EP2476993B1 - Weapon coupling for fixing a weapon in a weapon transport and stowing device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a weapon coupling for fixing a weapon in a weapons and in particular torpedo transport and storage device with the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

Weapon or torpedo transport and storage facilities are used in military submarines to store preferably reserve torpedoes but also other weapons, such as rockets or mines in the submarine and with the weapons transport and storage facilities in the torpedo tubes of the submarine to convict.

In the weapons transport and storage facilities, the weapons are stored in so-called weapon troughs. Such a trough is for example in DE 10 2009 020 323 A1 described. In the weapon trough a weapon stored there must also be secured against movement in the longitudinal direction of the trough. For this purpose, a weapon coupling is provided, which is located in the weapons transport and storage device directly behind the gun trough. To set the arms stored in weapon troughs in the weapon coupling, these weapons have a so-called loading pin, which is usually arranged at a rear end of the weapon coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the weapon. The loading pegs peripherally have a groove-like circumferential indentation. A weapon clutch for securing a weapon over a loading spigot of the weapon shows the US 4,453,449 , A firing suitable lock shows the DE 944 774 ,

In a known weapon coupling setting the weapon takes place by two oppositely arranged holding pawls of the weapon coupling engage in the indentation formed on the loading pin and lock the weapon in a form-fitting manner in the weapon coupling. The weapon is secured by manually swinging the retaining pawls into a position in which they engage the indentation of the loading peg. Thereafter, the retaining pawls must also be secured manually in this position against a pivoting movement releasing the loading pin with additional locking means. Accordingly, the setting of the weapon in the weapon coupling and loosening the attachment of the weapon are relatively expensive. Another disadvantage of the known weapon coupling is that only weapons with a certain cross-sectional diameter can be determined with this without further action, since the position of the loading pin in a weapon with only a slightly smaller or larger cross-sectional diameter with the position of the holding pawls in the Weapon coupling corresponds.

Against this background, the present invention seeks to provide a weapon coupling of the type described above, which is easier to handle and in a further development of the invention in a simple manner allows the definition of weapons with different cross-sectional dimensions.

This object is achieved by a weapon coupling with the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous developments of this weapon coupling will become apparent from the dependent claims, the following description and the drawings. In this case, the features specified in the dependent claims and the description according to the invention in each case but also in combination, the inventive solution according to claim 1 further develop.

The weapon coupling according to the invention for securing a weapon in a weapon and in particular a torpedo transport and storage device has at least one bolt. This latch, which is movable from a locking position into an unlocking position and vice versa, is preferably arranged in a receiving space formed on the weapon coupling, in which the loading pin of the weapon to be determined is introduced. In the locking position, the bolt engages positively in the loading pin, in particular in the circumferential indentation and holds the weapon firmly in the weapon coupling in this way.

According to the invention, the bolt is biased in the locking direction and part of an automatically locking locking mechanism, wherein the loading pin is determined solely by a triggered by the insertion of the loading pin into the weapon coupling locking operation of the bolt. In this respect, the weapon coupling according to the invention advantageously eliminates the manual locking activities required in the hitherto known weapon coupling.

For automatic locking, the locking mechanism of the weapon coupling according to the invention, for example, be designed such that it has holding means which hold the bolt before the insertion of the charging pin into the weapon coupling against the force acting on the bolt spring force in the unlocked position. Here, the holding means are suitably designed so that they release in interaction with the loading pin, ie by activation by the loading pin at its insertion into the weapon coupling the bolt, which then automatically moves due to its spring bias in its locking position and engages in the loading pin. In addition, a further embodiment of the locking mechanism is provided according to the invention, in which the bolt is already in its locking position prior to insertion of the charging pin in the weapon coupling and when inserting the loading pin in the weapon coupling of the loading pin initially from the locking position laterally past the loading pin is moved away and then automatically engages in the cut formed on the loading incision due to the spring force acting on it.

In the latter embodiment of the locking mechanism, a contact area between the loading pin and the latch is advantageously aligned obliquely to the insertion of the loading pin in the weapon coupling to exert such force on the bolt with the loading pin, which is directed opposite to the bolt continuously acting spring force. Here, for example, it is possible to form the free end of the loading pin at least partially beveled relative to a contact region of the bolt. Preferably, however, it is provided that the bolt has a contact surface for the inserted into the weapon coupling loading pin, which is aligned obliquely to the direction of insertion of the loading pin in the weapon coupling. Due to this configuration of the contact surface, a force component is exerted by the loading pin on the bolt, which acts essentially transversely to the direction of movement of the loading pin and opposite to the force acting on the bolt spring force and thus moves the bolt in the direction of its unlocked position.
In order to ensure a particularly reliable attachment of the loading pin in the weapon coupling, the weapon coupling advantageously has two bars, which are arranged opposite one another. Preferred here is an embodiment in which the loading pin penetrates during insertion into the weapon coupling in a space between the two bars, wherein the bolt in contact with initially move the loading peg against the force acting on the bars spring force away from each other until the trained on the loading peg circumferential indentation is positioned so that the two bars spring assisted engage in this.

The two bars can be arranged linearly movable in the weapon coupling similar to the latch of a door lock. In this case, compression springs can be arranged in the locking direction behind the bars, which press the latch in the locking position. Preferably, however, the bars are arranged pivotably. Accordingly, the bolt in the weapon coupling are each mounted such pivotable that they pivot to lock the loading pin due to the spring force acting on them in the direction of the loading pin, in which case preferably end portions of the latch engage in the loading pin. To unlock the loading pin, the bars can be pivoted in the opposite direction from the loading pin and from each other.

Advantageously, the bolt in the weapon coupling are mounted so pivotally that when acting on the specified loading pin counter to the insertion of the loading pin in the weapon coupling tensile force on the bolt no such force is exerted in the unlocking, which triggers the locking of the charging pin. This is achieved particularly advantageously by an embodiment in which the bolts in the locking position engage in the loading pin in the direction of insertion of the loading pin into the weapon coupling in front of its pivot axes. That is, in the direction in which the loading pin is inserted into the weapon coupling, the portions of the latch engaging in the loading peg are further spaced from an insertion opening formed at the weapon coupling for insertion of the loading peg into the weapon coupling than the pivot axes about which they are pivoting Latches are pivotable. Since the latch when engaged in the loading pin in the insertion of the Ladezapfens in the weapon coupling are aligned obliquely converging, performs a counter to the insertion direction in the weapon coupling tensile force that is exerted by the loading pin on the engaging in the circumferential recess latch acting in the locking direction force and thus a release of the lock is not possible ,

In a pivotable design of the bolt is advantageously provided that rotatably mounted shafts form the pivot axes of the bolt, wherein the waves are coupled in motion with a displaceably arranged on the outside of the weapon clutch slide. The two, the pivot axes of the latch forming waves are expediently aligned parallel to each other. For the movement coupling of the shafts with the translationally movable carriage, levers are arranged on two ends of the shafts directly opposite one another transversely to the longitudinal extent of the shafts, said levers being fixedly and rigidly connected to the shafts. At their ends facing away from the waves, these levers are articulated pivotably on the carriage.

Due to the movement coupling of the carriage with the pivot axes of the latch forming waves of the carriage is advantageous from a first end position in which the latch are in the locked position, displaceable in a second end position in which the latch are in an unlocked position. Here, the carriage is automatically moved during insertion of the charging pin in the weapon coupling in the first end position.

For unlocking the loading pin or for pivoting the bolt in its position releasing the loading pin, the carriage can be moved preferably manually in its second end position. For this purpose, a handle on the carriage is advantageous, ie at least an operating handle is formed, which serves for unlocking the bolt or for moving the carriage into its second end position.

In one embodiment, in which the weapon coupling has two bars whose pivot axes are formed by waves, which are coupled in the manner described above with a carriage, both shafts can each be biased by a spring element, for example by means of a torsion spring in the locking direction of the bolt. Constructively favorable is an embodiment in which the carriage is advantageously operatively connected to at least one spring element and preferably with two spring elements, wherein the spring force of the spring element acts in the direction of the first end position of the carriage. Consequently, only one spring element is required to hold both bars in their locked position. As a spring element can advantageously be used a compression spring which acts on the carriage so that it pushes the carriage in its first end position and, consequently, the bolt in its locking position. To unlock the latch, it is hereby necessary to move the carriage against the spring force of the compression spring in its second end position.

To ensure that the carriage remains in its second end position when needed, the carriage is expediently fixed in a form-fitting manner in the second end position. To form such a positive connection between a stationary part of the weapon coupling and slidably mounted carriage is preferably formed on the carriage an opening into which engages a locking pin which engages in the second position of the carriage in a fixedly formed on the weapon coupling recess. The opening formed on the carriage, as well as the recess formed on the weapon coupling extend expediently transversely to the direction of movement of the carriage. To release the unlocking in the second end position of the carriage, the locking pin is manually as far as to pull out of the opening formed on the carriage, that he no longer engages in the recess formed on the weapon coupling, whereupon the carriage automatically moves due to the force acting on the carriage spring force in its first end position ,

Particularly advantageously, the weapon coupling is formed in two parts, wherein a first part of the weapon coupling is attached to lock the loading pin in a plane transverse to the direction of insertion of the charging pin in the weapon coupling with circumferential clearance to a second part of the weapon coupling, which is fixed to the weapons transport and Stowage device is arranged. This configuration makes it possible for weapons to be fixed in the weapon coupling according to the invention, the cross-sectional dimensions of which may differ within a certain range, in which case the position of the loading pin formed on a weapon mounted in a weapon trough initially does not correspond to the arrangement of the bolts in the weapon coupling and the loading pin is arranged offset radially to the position required for fixing the loading pin in the weapon coupling. In this case, the circumferential clearance between the first and the second part of the weapon coupling makes it possible to move the first part of the weapon coupling provided for fixing the loading pin so far transversely to the direction of insertion of the loading pin that the arrangement of the bars in the first part of the weapon coupling with the Position of the loading pin to be determined corresponds.

Figur 1

schematisch vereinfacht eine Waffenkupplung in einer perspektivischen Seitenansicht,

Figur 2

die Waffenkupplung nach Figur 1 ohne ein äußeres Gehäuseteil und

Figur 3

die Waffenkupplung nach Figur 1 in einem Längsschnitt.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. In the drawing shows:

FIG. 1

schematically simplifies a weapon coupling in a perspective side view,

FIG. 2

the weapon coupling after FIG. 1 without an outer housing part and

FIG. 3

the weapon coupling after FIG. 1 in a longitudinal section.

The illustrated weapon coupling has a first part 2, which serves to receive a charging pin, not shown, of a weapon to be determined with the weapon coupling. At this first part 2 is followed by a second part 4 of the weapon coupling in the direction of a longitudinal axis A of the weapon coupling, via which the weapon coupling is fixedly secured to a weapons transport and storage device, not shown.

The part 2 of the weapon coupling has a substantially cup-shaped housing 6. At one of the second part 4 of the weapon coupling facing away from end face 8 of the housing 6, an opening 10 is formed, which forms an access to a receiving space 12 for a to be introduced into the housing 6 of a loading weapon.

On the inside of the housing 6, starting from the end face 8, two longitudinal grooves 14 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the weapon coupling are formed. These two longitudinal grooves 14 are arranged in the housing 6 diametrically opposite one another. In each of the longitudinal grooves 14, a respective latch 16 is pivotally mounted about pivot axes B. About the pivot axes B shafts 18 are rotatably mounted, on each of which a bolt 16 is attached. The shafts 18 are rotatably mounted in holes 20 and completely penetrate the housing 6 in the region of the two longitudinal grooves 14 formed there normal to the longitudinal axis A of the weapon coupling.

On the housing 6, a region 22 of the outer circumferential surface is flat formed. In this area 22, a carriage 24 is mounted, which is displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis A of the weapon coupling. At the end face 8 of the housing 6 facing the end of the carriage 24 two parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the weapon coupling projecting projections 26 are formed. Each of these projections 26 is provided with a slot 28 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis A.

In the slots 28 of the projections 26 each have a lever 30 is articulated. These levers 30 are fixedly connected to the shafts 18 at two ends of the shafts 18 which laterally protrude from the housing 6 directly opposite the outer surface of the housing 6 and are flattened from the housing 6. The bearing of the lever 30 in the slots 28 of the projections 26 via hinge pins 32 which engage in formed on the projections 26 slots 34. In the oblong holes 34, the hinge pins 32 are rotatably guided and slidable in the longitudinal direction of the slots 34.

At one of the part 4 facing back of the carriage 24 engages, as seen from Fig. 2 can be seen on the carriage 24, a spring element 35 in the form of a compression spring which presses the carriage 24 in the direction of the end face 8 of the housing 6 in an end position. As a result, the latch 16 are pressed by their movement coupling with the carriage 24 via the lever 30 and the shafts 18 in a position in which they project obliquely into the receiving space 12 in the direction of insertion of a loading pin in the weapon coupling ( Fig. 2 ). In this position, the latch 18 is inserted into the receiving space 12 loading pin of a weapon set by engaging the located in the receiving space 12 end portions of the latch 18 in a formed on the loading pin incision.

To unlock a charging pin fixed in the receiving space 12, the carriage 24 is manually displaced in the direction away from the end face 8 of the housing into a second end position, whereby the latches 16 are pivoted so that they no longer engage in the receiving space 12 of the housing 6. For this purpose, the carriage 24 has a handle in the form of two handles 36, which protrude on the carriage 24 in two opposite directions transverse to the longitudinal axis A of the weapon coupling. Upon reaching the second end position of the carriage 24 engages in a normal to the longitudinal axis A of the weapon coupling aligned opening 38 freely movable guided locking pin 40 in a formed on the housing 6, not apparent from the drawing recess, whereby the carriage 24 in its second end position is held positively. As soon as the securing pin 40 is pulled out of the recess formed on the housing 6, the carriage 24, due to the spring element 35 acting on it, moves again in the direction of the end face 8 of the housing 6 into its first end position and the latches 16 into its locking position.

How out Fig. 3 shows, facing away from the end 8 end of the housing 6 tapers like a bottle neck. On an end face 42 of this end of the housing 6, a threaded bore 44 is formed, in which a screw 46 is screwed. At a protruding from the threaded bore 44 end of the screw 46 is a radially projecting collar 48 is formed. This collar 48 serves for fastening the first part 2 of the weapon coupling to the second part 4.

The part 4 of the weapon coupling has a tubular body 50. This main body 50 is attached to a fixed part of a weapons transport and storage device, not shown. At one end of the main body 50, a collar 52 projects radially outwards, which extends around the entire outer circumference of the main body 50. At the side facing away from the base body 50 side of the collar 52, a ring 54 is formed at its peripheral outer edge, which has on its side facing away from the collar 52 front side an inwardly directed shoulder 56.

The space enclosed by the ring 54 forms part of a receiving space for the collar 48 arranged on the first part 2 of the weapon coupling. This interior space is closed by a cover 58. The lid 58 has a central aperture 60 and an annular, axially projecting projection 62. The outer diameter of the projection 62 corresponds to the outer diameter of the ring 54. On the annular projection 62 of the cover 58, a further axially projecting annular projection 64 is formed, the dimensions of which correspond to the dimensions of the formed on the ring 54 paragraph 56.

Before screwing the screw 46 in the formed on the housing 6 threaded bore 44, the lid 58 is arranged so that the bottle neck tapering of the housing 6 is guided by the cover 58 formed on the opening 60. After screwing the screw 46 into the threaded bore 44 formed on the screw 46 collar 48 is located on the lid 58 on a collar 52 facing flat side. In this state, the collar 52 is connected to the cover 58, wherein the protrusion 62 formed on the lid 58 comes to rest on the collar 54 formed on the collar 52. The attachment of the cover 58 on the collar 52 by means of screws 66th

After attaching the lid 58 on the collar 52 is formed on the screw 46 collar 48 in the space between the collar 52 and the lid 58. Since the gap between the collar 52 and the lid 58 is a much larger Diameter than the collar 48 of the Einschraubteils 46 and formed on the cover 58 opening 60 has a significantly larger diameter than the outer diameter of the bottle neck part of the housing 6, the first part 2 of the weapon coupling with respect to the second part 4 in any direction transverse to the longitudinal axis A of the weapon coupling to a certain extent displaceable, which allows to set weapons with the weapon coupling, in which the position of the loading pin varies, for example due to different cross-sectional dimensions of the weapons within a certain range.

The operation of the illustrated weapon coupling is as follows;
First, the latch 16 are in a locking position in which protrude the ends of the latch 16 in the formed in the housing 6 receiving space 12. To set a weapon in the weapon coupling now trained on the weapon charging spigot is introduced into the receiving space 12. Here, the loading pin contacted obliquely to the direction of insertion of the loading pin aligned inner sides of the latch 16. As a result, the latch 16 are pivoted away from each other outwards and abut the outside of the loading pin. As soon as the groove-like circumferential indentation formed on the loading pin is arranged in front of the end regions of the latches 16, the latches 16 pivot into the indentation by the spring force acting on the carriage 24. Here, the carriage 24 is moved on the flattened flat portion 22 of the housing 6 in the direction of the end face 8 of the housing 6 in its first end position. By the engagement of the latch 16 in the circumferential recess of the loading pin of the weapon, the weapon is positively locked in the weapon coupling and secured against axial movement.

To release the attachment of the weapon in the weapon coupling of the carriage 24 by pressing the handles 36 in the direction of the front page 8 of the housing 6 shifted away in its second end position. As a result, pivot both bars 16 away from each other so that they are no longer engaged in the recess formed on the loading pin. In the second end position of the carriage 24 engages a guided in the opening 38 of the carriage 24 locking pin 40 in the formed on the housing 6 recess, whereby the carriage 24 is held in a form-fitting manner in the second end position. The weapon can now be moved until its loading pin is no longer in the weapon coupling.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

2

- part

4

- part

6

- Casing

8th

- front side

10

- opening

12

- Recording room

14

- longitudinal groove

16

- Bars

18

- Wave

20

- Drilling

22

- Area

24

- sledges

26

- Head Start

28

- slot

30

- Leverage

32

- hinge pin

34

- Long hole

35

spring element

36

- Handle

38

- breakthrough

40

- locking pin

42

- front side

44

- threaded hole

46

- screwed part

48

- collar

50

- basic body

52

- collar

54

- Ring

56

- Paragraph

58

- Lid

60

- breakthrough

62

- Head Start

64

- Head Start

66

- screw

A

- longitudinal axis

B

- Swivel axis

Claims (8)

1. Weapon coupling for fixing a weapon in a weapon and torpedo transport and stowing device, with two pivotably designed latches (16), for the interlocking engagement in a charging pin, which is formed on the weapon, in a locking position, wherein the latches (16) are spring-preloaded in the locking direction and form part of an automatically locking locking mechanism, in which the charging pin is fixed solely by the latches (16) by means of a locking operation triggered by the insertion of the charging pin into the weapon coupling, and, in the locking position, said latches engage upstream of their pivot axes (B) in the charging pin, in the insertion direction of the charging pin into the weapon coupling, , characterized in that rotatably mounted shafts (18) form the pivot axes (B) of the latches (16), wherein the shafts (18) are coupled in terms of movement to a slide (24), which is arranged displaceably on the outer side of the weapon coupling, via two levers (30) which lie directly opposite each other transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent of the shafts (18) and are arranged at the ends of the shafts (18), and wherein the slide (24) is displaceable manually from a first end position into a second end position, and, in the first end position, the latches (16) are in the locking position and, in the second end position, the latches (16) are in a release position.
2. Weapon coupling according to Claim 1, characterized in that the latches (16) form a contact surface for the charging pin being inserted into the weapon coupling, said contact surface being oriented obliquely with respect to the insertion direction of the charging pin into the weapon coupling.
3. Weapon coupling according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two latches (16) arranged opposite each other.
4. Weapon coupling according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a handle for releasing the latches (16) is formed on the slide (24) .
5. Weapon coupling according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slide (24) is operatively connected to at least one spring element (35), the spring force of which acts in the direction of the first end position of the slide (24).
6. Weapon coupling according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slide (24) can be fixed in an interlocking manner in the second end position.
7. Weapon coupling according to Claim 6, characterized in that an aperture (38) is formed on the slide (24), in which aperture a securing pin (40) engages which, in the second end position of the slide (24), latches into a recess formed in a fixed position on the weapon coupling.
8. Weapon coupling according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the weapon coupling is of two-part design, wherein, in order to lock the charging pin in a plane transversely with respect to the insertion direction of the charging pin into the weapon coupling, a first part (2) of the weapon coupling is fastened with circumferential play to a second part (4) of the weapon coupling, said second part being arranged in a fixed position on the weapon transport and stowing device.

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