s~RVeral aerial and ground ta~cgets simultaneously in di~Pferent directions and at different ranges from partially or fully Govar~:d positions wherein the vehicle itself remains out of the l~,nn of fir~ of the ~targ~te Another object of the present invention is to prcwide a plurali'~y of elevated mechanisms W~.ti~ oombat platforms whereby multiplo ax~m~amerat.s may allow morn flexible combined or separate deployment of available weapons aga~.nst the enemy. Yet another object. of the invention is to provide conventional Fighting v~ehioles with the ~abi~.ity to be upgraded and mG~dern$zed ut$liz$ng a~n mrmamant set oompxising a movable boon sad a combat platfor~n9 These and other' ob j acts are advantagsca~asly achieved ire the present ir~venti,or: thrbuc~h the use of two independently maneuverable cr:mbat platforms at the upper end of twa separat~

omni-directionally taovable clcvating mechanisms, which are dined at their lower end to a vehicle, as with universal-type gear ring. The uac '~h~ plurality of combat platforms provides the ac~vantag~a of doubling the amount of ar~aamcnt~ which may be deplayed s.imul'~ariaously. It should be understood that the freedom of mvve~nent of the twa independently operated combat pl~ti~forms and elevated mechanisms allows for more effective combined or sep~arat~ daploymsn~t of the armament and equipment carried on the Combat platforms against ground to aerial targets in the same or different directions a.nd distances.
rn t~i~ia way advantages accrue inasmuch as cc~nv~ntional combat vehicle~sr especially armored ones, can now be rc-equipped, without any problems and in a very short time, with modern elevating ac~mbat platforms which in turn enables them to carry accurate fire pow~x~ deep into ~nevmy territory and thus sub~staritially increase their dei'ens~,va capability, without diminish~.ng tPa~ir ability for aonv~nt.~.onal deployment.
ru~thermoxc, ~t~i~ armam~n4 ~~t is aomparativaly low cost thus tla~lping to promotd the mi~.itary and commercial requirement f'or supplying ~h~ def~nss farces with r~a~aonak~ly pric~sl, ~impl~ to operate but h~~,c~hly affective defens~iva w~aponss systems against ma~sive~ attacks from tanks and aerial targcat~.
It is under~to~ad that the ~~,watin~ h8ight for the plmtform of a sim~p~,e armament set cann~at be chosen as great as ~cr the wellknown highly specialized v~hiclas. 'This is °~ha raasr~n why it is recommended to locat.a especially th~a v~.sic~nias IE, the ~~.i~~~~
slectrona.c=optical systems fc~r s~ot'~inc~ and traainc~ of enemy targets as well as for guiding of missiles, ate a separate elevating m~Chanism in o~~dax to aahieve k~~tter depth of penetration and imprave on the cover for the cambat vshicl~.
~~'' ~ ..,.1~~'~,~~G~'~~.~. ~f th~ Drza~ai::~ta Apparatus in body and faa~ture~ saf o~as invention are depicted in the accompanied drawings which. form a part of this disclosure anc~ wh~rain;
FaG. 1 is a si~.e elevatianal view of a combat vehicle having a set o~ extendible arms with a pla°~faran p~asition fcsrmed thereont FIG, 2 is a aids alavatianal view ~hcwine~ the range o c~~ploym~nt of the azTa~c Shawn in FIG.
~'xG 3 is a pratxt alavational vi~v of the cambat vehicle shown in FIB. 1 shawing the lateral extent of deployment of the aamba'~ ~lat~oxm~~
P'xG. 4 is a s3de~ elavational view eaf a~ admk~a't ve~h~.ole wherein th~ eleva't~ci army era f~ldi~ac~ ar hinged-typ~d arms t F'hG. 5a ahowa th~ deployment o~ one o~ 'the extendible cbmba'~
platforms (roan the vehicle ant~ a graund mount;
~'IG. 5b shawl °the d~ploym~nt cad the veh~.cle in combat platform behind btiilding~:
F'3G. 5c ~l~pict~d a wh~~l-driva~n feat-maving nrm~red car with twa ~lavat~d meahan~.~ma m~unt~d any above ~aah ancr~Gh~r which arcs xhawri cxta~tdc~d Ytari~01'a'tally witl~a ~,~,c~'ht combat platforms th~reont ~~.r~'~~
FIB. 5d and ~~ illu,~~ra~.~ typ~ioal axampl~a of deployment of the invention in oomlbat terraint FIB. 6 ~ho~re an embc~dim~aat s~f the i:nvntivn whe~ra3n one combat p~,at~orm 3a mounted ran a teleeoope and pivotially mounted boom and a ~~oo~sd oombat platform at~a zaountad on a vertically movable platformt FzG. 7 ahotae a varied am~aodi~ant a~o~xntad can a ~.i.ght weight vehicle utilizing two tel~acoping siring armst P'I~. ~ is a p~.ann~d viow of tho oombat vohicle with an extendible teleae~ope s~yetam ~ain~d omni-diraotiona?1y to the front thereof and showing a gear boom for mounting a secondary oQmhat platforms F=d. 9 ~howa armament e~trs whicah may ba o~,rri~d an the deck of th~ vehicle;
FAG. s0 ~.l7.uefi.rata~ arma~n~nt a~t~ whioh are mounted on the rear trf the combat platforamt and FTGa. 11-~13 show arm~am~nt eats dw~l~ped fos cnnv~ntic~nal aQmba~ vehiolae which may ba u~ilizad with such vahiol~s for rearming and mod~xn~.za~tion th~sreof.
R~ferr~,ng to tho figuroa for a B~~ottor und~retand3ng of my invention it will. b~ ~~~n ih FIB. 1 ~h~~ I make u~~ e~f a standard tank ohaesie indioated by the numeral ~. for mounting two telescoping folding arms 2 and 2a with a combat platform ~ $nd 3a at the rsepeotive upger ex~d c~f each folding arm. ~haaa t~l~eooping army ar~ extenaion members and art ~wival ~ointad on S

the bottom to the deck o~ the tank chassis and pivot upwardly proximal the swivel joint. It thus may be seen that c~rmbat platforms so mounted may be extended in all directions and may be held in any intermediate position for deployment, It is envisioned that each combat platform and its elevating member 2 os 2a will be operated by its own anew ~tea~ber with all movement being ~.ndiaated on screens internally of they vehicle which era not shown in the enclosed drawings. It is to be understoad that an internal system, pr~agarably computer based, will be utilized to manitor the position of the extension member8 and combat platforms at all times to provide a safety lockout for both movement o:~ the combat platforms as well as the :~irine~ e~~ any weaponry associated therewith such that the combat platforms do not inadvertently endanger its c~ounterpasrt on the vehicle.
It will b~ appre~aiate~~l that '~la~~ ine3~ependently mcavx~bla unmanned combat ;platforms ~ and 3a are adble tc~ r~atate 360 degrees about a vertical axis and are able to t~.p from -2o degrees to X70 degreee~ relative to the horizontal. =t ie contemplated that an automatic 1~v~3.ing system, of the well~known ~yro~capiG ~Gyp~ or any other conventianal type will be utilized to keep the combat platforms in a nox°ma3,l,y level position, subj~ot to manual override or an ovexx~~d~ occasioned by aiming o~ the ct~znlbat piatfarm a;t a particular ta~°~et. The weaponry and oth~r equipment loaded ante the combat plat~ox~ns 3 and 3a may include s varioty of guided mi~~ilea, light automatic weapons, vidso~
optics, ~ensorg ~c~r daylight ar night-uear~e as we~.l as transmitter, computer, and alarm systems. Several of these embodiments are shown in flt3. 11~13. Tt is further contemplated that both combat platfarms are to be fully operational when the vchiclc is moving as well as when the vehicle is at rest. at will also b~ apprecaiated that the ~xtonsion members may serve as booms w~ex~aa loads hanging members 4 and ~a can be utilized to attach material to the boom for lifting and aaaneuverirag.
Referring to fiG. 2 it may be seen that the apparatus as shown in FIG, 1 has a full rangy of ~xt~nsion turning and swiv~llng nor both elevat~d mechanisms. From FIG. 2 it may be eiearly seen that the ext~naiona 2 and 2a are tslescsa,pio m~mber~ which extend wall beyond the gnd lln~s cf the v~~~cls, sap~ns and eguipmant mounted on combat platforms 3 and ~a can thus be effectively d~ployed around haug~s or str~st corners by the crew inaiuding the driver in the vehicle and may be l5shind cover as shown in FIG. 5b.
FIG. 3 shops that the sect~nsion m~;mb~ra are es;ually movable at the lateral rangy thus from FrGs. z and 3 it is evident how both t~l~scapia me~mbsrs z end za may bra used to balanoe the cyst~m ~ s we~ic~ht and increa~~ ~~tability without sacrificing d~~loyabilit~r of th~ system. ~h~r~fors, all canc~aivs,b7.e intermediate positions wittcin t3a~ ~ivot3ng and swi~rsling tangs of both extension devices should be considered in connection with the ta~a~rain uecage, As may b~ a~e~n fro~u F7~Gs. 5d and 5e the advantages rapidly acarus when light and highly ms.neuverable forms of this invontian are used in exvreme terrain wherein the vehicle itself may to%e coves while ~.xpvoinq the cvm?~at platforms for recot~nai~~artaa tax fixe c~ntral. FIG. 3 else shows telescope extender used as an elevating means ~ax° cambat platfs~x~ms with the booms mounted one on top of the other with the upper swivel faint of the lower boom positioned o~ateide the common pivot axis of the elevating m~chani~~na. In this manner mutut~l c~bst:~uct~.on of movement is greatly reduc~d and for this type of mount the centrally lacated turret gearing an existing vgihial~a~ may ba used here.
Referring to FIG. 4 it may ire seen that sactension member 2 is a folding booze, which is swive3, ~airitad to the deck and a~ttanaion 2b is a folding extension b~oosn swivel mr~un~ted at the opposite corner of the da~ak ag t~l~z vehicle. It will Y~e appreGia,~t~d that the mechanism 2 ar 2a aa~n he replaced by a separate light elevating mechanism with combat platform, the ~ntira assembly being latched and rerucwrable from the vehicle rather than permanently mounted thereto. FIG. 5a as a representation ref such a light e~.evated mechanism displaced frdm th~a vehicle onto th$ ground. Tt will ?gig appr~ciated that with this hype of platform and extension a plur2~lity df such devices may 1a~ maunt~d an a v~hicl~ aging seas a~ tl~~ devices a~ 'the mechanisms far leading and unlaading th~a oth~r devise. FIG. 5c shows a wheel--driven fast-moving armored car with two a~,evated meahanisma mc~xnted one above each other and extending hari~ontally and sideways with light comlbat pla~.fC~rms thereon, each ~turnished with such waapanry as guided missiles, light.

automatic weapon , or spraying sguipmsnt. FIB 6 shows yet another atnbadimsnt of my invention wherein a combat platform 3 is mounted on a pivoting and ~wivsling telescope extension member 2 as in FIG 1 with a second combat platform 3a mounted on a vertically ext~ndibls linear actuator 2a which is suitable only for vertical lift but is separately movable from the axt~nei,on member 2. Both extension mambsrs 2 and 2a ors joined to the vehicle 1 through a chart rotating meat fi. This mounting arrangement of the aeaand platform ig fa~arad in embodiments whets light automatic weapons ar~ ua~d, Eor exempla-for installation on light highly mobile vshicla~ such a~ jeeps with a relatively light load carrying capability.
FIG. 7 also shows anathar variant utilizing two telescoping and awing arms, with the upper t~lsacoping and awing arm mounted far motion above th~ cab of the underlying vehicle in a farm of a truck while the second awing arm 2a i~ mounted for pivotal and xota~3pnal movomsnt Prom th,e bed of the trunk behind the cab. ~~~srring to F~~. ~ it gay be assn that a combat vehicle 1 has mounted th~r~on an sxt~ndibls telescope ayatcm 2 Pot omni-dir~ctional movsm~nt about a vertical axis near the left Front end o~ the vahicZs. The extendible talsgcope ~ystsm is equipped with twin combat platfarana ~ and a radar ~. A secondary lifting m~chani~m and combat platform could ba mounted in a aonvantional turning gear 10 an the vehicle deck ll or on the rear at 12. ~h~ a~rament ast whioh may bs mQUnted at th~ d~ok 12 oP the vshicl~ 1 is d~piatsd mQra clearly in FAG. s and as may bs assn more alsarly in FTG. 11, the armament set is provided with supports 13 and 14 which may bs disengagable from the vehipls 1.
It would be appreciated that the arman~snt set shown in FIGS. 11~
13 have bean dev~loped for aanvsntional combat vehicles and are to be used in the rearming and modsrnizatiAn o~ such v~hialsg.
These armament sets will considerably increase the capability of these vehicles and significantly reduce the tim~ required to utilize the armament systems. 3n FIG. 11 it may bs seen that the vehidle 1 includes a turret whereon a conventional turret gun is mounted and to which a armament set consisting of an aleuating mechanism 2 arid a combat platform with armament 3 is mounted to the rear of the turret while a second identical set is mounted to the stern. The a7rmamsnt sat 15 includes a turning and tilting device is for the combat platform. Tn 1~TG. 12 the turret vehicle 1 is again shown with a stern armament set including a pivoting extension mombor ~ and a combat platform 3 which is rotatable about th~ upp~r end of the ~xtension member. The stern armament sat is mounted in a rotatable rind mounting 17 and also has a pivot mounting to vary the elevation thereof. Tn FIG. 13 a container 18 is mounted on a pivot 2n in the same manner ag the combat platform and extension members shown in the previous embodiments. It will bs appreciated that the armament set Shawn in FIG. 1~ with its omni~directional and telescoping elevating mechanism allows for unimpad~d turning of the turret with the cannon thus permitting ~avorabls deployment of its combat platform around vertical border lines of protective covers 3a available in the terrain. The container 2a Shawn in FTC. 13 may carry rockets, fuel, fire-fighting- or d~contaminatian~liquids or jamming equipment against deteotian ox guided projectiles and is suitable for d~ployment. The ai~e and farm of the container may be adjusted to combat r~~uir~ments and dependent on circumstances, the target and guidance system of the combat vehicle l can be ~~ppl~m~nt~d ar an additional system 19 mounted an an extension member similar to the combat platforms may ba carried on beard and raised to desired el~vation. fihe present invention fsrther contemplates extension members capable of conducting air through a closed system fr4m the free and of the extension members to with the vehicle, Theses extension members would provide air to the crew and engines of the vehicle should the vehiala become submerged in water. dram the foregoing it may be sa~n that ~ have described a plurality of various embadim~nts of my invention which include a combat vehicle with two elevated m~ahanisms and combat platforms which can be deployed independently from each ether and which art capable of combat with several aerial and ground targets simultaneously in diff~rent dir~atians and at cliff~rent range. It should ba appreciathd that the vehicle carrying my combat armaments may ba effectively hidden behind availa~la cover ~hua e~tposing only the armaments only to hostile fire. a~x~ additional advantage to this invention relat~s to the elevation of more 'than one elevating m~ah~nism~ v~ith ~omb~t ~rl~~fnxms which are ~xb~ndibl~ info all diroc~iorm arid allr~~~ fox a mul~3.pl.~ ima~~d3ac~r depl~ym~nt n~
arpaam~n~ .
1~

Claims (6)

1. In combination with a combat vehicle having a plurality of crew stations therein the improvement comprising of at least two independently controllable elevation members supported on said vehicle for controlled movement in azimuth and elevation with each elevating-member supporting an independently controllable combat platform including selected armament and observation devices, whereby said elevating members are supported on said vehicle for independent deployment of said associated combat platform against one or more aerial or ground targets regardless of relative direction.

2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said elevating members are selected from the class of telescoping boom members, folding boom members, or combination folding and telescoping boom members.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said elevating members are detachably affixed to said combat vehicle and adapted for deployment selectively on said vehicle or off of said vehicle and further comprising means for controlling said elevating members and said associated combat platform from said vehicle.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said elevating members and combat platforms are controlled from a crew station and further comprising means in said vehicle for monitoring said combat platform to prevent self inflicted damage thereto.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 1 further comprising means detachably affixed to said elevating members for loading or unloading materials therewith.

6, The improvement as defined in claim 1 further comprising means supporting said combat platform for supplying and exhausting air to said crew compartment when said vehicle is submerged while crossing a body of water.