Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A9/00—Feeding or loading of ammunition; Magazines; Guiding means for the extracting of cartridges
  • F41A9/61—Magazines
  • F41A9/79—Magazines for belted ammunition
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A9/00—Feeding or loading of ammunition; Magazines; Guiding means for the extracting of cartridges
  • F41A9/29—Feeding of belted ammunition
  • F41A9/34—Feeding of belted ammunition from magazines
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A17/00—Safety arrangements, e.g. safeties
  • F41A17/34—Magazine safeties
  • F41A17/38—Magazine mountings, e.g. for locking the magazine in the gun
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A23/00—Gun mountings, e.g. on vehicles; Disposition of guns on vehicles
  • F41A23/24—Turret gun mountings

Definitions

• the technical field of the invention is that of gun turrets and more particularly ammunition supply devices which are integral with such turrets.
• a gun turret includes a carriage carrying a cradle that receives a weapon.
• the cradle is pivotable relative to the carriage to allow pointing in site.
• the cradle comprises journals which are pivotally mounted in sockets integral with the carriage.
• the carriage itself will most often be pivoted relative to a fixed base of a vehicle or structure. Such an arrangement allows the pointing in the field of the weapon.
• the ammunition supply device comprises, on the one hand at least one ammunition magazine and, secondly, at least one supply corridor leading ammunition store to the weapon.
• the US5299487 patent describes such a turret which has the distinction of being quadri-tubes and which therefore comprises four ammunition magazines, each magazine being dedicated to a weapon tube.
• This turret has a compact structure, the magazines are arranged laterally to the cradle and are substantially below the sleeves that receive the pins.
• the subject of the invention is a gun turret comprising a carriage carrying a cradle receiving a weapon, a cradle comprising journals pivotally mounted in bushings of the carriage, and a turret comprising an ammunition supply device which includes, on the one hand, least one ammunition magazine disposed laterally to the cradle beneath one of the bushings receiving a trunnion, and secondly at least one feed lane for driving the magazine ammunition to the weapon, turret characterized in that the store comprises at least one outer box secured to the carriage and inside which can be placed at least one ammunition box, box having a rear end with an opening and a closed front end, locking means being provided to immobilize the body relative to the box.
• the box may include an upper cover that can be opened and for giving access to the upper part of at least one box and for introducing or removing said box.
• the box may include a door disposed at its rear portion, door closing the opening disposed at the rear end of the box and allowing the introduction of at least one box in the box .
• the locking means of at least one box relative to the box may comprise, firstly spacers passing through the box and connecting two side walls of the box and secondly the top cover closing the box.
• the locking means of at least one box relative to the box may include the rear door.
• the turret may include at least one tray disposed behind the box and to receive a box before its introduction into the box.
• the body can advantageously be secured to the plate.
• the box may be secured to a frame integral with a base plate, frame having side bars disposed on either side of the box and also carrying a sleeve for receiving a pin.
• the gun turret may comprise two boxes integral with the frame, and arranged symmetrically on either side of a median plane perpendicular to the axis of the sockets.
• the invention also relates to an ammunition box intended to equip such a gun turret, substantially parallelepipedal body and comprising two parallel front walls between them and two side walls parallel to each other and perpendicular to the front walls, the front walls both having a lower height than the side walls to allow the release of ammunition in strips.
• the box may include at least one roller positioned at a front wall.
• the roller may be carried by a pivoting handle articulated on the side walls and forming a handle for extracting and transporting the body.
• the box may include a recess in the lower part of a front wall, recess defined at the front by a spout integral with the underside.
• FIG. 1a is an overall view from the front and in perspective of a turret according to one embodiment of the invention
• FIG. 1b is a rear perspective view of a turret according to one embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 1a is a rear perspective view of the turret according to one embodiment of the invention.
• FIGS. 2a, 2b 2c and 2d are several partial views mounting the internal structure of the turret before mounting the cradle;
• FIG. 3a is a perspective view of three quarter ahead of the carriage carrying stores
• Figure 3b is a view similar to Figure 3a and showing the boxes partially out of the box right;
• FIGS. 4a and 4b are two perspective views before an ammunition box without a lid, FIG. 4a showing the empty box and FIG. 4b showing the box loaded with ammunition;
• FIG. 4c is a detail view and in section of the lower front of the body
• FIG. 4d is a side and transparency view of the right magazine showing the ammunition strip
• FIG. 5 is a view similar to Figure 4d but in which the magazine is secured to the turret;
• FIG. 6 is a partial cross sectional view of the top of a box
• FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a door closing the rear opening of a box.
• a gun turret 1 according to the invention comprises a carriage 2 carrying a cradle 3 receiving a weapon 4.
• the cradle 3 comprises trunnions (not shown) which are pivotally mounted in sockets 5 of the carriage 2.
• This turret 1 comprises an ammunition supply device which here comprises two ammunition magazines, a right magazine 6a and a left magazine 6b.
• the magazines 6a and 6b are arranged laterally to the cradle and each below one of the sleeves 5 receiving a trunnion.
• the ammunition supply device also comprises two supply corridors 7a and 7b, which each lead the ammunition from one of the magazines to the weapon 4.
• a right lane 7a drives the ammunition from the right magazine 6a.
• a left lane 7b drives the ammunition from the left magazine 6b.
• a rear cowling 38 covers the corridors 7a and 7b. This cowling is shown only in Figure la.
• the weapon 4 is here a so-called medium caliber weapon (caliber less than 60mm and greater than 12.7 mm). This weapon is defined so that two types of ammunition can be fired, for example explosive ordnance and piercing ammunition.
• the mechanics of the weapon includes a means of introducing ammunition to feed the weapon, if desired, with one or the other type of ammunition.
• Such a weapon is known for example by the patent EP129457.
• Each magazine 6a or 6b comprises an external box 8a or
• Each box 8a, 8b which is secured to the carriage 2 and inside which can be put in place at least one ammunition box 10 (see Figure lb).
• Each box 8a, 8b has a rear end which carries an opening (respectively 9a and 9b) and a closed front end (respectively 23a and 23b).
• Locking means are provided which make it possible to immobilize each box 10 with respect to its box 8a or 8b. These locking means will be described later.
• FIGS. 2a to 2d make it possible to better understand the architecture of the turret according to the invention, FIG. 2a showing a first step of making the carriage 2 and FIGS. 2b and 2c of the successive steps making it possible to make the carriage 2. complete as shown in Figure 2d.
• the carriage is formed of a frame 11 secured to a base plate 12.
• the frame 11 is constituted by a mechanically welded assembly of bars 33 which form the fork of the carriage 2, assembly which supports the two sockets 5 for receiving the trunnions of the cradle.
• the lateral bars 33 are assembled laterally on either side of a space intended to receive the cradle of the weapon. These bars thus form two parallel vertical panels 13a and 13b constituting the fork, and each bushing 5 extends perpendicular to each panel 13a, 13b towards the outside of the frame 11. The bushings 5 are supported towards the outside of the frame. the frame 11 by other lateral bars 33 which form support triangles 14a, 14b which extend, parallel to the panels 13a and 13b, from the sleeve 5 to the base plate 12.
• the panels 13a and 13b are also connected by spacers 15 which serve to stiffen the framework.
• the bushings 5 participate in the stiffening of the assembly and extend on both sides of the fork. Between each bushing 5 and the base plate 12 extends a space for receiving the box of a store. As seen in Figure 2b, shield plates 15a and 15b are attached to the frame 11 between the panels 13a and 13b of the fork.
• FIG. 2c shows the positioning of the caissons 8a and 8b between each trunnion 5 and the base plate 12.
• each casing is also made in the form of a mechanically welded structure which is screwed to the base plate 12.
• Each box thus contributes, with a reduced mass, to stiffen the carriage 2 by laterally reinforcing each panel 13a or 13b.
• the side walls of each box are connected by spacers 16 which contribute to the rigidity of the box and which also allow to separate and maintain the ammunition boxes that will be disposed in the box (see also Figure 1).
• FIG. 2c shows an upper lid 17 which is fixed to the casing 8a at a lateral articulation 18 and which makes it possible to give access to the upper part of at least one box once it has been put in place. in the box 8a.
• the cover 17 gives access to the three boxes which are arranged at the front of the box 8a.
• the right-hand box 8a contains a total of five ammunition boxes, three boxes are introduced into the box 8a through the upper opening of the box 8a, after the cover 17 is disengaged, the two other boxes are introduced into the box 8a through the opening. rear 9a, as will be described later.
• the other box 8b does not cover. Indeed this box is smaller in size and contains only two boxes 10 which are introduced into the box 8b by the rear opening 9b.
• the front part of this left box 8b can receive the electronic control units of the weapon or turret. They will be accessible through a side door 30 ( Figure lb).
• Figure 2d shows the carriage 2 after fixing armor plates 31 on the side walls of the boxes 8a and 8b. These plates 31 complete the structure of the boxes 8a, 8b and ensure the protection of ammunition stores against ballistic impacts. In FIG. 1c, the plates 31 are not fixed to the frame 11.
• the carriage 2 of the turret comprises two boxes 8a and 8b which are integral with the frame 11, and which are arranged symmetrically on either side of a median plane P ( Figure 2d) perpendicular to the axis 32 of the sockets 5 receiving the trunnions (thus also with respect to the axis 32 of the trunnions).
• These boxes 8a, 8b have an ammunition capacity which is important, they are shielded and ensure the protection of ammunition. They also provide protection for an operator who would implement the weapon manually or who would reload the stores from behind as will be described later.
• the frame 11 of the turret according to the invention also allows to define a turret whose length of the boxes 8a, 8b is different, without changing the frame. Indeed, as seen in Figures 2a to 2d, the boxes 8a and 8b may have different lengths to receive more or less boxes 10.
• the frame 11 thus allows to give some modularity to the architecture of the turret .
• Figures 4a and 4b show in perspective a box 10 to be positioned in one of the boxes 8a or 8b.
• This box 10 is substantially parallelepipedic and it comprises two end walls 19a and 19b which are parallel to each other.
• the box 10 also has two side walls 20a and 20b which are parallel to each other and which are also perpendicular to the front walls 19a and 19b.
• the front walls 19a and 19b both have a height which is smaller than that of the side walls 20a and 20b.
• FIG. 4d thus diagrammatically shows five boxes 10 1 , 10 2 , 10 3 , 10 4 and 10 5 positioned next to one another in a box 8 a and whose strips 21 are connected to one another, allowing feeding without strike of the weapon. Closing the lid 17 of the box 8a does not hinder the progression of the band 21 from one box to another and up to the weapon. Thanks to the access to the internal volume of the box which is given by the cover 17, it is possible thanks to the invention to connect the band 21 from one box to the other by jumping one or more boxes.
• the box 10 comprises a roller 25 which is positioned at a front wall 19a or 19b.
• This roller 25 is carried by a pivoting loop 42 having two arms 26 which are articulated on the side walls 20a and 20b.
• the loop 42 formed by the roller 25 and the arms 26 thus forms a handle allowing the extraction of the box 10 out of the box 8a and the transport of the body 10.
• the handle is folded, as shown in Figure 4a, the axis 27 of the roller bears against a notch 24 of each wall 20a, 20b and the roller 25 can freely rotate on its axis 27. It can provide a mounting roller 25 on needle roller bearing to facilitate this pivoting.
• the roller 25 guides the strip 21 between a box and its neighbor while reducing friction.
• FIGS. 4d and 5 the strip slides without asperities from one box 10 to the other.
• the box 10 also has a recess 34 at the bottom of a front wall 19a.
• This recess 34 is more clearly visible in Figure 4c. It is delimited at the front by a spout 35 integral with the lower face. This spout 35 facilitates the manual extraction of a box by the rear opening 9a or 9b.
• each box 8a and 8b has a door 28 which is disposed at its rear portion.
• the door 28 closes the opening 9a or 9b that the box 8a or 8b has at its rear end.
• the turret comprises at least one plate 29 which is disposed behind the box 8a or 8b.
• This plate 29 can receive a box 10 before its introduction into the box 8a or 8b. This plate 29 is more particularly visible in Figures 1a and 7.
• the configuration of the turret according to the invention makes it possible to receive a relatively large number of ammunition boxes in a light and compact architecture.
• the right box 8a can receive five boxes 10. Three boxes are introduced into the box 8a by its upper opening, after tilting of the lid 17. The operator can easily connect the bands the to each other to lead the band 21 ammunition to a feed star (not shown) of the weapon, star which is in the vicinity of the sleeve 5 and which guides the band to the corridors 7a and 7b (visible in Figure lb).
• the boxes 10i, 10 2 and 10 3 are held relative to the box 8a by a locking means which comprises, firstly the spacers 16 which pass through the box 8a and connect its two side walls, and secondly the lid upper 17 closing the box 8a.
• the cover 17 thus has flanges 17a and 17b which block the upper edges of the side walls 20a, 20b of each box.
• Figure 6 is a partial view which shows in cross section the upper part of the right box 8a. The cut is made at a roller 25 of a box 10.
• the lid 17 has a U-shaped section and has front flanges 17a and 17b that abut against the upper edges of the side walls 20a and 20b of the body 10. With these front flanges 17a and 17b rear, the lid 17 ensures well immobilization of the boxes 10 in a vertical direction.
• the hinge 18 of the cover 17 we also see in Figure 6 the hinge 18 of the cover 17.
• the lid 17 is locked in the closed position by latches 40. There are two locking latches 40 which are also visible in Figure 3b.
• the cover 17 carries a handle 39 allowing its opening and which is shown in Figure 1c. It can be seen in FIG. 6 that the lid 17 delimits an internal volume 41 above the boxes 10. This volume makes it possible to move the strip 21 of ammunition without hindrance, from a box to its neighbor, and to the corridors. supply 7a or 7b of the weapon.
• the rear opening 9a of the box 8a allows the introduction into the box 8a of two other boxes 4 and 10 5 . These boxes are put in place by an operator located at the back of the turret and which is therefore protected by the shields 15a, 15b, 31 of the latter.
• the strips 21 of ammunition 22 which are in each box 10 are connected to each other.
• the links are made after placing the boxes 10 in the box considered.
• the strips are connected through the upper opening of the box 8a before closing the cover 17.
• the rear boxes 10 4 and 10 5 are immobilized axially by the support of the box 10 4 on the box 10 3 and the support of the door 28 on the box 10 5 , which door thus forms part of the locking means of these cases.
• the door 28 (see FIG. 7) will comprise one or two locks 36, for example locks each comprising a rod 36a pushed by a spring 36b and which engages in a collar 37 (or a bore) carried by a wall. of the box 8a or 8b.
• the boxes 10 4 and 10 5 are immobilized transversely by the side walls of the box 8a or 8b. They are finally immobilized vertically through two guide rails 34 (see Figure 7) which are integral with each of the side walls of the box 8a or 8b. These rails 34 form a guiding means for the upper edges of the side walls 20a and 20b of the box 10 when it is introduced through the rear opening 9a or 9b.
• the left box 8b contains only two boxes and is always powered by the rear opening 9b closed by a door.
• the door 28 then remains open and there will be provided a means of locking this additional box with respect to the plate, for example a toggle engaging in the spout 35 of the lower part of the box 10 s .
• the two boxes 8a and 8b each comprise a lid and a number of boxes that can be put in place by the upper opening of the box. Other boxes are also put in place by the rear opening.
• each box 8a and 8b has only one rear opening.
• the crates are then always put in place by the rear of the turret.
• This embodiment comprises only a limited number of boxes, three maximum per box.
• the sockets 5 receiving the trunnions of the weapon extend above the boxes 8a and 8b receiving the ammunition.
• the trunnions can advantageously extend to the outer end of the sockets and can be fixed a member (for example a sighting means) at the end of the trunnions.
• the aiming means will then follow the pointing movements of the weapon. It will be advantageous to provide a removable attachment device for this sighting means, for example a splined shaft retained by a screwed nut.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)
• Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)
• Fittings On The Vehicle Exterior For Carrying Loads, And Devices For Holding Or Mounting Articles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=56855498

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (30)

• 2016
  • 2016-06-03 FR FR1600898A patent/FR3052247B1/fr active Active
• 2017
  • 2017-06-01 EP EP17735182.2A patent/EP3465066B1/de active Active
  • 2017-06-01 WO PCT/FR2017/051381 patent/WO2017207942A2/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2017-06-01 CA CA3026446A patent/CA3026446C/fr active Active
  • 2017-06-01 SG SG11201811731RA patent/SG11201811731RA/en unknown
  • 2017-06-01 AU AU2017275796A patent/AU2017275796B2/en active Active
  • 2017-06-01 US US16/306,861 patent/US10663241B2/en active Active
• 2018
  • 2018-12-03 IL IL263457A patent/IL263457B2/en unknown
  • 2018-12-10 ZA ZA2018/08322A patent/ZA201808322B/en unknown

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events