GB1470716A - Artillery piece having a loading device - Google Patents

Abstract

1470716 Gun-loading device BOFORS AB 1 April 1974 [2 April 1973] 14442/74 Heading F3C An artillery piece having a barrel and a loading device comprises a loading table 6 for carrying a number of rounds 7 and mounted in a predetermined position relative to the barrel and having a generally-downwardly-inclined rounds-supporting surface whereby rounds 7 on the table can roll laterally under the control of a feeding mechanism for feeding them one at a time to a transferring means 8, 9 (or 9 onlysee below) operative to transfer rounds to a ramming position at the barrel; the feeding mechanism has two series of stops. As shown, three rounds. Fig. 3, are retained on loading table 6 by two first series of stops 13, each series being secured to a rotatable shaft 12, Fig. 2. When a handle 19 is pulled by a member of the loading crew occupying a seat 20, Fig. 1, the stops 13 are lowered through slots 15 in the table, while simultaneously two second series of stops 14, secured to the same shafts, are raised through further slots 15. In consequence, the lowermost round is permitted to roll into loading trough 8 (see Fig. 4), while the former second and third rounds occupy positions intermediate those formerly occupied by the first, second and third rounds. When the handle 19 is pushed in again, stops 13 are again operative, and a further round may be introduced at the left (compare Fig. 3). Trough 8 when unloaded lies parallel to table 6, Fig. 2, but the introduction of a round causes it to pivot against the force of a spring 28, Fig. 6, about a shaft 27 coaxial with the elevating trunnion 5, Fig. 1; the trough is now parallel to a loading tray 9, Fig. 1, and may be tilted about an axis parallel to its length by manipulation of a handle 22, Fig. 2 (shown also on the left of Fig. 6) by the crewman, to tip the round into tray 9. Tray 9 is then swung on arms 11 pivoted to a beam 11a of the cradle to the ramming position shown dotted in Fig. 1. In Fig. 7 (not shown), trough 8 is omitted, the table is widened to accommodate four rounds, and the remote ends of arms 11a of tray 9 are pivoted on a spring loaded pendulum arm supported for rotation coaxially with trunnion axis 5.