IL162503A - Adapter for anti-tank weapon - Google Patents

Description

ADAPTER FOR ANTI-TANK WEAPON 1448COR-IL 1448cor.doc 13-Jun-04 ADAPTER FOR ANTI-TANK WEAPON FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to anti-tank weapons, and particularly to an adapter for an anti-tank weapon that enables firing at angles other than straight from the shooter's shoulder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many anti-tank weapons that are used by armed forces today. Anti-tank weapons may be reusable or may be consumable (that is, fired once and disposed of), such as, for example, the light anti-tank weapon, system RGW-60 made by Dynamit Nobel. Like many other anti-tank weapons, it is shoulder launched and virtually recoilless.

All the known anti-tank weapons must be fired from the shoulder while facing and pointing to the target.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide a novel adapter for an anti-tank weapon that enables firing at angles other than straight from the shooter's shoulder, as is described more in detail hereinbelow.

There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention an adapter for an anti-tank weapon including a launch control member that includes a shooting trigger, a clamping mechanism adapted for clamping to an anti-tank weapon, and a linking device adapted to connect the shooting trigger to a weapon trigger of the anti-tank weapon, wherein pulling the shooting trigger actuates the weapon trigger and wherein a firing axis of the anti-tank weapon is not coaxial with a pointing axis of the launch control member. The adapter may further include a cocking trigger (e.g., independent of the shooting trigger) and another linking device adapted to connect the cocking trigger to a cocking lever of the anti-tank weapon. The adapter may also include a sighting device that mounts on the launch tube of the anti-tank weapon so as to sight parallel to the firing axis of the anti-tank weapon, the sighting device being in communication with a display. The display may be mounted on the launch control member or may be remotely located for viewing by other personnel.

Other features may be provided without limitation. For example, the adapter may include a foldable handle near the shooting and/or cocking trigger. The launch control member may include a body rest at a rear portion thereof. The clamping mechanism may be mounted on a swivel assembly for swinging about a pivot axis. The launch control member may be pivotal ly mounted about a pivot axis to a support member. The support member may include an extension leg maneuverable into and out of the support member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a simplified pictorial illustration of an adapter for an anti-tank weapon, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are simplified pictorial illustrations of the adapter of Fig. 1 with an anti-tank weapon mounted thereon, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 4 and 5 are simplified pictorial illustrations of the anti-tank weapon pivoted in azimuth on the adapter, respectively through an acute angle and 180°; "\ Fig. 6 is a simplified pictorial illustration of the adapter folded to a storage orientation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 7 is a simplified pictorial illustration of an adapter for an anti-tank weapon, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Reference is now made to Figs. 1-3, which illustrate an adapter 10 for an anti-tank weapon 12, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The anti-tank weapon 12 shown in the illustration includes a projectile or missile launch barrel or tube 14 (herein referred to simply as a launch tube) having a shoulder rest 16 (shown folded in Figs. 2 and 3) mounted on an underside assembly 17 of the launch tube 14. The shoulder rest 16 is situated behind a weapon trigger 18, which is behind a forward grip 20, which is the left-hand grip for right-handed shooters (also shown folded in Figs. 2 and 3). A cocking lever 22 is provided near trigger 18 for cocking the weapon 12 prior to shooting. After cocking, a projectile may be fired from launch tube 14 along a firing axis 19 by pressing trigger 18, as is well known in the art. Of course, even though the invention is described for an anti-tank weapon, the invention is not limited to anti-tank weapons and may be carried out with other weapons as well.

The anti-tank weapon 12 may be mounted on adapter 10 as is now explained. 3 162503/2 Adapter 10 may include a launch control member 24, which may include a shooting trigger 26 mounted near a first handle 28, and a cocking trigger 30 mounted near a second handle 32. Handles 28 and 32 may be pivoted to fold against the body of launch control member 24. A body rest 34 may be provided at the rear of the launch control member 24. The launch control member 24 may also be provided with a front leg 36, which may be placed on a ground surface when firing in crouched or lying positions.

The launch control member 24 may be pivotally mounted about a pivot axis 38 to a support member 40 (vertical in the illustration). A swivel assembly 42 may be mounted at the forward end of launch control member 24. Alternatively, the swivel assembly 42 may be mounted on support member 40. The swivel assembly 42 may include a clamping mechanism 44 adapted to clamp onto the underside assembly 17 of the launch tube 14 of anti-tank weapon 12. The clamping mechanism 44 may be mounted on a rotating platform 46 for swinging about a pivot axis 48. In the orientation of the drawings, the swivel assembly 42 pivots in azimuth. The clamping mechanism 44 may include jaws which are tightened or loosened by an adjustment screw (not shown), as is well known in the art of clamps.

The rotating platform 46 may be rotated through any angle up to and beyond 360°. For example, as seen in Fig. 4, the rotating platform 46 may be used to rotate the weapon 12 at an acute angle A with respect to the launch control member 24. As seen in Fig. 5, the rotating platform 46 may be used to rotate the weapon 12 through 180° in azimuth. In this manner, the weapon 12 "may be fired with launch control member 24 either to the left or right of the shooter. The weapon 12 may be fired with the firing axis 19 not coaxial with a pointing axis 39 of launch control member 24. The "pointing axis" 39 is defined as the longitudinal axis extending between the clamping mechanism 44 and the rear of launch control member 24 (the body rest 34).

The rotation may be "free-swinging" with no stops. Alternatively, rotating platform 46 may be lockable at any desired angular position. Locking mechanisms for locking a rotating platform are well known in the art, and do not require further description for the skilled artisan. Such locking mechanisms include, without limitation, teeth or indents that cooperate with dogs or pawls, or set screws that tighten against a perimeter of the rotating platform 46. As another alternative, rotating platform 46 may be motorized; it may be controlled by remote control.

As seen in Fig. 2, support member 40 may include an extension leg 49 that may be maneuvered into or out of support member 40, and may be used to adjust the height of launch control member 24 and weapon 12 during firing in a standing position.

The shooting trigger 26 may be linked to weapon trigger 18 of weapon 12 by a linking device 50. Linking device 50 may include, without limitation, a wire attached to shooting trigger 26 which loops around a bobbin 52 and attaches to weapon trigger 18. Similarly, cocking trigger 30 may be linked to cocking lever 22 of weapon 12 by a linking device 54. Linking device 54 may include, without limitation, a wire attached to cocking trigger 30 which loops around a bobbin 56 and attaches to cocking lever 22.

Alternatively, the linking devices 50 and 54 do not need to be pull-wire devices, but rather may comprise electronic or electromechanical devices. For example, a solenoid may be connected to weapon trigger 18 or cocking lever 22 and the solenoid may be operated by wired or wireless communication (e.g., from a remote control).

A sighting device 60 may be mounted on launch tube 14. The sighting device 60 may include, without limitation, a digital or analog camera mounted so as to sight along or parallel to the firing axis 19 of weapon 12. The sighting device 60 may communicate with a display 62 mounted on launch control member 24, which may be located between shooting trigger 26 and cocking trigger 30. The sighting device 60 may be in wired or wireless communication (e.g., infrared, RF, BLUETOOTH, etc.) with display 62.

As seen in Fig. 6, in accordance with an embodiment of the present, invention, the adapter 10 may be folded to a storage orientation, and may be worn on the back of a persori.

Reference is now made to Fig. 7, which illustrates another adapter 70, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Adapter 70 may also include a launch control member 72, which may include a shooting trigger 74 and a cocking trigger 76. A foldable body rest 78 may be provided at the rear of the launch control member 72. The launch control member 24 may include a clamping mechanism 80 to which the weapon 12 may be fixedly attached. In the illustrated embodiment, the clamping mechanism 80 may include, without limitation, a recess in the forward portion of launch control member 72 into which the weapon 12 may be placed and locked in place (by mechanical fasteners, such as screws or releasable detents, for example). Adapter 70 may have a carrying strap (not shown) for enabling firing in a standing position.

As similarly described hereinabove for adapter 10, shooting trigger 74 may be linked to weapon trigger 18 by linking device 50, and cocking trigger 76 may be linked to cocking lever 22 by linking device 54. The sighting device 60 (not shown in Fig. 7 for the sake of simplicity) may be mounted on launch tube 14 and may communicate with a display 82 mounted on launch control member 72.

By using any of the adapters of the present invention, a shooter can launch a projectile from weapon 12 by safely hiding behind some structure not in the line of enemy fire, aiming the weapon 12 with the sighting device 60 and its display, cocking the weapon 12 by pressing the cocking trigger to actuate the cocking lever of the weapon, and pressing the shooting trigger to actuate the weapon trigger.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.

Claims (12)

What is claimed is:

1. An adapter for an anti-tank weapon comprising: a launch control member that comprises a shooting trigger; a clamping mechanism adapted for clamping to an anti-tank weapon; and a linking device adapted to connect the shooting trigger to a weapon trigger of said anti-tank weapon, wherein pulling the shooting trigger actuates the weapon trigger and wherein a firing axis of the anti-tank weapon is not coaxial with a pointing axis of said launch control member.

2. The adapter according to claim 1 , further comprising a cocking trigger and another linking device adapted to connect the cocking trigger to a cocking lever of said anti-tank weapon.

3. The adapter according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a sighting device mountable on a launch tube of said anti-tank weapon so as to sight parallel to the firing axis of the anti-tank weapon, said sighting device being in communication with a display.

4. The adapter according to claim 3, wherein said display is mounted on said launch control member.

5. The adapter according to claim 2, further comprising a foldable handle near at least one of said shooting trigger and said cocking trigger.

6. The adapter according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said launch control member comprises a body rest at a rear portion thereof.

7. The adapter according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said clamping mechanism is mounted on a swivel assembly for swinging about a pivot axis.

8. The adapter according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said launch control member is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis to a support member.

9. The adapter according to claim 8, wherein said support member comprises an extension leg maneuverable into and out of the support member.

10. The adapter according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said linking device comprises a wire attached to said shooting trigger which loops around a bobbin and is attachable to the weapon trigger.

11. The adapter according to claim 2, wherein said other linking device comprises a wire attached to said cocking trigger which loops around a bobbin and is attachable to the cocking lever.

12. The adapter according to any of the preceding claims and substantially as shown and described hereinabove. For the Applicant, David Klein, Patent Attorney Dekel Patent Ltd.