GB860606A - Improvements in and relating to the loading chambers of magazine rocket projectors - Google Patents

Abstract

860,606. Rocket launchers. VERWALTUNGS GESELLSCHAFT DER WERKZEUGMAS HINENFABRIK OERLIKON. Nov. 25, 195 [Nov. 26, 1957], No. 38003/58. Class 92. An electrically fired rocket launcher has oblique-faced claws 13, 16 Fig. 4 protrudin into the loading chamber and urged upwardly by a spring 7 into contact with the margins 20i 20b of the rear flange of a rocket 20 so as to retai the rocket until the moment of launching. The claws 13, 16 are carried by a moveable frame urged rearwardly by a spring 11 and pivoted a 9 at each side of the frame to a short arm 6 i turn pivoted at 4b to an arm 4a of a forke member pivoted at 5 to lugs 3 secured to the loading trough 1. The frame 8 and claws 1 16 are urged upwardly by springs 7 each c which engages a pin 6a an arm 6, the pins C being located near the pivot points 4b betwee the arms 4a and 6. The arrangement is such the when the rocket is fired and moves forward, the claws 13, 16 and frame 8 are forced by the rocke to move in a swinging movement forwardly an downwardly away from the loading chamber as shown in Fig. 5 but such movement does not involve any additional loading of the springs 7 which remain vertically disposed. Any additional loading of the springs 7 would delay launching and the arrangement thus fascilitate rapid firing and loading of the rocket from the magazine to the loading chamber. The rockets are fed from a magazine (not shown) through a shaft by an electrically driven feeder drum (not shown), the circumferential surfaces of the drum forming together with a closure face of a rocket (not shown) and with the loading trough, a temporarily closed loading chamber. The contact claw 13 and a resiliently mounted contact pin 14 are connected to an electric source for ignition of the rocket. In a modification Fig. 6 (not shown) the claw 16 also serves as a contact piece for ignition of the rocket and is mounted on the frame 8 for limited pivotal movement. Fig. 8 shows the electrical circuit including a current source 31 for driving the feeder drum and igniting the rockets and a relay 33 for operating contact pieces 34, 36, and 38 which open and close the circuits of an electromagnetically operated brake 35, magnetic clutch 37 and motor 39 respectively. When a rocket is unduly delayed in the launching position, the relay 33 operates to apply the brake 35, disengage the clutch 37 and interrupt the circuit of the motor 39. The feeder drum is stopped immediately and rockets are not fed until the launching is effected.