GB735278A - Improvements relating to loading devices for guns - Google Patents

Abstract

735,278. Loading devices for ordnance. AKTIEBOLAGET BOFORS. Nov. 23, 1953 [Nov. 24, 1952], No. 32441/53. Class 92(1). A gun on a track-laying vehicle has a waiting tray 15, Figs. 2, 3, rotatable about the elevational axis 16 of the gun to which rounds are fed in a direction transverse to their axes by an elevating device 5, 6 and a loading tray 4 rotatable about an axis 34 parallel to the axis of the gun barrel 2 so that in one position the loading tray can be aligned with the barrel and in another position form a continuation of the waiting tray 15 when the latter is parallel to the barrel. The elevating device comprises two foldable parts 5, 6 hinged tegether with an opening 8 for the supply of rounds and has, internally, upper and lower rails 11, 12 and 9, 10 which are reciprocated longitudinally and have spring-actuated stops 13 so that the rounds 14 can move upwardly past the stops but not backwardly. A round on the tray 15 is maintained in position by a spring-actuated stop 17 and a stop 18 provided with an arm 19 which is actuated by the tray 4 to rotate the stop 18 out of contact with the flange on the round casing. The position of the waiting tray 15 is regulated by a hydraulic jack 20. The front end of the tray 4 is extended as a tube 28 rotatably supported on the gun and having an end flange 30 connected to the ram of a hydraulic jack 31 by which the tray can turn about an axis parallel to the barrel axis. Inside the tube 28 and loading tray 4 extends a piston rod 34 fixed to the bottom wall 27 of the tray and a cylinder 35 slidable over the rod 34 is operated by a hydraulic valve device 36, the cylinder 35 being provided with an arm 39 having a contact device 40 and a spring-urged rotatably mounted claw member 41. A guide arm 43 follows the movements of the claw member 41. A guide rail 44 in the loading tray is provided with a trip member 45 actuated by a spring 46. In operation the waiting tray 15 is first set to receive a round from the elevating device which follows the traverse but not the elevational movements of the gun, and then the tray 15 is positioned so that the round thereon extends parallel to the barrel axis. The cylinder 35 together with the claw 41 is moved forwardly and the whole loading tray then turned so that the lower part of the tray forms a continuation of the waiting tray, this movement disengaging the stop 18 from and engaging the claw 41 with the flange of the round. The cylinder 35 is then moved backwards to take the round with it and the loading tray turned to a position permitting ramming of the round which is effected by moving the cylinder 35 with its attachments forwards when the guide arm 43 will be moved by the guide rail 44 to disengage the claw 41 from the flange of the round.