IL265765A - Shell chocking device and propulsion-charge rack able to accommodate such a device - Google Patents

Description

1 SHELL CHOCKING DEVICE AND PROPULSION-CHARGE RACK ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE SUCH A DEVICE The invention relates to the technical field of shell chocking devices as well as propulsion-charge racks.

In order to transport artillery ammunition, it is known to transport propulsion charges in containers or magazines comprising racks, called charge racks. Each rack can receive a charge case or container. The shells are also arranged in other racks of a shell magazine. The dimensions of the racks receiving the shells are smaller than those of the racks receiving the cases for propulsion charges.

Patent DE19529914 thus describes a shell magazine and means facilitating the removal of shells from the magazine. These means include a sliding tray that can slide in grooves of the magazine using rollers. The racks of such a magazine have smaller dimensions, slightly larger than the diameter of the shell. Such a rack cannot carry propulsion charges whose dimensions, irrespective of the caliber, still have a diameter much larger than the caliber of the shell.

Patent DE2620930 also discloses a magazine including an upper level made up of charge racks and a lower level made up of shell racks. Like in patent DE19529914, each shell rack is equipped with a sliding tray allowing the removal of the shell.

Operational needs may require increased shell carrying, and it would then be of interest to be able to place reserve shells in the racks intended for propulsion charges.

A problem then arises of adapting charge racks that are much too spacious to receive shells, since each rack is suitable for containing one or several propulsion charges placed in a case or container.2 The shells not being chocked, they are then mobile and collide against the walls of the charge racks, which may cause damage to the rack as well as the shell and its fuze.

The invention proposes to resolve this chocking problem by proposing shell chocking devices and charge racks able to receive such chocking devices according to the invention.

The invention thus relates to a shell chocking device arranged horizontally for a shell intended to be positioned in a propulsion-charge rack, the device including a trough intended to be placed in the rack, the trough including support surfaces intended to support the shell and bearing surfaces including uprights intended to be in contact with lateral walls of the rack so as to prohibit any transverse movement of the device with respect to the rack, the support surfaces also being arranged in the rack so as to position the longitudinal axis of the shell at a distance R from an upper part of the rack substantially equal to the radius of the shell so as to prevent any upward transverse movements of the shell, the device including a blocking means, for blocking the shell longitudinally, the blocking means being able to pivot between a blocking position, where it bears on the ogive of the shell, and an open position, where it is at a distance away from the shell, the trough including a stop means intended to cooperate with a stop interface secured to the rack.

Advantageously, the support surfaces form an angle relative to one another and are able each to be tangent with a different generatrix of the shell.

Advantageously, the support surfaces form a semi- cylindrical profile intended to correspond with a profile of the shell.

Advantageously, the bearing surfaces include an antifriction coating so as to allow easy sliding of the shell.3 Advantageously, the blocking means includes a lever, a first end of which includes a fork bearing on the ogive at at least two diametrically opposite points thereof when the blocking means is in the blocking position.

Advantageously, the device includes a bolt able to lock the lever in the blocking position.

Advantageously, the second end of the lever is oriented toward the bottom of the device and includes a pivot axis transverse to the device.

Advantageously, the center of gravity of the lever is offset relative to a vertical plane passing through the pivot axis of the lever so as to make it possible to cause pivoting of the lever by gravity.

Advantageously, the trough includes a retainer intended to interfere with the back of the shell.

The invention also relates to a propulsion charge container including at least one propulsion-charge rack intended to receive a shell chocking device, the container being characterized in that each rack includes at least one stop interface intended to cooperate with a stop means carried by the trough so as to prevent the longitudinal translation of the chocking device relative to the rack.

Advantageously, the stop interface may include at least one cylindrical boss secured to a side wall of the rack.

The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, done in light of the appended drawings, in which drawings: Figure 1 shows a three-quarters view of a chocking device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional detail view of the device according to the invention in the blocking position.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional detail view of the device according to the invention in the open position.4 Figure 4 shows a partial view of a container according to the invention equipped with racks.

Figure 5 shows another partial view of a container according to the invention equipped with racks and showing a rack containing a charge and a rack containing a shell.

According to figure 1, a chocking device 1 according to the invention includes a trough 2 intended to carry a shell 100.

This trough 2 is for example made from bent sheet metal, and it includes an M-shaped profile (the M-shaped profile is better seen in figure 4), this profile extending over substantially the entire length of the shell 100.

Support surfaces 3 receive the shell 100 to support it and chock it laterally while forming a V below the shell 100.

These support surfaces 3 thus form an angle relative to one another and are able each to be tangent with a different generatrix of the shell 100 (tangents T shown in figure 4).

The support surfaces 3 are covered with an antifriction coating that may for example include high-density polytetrafluoroethylene plates in order to allow easy longitudinal handling (insertion/removal) of the shell 100 by the user.

The chocking device 1 includes bearing surfaces 4 including vertical uprights 4 extending over the entire length of the trough 2. The bearing surfaces 4 are intended to interfere by their lateral planar parts (branches of the M) and vertical parts and by their lower edge with the walls of a rack, as it will be seen later in figure 4.

The front part AV of the device 1 includes a blocking means 5, intended to prevent the translation of the shell 100 toward the front AV of the device 1. The blocking means 5 visible in figure 1 includes a lever 6.

The lever 6 includes, at its first end, a fork 7 able to correspond with the ogive of the shell 100, providing a5 semicircular bearing zone offering at least two diametrically opposite bearing points relative to the longitudinal axis 101 of the shell 100.

The blocking means 5 may be located at a smaller distance D from the ogive (figure 2), the main point being that it can stop the shell 100 during a potential longitudinal translation thereof without bearing on the fuze 200 of the shell 100.

The second end of the lever 6 includes a pivot link 8 allowing the blocking means 5 to pivot between a blocking position and an open position. The open position, shown in figure 3, makes it possible to free the blocking means 5 from the longitudinal trajectory of the shell 100 sliding over the support surfaces 3.

A blocking button 9 forming a stop makes it possible to lock the blocking means 5 in the blocking position.

It will be noted in figure 2 that the lever 6 includes a counterweight 10 that offsets the center of gravity of the lever from a vertical plane passing through the axis of the pivot link 8, thus producing a pivot torque.

Thus, according to figure 3, when the blocking button 9 is actuated, this torque causes the lever 6 to pivot downward, which frees the blocking means 5 from the longitudinal trajectory of removing the shell 100 in the forward direction AV.

According to one obvious embodiment for the person skilled in the art but which is not shown, the lever 5 could not include a counterweight 10. It will then be necessary to switch the lever 6 manually to remove the shell.

In order to block the longitudinal translation of the shell 100 toward the rear AR of the device 1, the trough 2 may include a retainer 12 intended to interfere with the rear face of the shell 100 (figure 1).

According to figure 4, a charge container 15 or magazine 15 includes adjacent propulsion-charge racks 11.6 A rack 11 containing a chocking device 1 according to the invention is shown.

For ease of illustration, only one charge rack 11 is shown equipped with such a chocking device 1, but it is obvious for the person skilled in the art that each charge rack 11 may contain a device 1 according to the invention.

It will be noted in this figure 4 that the vertical uprights 4 form bearing surfaces 4 that interfere laterally with the lateral walls 16 of the charge rack 11. The edge of each of these uprights 4 bears on the lower wall of the rack 11. In this way, the vertical uprights 4 prevent any transverse or horizontal translations of the trough 2 (arrow H) and any downward movement of the trough 2 relative to the rack 11 (arrow V).

The person skilled in the art will dimension the bearing surfaces 4 and the support surfaces 3 so as to position the longitudinal axis of the shell 100 at a distance R from the upper wall of the rack 11, the distance R being substantially equal to the maximum radius R of the shell 100, so as to prevent any upward vertical movements of the shell 100.

In this way, the chocking device 1 makes it possible to make up for the excessive space offered by the rack 11 alone and it radially blocks the shell 100.

In figure 5, a charge rack 11 of the upper part of the container 15 is occupied by a propulsion charge 20 contained in its container 21. This type of container 21 with an octagonal section vertically and horizontally chocks the charge 20 by bearing, by its upper, lower and lateral faces, on the walls of the rack 11. It is thus clearly visible that a shell 100 has a diameter D significantly smaller than the width L and the height of a charge 20 container 21 and therefore requires an appropriate chocking that is done by a chocking device according to the invention.7 In the case where the trough 2 does not include a retainer 12 like in figure 1, the person skilled in the art will position the blocking means 5 longitudinally such that the rear face of the shell 100 bears on the bottom of the rack 11.

It is then the bottom of the rack that will limit the rearward longitudinal translation of the shell in the rack.

In order to prevent any longitudinal translational movements of the device 1 relative to the rack 11, the device I includes a stop means 13 (here a notch), visible in figure 2, that is intended to correspond with a stop interface 14 of the rack 11 visible in figure 4 (here a boss 14).

In the case at hand, each upright 4 therefore includes, at its lower edge, a notch 13 able to correspond with a cylindrical boss 14 secured to each side wall 16 of the rack II by screwing, which results in blocking the translation of the device 1.

By introducing a device 1 according to the invention into a charge rack 11, one can see that it is easy to chock a shell 100 in such a charge rack, which makes it possible to increase the shell carrying capacity of a vehicle including charge racks.

According to one embodiment that is not shown, the trough 2 could have a semi-cylindrical shape that will receive the shell at its part of greatest diameter. 251/5 100 AR 101 12 200 6 AV 4 2 7 4 13 9 3 8 1 Figure 1 2/5 100 7 200 3 AV D 6 13 8 9 10 4 1 Figure 2 3/5 100 3 AV 4 6 7 13 8 Figure 3 4/5 11 15 11 R 16 H T 16 T V 4 14 14 1 3 Figure 4 /5 L D 21 11 11 16 100 T 16 T 4 14 14 1 3 Figure 5 8 265765/2

Claims (11)

1. - A shell chocking device arranged horizontally for a shell intended to be positioned in a propulsion-charge rack, 5 characterized in that the device includes a trough intended to be placed in the rack, the trough including support surfaces intended to support the shell and bearing surfaces including uprights intended to be in contact with lateral walls of the rack so as to prohibit any transverse movement of the device 10 with respect to the rack, the support surfaces also being arranged in the rack so as to position the longitudinal axis of the shell at a distance R from an upper part of the rack substantially equal to the radius R of the shell so as to prevent any upward transverse movements of the shell, the device 15 including a blocking means, for blocking the shell longitudinally, the blocking means being able to pivot between a blocking position, where it bears on the ogive of the shell, and an open position, where it is at a distance away from the shell, the trough including a stop means intended to cooperate 20 with a stop interface secured to the rack.

2. - The chocking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support surfaces form an angle relative to one another and are able each to be tangent with a different generatrix of the shell. 25

3. - The chocking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the support surfaces form a semi- cylindrical profile intended to correspond with a profile of the shell.

4. - The chocking device according to one of claims 1 to 3, 30 characterized in that the bearing surfaces include an antifriction coating so as to allow easy sliding of the shell.

5. - The chocking device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the blocking means includes a lever, a first end of which includes a fork bearing on the ogive at at 02642500\44-01 9 265765/2 least two diametrically opposite points thereof when the blocking means is in the blocking position.

6. - The chocking device according to claim 5, characterized in that it includes a bolt able to lock the lever 5 in the blocking position.

7. - The chocking device according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the second end of the lever is oriented toward the bottom of the device and includes a pivot axis transverse to the device. 10

8. - The chocking device according to claim 7, characterized in that the center of gravity of the lever is offset relative to a vertical plane passing through the pivot axis of the lever so as to make it possible to cause pivoting of the lever by gravity. 15

9. - The chocking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the trough includes a retainer intended to interfere with the back of the shell.

10. - A propulsion charge container including at least one propulsion-charge rack intended to receive a shell chocking 20 device according to one of the preceding claims, the container being characterized in that each rack includes at least one stop interface intended to cooperate with a stop means carried by the trough so as to prevent the longitudinal translation of the chocking device relative to the rack. 25

11. - The charge container according to claim 10, characterized in that the stop interface includes at least one cylindrical boss secured to a side wall of the rack. 02642500\44-01