EP0557751B1 - Howitzer with pivotable loading arm and ammunition magazine of the endless-chain type - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a self-propelled howitzer with a weapon mounted on shield pins in the turret of the tank, a circulation magazine arranged at the rear of the turret, in which the grenades are deposited essentially horizontally in the firing direction, a transfer device for transferring individual ones arranged between the magazine and the breech of the weapon Grenades from the circulation magazine attached to the weapon and an attachment device for attaching the grenade attached to the weapon storage, the elavation of which follows, the transfer device having a loading arm, which is mounted on a shield pin and extends to the side of the weapon towards the circulation magazine and which is between a substantially horizontal takeover position the circulation magazine and a transfer position which delivers the grenade in the respective elevation of the weapon to the attachment device.

The combat strength of a self-propelled howitzer largely depends on three factors. On the one hand there is the flexibility, ie the adaptability to different ammunition (Length of the grenades, with or without propellant charge), the weapon cadence (rate of fire) and finally the amount of ammunition carried. The amount of ammunition carried is largely optimized in today's self-propelled howitzers through sophisticated magazine designs. Great flexibility with regard to the type of ammunition can also be achieved at least if the ammunition is fed to the weapon manually. Manual feeding, however, requires labor and physical effort and further limits the cadence of the weapon. Various attempts have therefore been made to transfer the ammunition from the magazine to the weapon in a more or less mechanized way by means of loading aids.

The known loading aids are usually extremely complicated in terms of drive and functional technology and not very flexible. Armored howitzers with a wedge lock and those with a rotary lock are known, which previously required different ammunition feeds. Other known systems make it necessary to move the weapon from the respective combat position (elevation) to the neutral position in order to be able to transfer and attach the ammunition. This is especially true when the magazine is housed in the rear of the tower and the grenades are oriented essentially horizontally in the direction of the shot. The cadence is reduced by moving the weapon out of the elevation and then relocating it into the elevation.

From DE 33 06 934 C2, from which the preamble of claim 1 is based, a self-propelled howitzer is known which has a circulation magazine at the rear end of the tower, from which a grenade with the aid of a transfer device to an attachment device of a weapon can be delivered. The transfer device comprises a transfer arm, which is mounted on a shield pin and extends to the side of the weapon to the magazine and which can be pivoted by means of a hydraulic cylinder. In this way, the transfer arm can be pivoted between a transfer position in front of the circulation magazine, in which it can hold a grenade, and a transfer position, in which it can deliver the grenade to the attachment device.

The hydraulic cylinder is provided as the drive for the transfer arm and must be supplied with hydraulic fluid from a pressure source via corresponding connecting lines. Such a drive is not only structurally relatively complex and expensive, but also takes up a large amount of space. In addition, there is a risk that the grenades have to be put on manually if the hydraulic system fails.

EP 0 178 484 A1 also shows a transfer arm which is pivotally mounted on a shield pin and which can be pivoted between a take-over position in front of the magazine and a transfer position on the attachment device. However, this publication does not contain any information about the drive of the transfer arm.

Starting from the self-propelled howitzer of the structure mentioned in the introduction, the object of the invention is to propose a structurally simple and reliable ammunition feed from the turret magazine to the weapon, which is characterized by great flexibility with regard to the type of ammunition and the type of weapon breech and also permits high cadence and can be installed as a retrofit kit in existing self-propelled howitzers.

This object is achieved in that the loading arm is locked in the takeover position, after releasing the lock swings under the weight of the grenade against the force of a return spring in the transfer position and after delivery of the grenade to the attachment under the action of the return spring in the Takeover position swings back.

The space that is usually present between the bottom of the weapon and the circulation magazine arranged in the rear of the turret, which must allow access to the weapon and also to the magazine for the tank crew, is bridged for the loading process by a loading arm that protrudes from an essentially horizontal take-over position the magazine, in which a grenade can be transferred from the magazine to the loading arm, can be pivoted into the respective elevation of the weapon. In this transfer position, the grenade is transferred from the loading arm to the attachment device. The loading arm thus bridges the transport path between the magazine and the bottom of the weapon or the weapon breech, which is provided by the free space, without the weapon itself having to leave its elevation. In the take-over position in front of the magazine, the loading arm is locked in place. As a result, the loading arm assumes a defined take-over position, so that the grenade can be automatically transferred from the magazine to the loading arm without interference by means of a corresponding conveyor. Furthermore, in the locked position of the loading arm, the tank crew can tempt the grenade to be transferred in each case. After the lock has been released, the loading arm automatically swivels under the weight of the grenade it has received and against the force of the return spring into the transfer position, which corresponds to the elevation of the weapon. There the grenade is delivered to the attachment device. The associated weight reduction leads to the fact that the loading arm is effective the return spring swings back into its take-over position, while at the same time the attachment device moves the grenade into the core axis of the weapon and attaches it. During this attachment process, the loading arm can already take over the next grenade, so that a high cadence can be achieved despite the necessary displacement of the grenades from the horizontal position in the rear of the turret to the elevation position of the weapon. This type of ammunition feeder can be used due to the weapon-fixed attachment device and the decoupling of the loading arm from it, both for twist locks and cross wedge locks, as well as for grenades of different lengths, as long as ammunition is fired with propellant charge, the propellant charge is fed in manually. The movement of the loading arm under the weight of the grenade and / or the return movement of the empty loading arm under the action of the return spring can optionally be supported and accelerated by a motor.

In a further advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the loading arm has at least one clamp gripping the grenade from the side on the circumference, the lower clamp legs of which serve as supports for the grenade in the take-over position and which can be pivoted about their common or a parallel axis, that the grenade automatically falls into a receptacle on the attachment device after the clamps have been opened in the transfer position.

The formation of the clamps on the loading arm has the advantage that the grenade can be inserted at the transfer position by resting on the lower clamp legs between the only partially opened clamp legs and in the transfer position (weapon elevation) the transfer takes place simply by opening the clamps, so that the grenade falls into the attachment device. There is no need to move the grenade linearly during transfer. This also results in a quick transfer process. If necessary, several clamps can be arranged in alignment one behind the other or a single clamp with shell-like legs can be provided.

The return spring acts on the one hand on the loading arm and on the other hand can be supported on the weapon or the attachment device. It is preferably designed as a gas pressure spring.

Conventional circulation magazines with horizontal grenades have as a means of conveyance a chain of bars guided in several loops with a front chain approximately at the level of the grenades, a rear chain and bars connecting both chains, and bottoms arranged between each loop, to which the bars are located between adjacent bars put on the grenades. The known circulation magazines of this type are only suitable for the magazine of grenades of a certain length. As a result, the flexibility of the self-propelled howitzer suffers.

To increase flexibility, it is provided that stops are guided on the bars, which abut the bottom of the grenade and can be displaced to align the front of the grenades of different lengths in order to align the front chain.

In this way it is possible to accommodate grenades of different lengths in the magazine and always align them with their tips on the front chain, so that the same marching lashing can also be provided for grenades of different lengths. Such lashing can be formed by the fact that on the front chain of the Circulating magazine between the adjacent bars is arranged a device for positioning the grenades, which has a movable lashing member that can be placed on the tip of the grenades, the lashing member being, for example, a fork that can be swung in and out. The grenades are now firmly positioned between the rear stop and the lashing link.

Since the front chain of a rod chain is aligned with the tips of the grenades, it hinders their transfer to the loading arm. It is therefore provided in a preferred embodiment of the invention that, at least at the take-over position, the front chain of the circulation magazine can be deflected from the alignment of the tips of the grenade to such an extent that the grenade in the take-over position can be transferred to the loading arm only by shifting in the direction of its axis .

By deflecting the front chain at least in the area of the take-over position, possibly also over a longer distance, the grenade located in the take-over position in the magazine can be transferred to the loading arm without problems. The grenade only needs to be pushed onto the loading arm in the direction of its axis. In addition, deflecting the chain allows access to the grenade tip in order to heat the grenade electrically or magnetically. Finally, with the chain deflected, the magazine can also be loaded with garnet from the inside of the tank.

In another embodiment it can be provided that at the take-over position the floor between the loops of the bar chain is articulated in the area of the rear chain Has slide that can be pivoted downwards so far that the grenade can be passed under the front chain to the loading arm.

In this case, the grenade in the transfer position is tilted down slightly so that it can be moved below the chain onto the loading arm. The grenade can also be tempered in the same position.

In order to transfer the grenade from the magazine into the loading arm, it is provided according to one embodiment that a thrust member engaging the bottom of the grenade and transferring it to the loading arm is arranged at the takeover position.

The thrust link can be arranged, for example, at the rear end of a pull rod which extends forward, a telescope, a chain drive or the like.

As already indicated, the attachment device is firmly attached to the weapon and thus follows its elevation. In order to obtain the fastest possible ammunition flow regardless of the type of breech of the weapon - cross wedge or twist lock, it is provided that the attachment device has a receptacle for the grenade which, from the transfer position corresponding to the loading arm, to the side of the weapon into a the grenade in the fitting axis position of the weapon is movable.

The grenade is thus transferred from the loading arm to the receptacle of the attachment, which is located on the side of the core axis and is attached to the weapon storage. Due to the lateral arrangement, the attachment device does not hinder the return of the weapon. On the other hand, the grenade can easily be moved into the soul axis of the weapon and moved from this position.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, it can be provided that an essentially identical circulation magazine for propellant charges is arranged behind the revolving magazine for the grenades, advantageously the revolving magazine for the propellant charges has a delivery position which is to the side or below one of the outer deflections of the revolving magazine for the grenades .

The propellant charges can thus be easily removed from the magazine from the interior of the tank and manually fed to the weapon. Another embodiment is characterized in that the circulation magazine for the grenades and / or the circulation magazine for the propellant charges is attached to the rear of the tower as an interchangeable unit. In this way, the complete ammunition magazine can be manufactured as a retrofit kit and attached to the tower, so that time-consuming ammunition of the magazine is eliminated.

Figur 1

eine perspektivische Teilansicht eines Panzerfahrzeugs mit Haubitze in der Ausgangsstellung des Ladevorgangs;

Figur 2

eine vergrößerte Teilansicht der Darstellung gemäß Figur 1 nach Übernahme einer Granate in den Ladearm;

Figur 3

eine der Figur 2 ähnliche Ansicht bei Übergabe der Granate vom Ladearm an die Ansetzeinrichtung;

Figur 4

eine der Figur 3 ähnliche Ansicht mit der Granate in Ansetzposition;

Figur 5

eine ähnliche Ansicht während des Ansetzvorgangs;

Figur 6

eine perspektivische Ansicht auf die innenliegende Stirnseite des Umlaufmagazins und

Figur 7

eine schematische Ansicht auf die vordere Kette des Umlaufsmagazins.

The invention is described below with reference to some exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. The drawing shows:

Figure 1

a partial perspective view of an armored vehicle with a howitzer in the starting position of the loading process;

Figure 2

an enlarged partial view of the illustration of Figure 1 after transferring a grenade in the loading arm;

Figure 3

a view similar to Figure 2 when the grenade is transferred from the loading arm to the attachment device;

Figure 4

a view similar to Figure 3 with the grenade in the position;

Figure 5

a similar view during the attachment process;

Figure 6

a perspective view of the inside end face of the circulation magazine and

Figure 7

a schematic view of the front chain of the circulation magazine.

The armored vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a howitzer 3 in a tower 2 with the weapon 4, which is mounted on horizontal shield pins 5 in the tower 2. In the embodiment shown, the weapon 4 has a twist lock 6, which is shown in the open position in FIG. The tower 2 has a rear end 7 which possibly extends beyond the vehicle contour and which accommodates a number of grenades 9, 10 of different lengths in a circulation magazine 8.

The circulation magazine 8 has a front chain 11 and a rear chain 12 as conveying means, which is guided in a plurality of loops lying horizontally one above the other. A series of grenades is assigned to each loop. The circulation magazine 8 can be ammunitioned via a loading hatch 13 from the rear of the tower rear 7, as is indicated by the grenade 14 as an example. The magazine 8 can also be ammunitioned from the interior of the tank, one of the strands of the front chain 11 being deflected must be, as described in connection with Fig. 6.

The conveyor of the magazine is designed as a bar chain, in which the front chain 11 is connected to the rear chain 12 by means of bars 15 arranged equidistantly. The front chain 11 lies approximately in line with the garnet tips, while the rear chain 12 lies approximately in line with the center of the bottom of the grenades. The chain is driven by an electric motor 16. Furthermore, the loops are separated from one another by horizontal shelves, not shown, against which the grenades 9, 10 rest. Furthermore, the magazine has outer deflection shells 17 for guiding the grenades in the region of the apex of the loops.

The distance between the chains 11, 12 is matched to the greatest length of garnet, so that the grenades 9 are positioned between the chains. In order to be able to also magazine smaller grenades 10 and to transfer them properly to the weapon 4, stops 15 are displaceably guided on the rods 15, which attack the bottom of the grenades 10 and are adjustable so that their tip is also in the area of the front chain 11 . Centering stops (not shown) are located on the bars 15 in the region of the front chain 11. In the area of the top of the grenade, marching lashings attack, which can be shifted diagonally between two bars or swiveled in and out via spindle elements.

A loading arm 19 is pivotally mounted on the shield pin 5 of the howitzer 3, which is in the starting position of the loading process in the position shown in FIG. 1 and is fixed in this position by means of a lock 20, for example on the tower roof. The loading arm 19 has the shown Embodiment three brackets 21 arranged one behind the other, which serve to receive the grenades 9, 10 from the magazine. An attachment device 22 is also attached to the weapon storage and has an upwardly open, shell-like receptacle 23 for a single grenade. The receptacle 23 can be pivoted about an axis (not shown) from the transfer position shown on the side of the weapon in FIG. 4 to the attachment position shown in FIG. 4 and concentric with the core axis of the weapon 4. The attachment device 22 has a drive (not shown in detail) for the attachment finger or rammer. This can be a chain drive with transmission, which is driven, for example, by a spring accumulator during the attachment process, the spring accumulator being able to be tensioned by a motor when it returns. The loading arm 19 is supported on the attachment device or on the weapon store by a return spring 24, for example a gas pressure spring, which always urges it into the locked position shown in FIG. 1.

In Figure 2, an intermediate position is shown during the loading process, namely the transfer of a grenade 10 'from the magazine 8 to the loading arm 19. For this purpose, in the transfer position on the magazine, the section of the intermediate floor located there is designed as a pivotable slide 25 which in the Area of the rear chain is stored and can be tilted forward in a slight inclined position. Furthermore, a trough 25 'is arranged in the transfer position of the magazine, which bridges the distance between magazine 8 and loading arm 19. The grenade 10 'tipped by means of the slide 25 can be displaced from the tipped position through the trough 25' into the brackets 21 by means of a thrust member 26 which engages the bottom of the grenade and is arranged on a guide rod 27. The brackets 21 are after the handover completely closed, so that the grenade is now on the loading arm 19.

After releasing the lock 20, the loading arm 19 automatically pivots under the weight of the grenade against the force of the return spring 24 down to the position shown in FIG. 3, in which the clips 21 are opened. The opening takes place downwards, so that the grenade 10 'falls into the receptacle 23 of the attachment device 22. Since the loading arm 19 is now lighter by the weight of the grenade 10 'transferred, under the action of the spring 24 it swivels back into its upper position (FIG. 4) and runs into the lock 20 in order in this way to be automatically fixed again to the tower roof will. At the same time, the receptacle 23 or the complete attachment device 22 pivots behind the weapon such that the grenade 10 'is in the attachment position (FIG. 4), from which it is accelerated into the weapon by means of the attachment device 22 and locked there (FIG. 5 ). The attachment device 22 has a rammer 45 which is driven by a chain 46. The chain 46 is guided in the manner of a block and tackle, which allows a translation of the path of the drive moving the chain over a longer path of the ram 45. The propellant charge is then manually added and finally the rotary closure 6 is closed.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a modified version of the magazine 8. In this exemplary embodiment, the front chain 11 is deflected downward over a greater length in the region of its upper strand 11 ', so that a plurality of grenades 10' are exposed at its tip and can be manually tempered, for example, by means of an electrically or magnetically active device 28. At the same time, the one that is furthest to the right in Figure 6 lying grenade 10 'are in the take-over position and are pushed directly from this horizontal position into the loading arm 19, passing the chain 11 above the upper run 11'. In order to enable the chain to be deflected, two chain supports 29, 30 (see FIG. 7) can be actuated via a kind of parallelogram by means of a handlebar 31 so that the chain length does not change despite the deflection movement. The handlebar 31 is connected at its ends via joints 32, 33 with angle levers 34, 35 which are mounted in a fixed position and at their other end carry the chain supports 29, 30 so as to be rotatable. One chain support 29 engages from above, the other chain support 30 from below on the front chain 11, which runs over chain wheels 36, 37.

In this preferred embodiment, the grenades are thus transferred from the magazine 8 to the loading arm 19 while maintaining their axial alignment.

In all of the embodiments, marching lashing is provided for the grenades 10, which is indicated in FIG. 1 by way of example in connection with the grenade 10 ". A device 40 for positioning the grenades is located on the front chain 11 between adjacent bars 15 in each case. Each positioning device 40 has a lashing member 41 in the form of a fork, which is pivotably mounted on a horizontal axis 42 extending transversely to the grenade 10 "and can be placed on the tip of the grenade 10" or displaced in an inclined axis. At the take-over position at which the grenade is attached the loading arm 19 is transferred, the lashing member 41 pivots upward, so that the grenade can be pushed out of the magazine without hindrance, the circulation magazine 8, as indicated in Fig. 6, can be exchangeably guided as a unit at the rear of the tower, so that a empty magazine can be exchanged quickly and easily for a full, filled magazine.

Claims (14)

1. Tank howitzer with a weapon mounted on trunnions (5) in the tank turret (2), a revolving magazine (8) located on the rear of the turret (2) and in which the shells are placed substantially horizontally in the firing direction, a delivery device located between the revolving magazine (8) and the weapon breech block (6) for delivering individual shells from the revolving magazine to the weapon and a ramming device (22) fitted to the weapon support and following the elevation thereof for ramming the shells, the delivery device having a loading arm (19) mounted on a trunnion (5) and extending laterally of the weapon (4) to the revolving magazine (8) and pivotable between a substantially horizontal reception position upstream of the revolving magazine and a delivery position delivering the shells (10') in the particular weapon elevation to the ramming device (22), characterized in that the loading arm (19) is locked in fixed manner in the reception position, on releasing the locking pivots into the delivery position solely under the weight of the shells (10') and counter to the force of a return spring (24) and after delivering the shells to the ramming device (22) pivots back into the reception position under the action of the return spring (24).
2. Tank howitzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading arm (19) has at least one clip (21) circumferentially gripping the shells (10') from the side and whose lower leg serves in the reception position as a support for the shells and which are pivotable about their common axis or an axis parallel thereto in such a way that, following the opening of the clip (21) in the delivery position, the shell (10') automatically dropsinto a receptacle (23) on the ramming device (22).
3. Tank howitzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the return spring (24) is on the one hand supported on the loading arm (19), on the other on the weapon (1) or on the ramming device (22).
4. Tank howitzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the return spring (24) is a gas pressure spring.
5. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the revolving magazine (8) is provided with a conveying means, which has a bar chain (11, 12, 15) guided in several loops and having a front chain (11) guided roughly level with the tips of the shells, a rear chain (12) and bars (15) connecting the two chains and bases located between each loop on which engage the shells placed between adjacent bars, and that on said bars (15) are guided stops (18), which rest against the bottom of the shells (10') and are displaceable for the orientation of the tips of shells of different sizes out of the alignment of the front chain (11).
6. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least at the reception position the front chain (11) of the revolving magazine (8) can be deflected out of the alignment of the tips of the shells (10') to the extent that the shell (10') in the reception position can be delivered to the loading arm (19) solely by movement in the direction of its axis.
7. Tank howitzer according to claim 5, characterized in that at the reception position the base between the loops of the bar chain (11, 12, 15) has a chute articulated in the vicinity of the rear chain (12) and which can be pivoted downwards to such an extent that the shell (10') can be delivered under the front chain (11) to the loading arm (19).
8. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at the reception position is provided a thrust member engaging on the base of the shell (10') and delivering it to the loading arm (19).
9. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that at the front chain (11) of the revolving magazine (8) between adjacent bars (15) is provided a device (40) for positioning the shells (10) and which has a movable locking member (41) which can be engaged on the tip of the shell (10").
10. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the locking member (41) is an inwardly and outwardly pivotable fork.
11. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the ramming device (22) has a receptacle (23) for the shells (10'), which is movable from a delivery position corresponding to the loading arm (19) laterally of the weapon (1) into a ramming position bringing the shell (10') into the bore axis of the weapon (1).
12. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that to the rear of the revolving magazine (8) for the shells (10) is located a substantially identically constructed revolving magazine for propellant charges.
13. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the revolving magazine for the propellant charges has a delivery position, which is positioned laterally or below one of the outer deflections of the revolving magazine (8) for the shells (10).
14. Tank howitzer according to one of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the revolving magazine (8) for the shells (10) and/or the revolving magazine for the propellant charges is fitted as an interchangeable assembly to the rear of the turret.

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