WO1998025097A1

WO1998025097A1 - A method and device for a projectile magazine

Info

Publication number: WO1998025097A1
Application number: PCT/SE1997/002007
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sten Hallqvist
Original assignee: Bofors Ab
Priority date: 1996-12-02
Filing date: 1997-12-01
Publication date: 1998-06-11
Also published as: SE9604421L; SE507662C2; ZA9710822B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device within a magazine system for artillery guns (2) for stowing and when required retrieving artillery projectiles (8). The system is based on a form of indexable feed conveyor constituting a main magazine consisting of projectile holders (7', 7'') and whereby the interacting bi-magazines (11', 11'', 12', 12'', 18, 19) located forward of the said main magazine and beside the artillery gun (2) may also be designed as conveyor magazines (11', 11'', 12', 12'') or as compartment magazines (18, 19). In all of the magazines the projectiles (8) are stowed with their own longitudinal axis parallel to the barrel of the gun (2). The invention also includes different methods and devices (33, 34, 27-32) for transporting projectiles (8) between the various magazines. The principle is that it shall be possible to retrieve any projectile as the first projectile irrespective of where and in which magazine it is stowed when the order is given to retrieve that specific projectile. Retrieval of projectiles for feeding to the loading pendulum of the gun is always via the main magazine. If one of the bi-magazines in the version shown in the Figure is to be passed, it is necessary for this bi-magazine, and always of the main magazine, to make available an empty projectile holder (7', 7''). In other versions the projectiles are transferred to the main magazine via the linear feed module, but even in this case an empty projectile holder is required.

Description

A METHOD AND DEVICE FOR A PROJECTILE MAGAZINE

The present invention relates to a method and device for use in a magazine system for artillery projectiles in primarily heavy calibre artillery for stowing and, when required, for retrieving in any elective order the artillery projectiles required on each occasion.

The artillery of the future will require quick engagements often involving several different types of projectile fired in rapid sequence followed by fast re-deployment. Current technology enables easy and rapid detection of the deployment position of an artillery gun firing. As such position determining can be very precise one must always count on counter-battery fire being rapidly initiated by a possible enemy. Moreover, as artillery during the last 30-40 years has markedly improved both its range and precision as well as its capability to compute relevant firing data under all conceivable conditions one will be forced in the future to enable the artillery to an ever increasing degree to operate from constantly varying deployment sites. Each gun will therefore be designed to accommodate a larger number of projectiles and associated propellant charges. These projectiles and propellant charges must also be both easily accessible and compact since one must assume that the complete gun will be enclosed in armour, providin — at a minimum — protection against battlefield fragments.

One must also take into account the fact that there will be an increase in the availability of new types of special projectiles leading to a significant increase in the number of types of projectile, most of which will need to be instantly available. Certain coming new types of projectile may also be expected to be extremely long since extra long ranges will require extra long, slim projectiles. Future requirements will consequently include a need not only to handle and stow many different types of projectile but also to handle and stow projectiles of entirely different lengths.

The purpose of the present invention is to offer a new method of handling artillery projectiles in a magazine system together with a new type of purpose designed projectile magazine. The major advantage of the present invention is that it enables compact stowage of projectiles while all the projectiles in the magazine are almost instantly available for firing. Since the device as claimed in the invention also enables projectiles to be stowed forward of the breech opening of the artillery gun one can avoid making the complete gun excessively tail heavy. The invention is namely based on the magazine being subdivided into a number of groups of magazine compartments arranged after each other in which the projectiles are stowed in parallel with each other and parallel to the barrel of the artillery gun. The key feature of the invention is the use of a main magazine of conveyor type combined with matching bi-magazines.

Subdivision into several such groups of magazine of which one or more are arranged at the side of the gun and forward of its breech opening while at least one group is located at the rear of the gun at the distance required for the loading pendulum, rammer, etc. means that the said rearmost magazine group has access to a larger space than the other groups. The present invention thus involves use of a larger main magazine from which projectiles are retrieved on the occasion of loading, and one or more bi-magazines for stowing reserve and less frequently used types of projectile and for replenishing the main magazine as required.

As claimed in the present invention the main magazine, as previously indicated, is in the form of an indexable feed conveyor running in a looped path over a number of guide pulleys providing the optimal stowage density in the space available for a large number of projectile holders connected to the magazine conveyor or, preferably, interconnected with each other, each holder capable of accommodating one projectile. By using a conveyor running in dense loops in the main magazine and at the same time locating the said main magazine at the distance behind the breech opening of the gun required for the recoil of the gun and for the loading pendulum used for each loading operation, transfer of the projectiles between the loading pendulum and the main magazine is considerably facilitated. The conveyor is simply equipped with a stop position for the projectile holders immediately behind the position of the loading pendulum when idle, and the projectile contained in each holder can then be easily transferred to the loading pendulum by an ejector interacting with the projectile holder.

In the first design version for the device the bi-magazines also comprise indexable feed conveyors consisting of a similar type of holder, each accommodating one projectile, running over purpose made guide pulleys in loops optimised for the space available at each location. The main and bi-magazines can thus be located as close to each other as is acceptable with regard to the length of the longest projectile that needs to be handled in the system. As claimed in one version of the invention each magazine conveyor, i.e. main magazine and bi-magazines are all of conveyor type, shall have common stop positions. Thereby — provided that both an intermediate and a receiving magazine have empty projectile holders — projectiles can be transferred between different conveyors by means of special ejectors that push the projectiles from one holder into another. If required one may also thereby pass one or more main or bi- magazines. The bi-magazines can then, for example, be replenished from outside via the main magazine.

As claimed in another version the projectiles are transferred between the main magazine and the bi-magazines by a projectile transporter operating solely linearly while the bi-magazines are still conveyor type magazines. In this version the projectiles are moved between the projectile transporter and the various magazines by motion lateral to its own longitudinal axis.

In a further version the bi-magazines consist of elementary compartment magazines while the main magazine is still a conveyor magazine as previously described. In this version there is a linear feed module beneath the conveyor magazines for transporting the projectiles retrieved from each compartment magazine laterally and longitudinally to a stop position common to that of the main magazine conveyor. In this stop position a projectile retrieved from one of the bi-magazine compartments can then be transferred by an ejector to an empty projectile holder in the main magazine. If required the same projectile could then be immediately transferred via the main magazine to the loading pendulum of the gun.

Projectiles are fed into and retrieved from the compartment type bi-magazines by a projectile transporter — part of the linear feed module — drivable in the lateral and longitudinal axes beneath the compartments, each of which has an outfeed aperture equipped with retaining catches through which aperture the projectiles are entered and retrieved. This replenishment and retrieval of projectiles thus requires transfer of the projectiles in the vertical axis as well. This can be achieved by, for example, a conventional lift with limited lifting height built into the projectile transporter. At the same time the outfeed apertures of the compartments, as already indicated, must be equipped with catches to retain the projectiles in each compartment. These catches can also be retracted when the lowermost projectile in a compartment is to be retrieved or when a new projectile is to be fed into a compartment. The above mentioned linear feed module under the bi-magazine compartments may, for example, comprise a projectile transporter with an in-built lifting device that is driven along two pairs of guides arranged at right angles to each other.

The present invention is defined in the subsequent Patent Claims and shall now be described in further detail with reference to the appended figures in which

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the projectile magazine system with an artillery gun enclosed in an armoured turret, and

Figure 2 shows a variant of the projectile magazine system shown in Figure 1 , while

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the same gun but with a variant of the said projectile magazine system, and

Figure 4 is in principle the same as Figure 3 but with one compartment magazine deleted to enable illustration of the linear feed module below the compartments, while finally

Figure 5 shows a cross-section of section V shown in Figure 1 ,

Figure 6 shows the same cross-section as Figure 5 but now from the section designated VI in Figure 2,

Figure 7 shows a close-up of projectile holders incorporated in the conveyor magazine in Figure 1, and

Figure 8 shows an alternative design for the projectile holders in the conveyor for, for example, the device shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

Parts shown on more than one figure have the same designation irrespective of scale and projection. For the sake of clarity all parts in the actual armoured turret that are not directly essential for an understanding of the invention have been excluded. Thus, for example, the complete left half of the armoured turret shown in the figures has been left empty despite the fact that in reality this space would be occupied by a fully automatic loading system for feeding and ramming the propellant charges necessary for firing the projectiles.

There is an artillery gun 2 mounted inside the armoured turret 1 indicated by broken lines on the figures. The breech opening of the gun is designated 3. The said artillery gun has a main magazine 4 that is always in the form of a conveyor loop 5 over non-illustrated guide pulleys. The conveyor has indexable feed and consists of projectile holders 7' (see Figure 7) or 7" (see Figure 8) interlinked by chain links 6, with each projectile holder capable of accommodating one projectile. Figure 7 shows projectile holders 7' with open ends through which the projectiles are deposited and retrieved by means of an axial longitudinal displacement, while Figure 8 shows projectile holders that are completely openable to enable the projectiles to be deposited and retrieved transverse to their own longitudinal axis. In Figures 1-5 the drive motors of the projectile holders and conveyor 5' have not been illustrated as they merely utilise known techniques. On the other hand, a small number of projectiles 8 are illustrated to symbolise the various positions the projectiles may assume around each loop 5. In reality loop 5 shall be filled with interlinked projectile holders of either type 7' or 7" containing projectiles, but if all these projectile holders had been illustrated the figures would have been totally unintelligible.

As shown in Figure 7 each projectile holder 7' may, for example, be in the form of a tube with a longitudinal slot 9 and open at both ends and linked to the next projectile holder 7' by rigid links 6. The purpose of slot 9 is to enable access to an ejector located outside the conveyor when depositing or retrieving a projectile 8 into or from the projectile holder 7' in question.

In this version ejectors are required at only a limited number of locations around the conveyor loop 5, namely at the point at which the projectile holder is replenished or emptied of its projectile content, where the projectile holder is in direct contact with the breech opening 3 of the gun, and where the projectile holder interfaces with other parts of the magazine, i.e. the bi- magazines discussed below. Transfer of projectiles between the main magazine and bi- magazines in this version is via a simple longitudinal displacement of projectiles from one magazine to another.

The bi-magazines shown in the examples for reserve and supplementary projectiles are located forward of the main magazine 4. Projectiles stowed in these magazines are also arranged in the longitudinal axis of the gun 1, i.e. parallel to the projectiles in the main magazine 4.

In the version illustrated in Figure 1 the bi-magazines 11' and 12' consist of two separate conveyors located one behind the other. Each of these conveyors has indexable feed and follows a preferably similar loop pattern 13 and 14. The conveyors in the bi-magazines 11' and 12' have at least one stop position that is linearly common with a stop position for the conveyor of the main magazine 4. All the conveyors can be indexed to this stop position or stop zone 15 (see, for example, Figures 1 and 5) so that their respective projectile holders are aligned with each other. Thus in this stop position projectiles can be freely transferred between the various conveyors provided that the projectile holder into which a projectile shall be transferred or pass through is empty. The double-ended arrow 36 indicates that projectiles 8 in this position (15 on Figure 5) can be moved linearly between magazines 4', 11' and 12'. The stop position 15' in Figures 1 and 5 indicates a replenishment position in which the projectile holders on conveyor 4 are accessible from outside for replenishment via a hatch in the armoured turret. In this version even stop position 15 may be a replenishment position accessible from outside.

Provided that one always has one projectile holder 7' empty in each conveyor, projectiles can be freely transferred between the various magazines. Replenishment of the bi-magazines is preferably via the main magazine 4 that is accessible from outside via the above mentioned openable hatch. In a corresponding manner the bi-magazines can be emptied via the main magazine.

From the main magazine 4 the desired projectiles can be transferred via the projectile holder stop positions 16 and 17 either to the loading pendulum 10 or be directly transferred to the breech opening 3. The latter alternative presupposes that the barrel 2 is at zero elevation. This combination magazine is highly flexible but, with three conveyor magazines, comprises numerous moving parts.

Another version of the loading system as claimed in the present invention illustrated in Figure 2 uses three conveyor magazines just like the device shown in Figure 1, namely a main magazine 4' and two bi-magazines 11" and 12". However, the conveyors in each of these magazines consists of the projectile holder variant shown in Figure 8 which, as indicated by the arrows in the figure, is completely openable to enable projectiles 8 to be deposited and retrieved lateral to their own longitudinal axis. For transferring projectiles 8 between the various magazines this version uses a linear feed module as indicated in Figure 2 in the form of a projectile cradle 34 axially drivable along a guide-rail 33. The said projectile cradle is thus driven alongside the conveyor magazine and, at the designated stop positions, can retrieve or deposit projectiles 8 from or into the relevant magazine 4', 11", or 12". If so desired the axial transfer of projectiles 8 between the main magazine 4' and the loading pendulum 10 may be retained, but another feasible alternative is to transfer projectiles to the loading pendulum 10 via a corresponding linear feed module.

Another version of the device as claimed in the present invention is illustrated primarily in Figure 3.

Even in this version it is presupposed that the conveyor 4' projectile holders 7" are of the type illustrated in Figure 8, i.e. laterally openable.

The armoured turret 1, artillery gun 2, and the main magazine 4' are here of the same design as in the device illustrated in Figure 2. However, the bi-magazines 18 and 19 are of a different design, namely compartment magazines with three compartments 20-22 and 23-25 respectively. Each compartment has retaining catches at its base that are openable on command for outfeed of one projectile 8 at a time onto a projectile transporter drivable longitudinally and laterally along guides 26 and 27 located beneath all the compartments. The said projectile transporter has a stop position common to that of the main magazine 4 conveyor. At this position a projectile can be transferred from the projectile transporter into an appropriate empty projectile holder in the main magazine conveyor. Transfer of projectiles to the loading pendulum 10 of the gun 1 or direct to the breech opening is via the main magazine as described for the version illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a few more details concerning the projectile transporter 28. As stated above this is drivable longitudinally along guides 26 and 27. It is also drivable laterally along lateral feed shafts 29 and 30.

Drive for the said projectile transporter is provided by two electric feed motors 31 and 32. 35 designates a replenishment position from where the projectile transporter 28 is accessible from outside via a hatch for resupply of new projectiles to the magazine.

Even replenishment positions 15 and 15' (shown in Figures 1-3) presuppose that the necessary external access hatches are available for replenishment from outside whereby the main magazine transports projectiles 8 to position 35 where the projectile transporter 28 takes over and transports the projectiles 8 the remainder of the way to the bi-magazines.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMSWe hereby claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following.

1. A method in a gun magazine pertaining primarily to artillery guns equipped with fully or semi-automatic loading systems for stowing and for feeding when required in a freely elective order the previously stowed artillery projectiles (8) of which the gun itself carries a number ready for immediate use wherein the projectiles (8) to be stowed are distributed in several groups (4, 11, 12, 18, 19) arranged after each other within which the projectiles (8) are stowed in dedicated magazines whose longitudinal axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the barrel and whereby at least one of these groups is designed as a densely packed conveyor loop (4, 4') with indexable feed and comprising projectile holders (7', 7") interlinked by chain links with each said projectile holder (7', 7") designed to accommodate one projectile and whereby the said conveyor loop (4, 4') is used as a main magazine that via one or more stop positions for the projectile holders (7' 7") is enabled to communicate with and in both the replenishment and outfeed direction can deposit or retrieve projectiles (8) into or from the bi- magazines (11', 11", 12', 12") located forward of the said main magazine and to the side of the gun (l).

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the projectiles (8) are transferred between the main magazine (4) and the bi-magazines (11', 12') by a linear displacement in the longitudinal axis of each projectile from its original stowage position to the new stowage position whereby both the stowage positions are initially arranged in line with each other.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the projectiles (8) are transferred between the main magazine (4') and the bi-magazines by a combined lateral and longitudinal displacement relative to the longitudinal axis of the projectiles.

4. A method as claimed in Claims 1 or 3 wherein the projectiles (8) in the bi- magazines are stowed on top of and beside each other in compartment magazines (18, 19).

5. A projectile magazine (4, 4', 11', 11", 12', 12", 18 and 19) for stowing and for feeding when required in a freely elective order the said projectiles (8) as claimed for the method in Claim 1 relating to artillery guns (2) equipped with fully or semi-automatic loading systems that carry a certain quantity of ammunition ready for immediate use in purpose designed magazines arranged directly adjacent to the gun (2) wherein it is divided into several groups (4, 4', 11, 12, 18, 19) within which the projectiles (8) are stowed in parallel with each other and with the longitudinal axis of the barrel and whereby the magazine groups (4, 11, 12, 18, 19) comprise a main magazine (4, 4') in the form of a densely packed conveyor loop (5) with indexable feed and comprising projectile holders (7', 7") interlinked by chain links with each said projectile holder (7', 7") having space to accommodate one projectile (8) and whereby the bi-magazines (11, 12, 18, 19) arranged after each other forward of the said main magazine (4) and entirely beside the gun (2) for stowage of further projectiles and whereby the said bi-magazines (11, 12, 18, 19) are combined with feed devices for transferring the projectiles between all the magazines.

6. A projectile magazine as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the bi-magazines (11', 11", 12', 12") are designed as conveyors of the same type as the main magazine (4) arranged in loops (13, 14) with indexable feed.

7. A projectile magazine as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the conveyor of the main magazine (4) and the conveyors of the bi-magazines (I T, 12') have at least one common stop position (15) for own feed function in which position the projectile holders (7') of the conveyors are aligned with each other and where a projectile stowed in a projectile holder (7') on a conveyor can be transferred into an empty projectile holder (7') in the same stop position in an adjacent conveyor.

8. A projectile magazine as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the projectile holders (7") of each magazine are transversely openable and transfer of projectiles between the magazines is performed by an elementary linear feed module that at the special stop positions retrieves or deposits projectiles from or into the transversely open projectile holders (7") parked at these stop positions.

9. A projectile magazine as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the bi-magazines (18, 19) consist of compartment magazines in which the projectiles are stowed on top of each other in parallel compartments.

10. A projectile magazine as claimed in Claim 9 wherein each compartment (20-25) in the bi-magazines (18, 19) incorporates an outfeed aperture openable on command and that beneath the outfeed apertures of the bi-magazines there is a projectile transporter (29) drivable laterally and longitudinally in relation to the longitudinal axis of the compartments by means of which a projectile (8) retrieved from a bi-magazine can be transferred into an empty projectile holder (7', 7") in the main magazine.