MAGAZINE FOR A LARGE-CALIBRE WEAPON, AND TURRET PROVIDED WITH SUCH A MAGAZINE Description [0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of magazines for large-calibre weapons and of turrets provided with such a magazine. [0002] It is classically known to feed a large-calibre weapon (calibre greater than mm) using a magazine located in the rear part of a turret of a military vehicle, such as a tank for example. In order to facilitate the feeding of the weapon it is also known to equip the magazine with an endless belt conveyor and, in order to optimize the filling of the magazine a first endless belt conveyor is surrounded by the belt of a second conveyor as described in the patent US4873911 which aims to improve the compactness of the magazine. [0003] Such a magazine requires the use of an intermediate operator, which slows down the rate of fire of the weapon and impacts the total volume of the turret. [0004] The invention proposes to solve this problem of loading speed as well as the problem of overall dimensions. [0005] The invention relates to an automated ammunition magazine comprising a first belt conveyor, referred to as the internal conveyor, for rounds of ammunition that are parallel to each other, which is arranged in an endless rotary loop, wherein a second belt conveyor, referred to as the external conveyor, is also arranged in an endless rotary loop which surrounds the first belt conveyor for rounds of ammunition that are parallel to each other, each belt conveyor being able to move the rounds of ammunition so as to place the longitudinal axis of each round of ammunition successively in the same vertical plane, the magazine being characterized in that the rounds of ammunition located in the aforementioned vertical plane, called the loading plane, have their longitudinal axes converging. [0006] Advantageously, each conveyor belt is able to drive the ammunition independently of any movement of the other conveyor belt. [0007] Advantageously, each belt conveyor is driven by a specific motor means. [0008] Advantageously, each belt conveyor comprises a series of cells connected to each other by articulated links, each cell having means for holding a round of ammunition.
[0009] Advantageously, the magazine has two delivery means, namely a first delivery means related to the first belt conveyor and a second delivery means related to the second external belt conveyor, each delivery means being fixedly positioned at the loading plane in which a round of ammunition can be positioned in the chamber of a weapon, each delivery means comprising a pusher for introducing a round of ammunition into the chamber of the weapon. [0010] The invention also relates to a turret comprising a large-calibre weapon that can be oriented in elevation and comprising an automated ammunition magazine according to one of the preceding features, the magazine being located behind the weapon, each belt conveyor of the magazine being capable of moving each round of ammunition that it carries successively in the vertical plane, referred to as the loading plane, wherein the plane also passes through the axis of the barrel of the weapon, the turret characterized in that the weapon can be tilted at a first loading elevation angle in which its longitudinal axis is aligned with the axis of a first round of ammunition arranged in the internal belt conveyor which itself has its longitudinal axis in the loading plane, the weapon being tiltable at a second loading elevation angle in which its longitudinal axis is aligned with the axis of a second round of ammunition arranged in the external belt conveyor with its axis in the loading plane. [0011] Advantageously, the first loading elevation angle and the second loading elevation angle are negative elevation angles, i.e. such that the weapon points downwards. [0012] Advantageously, the first loading elevation angle and the second loading elevation angle converge towards a pivot axis transverse to the weapon. [0013] Advantageously, the axis transverse to the weapon is coaxial to the pivot axis of the trunnions of the weapon. [0014] The invention will be better understood by reading the following description, description made with regard to the appended drawings, drawings in which : [0015] [Fig. 1]: shows a three-quarter cutaway view of a turret according to the invention; [0016] [Fig.2a]: shows a schematic side view in longitudinal section along a vertical plane of a turret provided with a magazine according to the invention; [0017] [Fig.2b]: shows a schematic top view in longitudinal section along a horizontal plane of a turret provided with a magazine according to the invention;
[0018] [Fig.3]: shows a schematic side view in longitudinal section along a vertical plane of a turret provided with a magazine according to the invention during a first mode of operation; and [0019] [Fig.4]: shows a detailed three-quarter rear cutaway view of a turret according to the invention. [0020] According to figure 1, a turret 100 intended to equip a battle tank (not shown) is provided with a weapon 10 equipped with a barrel 11 of large-calibre. The weapon is secured to the turret 100 at trunnions 12 allowing to pivot the weapon around a horizontal axis 12a transverse to the weapon 10 in order to carry out elevation laying. Traverse laying is ensured by the pivoting of the turret 100 around a circular turret bearing 101. [0021] Towards the rear AR of the turret 100, behind the weapon 10, is an ammunition magazine 1 with two endless belt conveyors 2 and 3. Each conveyor and 3 is intended to feed the weapon 10 as described below. [0022] Each conveyor belt 2 and 3 comprises a series of cells 13 connected to each other by articulated links 14, each cell 13 comprising means for holding a round of ammunition. [0023] Each conveyor thus comprises at all times two linear belt portions L which are connected by two cylindrical belt portions C with axes parallel with each other and parallel with the axes of the cells 13 (or ammunition). Each belt 2 and 3 is thus wound between the geometric axes of the cylindrical portions C. Such a type of belt conveyor is described in particular by patent FR2668253 and it is not necessary to describe it in detail. [0024] In the same conveyor 2 or 3, large-calibre rounds of ammunition 200 are placed parallel to each other with their warheads pointing towards the front AV as shown in Figure 2b. Each conveyor 2 and 3 comprises the motor means 501 and 5(Figure 4) capable of driving belts 2 and 3 by rotation in a direction transversal to the ammunition 13. The movements of each conveyor 2 and 3 are made independently of each other by these motor means 501 and 502, each means being specific to one conveyor. Such an arrangement makes it possible to move one conveyor 2 or 3 in masked time while the other conveyor 2 or 3 feeds the weapon 10 for example. [0025] As can be seen in Figure 4, the belts of each conveyor 2 and 3 are guided by the ends of each cell 13 which comprise rollers (rollers not visible) that follow grooves
601 and 602 located on the sides 700 of the magazine 1, the grooves 601 and 6each forming a closed circuit related to one of the conveyors. [0026] According to Figure 2b, each belt conveyor 2 or 3 is able to present, one after the other, each round of ammunition 200 that it contains with the axis of this round of ammunition positioned in a vertical plane P passing through the axis X of the barrel 11 of the weapon 10. This plane P will be referred to as the loading plane. [0027] Considering the turret sectional view according to the loading plane P as in Figure 2a, it can be seen that the conveyors 2 and 3 of magazine 1 are inclined with respect to each other. [0028] Specifically, a first round of ammunition 201, of the internal conveyor belt 2, which is located in plane P, has its longitudinal axis 301 converging with the longitudinal axis 302 of a second round of ammunition 202 carried by the external conveyor belt 3, which is also located in plane P. The angle between axes 301 and 302 is shown in Figure 2a and denoted . [0029] The longitudinal axes 301 and 302 converge towards the transversal axis 12a of the trunnions 12 of the weapon 10. [0030] As can be seen in Figure 3, the longitudinal axis X of the barrel 11 of the weapon can be aligned with the longitudinal axis 301 of a first round of ammunition 201 of the internal conveyor belt 2 which is located in the plane P. [0031] Alignment is simply obtained by rotating the weapon 11 around its elevation axis 12a until giving it a first loading elevation angle β1. [0032] Once this first loading elevation angle β1 reaches the round of ammunition 201 and is in line with the barrel 11 of the weapon 10, it can be automatically loaded into the weapon chamber by means of a first delivery means 401 related to the internal conveyor belt 2. Such a delivery means 401 is described for example in patent FR2668253 and comprises a pusher (not visible) designed to push a round of ammunition from a cell located in the loading plane P into the chamber of the weapon (chamber not visible). [0033] It is to be noted that the first loading elevation angle β1 corresponds to the weapon 11 pointing downwards (relative to the horizontal line H). Thus, the gravity forces exerted on the round of ammunition 201 facilitate its transfer from the internal conveyor 2 to the chamber of the weapon 11. [0034] The weapon 10 has also been shown in Figure 3, with a dotted line, tilted according to a second loading elevation angle β2 in which the longitudinal axis X of
the barrel of the weapon 10 is aligned with the longitudinal axis 302 of a second round of ammunition 202 arranged in the external conveyor 3. [0035] It is to be noted that here too this second loading elevation angle β2 is such that the weapon 10 points downwards for the same reasons as explained above. The loading will also be done automatically using a second delivery means 402 related to the external conveyor belt 3, the second delivery means 402 also including a pusher (pusher not visible). [0036] The invention thus makes it possible to reduce the overall dimensions of the magazine by placing an external conveyor and an internal conveyor in a concentric manner but above all it allows to obtain an efficient automatic loading that does not impact the usual loading elevation of a weapon. [0037] The loading elevation angles β1 and β2 are respectively of the order of -degrees and -6 degrees with a difference α of 4 degrees between the two angles. These relatively close angles β1 and β2 make it possible to quickly switch from one loading position to the other. [0038] The rate of fire or the speed of changing the type of ammunition can also be significantly increased since when a round of ammunition from a conveyor belt is being loaded the other conveyor can freely transport another round of ammunition to the loading plane P to prepare for the next shot. For example, armor piercing rounds can be placed in the internal conveyor and explosive ammunition in the external conveyor.