FR2562229A1 - AMMUNITION TRANSPORT DEVICE FOR A HEIGHT POINTED CANNON - Google Patents

Abstract

DEVICE IN WHICH PART OF THE AMMUNITION TRANSPORT IS IN OBLIQUE POSITION. THE CANNON 3 IS ADJUSTABLE IN HEIGHT ON THE TRUNKS 4 OF THE AFUT 5, ITSELF FIXED ON A ROTATING PLATFORM 2. BEHIND THE CREW STATION 6 IS STORAGE 7 WITH THE PROJECTILES 8. THESE ARE TAKEN INTO THE PROJECTILE HOLDER 16, AT THE BASE OF STATION 6, ARTICULATED AT THE END OF TWO TELESCOPIC ARMS 15, 15 WHICH OBLIGATELY LIFT IT THROUGH THE WELL 24 AND TAKE IT INTO THE LOADING POSITION WHERE THE PRESENTATION DEVICE 25 INTRODUCES L 'SHELLS IN THE CYLINDER HEAD 20.

Description

Ammunition transport device for a point-high barrel.

  The present invention relates to a device for automatic transport of ammunition from a separate magazine of a gun pointable in height, and not participating in its movement, the transport being done in firing position using a lifting device which is on the one hand hinged and can rotate freely about the pointing axis towards the barrel and on the other hand is in the form of fork and includes a tilting tubular projectile holder, the barrel being height-adjustable on a rotating platform around a vertical axis and located in an armored roof and ammunition in a store below, particularly in the case of

armored vehicles.

  A device of this type is known for example from the patent application available to the public of the Federal Republic of Germany No. 26 40 609. In this rather old embodiment, is used as a lifting device a pendulum charger

  which is permanently with the store outside the armored roof.

  The magazine is suspended on the vehicle so as to oscillate freely perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and it has for the supply of ammunition in the direction of the lifting, both a

  channel and an introduction device protruding on its rear wall.

  As a result, the outline of the vehicle is enlarged, which is easy to recognize. Furthermore, in the case of oscillating magazine, it usually happens that the longitudinal axis of the drive channel being against the magazine and directed in the lifting direction, or the axis of the projectile in the supply position does not coincides

  with the tubular support of the pendular charger and that the

  Ammunition mission can not be carried out.

  Another disadvantage is furthermore that the bearings of the pendular charger and the magazine are not protected on or against the armored roof, so that dust, foreign bodies or the like can penetrate without difficulty and cause damage as well as high wear. This puts into question not only the automatic transport between the magazine and the barrel but also the operational safety. In addition, for the movement of lifting ammunition, it is necessary to have several large openings with lids, because the ammunition is

transported only lying down.

  From the publicly available patent application of the Federal Republic of Germany No. 24 57 558 there is known a loading device for a gun which can only be pointed in height on an armored vehicle, which device has an oscillating bearing coinciding with position with the axis of orientation in height

  of the barrel and which is movable with it, as well

  culairement to the longitudinal axis of the barrel only in the vertical plane

  axis, between a first angular position (position of appro-

  viewing) and a second angular position (load position-

  is lying). In this device serving for two magazines ammunition placed on the floor of the vehicle, the projectile is pulled from the magazine obliquely upward in a pendulum, using transport cleats on an endless chain, and it is tilted with it upwards about the axis of orientation and then it is introduced into the breech of the barrel by a device i presentation placed on the loading device. The disadvantage is that the projectile, during the movement between the oblique position and the loading position, is introduced into the breech through a recess

  down and backwards and that the introduction phase

  duction is hard to see. A possibility of observation from all sides is nevertheless desirable for reasons of operational safety. The object of the invention is therefore to improve the device of the type indicated at the beginning so as to ensure optimum protection of all the sensitive parts and ammunition, the transport

  automatic operation being made possible without fixed fixtures on the platform.

  rotating form and being feasible simply and securely with

  a small footprint above the shielded roof.

  The means of achieving this object according to the invention consists in using as lifting device two parallel telescopic arms articulated to a base support below the armored roof and the crew station and comprising between them the carrier. tubular projectile, in that the base support is supported by means of a shaft end in a rotational bearing on a base plate (vehicle floor or concrete shelter), in that, in addition the two telescopic arms can rotate with the tubular projectile holder from the supply position into the vertical plane of the axis of the barrel core, in that they can then tilt in a position directed obliquely upwards and moving in this position through a closable aperture in the rotating platform to the loading position, the projectile holder describing an approximately Z-shaped course into its serving position. of you be loading, position in which acts a presentation device, and in that the store with its charging device is disposed below the shielded roof directly next to the fixed crew station

at the rotating platform.

  In a device of this type, the path described by the projectile taken lying in the magazine and transported to the loading position with change of inclination is smaller than in the case of the usual inclination change of 90 which occurs in the case of lifting devices for vertical transport. In addition, the munitions transport device of

  the invention is particularly small because the projection of

  tile is transported in a very narrow projection

  vertical, from the horizontal supply position to the posi-

  direction of transport obliquely upwards and then to the

horizontal loading position.

  In another embodiment of the invention, the crew station has, below the barrel yoke, a well extending radially over the entire height, with a roughly rectangular cross section, for the lifting movement of the barrels. two telescopic arms with the tubular projectile carrier therein, the well opening into the closable aperture of the rotating platform which can be closed by a flap when the

lifting is returned.

  An advantageous development of the invention consists in that the telescopic arms represent an interchangeable assembly unit with the tubular projectile holder and the support of

  base to which is fixed the end of tree.

  Other features and advantages of the invention

  will be better understood by reading the following description

  of an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows a rotating platform in a shielded roof, with a gun adjustable in height and the device of the invention, in partial longitudinal section and in two different positions of the lifting device; and - Figure 2 shows a section along the line A-B of Figure 1, only essential objects for the invention being drawn. On a platform 2 rotating about a vertical axis in a shielded roof 1 (vehicle or concrete shelter) is housed a gun 3 steerable in s i t e by means of pins 4 carried by the carriage 5,

  the barrel being represented with a pointing angle in zero height.

  On the lower side of the platform 2 is fixed a crew station 6 whose vertical axis coincides with the pointing axis in the direction of the barrel 3. Below the roof 1 and separated from the barrel 3 is, next to the crew station 6, an ammunition store 7 in which are

  lying 8 projectiles arranged one above the other, those--

  1 being introduced, in a manner known per se, using a sequence circuit, into a charging device 9 located in the center

from the floor of the store.

  The magazine 7 is limited in the direction of the crew station 6 by an explosion-proof and explosion-proof wall 10 which has at the charging device 9 an opening 11 through which the projectiles 8 are brought one after the other. others from the store to the hoist using the charging device. To prevent the penetration into the store of foreign bodies, fire, water or the like through the opening 11, it is provided with a shutter 12 which is actuated according to the movement of the device 9. The device lifting means consists essentially of two telescopic arms 15 and 15 'oscillating, with parallel axex, subject to a base fixing 13 and orientable about a horizontal axis 14, with a tubular projectile holder 16 placed at the free end of arm and rotating around horizontal trunnions, the lifting device being supported below the crew station 6 by means of a shaft end 17 in a rotating bearing 18 on a base plate 19 which may be a floor vehicle or concrete shelter. The axis of rotation of the shaft end 17 is in the extension of the x-x axis of the barrel 3. The two arms

  telescopic units form an interchangeable unit with the

  tubular projectile and the base support carrying the shaft end. The rotational, oscillating and lifting movements of the two arms and 15 'with the projectile holder 16 are limited by stops

  (not shown) and they are carried out using hydraulic cylinders

  known per se and gearboxes with drive motor-

  ment (none of which are shown). Below the breech 20 of the barrel 3 is on the rotating platform 2, an opening 21 of approximately rectangular cross section, through which the two arms 15 and 15 'can come out with the projectile holder 16 ,

  to the loading position. In the supply position

  and during the rotational, orientation and lifting movements, the longitudinal axes of the projectile holder and the two arms coincide. The opening of the rotating platform, closable from the outside by a flap 22, extends longitudinally in the direction of the axis yy of the core of the barrel tube 23. For the lifting movement of the telescopic arms with the projectile holder, movement

  directed obliquely upward from the supply position

  horizontal section, there is provided in the crew station 6 a well 24 extending radially over the entire height and also having a roughly rectangular cross section, this well

  opening into the closable opening 21 of the platform 2.

  The inclination movements of the projectile holder 16 to move from the oblique transport position to the horizontal loading position and vice versa are also performed using a known device not shown. The projectile holder 16 is provided for gripping the projectile grippers known claw-shaped and not shown and it also has a

  integrated presentation device 25.

  The device of the invention operates as follows: In the crew station 6 is, for the gunner,

  a key with which the mode of operation is introduced.

  First, the gunner determines the type of projectile. After sending the order, the projectile 8 located in the store 7 arrives

  to the charging device 9 which introduces it through the

  11 of the wall 10 in the projectile holder 16 being in the horizontal supply position, between the two telescopic arms 15 and 15 ', where it is gripped by the gripper-shaped claws. Then the two telescopic arms 15 and 15 'with the projectile carrier 16 and the projectile 8 therein are driven in a horizontal movement by a drive unit, about the geometric axis xx, from the position of under the crew station, until a telescopic arm touches a

  stop on the floor of station 6 and that the longitudinal axis of the door-

  projectile 16 is in the vertical plane of the y-y axis of the tube 23

(Figure 2).

  Then, the two arms 15 and 15 'with the projectile holder 16 rotate about the horizontal axis 14 on the support 13, rising in the well 24 to a stop and they move upwards through the opening 21, open for a short time, in the platform 2 to the loading position also limited by a stop. The projectile holder 16 with the projectile 8 then inclines in the loading position in which it bears against a stop not shown on the cylinder head 20 of the barrel 3 and serves as a loading tube. In its movements, it makes a roughly Z-shaped path. In the loading position, in which the longitudinal axis of the projectile 8 in the projectile holder 16 between the gripping claws, is aligned with the yy axis of the tube 23,

  the claws are open and the projectile 8 thus released is

  born by the presentation device 25 in the breech 20 of the barrel 3.

  Then, the presentation device is returned to the starting position, the projectile holder 16 is brought back from the horizontal loading position to the oblique position of transport of the two arms 15 and

  and with these he goes down to the supply position.

  As the automatic transport phase takes place in a manner known per se under the control of a sequence circuit not shown, and it does not directly concern the present invention,

  this phase is not described in detail here.

  The advantages of the invention include that the ammunition transport device is outside the crew station below the shielded roof and that this station is protected at the time of the loading phase, both against

  the introduction of foreign materials as against explosions.

  Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to the devices or processes which have just been described as non-limiting examples.

  without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (3)

  1. A device for the automatic transport of ammunition from a separate magazine of a point-adjustable barrel in height, and not participating in its movement, the transport being done in the firing position using a lifting device which is of a articulated part and can turn freely about the pointing axis towards the barrel and secondly is fork-shaped and comprises a tilting tubular projectile carrier, the barrel being pointable in height on a platform revolving around a vertical axis and located in a shielded roof and ammunition in a store below, especially in the case of armored vehicles, characterized in that as lifting device two parallel telescopic arms hinged to a support of base below the shielded roof and the crew station and having between them the tubular projectile holder, in that the base support is supported by means of a shaft end in a rotational bearing located on a base plate (vehicle floor or concrete shelter), in that, in addition, the two telescopic arms can rotate with the tubular projectile holder from the supply position into the vertical plane of the axis of the barrel core, in that they can then tilt in a position directed obliquely upwards and move in this position through a closable opening in the rotating platform up to the loading position, the projectile holder describing an approximately Z-shaped course into its position   serving as a loading tube, a position in which a   presentation system, and in that the magazine with its charging device is arranged below the shielded roof directly   next to the crew station attached to the rotating platform.   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the crew station comprises below the barrel yoke a well extending radially over the entire height and having a substantially rectangular cross section for the lifting movement of the two telescopic arms with the tubular projectile carrier therein, the well opening into the closable opening of the rotating platform, which opening can be closed by a   shutter when the lifting device is retracted.   3. Device according to any one of the claims   1 or 2, characterized in that the two telescopic arms with the tubular projectile carrier and the base support to which is fixed   the shaft end is an interchangeable unit.