GB2175073A - Tripod support for a projectile launcher - Google Patents

Abstract

A tripod comprises a mount for the support associated with the launching tube and slight system of a projectile launcher the mount 1 being positioned for elevation on one end of a tube 5 of which the other end is pivoted to a leg 8 of the tripod in such a way as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis 7. A device for balancing the mass resting on the mount eg. a bow spring (26, Fig. 2a) is provided as well as a device for maintaining the angular position of the mount 1 with respect to the horizontal when the tube 5 is pivoted, eg. a parallelogram linkage formed by the tube 5 and a bar 14 extending longitudinally through the tube 5. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tripod support for a projectile launcher This invention relates to a tripod support for a projectile launcher which is adjustable in elevation and traverse.

A tripod is described in DE 1,266,665, wherein the mount or base of the bearing unit of the support carrying the firing tube and the sight system which is adjustable in elevation and in traverse is fitted with three telescopic legs which can be pivoted from the horizontal axes. The pivoting path of each leg is adjustable through a locking device. To enable the height of the mount to be adapted to the position of the marksman, for example stooping, kneeling, sitting or prone, and at the same time to maintain the angular position of the mount with respect to the horizontal, a number of movements and manual operations have to be carried out with the known tripod, by adjusting the pivoting range of each telescopic leg and possibly altering the length.Furthermore, the bearing unit of the known tripod is fitted with end stops for extensions provided on the joint pins of the legs to prevent the bearing unit from falling through to the ground when the adjustment movements are effected. It nevertheless cannot be guaranteed not to fall accidentally as far as the end stops. The known tripod can be carried by means of a handle fitted to the base of the bearing body, Carrying it with a handle of this kind, however, is an uncomfortable and strenuous task.

This invention seeks to provide a tripod for a portable firing apparatus, which has a rigid, vibration-free mount for the firing tube and the sighting system during sighting, recognition, aiming and firing, and which enables the apparatus to be adjusted rapidly in a vertical direction over an adequate height adjustment range while maintaining the angular position of the mount with respect to the horizontal and without risk that the mount with the firing tube and sight system will drop.

According to this invention there is provided tripod support for a projectile launcher with a vertically adjustable mount adjustable in elevation and in traverse and carrying the sight and firing apparatus, wherein for effecting vertical adjustment the mount is positioned on one end of a limb which is pivoted at the other end to the tripod so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, means being provided for balancing the mass supported by the mount and a device for maintaining the angular position of the mount with respect to the horizontal during pivoting movement of the limb.

With two pivotable legs the tripod of the invention can be adapted with relative ease to any unevenness in the ground, thatis the mount can be aligned as required. The position of the pivotable legs, once aligned, need then no longer be altered for the height adjustment. The tripod can be erected and aligned in a few seconds. Due to the design, in which one leg and the limb pivoted thereto form a scissor-like construction, the height adjustment only requires a single manual operation. The tripod according to the invention also enables the support to be pivoted through a full circle about a vertical axis and provides an adequate pivoting angle for the support about a horizontal axis. The weight of the tripod is nevertheless relatively moderate.

The tripod according to the invention also enables the mount to be adjusted in height and the eyepiece height of the sight system can be altered so that a marksman can adopt any of the usual firing positions, including, for example, on the firing tube packing case which is normally regarded as the most advantageous for the marksman.

To obtain the required rigidity a support may be provided between the limb and the relevant leg of the aforementioned scissor-like construction. This support may simultaneously serve to adjust the mount to the required height and to lock it in position. The necessary rigidity could also be obtained by constructing the limb in the form of a tube. In order to ensure the required rigidity the construction of the tripod is free from play and this ensures the vibration caused by sight movement or the firing of the projectile will be extremely small and be rapidly damped.

In order to prevent the limb bearing the mount from suddenly dropping when the locking device is released a balance mass is provided. The balance system is designed for the mass carried on the mount, such as 15-26 kg. Any sudden tendency of the limb to collapse with the mount or to spring upwards under the effect of the prestressed balance system is also avoided by using a damping device, a particularly advantageous damping device is of the kind integrated into the bearing of the joint connecting the leg to the scissor-like construction.

An excessively angled position of the mount or aiming plane leads to problems such as different directional moments, alteration of the aiming ranges, difficulties in orientation and also coupling of axes (guiding operation). The aiming plane therefore has to be aligned horizontally with an accuracy of about +52. This is done by erecting the tripod by visual judgement, for which purposes it can be fitted with a spirit level. The aligned mount then retains its angular position with respect to the horizontal when the limb is pivoted due to an appropriate device provided on the tripod, This device preferably consists of a parallel guide.

The alignment of the aiming plane in the traverse and elevation directions for the tripod according to the invention is thus effected separately via the front legs or via the mount.

Embodiments of a tripod mount according to the invention are described below by way of examples with reference to the drawings, wherein, Figure 1 shows a view of a version of the tripod in perspective, Figures 2a-2c show schematically different versions of the mass balance device for the tripod, Figures 3a-3e show schematically different versions of the damping device for the tripod, Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a version of the device for maintaining the angular position of the mount with respect to the horizontal when the limb of the tripod is pivoted, and Figure 5 shows a marksman carrying a firing device on his back by resting the tripod on his shoulder.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 5 a tripod is provided with a mount 1 for a support 3 associated with a firing apparatus for a projectile and adjustable in elevation and in a traversing direction by means of a handle 2. The sight system 4 is secured to the support 3 as well as a mounting device for the firing tube. As may be seen from Figure 1, the mount 1 is positioned for purposes of elevation, in the free end of a tube 5 of which the other end is pivoted on a bearing pin 7 which extends through the upper front end of a leg 8 of the three legs 8 to 10 of the tripod, Below the bearing pin 7 two bearing pins extend from the front end of the leg 8, the other front legs 9 and 10 of the tripod being pivotally mounted on the said pins.

The operation of pivoting the two front legs 9 and 10 outwards serves to compensate for any unevenness in the ground and to align the mount 1 horizontally. The pivoting range of the two front legs 9 and 10 is made adjustable by means of locking devices which are not shown in detail and which can be secured in position by levers 11 and 11' respectively.

The height of the mount 1 can be varied by adjusting the front legs 9 and 10.

The two front legs 9 and 10 are comparatively light in weight while the leg 8 situated between them and forming, together with the tube 5, a scissor construction comprising a stable U-shaped section into which the tube 5 can be turned about the hinge. The bearing surfaces of the front legs 9 and 10 are fitted with claws 12 and 13 respectively.

As shown schematically in Figure 4, a parallelogram guide is provided for the purpose of maintaining the angular position of the mount 1 in relation to the horizontal when the limb 6 is pivoted. This parallel guide consists of a limb 6 and the leg 8 of scissor-like construction and a further limb 14 which extends parallel to the limb 6 and of which one end is secured to the leg 8 by a joint 15. That end of the two limbs 6 and 14 which is further away from the leg 8 is connected by a joint 16 and 17 respectively with a link 18 to which the mount 1 is secured between the joints 16 and 17.

The version shown in Figure 1 mainly differs from that shown in Figure 4 by the fact that the limb 6 shown in broken lines in Figure 1 is replaced in Figure 4 by the tube 5 parallel thereto, the limb 14 being formed by a bar extending longitudinally through the tube 5.

A locking device with a locking lever 21 (Figure 1) is provided for the purpose of securing the limb 6 or the tube 5 in the required angular position in relation to the leg 8 and thus fixing the height of the mount.

The locking device may be formed by positioning the foot 22, which carries tube 5 in an axially displaceable manner on the bearing pin 7, while serrated tooth arrangements which can be caused to engage one another and which are spring-loaded towards one another are provided around the bearing pin 7 between the leg 8 and the outside of the foot 22. The axial displacement of the foot 22 and thus the disengagement of the teeth can then be effected by moving the locking lever 21 in an axial direction in opposition to the force of the spring.

To adjust the angle of the limb in relation to the leg 8 and thus the height of the mount 1, however, a support 21' may also be provided, as shown in Figures 2a to 2c, one end of the said support being secured by a joint 22' to the leg 8 while the other end is displaceable in a slot (not shown in Figures 2a to 2c) and associated with limb 6.

At the end of the support 21' which is displaceable in the slot a threaded pin is provided to which is attached a clamp screw 24 by which the relevant end of the support 21' can be secured in any desired position along the slot.

The joint 22' is positioned on that side of the joint 15 of the second limb 14 of the parallel guide which is further away from the bearing pins 7. For this purpose the limb 15 may be provided with a longitudinal recess through which the support 21' extends (not shown in Figures 2a to 2c).

For the horizontal alignment of the aiming plane or the mount 1 after erection of the tripod the mount 1 can be pivoted about the joint 16 in relation to the link 18. For this purpose the mount 1 is further fitted with a lever 23, the free end of which has a slot 24 in the shape of a circular segment through which extends a clamping lever 25 secured to the link 18. The clamping lever 25 thus provides a means of locking the mount 1 in the required horizontally aligned position.

A rapid connecting fastener is provided to enable the support 3 and thus the weapon to be secured in position, For this purpose the mount 1 has a preliminary centering device 1' which eliminates the difficult task of aligning the support 3 in position or the risk of attach ing it incorrectly. An eccentric lever 1n is also provided on the mount 1 to enable the support 3 to be locked into position, the support 3 being keyed onto the mount 1 by turning the eccentric lever 1".

To compensate for the mass resting on the mount 1 comprising mainly the support, the sighting system and the firing tube with ammunition, a mass balancing device is provided of which examples are shown in Figures 2a to 2c, The mass balancing device comprises a bow spring 26 (Figure 2a) which extends around the joint having the bearing pin 7 and which is secured to the leg 8 and the limb 6, and an extension spring 27 secured by one end to the leg 8, with the other end being engaged by a cable 28 which passes around the joint having the pin 7 and secured to the limb 6 (Figure 2b) or else a torsion bar spring 29 is provided acting at one end on the bearing housing 30 and at the other on the bearing pin 7' of the joint interconnecting the limb 6 and the leg 8. The spring 26 is provided in the embodiment shown in Figure 1.Through this means lifting of the mass of the parts of the weapon mounted on the tripod is rendered easier.

A device for damping the movement of the limb 6 in relation to the leg 8 is also provided. Examples of this damping device being illustrated in Figures 3a to 3e.

As shown in Figures 3a to 3c and Figure 3e the limb 6 and the leg 8 are subject to the action of a telescopic damper having a cylinder 32 filled with a damping fluid 31 and provided with a piston 33 displaceable in relation thereto and forcing the damping fluid 31 through orifices leading from one operating chamber of the cylinder to the other. The damping device can be directly pivoted, together with the piston rod 34 and the cylinder 32, to the leg 8 and the limb 6 (Figure 3a) or the cylinder 32 can act on the leg 8 and the piston rod 34 through a cable 35 passing around the link having the bearing pin 7 or through a rocker 35' on the limb 6 (Figures 3b and 3e) or a toggle joint 36 can be provided between the leg 8 and the limb 6, in which case the damper acts at one end on the said toggle joint 36 and at the other on the leg 8 (Figure 3c).

The damping device shown in Figure 3d is preferred and has a gap 31' filled with a damping fluid, such as silicon oil, between the bearing pin 7" and the bearing housing 30' of the joint interconnecting the limbs 6 and the leg 8. This is the damping device provided in the version shown in Figure 1.

The damping device prevents the apparatus from suddenly collapsing, for example if the locking device with the locking lever 21 is unintentionally released. It also ensures however, that the scissor mechanism which is prestressed by the mass balancing device, for example the spring 26, and formed by the leg 8 and the lever 6 or the tube 5, will not suddenly open up if the said locking device is accidentally released. The operation of erecting the tripod with the firing device is effected as follows: the tripod is first of all opened up and the mount 1 aligned in azimuth taking into account the conditions of the terrain and by adjusting the two front legs 9 and 10.The alignment of the aiming plane, in elevation, that is the adjustment of the angular position of the mount 1 with respect to the horizontal in the vertical axis, is effected by pivoting the mount 1 to the appropriate extent around the joint 16 and locking it in position with a clamp lever 25. The remaining parts of the weapon, such as the firing tube, battery and ammunition are then located in position.

Finally, the height of the sight line and thus the mount 1 is adjusted as required by the marksman, the position of the aiming plane in elevation remaining unaltered.

The tripod according to the invention is so constructed that it can be used as a carrying frame, as shown in Figure 5, in this case the two front legs 9 and 10 of the tripod are placed over the marksman's shoulder. The front legs 9 and 10 can be fitted with rests shaped in accordance with the shoulders in order to relieve the pressure.

The lower side of the leg 8, to which the limb 6 is articulated, is constructed without projecting parts. Carrying and holding straps can also be attached. The support 3 with the sight device 4 is turned to the horizontal position in order to prevent damage to the sighting system 4 when the apparatus is picked up or set down.

The tripod according to the invention can be operated by one man or two men at the most.

In order to keep the mass to a minimum the tripod according to the invention is manufactured using modern materials such as light alloys and/or composites and by up to date manufacturing processes. The limb 6 or tube 5 may comprise a conical steel tube produced by a flow forming process, with a wall thickness decreasing from the bottom upwards, while the leg 8, for instance, is made of a composite fibre material.

When the two front legs 9 and 10 are closed together the tripod can also be carried over one shoulder. This leaves the other shoulder free for a firearm for example.

Claims (17)

1. Tripod support for a projectile launcher with a vertically adjustable mount adjustable in elevation and in traverse and carrying the sight and firing apparatus, wherein for effecting vertical adjustment the mount is positioned on one end of a limb which is pivoted at the other end to the tripod so as to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, means being provided for balancing the mass supported by the mount and a device for maintaining the angular position of the mount with respect to the horizontal during pivoting movement of the limb.

2. Tripod in accordance with Claim 1, wherein the horizontal pivot axis of the limb is positioned in the upper region of one of the legs of the tripod.

3. Tripod in accordance with Claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for balancing the mass comprises a spring which biasses the limb upwards.

4. Tripod in accordance with Claim 3, wherein the spring is a bow spring which extends around the pivot of the limb and which is secured at one end to the limb and at the other end to the leg to which said limb is pivoted, the spring comprises a torsion spring located in the joint connecting the limb to one leg, or the spring comprises a tension spring acting at one end on the leg or on the limb and at the other end on the limb or the leg through traction means passing round the joint.

5. Tripod in accordance with one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for maintaining the angular position of the mount with respect to the horizontal during the pivoting of the limb is formed by a parallelogram linkage comprising the limb, a second limb parallel thereto and pivoted to the same leg of a link on which the mount is located.

6. Tripod in accordance with Claim 5, wherein the angular position of the mount with respect to the link is adjustable and lockable.

7. Tripod in accordance with Claim 6, wherein the mount is pivotable about a joint of the link.

8. Tripod in accordance with any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the limb is in the form of a tube through which the second limb passes.

9. Tripod in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein a means is provided for locking the angular position of the limb with respect to the leg to which it is pivoted.

10. Tripod in accordance with Claim 9, wherein the locking device has a support between the leg and the limb pivoted thereto.

11. Tripod in accordance with Claim 10, wherein one end of the support is displaceable in a slot in the limb and lockable by means of a clamp screw, the other end of the support being pivoted to the leg to which the limb is pivoted.

12. Tripod in accordance with Claim 9, wherein the locking device takes the form of serrations provided on the leg or limb situated around the pivot axis, and axially displaceable with respect to and spring-biased towards one another.

13. Tripod in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein a means is provided for damping the movement of the limb with respct to the leg to which it is pivoted.

14. Tripod in accordance with Claim 13, wherein the damping device is formed by a cavity filled with a damping fluid and between the horizontal pivot and the bearing housing of the joint interconnecting the limb and the leg or by a telescopic damper acting at one end of the leg and at the other end of the limb pivoted thereto.

15. Tripod in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the other two legs of the tripod are pivoted to the tripod in such a way that they can be swung out with respect to an axis perpendicular to the pivot axis of the limb.

16. Tripod in accordance with Claim 15, wherein the pivoting path of the other two legs is adjustable and lockable.

17. A tripod supported constructed and arranged to function as described herein and shown in the drawings.