WO2024028497A1

WO2024028497A1 - Automated powder filling for an automated production line for ammunition

Info

Publication number: WO2024028497A1
Application number: PCT/EP2023/071727
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Biedermann; Peter Spatz
Original assignee: Swissp Defence Ag
Priority date: 2022-08-04
Filing date: 2023-08-04
Publication date: 2024-02-08
Also published as: DE102022119672A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the automated filling of at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder for an automated production line for ammunition, comprising a metering housing (5) that can be docked onto the at least two ammunition casings (13, 119) in such a way that the at least two ammunition casings are arranged along a path, and a dispensing device (3) that can be moved along a path that matches the path of the ammunition casings in order to dispense propellant powder into the metering housing, and comprising a guide for guiding the dispensing device along the path that matches the path of the ammunition casings.

Description

SWISSP DEFENSE AG, Uttigenstrasse 67, 3602 Thun

Automated powder filling for an automated ammunition production line

The present invention relates to a device for the automated filling of at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder for an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts, such as an ammunition cartridge, which combines the components necessary for firing a projectile in one unit, such as an ammunition casing, an ammunition projectile Ammunition primers and/or propellant powder. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts, which includes a propellant powder filling device according to the invention.

The present invention fundamentally relates to the technical field of ammunition production, which includes the provision and assembly of the individual ammunition components into a complete ammunition unit. For decades, this took place at separate, successive processing stations, in which the following process was roughly summarized: providing the ammunition casing, the projectile, the primer bag and propellant powder at separate processing stations; Inserting the primer bag into the ammunition case; Filling propellant powder into the ammunition case; Inserting the bullet into the ammunition casing. Furthermore, additional sealing, painting and/or control steps were carried out. The individual parts were removed from the individual processing stations as bulk material and then separated from this bulk material in a separating station preceding the following processing station and fed to the following processing station. Filling the propellant powder into the ammunition casings in particular represents a bottleneck in automation and is also a highly safety-critical process. There have already been attempts to automate powder filling when loading ammunition. For example, in KR 1020170156329 Ai a device for automated, parallel filling of several ammunition cases is described. The device comprises a silo with a discharge opening, which is translationally movable in order to fill dosing cavities in a also movable dosing plate arranged below the silo. The silo lies directly on the dosing plate and moves back and forth on it. Below the metering plate there is another filling plate with several filling passages, each of which is assigned an ammunition case. The propellant powder is filled from the dosing cavities into the ammunition cases by aligning the filling passages with the dosing cavities so that the propellant powder can fall into the ammunition cases under the influence of the weight. However, it has turned out that the desired amount of powder cannot be set precisely enough with the device according to KR 1020170156329 Ai, since there is a conflict of objectives between high cycle times and precise dosage. Another disadvantage of the device from KR 1020170156329 Ai is that the propellant powder can become blocked, which can have safety-critical consequences.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to make the automated powder filling safer and with more precise metering without reducing the number of cycles.

The task is solved by the features of the independent claims.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a workpiece carrier for an automated production line for ammunition with at least two ammunition parts is provided.

The automated production line can include all joining and assembly steps that are necessary to cover a complete ammunition unit consisting of an ammunition case, an ammunition primer, an ammunition bullet and the propellant powder. Therefore, such a production line can also be called a laboratory plant. The individual ammunition components can be manufactured in upstream manufacturing steps and/or upstream manufacturing stations and finally added to the loading system, where they are basically made into a complete ammunition or cartridge using proven technology are put together and ready for sale after passing through the automated production line. The automated production line is preferably implemented as a rotary or circulation system, in which the individual processing stations for assembling the ammunition are arranged one after the other along the rotary or circulation system and automatically assemble ammunition units according to a conveying cycle of the production line.

The system includes several manufacturing or processing stations at which the different assembly or manufacturing steps are carried out. For example, the plurality of manufacturing stations include an ammunition parts insertion station, preferably a case insertion station and/or a projectile insertion station, for introducing at least one of the several ammunition parts into the manufacturing process of the system, a plurality of quality testing stations, at least one ammunition parts processing station, for example a sleeve forming station, a propellant charge filling station, a projectile assembly station, a Projectile marking station and/or a discharge station for removing the manufactured ammunition from the production process of the plant. The rejection station can also serve to reject rejects from the manufacturing process. The several manufacturing stations are arranged in relation to the manufacturing process in such a way that the ammunition parts can be fed to the manufacturing stations one after the other in order to have the manufacturing steps that build on one another carried out.

The system further comprises one or more conveying devices for holding several of the several ammunition parts and for transporting several of the several ammunition parts to or from, to and/or between the several production stations. The conveyor device therefore fulfills at least two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor device can hold the ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual production stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual production stations and, on the other hand, the conveyor device is for the particularly automated transport or conveyance of the individual ammunition parts responsible for the manufacturing process defined by the multiple manufacturing stations. The conveyor device defines a closed, circulating conveyor track along which the individual ammunition parts are conveyed at least in sections, depending on their influence on the manufacturing process, and which delimits an interior space enclosed by the conveyor track and an external space delimited therefrom. The conveyor track can be an endless racetrack-like one Have structure or shape. In particular, the system includes several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along the conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

At least one, in particular several, of the several production stations can be arranged in the interior and/or the exterior and can act from the inside and/or from the outside on the conveyor device, in particular the ammunition parts conveyed or transported along the conveyor device. The lateral or horizontal plane of action created in this way by the production stations on the conveyor device or on the ammunition parts conveyed with it enables a space-saving, tidy structure of the system. With such lateral access to the conveyor device, the high demands on production capacity can be better satisfied, because the lateral arrangement with the lateral access of the production stations to the conveyor device allows the individual production stations to be designed completely independently of the conveyor device and to be free or flexible in relation to them can be positioned, repositioned and swapped on the conveyor device.

Furthermore, the multiple conveyor devices can be moved from, to and/or between the multiple production stations independently of one another. In particular, the system comprises several, in particular identically designed, conveying devices, such as carriages, distributed along a conveyor track. The multiple conveyor devices can be controlled individually and moved along the conveyor track so that individual production stations can be approached with an individual movement profile for each conveyor device. The manufacturing process is therefore considerably more flexible than when the conveyor devices are fixed together along the conveyor track.

Furthermore, the system can have at least two propellant charge filling stations arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction. The propellant charge filling stations are basically designed to fill ammunition parts, in particular the case, with propellant charge powder. The propellant charge filling station according to the invention can be designed based on gravimetry or based on volumetric dosing work. With gravimetric dosing, advantages can be achieved in terms of the accuracy of the dosing quantity. With the volumetric dosage, significant advantages can be achieved in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on the cycle rate, particularly when integrating the propellant charge filling station according to the invention into a system according to the invention, in particular, for the automated production of ammunition. The device according to the invention is used in particular for simultaneously filling the at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder. This means that the filling of the at least two ammunition cases is carried out in one filling process, in particular without changing direction by more than 90°. Simultaneous does not necessarily mean that the at least two ammunition casings are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain time lag between the filling, in particular the complete filling, of the ammunition casings arranged along the path. The device according to the invention can be designed to fill the at least two ammunition casings with a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount, taking into account the inaccuracies inherent in the process. The propellant charge powder can be, for example, a propellant charge powder for a small-caliber ammunition, in particular with a caliber in the range from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, which typically has one- or two-base spherical, tube, rod or leaflet shapes and/ or is powder-like. Alternatively, extruded propellant powders can also be used. If it is a spherical propellant powder, it can, for example, be rolled and have a spherical diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rods can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and/or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. The density of the propellant powder used can be in the range from 0.5 to 1 g/cm3 for nitrocellulose (NC), for example. For such a propellant powder, the bulk density is in the range of 0.6 to 1 g/cm3, for insert cartridges, for subsonic or blank cartridges it is up to 0.4 g/cm3.

Furthermore, one of the several production stations can be an ignition element insertion station, which brings an ignition element into the production process of the system and inserts it into a sleeve. The ignition element insertion station can be designed to insert several, in particular at least two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or twelve, ignition elements simultaneously, in particular in one insertion process, into a corresponding number of sleeves. Furthermore, one of the several production stations can be a fluid application station, in which a sealing compound is applied in an annular joint between the sleeve and the ignition element accommodated therein and/or between the sleeve and the projectile inserted therein and the annular joint is sealed and/or marked. It has been shown that integrating the application of the sealing compound into the automated manufacturing process brings significant advantages in terms of production capacity and manufacturing accuracy. Because the system ensures that the individual components are aligned with one another, the fluid application station can benefit from this predetermined alignment of the individual components with one another and apply the sealing compound very precisely.

Furthermore, one of the several production stations can be a quality monitoring station, in which the sleeve and the projectile are monitored, in particular individually, before being assembled. Monitoring can be understood as quality control with regard to predetermined parameters.

Furthermore, the conveyor device and the production stations can be coordinated with one another in cycle cycles, with at least two, at least five, at least ten or at least twelve ammunition parts being processed into ammunition per cycle cycle at the production stations. The production capacity according to the invention is achieved, among other things, by the parallel processing of a large number of ammunition parts per cycle.

Furthermore, the conveyor track can have a rail oriented towards the interior and/or exterior, which runs along the conveyor track and fixes a coupling interface of the conveyor device in a ready position.

The filling device according to the invention can be designed on the basis of gravimetry or work on the basis of volumetric dosing. With gravimetric dosing, advantages can be achieved in terms of the accuracy of the dosing quantity. With volumetric dosing, significant advantages can be achieved in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on the number of cycles, particularly when integrating the filling device according to the invention into a system according to the invention, in particular, for the automated production of ammunition. The device according to the invention is used in particular for simultaneously filling the at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder. This means that the filling of the at least two ammunition cases in one filling process, in particular without changing direction by more than 90°. Simultaneous does not necessarily mean that the at least two ammunition casings are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain time lag between the filling, in particular the complete filling, of the ammunition casings arranged along the path. The device according to the invention can be designed to fill the at least two ammunition casings with a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount, taking into account the inaccuracies inherent in the process. The propellant powder can be, for example, a propellant powder for a small-caliber ammunition, in particular with a caliber in the range from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, which typically has one- or two-base spherical, tube, rod or leaf shapes and/or powder-like is shaped. Alternatively, extruded propellant powders can also be used. If it is a spherical propellant powder, it can, for example, be rolled and have a spherical diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rods can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and/or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. The density of the propellant powder used can be in the range from 0.5 to 1 g/cm3 for nitrocellulose (NC), for example. For such a propellant powder, the bulk density is in the range of 0.6 to 1 g/cm3, for insert cartridges, for subsonic or blank cartridges it is up to 0.4 g/cm3.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the device, which is also called a filling device, comprises a dosing housing to which the at least two ammunition casings can be docked in such a way that the at least two ammunition casings are arranged along a path, and a dispensing device which is arranged along an image of the path of ammunition casings for dispensing propellant powder into the dosing housing can be moved. For example, with the device according to the invention at least three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or at least twelve, in particular up to fifteen, eighteen or twenty ammunition casings, in particular simultaneously and / or in one work step or filling process with propellant powder be filled by means of the device, in particular in order to fill a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount of propellant charge powder into the ammunition cases. The metering housing can have predefined docking positions for the at least two ammunition casings. For example, connecting devices such as latches, clips, plug-in or other connecting devices can be provided at the docking positions, so that the at least two Ammunition casings are temporarily fixed in the docked state on the dosing housing for the filling process. The ammunition casings can be docked to the dosing housing in such a way that they are arranged along a path which can be traveled by the dispensing device, in particular in a back and forth movement, in order to be able to fill the at least two ammunition casings in one work step or filling process. The dispensing device can be connected to a silo, or generally to a propellant powder supply, from which the dispensing device obtains the propellant powder or from which the dispensing device can be supplied with propellant powder. For example, a dynamic pressure in the propellant powder supply can be kept essentially constant, so that there is also a substantially homogeneous dynamic pressure in the dispensing device. For example, the dispensing device is designed to dispense the propellant powder into the metering housing, in particular exclusively under the influence of the weight. By simultaneous filling it is meant that the filling of the at least two ammunition casings takes place in one step or work process, namely in immediate succession. The path can define a straight, curved or wave-shaped row along which the at least two ammunition casings are arranged at a particularly equidistant distance and are docked to the metering housing. For example, the dosing housing can delimit a dosing space into which the delivery direction fills the propellant powder. The at least two ammunition casings can be assigned to the dosing space in such a way that the propellant powder can be passed on or flow from the dosing space into the ammunition casings.

The dispensing device is movable along an image of the path of ammunition casings for dispensing propellant powder into the metering housing. The image of the trajectory can be either the trajectory itself, meaning that the dispenser moves along the trajectory of ammunition casings, or along a correspondingly shaped trajectory but at a different location. For example, the path image can be a flat projection of the path on ammunition casings.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the device has a guide for guiding the dispensing device along the image of the path of ammunition casings. Because the dispensing device is guided along the path image during movement, significantly more precise dosing of the material can be achieved propellant powder to be dispensed can be achieved. For example, the dispensing device can be positively guided along the movement path, with evasive movements being limited, in particular prevented, from the path image. Due to the predefined guide movement path, it is more efficient and simpler to deliver reproducible results than was previously possible in the prior art, which in particular improves the suitability for mass production. Using the knowledge of the type of propellant powder, for example its flowability, density, particle size, and/or surface quality, the amount of propellant powder to be dispensed can be dosed very precisely via the predefined guidance of the dispensing device during a dispensing filling process.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, the guide is shaped according to the image of the path of ammunition casings. In other words, the guide can be shaped in the cross-sectional course according to the flat projection of the path image. This reliably ensures that the dispensing device follows the path image or moves along it in an optimally faithful manner. Alternatively or additionally, the guide can be set up to limit, in particular to prevent, a movement of the dispensing device that deviates from the image of the path of ammunition casings.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the guide is designed in the manner of a link control or link guide. It has been found that the mutual coordination of the guide on the dosing housing side and the dispensing device helps to optimize the dosing quantity in a structurally simple manner. In an exemplary further development, the dispensing device has a dispensing tube which is guided in a slot in the dosing housing. For example, the slot can open into the metering space and/or be fluidly connected to it. For example, the slot, in particular the slot walls, forms the positive guide for the delivery pipe of the link guide that forms the sliding block. In a further exemplary development, the slot and the dispensing tube are matched in shape to one another in such a way that the dispensing tube is guided on both sides by slot walls of the dosing housing. The two slot walls can face each other and/or be aligned in the same way. When moving the dispensing device, the dispensing tube can be guided and/or slid along the metering housing walls or slot walls along the movement path, in particular without it being possible to move out of the path of movement or across the extension of the slot. In a further exemplary development, the guide has an end stop for limiting the movement of the dispensing device along the image of the path of ammunition casings. For example, the guide can have two opposite stops, which represent a beginning and an end of the movement path or the path image. The end stops can also be realized by metering housing walls, in particular by slot walls delimiting the slot in the direction of slot extension.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a device for automatically filling at least two ammunition cases with propellant powder for an automated production line for ammunition is provided.

The filling device according to the invention can be designed on the basis of gravimetry or work on the basis of volumetric dosing. With gravimetric dosing, advantages can be achieved in terms of the accuracy of the dosing quantity. With volumetric dosing, significant advantages can be achieved in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on the number of cycles, particularly when integrating the filling device according to the invention into a system according to the invention, in particular, for the automated production of ammunition. The device according to the invention is used in particular for simultaneously filling the at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder. This means that the filling of the at least two ammunition cases is carried out in one filling process, in particular without changing direction by more than 90°. Simultaneous does not necessarily mean that the at least two ammunition casings are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain time lag between the filling, in particular the complete filling, of the ammunition casings arranged along the path. The device according to the invention can be designed to fill the at least two ammunition casings with a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount, taking into account the inaccuracies inherent in the process. The propellant powder can be, for example, a propellant powder for a small-caliber ammunition, in particular with a caliber in the range from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, which typically has one- or two-base spherical, tube, rod or leaf shapes and/or powder-like is shaped. Alternatively, extruded propellant powders can also be used. If it is a spherical one Propellant powder is used, for example, it can be rolled and have a ball diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rods can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and/or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. The density of the propellant powder used can be in the range from 0.5 to 1 g/cm ³ for nitrocellulose (NC), for example. With such a propellant powder, the bulk density is in the range of 0.6 to 1 g/cm ³ , for insert cartridges, for subsonic or blank cartridges it is up to 0.4 g/cm ³ .

According to the further aspect of the present invention, the device comprises a dispensing device with a dispensing opening through which propellant powder can be dispensed. The dispensing device can be connected to a silo, or generally to a propellant powder supply, from which the dispensing device obtains the propellant powder or from which the dispensing device can be supplied with propellant powder. For example, a dynamic pressure in the propellant powder supply can be kept essentially constant, so that there is also a substantially homogeneous dynamic pressure in the dispensing device. For example, the dispensing device is designed to dispense the propellant powder, in particular exclusively under the influence of the weight, into a metering housing, for example. By simultaneous filling it is meant that the filling of the at least two ammunition casings takes place in one step or work process, namely in immediate succession. The delivery opening can have a predefined opening cross section that is tailored to the amount of propellant charge to be delivered for the desired dosage.

According to the further aspect of the present invention, the device further comprises a dosing device for temporarily storing the propellant charge powder dispensed by the dispensing device and for passing the propellant charge powder on to the ammunition cases. The dosing device can basically be designed in any way, as long as it is able to temporarily store propellant powder so that it can be further processed or passed on. The dosing device can have a dosing surface which is at least partially flat. In an exemplary development, the device comprises a metering housing to which the at least two ammunition casings can be docked. In particular, the at least two ammunition casings can be docked to the metering housing in such a way that the at least two ammunition casings are arranged along a path. The delivery device can move along an image of the web of ammunition casings can be moved. For example, the dosing device forms a bottom section of the dosing housing or a dosing space delimited by the dosing housing.

According to the further aspect of the invention, when dispensing the propellant powder, the dispensing opening and the dosing device can be arranged at a particular vertical distance from one another in such a way that a predetermined delivery amount of propellant powder can be set using the self-locking between the particles of the propellant powder. For example, the propellant charge powder is released under the exclusive influence of the weight. The flow congestion metering or control created according to the invention makes it possible to easily determine or adjust the amount of propellant powder to be metered and dispensed by influencing the distance between the dispensing opening and the metering device. In this aspect of the invention, the device according to the invention makes use of the properties inherent in the powder and the knowledge that the distance between the dispensing opening and the dosing device can be adjusted in such a way that the particles or components of the propellant powder inhibit each other from further flowing out of the dispensing opening depending on the weight force. To block. For example, the dispensing device is arranged to be movable in particular with its dispensing opening in a limited dosing space, so that depending on the distance between the dispensing opening and the dosing device, a certain amount of propellant powder flows out of the dispensing opening and supplies the dosing space with propellant powder until self-locking occurs. It was found that the time of self-locking can be adjusted via the predefined distance between the delivery opening and the dosing device. The invention is based in particular on the knowledge that the flowability of the solid-like propellant powder differs in this respect from the flowability of a liquid and that the self-locking effect can be used to meter or regulate flow congestion. In particular, the distance between the dispensing opening and the dosing device can be adjusted so that the amount of propellant powder released which triggers the self-locking mechanism exceeds the summed amount of propellant powder required to fill the at least two ammunition casings. When we talk about quantity in the present case, this can mean the volume, in particular the volume of the total ammunition casings to be filled or the volume taken up by the propellant powder dispensed. The volume V in the dosing space is advantageously larger than the summed volume of the ammunition cases to be filled.

In an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, the distance between the dispensing opening and the dispenser is less than 15 mm and at least 0.1 mm. In particular, the distance is in the range from 0.2 mm to 13 mm, in particular in the range from 0.3 mm to 11 mm, in particular in the range from 0.5 mm to 9 mm, 7 mm or 5 mm. A distance in the range of 2 to 3 mm is particularly preferred. According to an exemplary development, the distance between the dispensing opening and the dosing device is in the range of 0.05 to 7.5 times a grain size of the propellant powder, in particular in the range of 0.1 to 5 times, 0.2 to 4 times or in the range from 0.5 or one to three times the grain size.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the device has a metering housing to which the at least two ammunition casings can be attracted in such a way that the at least two ammunition casings are arranged along a path, the dispensing device being movable along an image of the path of ammunition casings. In this regard, reference is made to the previous statements, which apply equally to the present aspect of the invention. According to a further exemplary embodiment, the dispensing device assumes the particular vertical distance from the dosing device in a rest position before and/or after a movement process along the image of the web. According to an exemplary further development, the self-locking effect occurs in the rest position. For example, the particles of the propellant powder block each other in the rest position, so that flow out of the dispensing device is prevented.

The filling device according to the invention can be designed on the basis of gravimetry or work on the basis of volumetric dosing. With gravimetric dosing, advantages can be achieved in terms of the accuracy of the dosing quantity

13

REPLACEMENT SHEET (RULE 26) become. With volumetric dosing, significant advantages can be achieved in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on the number of cycles, particularly when integrating the filling device according to the invention into a system according to the invention, in particular, for the automated production of ammunition. The device according to the invention is used in particular for simultaneously filling the at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder. This means that the filling of the at least two ammunition cases is carried out in one filling process, in particular without changing direction by more than 90°. Simultaneous does not necessarily mean that the at least two ammunition casings are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain time lag between the filling, in particular the complete filling, of the ammunition casings arranged along the path. The device according to the invention can be designed to fill the at least two ammunition casings with a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount, taking into account the inaccuracies inherent in the process. The propellant powder can be, for example, a propellant powder for a small-caliber ammunition, in particular with a caliber in the range from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, which typically has one- or two-base spherical, tube, rod or leaf shapes and/or powder-like is shaped. Alternatively, extruded propellant powders can also be used. If it is a spherical propellant powder, it can, for example, be rolled and have a spherical diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rods can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and/or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. The density of the propellant powder used can be in the range from 0.5 to 1 g/cm ³ for nitrocellulose (NC), for example. With such a propellant powder, the bulk density is in the range of 0.6 to 1 g/cm ³ , for insert cartridges, for subsonic or blank cartridges it is up to 0.4 g/cm ³ .

According to the further aspect according to the invention, the device further comprises a movable, in particular translational, such as a drawer-mounted dosing buffer with dosing recesses in which the propellant powder can be temporarily stored. The number of dosing recesses can be tailored to the number of ammunition cases to be filled. The dosing recesses can be designed as passages in the dosing buffer, so that, for example, filling from vertically above is possible and the propellant powder can be dispensed vertically downwards. The device further comprises a stripping wall which is arranged in relation to the dosing buffer so that when the dosing buffer is moved relative to the stripping wall, excess propellant powder can be wiped off. By stripping on the stripping wall, the propellant charge powder that is not in the metering recesses after the filling process is essentially completely stripped off, in particular in order to have the amount of propellant powder required for filling the ammunition cases in stock in the correct dosage. For example, the stripping wall can have a stripping contact with the dosing buffer or be arranged at a short distance of in particular less than 1 mm from the dosing buffer.

According to the further aspect of the invention, a cross-sectional dimension of the stripping wall in the direction of movement of the dosing buffer is smaller than the diameter of the dosing recesses. This reliably ensures that no safety-critical insulation can occur. Because the diameter of the metering recesses is chosen to be larger than the relevant cross-sectional dimension of the stripping wall, it is always ensured, i.e. in every operating position, that the propellant powder is not completely enclosed, but is always free or open to the environment. According to this aspect of the invention, the stripping wall is smaller than the dosing recesses, in any case where it works together with the intermediate metering storage for stripping off the excess propellant powder, whereby the stripping wall can also have a different, in particular thicker, cross-sectional dimension.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the filling device according to the invention, the cross-sectional dimension of the stripping wall in the direction of movement of the dosing buffer is at least 20%, in particular at least 25% or at least 30%, smaller than the diameter of the dosing recesses. This safety factor can be ensured by reliable, safe operation of the powder filling device. For example, the cross-sectional dimension of the wiper wall must be adjusted depending on the powder explosiveness, the geometry of the metering recesses, in particular diameter and/or height, and/or the composition of the propellant powder.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, the device has a metering housing which has the stripping wall and to which the at least two ammunition casings can be docked in such a way that the at least two ammunition casings are arranged along a path, the dispensing device being movable along an image of the path of ammunition casings. For example, with the device according to the invention, at least three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or at least twelve, in particular up to fifteen, eighteen or twenty ammunition casings can be used, in particular at the same time and / or in one work step or filling process Propellant charge powder can be filled by means of the device, in particular in order to fill a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount of propellant charge powder into the ammunition casings. The metering housing can have predefined docking positions for the at least two ammunition casings. For example, connecting devices such as latches, clips, plug-in or other connecting devices can be provided at the docking positions, so that the at least two ammunition casings are temporarily fixed to the dosing housing in the docked state for the filling process. The ammunition casings can be docked to the dosing housing in such a way that they are arranged along a path which can be traveled by the dispensing device, in particular in a back and forth movement, in order to be able to fill the at least two ammunition casings in one work step or filling process. The dispensing device is movable along an image of the path of ammunition casings for dispensing propellant powder into the metering housing. The image of the trajectory can be either the trajectory itself, meaning that the dispenser moves along the trajectory of ammunition casings, or along a correspondingly shaped trajectory but at a different location. For example, the path image can be a flat projection of the path on ammunition casings.

The direction of movement of the dosing buffer is oriented transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the movement path of the dispensing device. For example, the dispensing device moves in a horizontal plane, in particular in a horizontal direction, and the dosing buffer moves in a horizontal direction aligned transversely, in particular perpendicularly thereto. For example, the path on ammunition casings is oriented essentially parallel to the stripping wall.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, a device for automatically filling at least two ammunition cases with propellant powder for an automated displacement line of ammunition is provided. The filling device according to the invention can be designed on the basis of gravimetry or work on the basis of volumetric dosing. With gravimetric dosing, advantages can be achieved in terms of the accuracy of the dosing quantity. With volumetric dosing, significant advantages can be achieved in terms of processing speed, which has a positive effect on the number of cycles, particularly when integrating the filling device according to the invention into a system according to the invention, in particular, for the automated production of ammunition. The device according to the invention is used in particular for simultaneously filling the at least two ammunition casings with propellant powder. This means that the filling of the at least two ammunition cases is carried out in one filling process, in particular without changing direction by more than 90°. Simultaneous does not necessarily mean that the at least two ammunition casings are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain time lag between the filling, in particular the complete filling, of the ammunition casings arranged along the path. The device according to the invention can be designed to fill the at least two ammunition casings with a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount, taking into account the inaccuracies inherent in the process. The propellant powder can be, for example, a propellant powder for a small-caliber ammunition, in particular with a caliber in the range from 4.5 mm to 13 mm, which typically has one- or two-base spherical, tube, rod or leaf shapes and/or powder-like is shaped. Alternatively, extruded propellant powders can also be used. If it is a spherical propellant powder, it can, for example, be rolled and have a spherical diameter of 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. In the case of rod-shaped propellant powder, for example for 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, the rods can have a length of up to 1.1 mm and/or a diameter of up to 0.7 mm. The density of the propellant powder used can be in the range from 0.5 to 1 g/cm3 for nitrocellulose (NC), for example. For such a propellant powder, the bulk density is in the range of 0.6 to 1 g/cm3, for insert cartridges, for subsonic or blank cartridges it is up to 0.4 g/cm3.

According to the further aspect of the present invention, the device, which is also called a filling device, comprises a dosing housing to which the at least two ammunition casings can be docked in such a way that the at least two ammunition casings are arranged along a path, and a dispensing device which is arranged along an image of the Path of ammunition casings for dispensing propellant powder into the Dosing housing is movable. For example, with the device according to the invention at least three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or at least twelve, in particular up to fifteen, eighteen or twenty ammunition casings, in particular simultaneously and / or in one work step or filling process with propellant powder be attacked by means of the device, in particular in order to fill a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount of propellant charge powder into the ammunition cases. The metering housing can have predefined docking positions for the at least two ammunition casings. For example, connecting devices such as latches, clips, plug-in or other connecting devices can be provided at the docking positions, so that the at least two ammunition casings are temporarily fixed to the dosing housing in the docked state for the filling process. The ammunition casings can be docked to the dosing housing in such a way that they are arranged along a path which can be traveled by the dispensing device, in particular in a back and forth movement, in order to be able to fill the at least two ammunition casings in one work step or filling process. The dispensing device can be connected to a silo, or generally to a propellant powder supply, from which the dispensing device obtains the propellant powder or from which the dispensing device can be supplied with propellant powder. For example, a dynamic pressure in the propellant powder supply can be kept essentially constant, so that there is also a substantially homogeneous dynamic pressure in the dispensing device. For example, the dispensing device is designed to dispense the propellant powder into the metering housing, in particular exclusively under the influence of the weight. By simultaneous filling it is meant that the filling of the at least two ammunition casings takes place in one step or work process, namely in immediate succession. The path can define a straight, curved or wave-shaped row along which the at least two ammunition casings are arranged at a particularly equidistant distance and are docked to the metering housing. For example, the dosing housing can delimit a dosing space into which the delivery direction fills the propellant powder. The at least two ammunition casings can be assigned to the dosing space in such a way that the propellant powder can be passed on or flow from the dosing space into the ammunition casings.

The dispensing device is movable along an image of the path of ammunition casings for dispensing propellant powder into the metering housing. The image of the trajectory can either be the trajectory itself, which means that the Dispensing device moved along the path of ammunition casings, or along a correspondingly shaped movement path, but at a different location. For example, the path image can be a flat projection of the path on ammunition casings.

According to the further aspect of the invention, the dispensing device is pivotally mounted to carry out a pendulum movement. The dispensing device can have a pendulum tube that extends from stationary bearing points and oscillates about its rest position with respect to them.

In an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, a pendulum angle of the dispensing device, in particular of the pendulum tube, is less than 90° and in particular at least 45 ^° . In particular, the angle is in the range from 6o° to 8o°, for example around 70°. Due to the preferred pendulum angle, an optimum can be achieved from the maximum number of ammunition cases to be filled simultaneously or in one work step on the one hand and energy-saving filling of the propellant charge powder on the other hand. It was found that for the delivery pendulum to function optimally, the pendulum angle must be selected so that propellant powder can still be reliably delivered at the reversal points, in particular only under the influence of weight.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, a speed profile of the pendulum movement is regulated as a function of the pendulum angle, the fill level of propellant powder, the ammunition case volume and/or a parameter such as density, flowability, particle diameter and/or surface quality of the propellant powder.

According to a further exemplary embodiment, which can be combined with all previous embodiments and aspects according to the invention, the device according to the invention has sensors for detecting the fill level of propellant powder and/or the ammunition case volume and/or a drive associated with the dispensing device, in particular a controllable one, for actuating the dispensing device . For example, the fill level of propellant powder is measured at several points in the metering housing, in particular in the metering chamber, and, depending on the height of the propellant powder and/or its distribution, which can be derived from the several measuring points, adjusted to the travel profile of the movable dispensing device in such a way that a uniform and constant Propellant powder height is produced in the dosing chamber. In this way, it can be reliably ensured that all ammunition cases to be filled always receive sufficient propellant powder. This increases process reliability.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, the dispensing device is designed to carry out a continuous back and forth movement, in particular along the image of the path of ammunition casings. A movement cycle of the dispensing device can be coordinated with a timing of the automated production line. For example, the back and forth movement of the device is designed so that a separate filling process or work step takes place for each back and forth movement. In other words, the dispensing device is designed so that with each back and forth movement, a sufficient amount of propellant powder is dispensed in order to be able to fill the at least two ammunition cases.

According to an exemplary development of the device according to the invention, the device has a dosing buffer with a dosing recess, which is mounted in particular relative to the dosing housing, in which the propellant powder can be temporarily stored and whose storage volume is adjustable. The number of dosing recesses can be tailored to the number of ammunition cases to be filled. The dosing recesses can be designed as passages in the dosing buffer, so that, for example, filling from vertically above is possible and the propellant powder can be dispensed vertically downwards.

According to an exemplary development, a height of the metering depressions and/or a cross-sectional measurement, in particular the diameter, can be adjusted. For example, the dosing buffer can be constructed in several parts and have movably mounted parts to adjust the volumes of the dosing recess. In this way, it is possible to adapt the receiving volume of the dosing recesses depending on the volume, in particular the caliber, of the ammunition cases to be filled and/or depending on other parameters, such as propellant powder-specific parameters.

According to a further exemplary development, the metering recesses have an inner cross section that tapers at least in sections, in particular in a funnel-like manner. This means that, on the one hand, reliable filling of the dosing recesses can be achieved and, on the other hand, targeted filling of the dosing recesses Propellant charge powder to the ammunition casings assigned to the dosing recesses, which means that the dosing can be as precise as possible.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, it is set up to fulfill the at least two ammunition casings essentially simultaneously and/or in one work step. This means that the filling of the at least two ammunition cases is carried out in one filling process, in particular without changing direction by more than 90°. The term "simultaneous" does not necessarily mean that the at least two ammunition casings are filled at exactly the same time, but rather that there is a certain time lag between the filling, in particular the complete filling, of the ammunition casings arranged along the path. The device according to the invention can be designed to fill the at least two ammunition casings with a defined, in particular essentially identical, amount, taking into account the inaccuracies inherent in the process.

The device according to the invention can also be set up to place the at least two ammunition cases, in particular the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15, in particular in a track, ammunition cases in less than 5 s, in particular less than 4 s or less than 3 s.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the device according to the invention can have a rotary table on which the metering recesses are arranged in particular along an image of the path of ammunition casings in the radial direction with respect to the rotary table. The dispensing device can be moved back and forth translationally in the radial direction with respect to the rotary table in order to fill propellant powder into the metering recesses. The at least two ammunition casings are fed from a downstream rotational position of the rotary indexing table 51, in particular in the radial direction, so that the metering recesses are assigned to the ammunition casings and the propellant charge powder can be dispensed onto the metering recesses in the ammunition casings.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the previous aspects and exemplary embodiments, a system for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a case, an ignition element, a projectile and a propellant charge, is provided detected by a device according to the invention. According to a further aspect of the present invention, which can be combined with the preceding aspects and exemplary embodiments, an automated production line for ammunition, also called a system for the automated production of ammunition, is provided with at least two ammunition parts, which are at least one designed according to one of the preceding claims Has workpiece carrier.

Preferred embodiments are given in the subclaims.

Further properties, features and advantages of the invention will become clear below by describing preferred embodiments of the invention using the accompanying exemplary drawings, in which:

Figure i is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a further view of the device according to Figure 1;

Figures 3-5 schematic principle sketches to illustrate the functionality of the present invention;

Figures 6-8 further schematic principle sketches to illustrate the functionality of the device according to the invention;

Figure 9 shows a schematic principle sketch of a further exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Figure 10 shows a side view of a further exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention;

Figure 11 is a detailed sectional view along line XI-XI from Figure 10; and

Figure 12 shows a schematic principle sketch of an exemplary embodiment of an ammunition production system.

In the present description of exemplary embodiments of the present inventions, a powder filling device according to the invention is generally provided with the reference number 1, which is used in a system 100 for the automated production of ammunition, also called a loading system, which consists of several ammunition parts. in particular a sleeve 119, an ignition element 127, a projectile 121 and a propellant charge, can be used.

Referring to Figures i and 2, an exemplary embodiment of a filling device 1 according to the invention is shown in a perspective view, which is set up to fill ammunition casings 13 arranged next to one another in a row in one work step or filling process 12 (see FIG. 2). The filling device 1 includes a dosing housing 5, which can also be referred to as a frame and fulfills several functions. On the one hand, the dosing housing 5 takes on a housing or carrying function and includes two support feet 19, 21 with which the dosing housing 5 can be placed on a surface and fixed. On the other hand, the dosing housing 5 is set up so that the at least two ammunition cases 13 can be docked in order to be filled with propellant powder 11. Furthermore, the metering housing 5 defines a metering space 23 (FIG. 3), into which a predetermined amount of propellant powder 11 is to be dispensed before the propellant powder 11 is metered into the ammunition cases 13. The metering chamber 23 is formed in a block-like housing part 25, which has a flat guide surface 27 that is oriented vertically upwards. Starting from the guide surface 27, an elongated, in particular rectilinear slot 29 extends vertically downward through the dosing housing 5 and finally opens into the dosing chamber 23. In Figures 1 and 2, the slot 29 is designed to be straight and has two opposite ones transverse to its longitudinal extent Slot walls 31, 33, which open on both sides of the extension direction into a common end stop 35, 37, which is concavely curved and is also formed by a housing wall of the metering housing 5.

The slot 29 and the housing walls 31, 33, 35, 37 delimiting the slot 29 not only have the function of enabling the filling of the propellant powder 11, but also a guiding function for a dispensing device 3, indicated by the reference number 3, for dispensing the propellant powder 11 the dosing housing 5. The dispensing device 3 is movable and can move along the slot 29 according to a translational back and forth movement. The dispensing device 3 is positively guided during the movement, so that the dosage can be carried out as reliably and precisely as possible. The dispensing device 3 comprises, for example, a funnel-like dispensing pre-container 39, which opens into a dispensing pipe 41 which projects into the housing 5. For optimized guidance of the dispensing device 3 along the filling movement, the dispensing device 3 also has a guide plate 44 such as a guide plate, which is connected to the dispensing device in the area of the dispensing tube 41 3 is attached and is arranged so that the guide plate 44 rests on the guide surface 27 and thus co-determines the vertical position of the dispensing device 3. The dispensing device 3 can also be connected to a propellant powder filling, not shown, such as a silo 57 and/or a supply pipe.

The filling process, which is explained in more detail with reference to the schematic figures 3 to 8, is carried out in principle as follows: first, the propellant powder 11 is filled into the dosing housing 5 via the dispensing device 3 and temporarily stored. For intermediate storage, the housing structure of the dosing housing 5 is provided on the one hand and, on the other hand, a dosing buffer 9 which is mounted movably in translation, in particular in a drawer-like manner, relative to the dosing housing 5 and has a number of dosing recesses 15 that is matched to the number of ammunition cases 13 and which fills the dosing space 23 during a filling process at least partially limited at the bottom, so that the propellant powder 11 is placed on the dosing buffer 9, which is preferably designed as a flat plate with the dosing recesses 15 designed as through openings. After the propellant charge powder 11 has been temporarily stored by means of the dosing buffer 9, the propellant powder 11 is dispensed into the ammunition casings 13 through a dosing perforated plate 43 assigned to the dosing buffer 9, to which the several ammunition cases 13 are docked.

The filling device 1 can also have a collecting tray 45, which serves to collect excess and unfilled propellant powder 11, which is indicated by the reference number 1T. A pressing or pressure force can be applied to the dosing buffer 9 via a pressing device 47, so that in turn a resulting force between the dosing buffer 9 and the dosing perforated plate 43 results in order to keep the amount of superfluous propellant powder 11 as low as possible.

Figures 3 to 5 are to be understood as schematic principle sketches of a side view of the device 1 according to Figures 1 and 2 and show the interior of the device 1 according to the invention during a filling process. The 12 ammunition casings 13 to be filled are arranged along a path designed as a row and docked to the dosing perforated plate 43 (schematically indicated in Fig. 3). The dispensing device 3 is, as can be seen from a synopsis of Figures 3 to 5 is movable along a translational direction of movement T in order to travel along the path or the row of ammunition casings 13. The dispensing device 3 is translationally movable between two rest positions a) and b), which can be seen in Figures 3 to 5, whereby, for example, the rest position b) is to be understood as the initial position and the rest position a) is to be understood as the end position in relation to a filling process. During the filling process, the dispensing device 3 cooperates with both a dosing device 7 of the dosing housing 5 and the dosing buffer 9, which is mounted movably in a drawer-like manner relative to the dosing housing 5. At the beginning of a dosing process or after each dosing process, a constellation of the dispensing device 3 of the filling device 1 arises, as it is indicated by way of example in FIG. 3.

The dispensing device 3 is filled with propellant powder 11 and faces the doser 7 and is arranged at a distance from this in such a way that a dispensing opening 45 of the dispensing tube 41 is arranged at a vertical distance (a) from the doser 7 so that a self-locking effect occurs. This means that because of the narrow distance (a) between the delivery opening 45 and the metering device 7 and the characteristics of the propellant powder 11, the propellant powder 11 blocks itself from flowing out further. As can be seen in Fig. 3, there is a certain amount of propellant powder 11 on the dosing device 7, a further remaining amount of propellant powder n' on the dosing buffer 9, which was superfluous in a previous filling process, and a further amount of propellant powder 11 in the area the further rest position of the dispensing device 3.

If the dispensing devices 3 now move between the two rest positions (FIG. 4) and the dispensing device 3 moves out of the area of self-locking relative to the dosing device 7, the propellant powder 11 flows from the dispensing opening 45 into the dosing chamber 23, in particular exclusively under the influence of the weight force The bottom is formed by the dosing buffer 9 and fills the dosing chamber 23 during a filling process, that is to say a reciprocating movement from a) to b) or vice versa, so that a substantially constant and homogeneous propellant powder height is set (see Fig. 5). In the area of rest position a), the self-locking effect occurs again and the propellant powder 11 is blocked from flowing out further.

Referring to Figures 6 to 8, which show the filling process along the sequence of Figures 3 to 5 from a perspective rotated by 90 °, the one in the The filling process shown in Figures 3 to 5 explains the subsequent dosing process for filling the propellant charge powder 11 into the ammunition cases 13. During the filling process, the dosing recesses 15 of the dosing buffer 9 are in a passive position, that is, not assigned to the dosing space 23, so that the propellant powder 11 can be dispensed onto a flat surface of the dosing buffer 9 (FIG. 6).

After a filling process of the dispensing device 3, the dosing buffer 9 is finally moved so that the dosing recesses 15 are aligned with respect to the dosing space 23, in particular are arranged vertically below the dosing space 23, so that the propellant powder 11 is introduced exclusively under the influence of the low weight force Dosing recesses 15 reach and fill them completely (Fig. 7).

The dosing buffer 9 is then moved back into the starting position shown in FIG. 6 in order to fill the propellant charge powder 11 metered into the dosing recesses 15 into the ammunition cases 13. By adjusting the size of the dosing recess, in particular its volume, for example via its height and/or diameter, using the adjusting device 47, ammunition casings 13 of different sizes can be filled with the intended amount of propellant powder.

In Fig. 8, an essential function of the device 1 according to the invention can be seen, since due to the dimensioning of the metering recesses in relation to the housing wall 17, which cooperates with the metering buffer 9 when the metering buffer 9 is moved relative to the metering housing 5, which acts as a scraper wall 17, to remove unnecessary propellant powder 11, which is indicated by the reference number 1T in FIG. 8, can be seen. On the one hand, the scraper wall 17 wipes off the excess propellant powder n' during the movement of the dosing buffer 9, so that essentially only the amount of propellant powder necessary for filling the ammunition cases 13 remains in the dosing recesses 15 and the remaining propellant powder n' remains in the dosing space 23. Furthermore, a cross-sectional dimension (e) of the wiper wall 17 is designed in relation to a diameter (d) of the metering recesses such that no damming can occur, so that safe operation of the filling device 1 is ensured. For example, the cross-sectional dimension is (e) of the wiper wall 17 in the direction of movement of the dosing buffer 9 is at least 20% smaller than the diameter (d) of the dosing recesses.

9 shows a further schematic sketch of an alternative embodiment of the filling device 1 according to the invention, in which a different type of intermediate storage and metering of the propellant charge powder 11 is shown. As in the previous statements, at least two ammunition casings 13 can be fed to the device 1 by means of a workpiece carrier 49, which is generally indicated by the reference number 49. The workpiece carrier 49 can therefore fulfill two functions. On the one hand, it can hold ammunition parts necessary for the ammunition and enable the individual processing stations to access the ammunition parts or enable processing of the ammunition parts at the individual processing stations and, on the other hand, the workpiece carrier 49 can form the interface to the automated production line, so that the at least two ammunition parts can pass through the automated production line using the workpiece carrier 49. The workpiece carrier 49 has a carrier base, such as a carriage, which is adapted to be conveyed along the production line. The carrier base can therefore be set up to be coupled, in particular releasably, to the automated production line in order to be automatically transported from one processing station to the next. The support base can, for example, be designed to form a tongue and groove system with a connecting component of the automated production line. The workpiece carrier 49 further comprises at least one receptacle arranged on the carrier base, in particular preferably releasably attached thereto, for holding at least two ammunition parts of the same type, such as two ammunition cases 13, two ammunition bullets, two ammunition cartridges or two ammunition primer caps. An essential aspect of the workpiece carrier 49 according to the invention is that it is designed to hold several ammunition parts, which are held in such a way that they can be processed simultaneously or in parallel. For example, the holder is designed so that it can hold at least 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or 15 pieces of ammunition of the same type. For example, the large number of ammunition parts are held by the receptacle in a predetermined, in particular unchangeable, arrangement. For example, in rows and/or parallel arrangement, such as in an array field. Furthermore, the at least one partial ammunition receptacle is mounted so that it can move relative to the carrier base. Furthermore, at least one of the ammunition parts receptacles can be moved from a receiving position in which the at least two ammunition parts can be fed, in particular simultaneously, into a processing position in which the at least two Ammunition parts can be processed in particular at the same time. Furthermore, the workpiece carrier 49 also has a coupling interface for connecting to a motor of the production line, in particular a motor-side coupling interface, in order to move the recording from the receiving position into the processing position, and in particular vice versa. The workpiece carrier 49 itself can therefore be designed to be driveless and/or motorless. The necessary activation or kinetic energy, which is necessary for moving the at least one partial ammunition holder, can in particular be supplied completely from outside, for example by a motor or drive of the production line.

In contrast to the previous embodiment, the dosing buffer 9 and possibly the dosing perforated plate 43 assigned to it (not shown) are designed as a rotary indexing table 51, which has several units or rows of dosing recesses 15, which are in the circumferential direction at a particularly uniform distance (a). are distributed to each other and each unit or row is oriented in the radial direction with respect to the direction of rotation R of the rotary indexing table 51. The dispensing device 3 can also carry out a translational movement corresponding to a back and forth movement T in order to temporarily store the propellant powder 11 on the dosing buffer 9. After a filling process, the rotary indexing table 51 is further rotated in the direction of rotation R, so that the units or rows of metering recesses 15 are successively fed to the workpiece carriers 49 to be fed to the device 1, namely in a ⁴⁵⁰ inclined rotation position. The further basic principles and basic ideas of the device 1 according to the invention are also further implemented in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG.

Figures 10 and 11 show a further exemplary embodiment of a filling device 1 according to the invention, which, in contrast to the previous embodiments, is characterized by no translational back and forth movement of the dispensing device 3, but by a pendulum movement P. The basic principle of the automated, simultaneous filling of several ammunition cases 13 is the same. First, propellant powder 11 is provided, for example from a propellant powder supply 53 via filling pipes 55, into a silo 57 to which the dispensing device 3 is connected. The dispensing device 3 comprises a dispensing tube 41 which is pivotally mounted with respect to a pendulum center Z and which can be moved back and forth between two settings at a pendulum angle P. In Fig. 10 it can be seen that the device according to the invention can also include several parallel subunits, which are each designed identically in order to be able to fill several units or packages of several ammunition cases 13 at the same time. The embodiment shown as an example for the pendulum dispenser variant 3 using FIG. 10 also applies to the translational dispenser variant 3 according to the previous figures.

Analogous to the explanations with Figures 3 to 8, the propellant powder 11 is first stored temporarily, for which purpose a translatory, in particular drawer-like, stored dosing buffer 9 with dosing recesses 15 can be moved relative to the dosing housing 5. Via the dosing recesses 15, the propellant powder 11 reaches dosing holes or dosing channels 44, to which the ammunition casings 13 are assigned, which in turn are held in position by the workpiece carriers 49.

In any case, the loading system 100 according to FIG. 12 comprises the following production stations: a sleeve insertion station 111, which is set up to introduce sleeves 119 into the conveyor device 113; a projectile introduction station 115, which is designed to introduce projectiles 121 into the conveyor 113; a propellant charge filling station 117, which is set up to fill sleeves 119 with propellant powder 11, 123; a case mouth expansion station; an ignition element supply station 125 for supplying ignition elements 127 and an ignition element insertion station 129 in which the ignition elements 127 are inserted into the conveyors 100; an igniter element caulking station; several quality monitoring stations 131 and quality testing stations 133 for optical and/or tactile assurance of the quality of the ammunition and a rejection station 135 for the final rejection of the finished ammunition.

The conveyor device 113 for holding the multiple ammunition parts and for transporting the multiple ammunition parts to and/or from, to and/or between the multiple production stations defines a closed circulating conveyor track 29, which has an interior space 139 enclosed by the conveyor track 137 and an outer space delimited therefrom 141 limited. According to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, the conveyor track 137 is constructed from two parallel linear sections 143, which are connected by curve sections 145 to form a racetrack-shaped conveyor track to build. The production stations 11, 13, 15, 59, 59, 25 are arranged laterally to the conveyor track 137 in the interior 139 (FIG. 12) or in the outer space 141 of the conveyor track 137.

Figure 12 shows a system arrangement, with the ammunition components being introduced into system 1 from outside. Alternatively, the ammunition components can be brought out of the interior 139 into the conveying devices 100. The basic manufacturing process is the same for both system arrangements. Both system principles have the following production process: A conveyor 113 located in a buffer zone 147 is fed to the sleeve insertion station 111 via a curve section 145. This is followed by a projectile introduction station 115, in which the projectiles 121 are fed to the conveyor device 113. The entire conveyor device 113 with the projectiles 121 and sleeves 119 located thereon is then subjected to an optical inspection in a quality monitoring station 131. At the following stations, an ignition element 127 is first introduced into the system 1 via an ignition element feed station 125, in order to then be transferred with a slide 51 to an ignition element insertion station 129, and finally to be introduced into the rear of the sleeve 119. After insertion, the fired sleeves 119 are calibrated at a sleeve forming station 153 and then sealed with ring joint varnish at a fluid application station 149. The conveyor devices 100 are then guided over a second curve section 145, after which a linear section 143 follows again with several production stations. Before the sleeves 119 are filled with propellant powder 11, 123 at the propellant charge filling station 117, a quality monitoring station 131 checks whether the ignition elements 127 have been properly received in the sleeves 119. After filling, the filling level is checked, in particular tactilely, at a quality testing station 133. The actual assembly of projectile 121 and sleeve 119 takes place in two stages, first the projectile 5 is only lightly brought onto the sleeve 119 at the projectile assembly station 155 and finally pressed into the sleeve 119 in the subsequent step at the projectile assembly station 151. The thus finalized ammunition 101 is then checked at a quality monitoring station 131 and/or a quality testing station 133 and then discharged via a discharge station 135.

The features disclosed in the above description, the figures and the claims can be important both individually and in any combination for the implementation of the invention in the various embodiments. REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

1 device

3 delivery device

5 dosing housings

7 dispensers

9 dosing buffers

11,123 propellant powder

13 ammunition casing

15 dosing buffers

17 scraper wall

19, 21 support foot

23 dosing room

25 housing part

27 leadership wall

29 slot

31, 33 diaphragm wall

35, 37 end stop

39 delivery containers

41 delivery tube

43 dosing hole plate

44 guide plate

45 delivery opening

47 pressing device

49 workpiece carriers

51 rotary indexing table

53 stock

55 filling pipe

57 Silo

100 laboratory facility

111 Case insertion station

113 funding facility

115 bullet insertion station

117 Propellant charge filling station

119 sleeve

121 floors 125 Ignition element feed station

127 ignition element

129 Ignition element insertion station

131 quality monitoring stations

133 quality testing stations

135 discharge station

137 conveyor track

139 interior

141 outdoor space

143 linear section

145 curve section

147 buffer zone

149 fluid application station

151 projectile assembly station

155 Projectile introduction station a), b) Rest position a Distance e Cross-sectional dimension of the scraper wall d Diameter of the metering recess

T translational movement

P pendulum movement

R rotational movement

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Device (1) for the automated filling of at least two ammunition casings (13, 119) with propellant powder (11) for an automated production line for ammunition, comprising a dosing housing (5) to which the at least two ammunition casings (13, 119) can be docked in this way in that the at least two ammunition casings (13, 119) are arranged along a path, and a dispensing device (3) which is arranged along an image of the path of ammunition casings (13, 119) for dispensing propellant powder (11) into the metering housing (5). is movable, marked by a guide for guiding the dispensing device (3) along the image of the path of ammunition casings (13, 119).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide is shaped according to the image of the path of ammunition casings (13, 119) and / or is set up to prevent the movement of the dispensing device (3) from the image of the To limit, in particular to prevent, the path of ammunition casings (13, 119).

3. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide is designed in the manner of a link control, in particular the dispensing device (3) having a dispensing tube (41) which is in a slot (29) in the dosing housing ( 5). Guide has an end stop (35, 37) for limiting the movement of the dispensing device (3) along the image of the path of ammunition casings (13, 119).

4. Device (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for the automated filling of at least two ammunition cases (13, 119) with propellant powder (11) for an automated production line for ammunition a dispensing device (3) with a dispensing opening (45) through which propellant powder (11) can be dispensed, and a dosing device (7) for temporarily storing the propellant powder (11) dispensed by the dispensing device (3) and for passing it on to the ammunition cases (13, 119), characterized in that when dispensing the propellant powder (11), the dispensing opening (45) and the metering device (7) can be arranged at a distance (a) from one another in such a way that, taking advantage of the self-locking between the particles of the propellant powder (11). predetermined delivery amount of propellant powder (11) can be adjusted. Device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the distance between the dispensing opening and the metering device (7) is less than 15 mm and at least 0.1 mm and/or in the range of 0.05 to 7.5 times a grain size of the propellant powder amounts. Device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, further characterized by a metering housing (5) to which the at least two ammunition cases (13, 119) can be docked in such a way that the at least two ammunition cases (13, 119) are arranged along a path, wherein the dispensing device (3) can be moved along an image of the path of ammunition casings (13, 119) and, in a rest position before and/or after a movement process along the image of the path, occupies the particular vertical distance from the metering device (7), in particular in In the rest position, the particles of the propellant charge powder (11) block each other, so that flow out of the dispensing device (3) is prevented. Device (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for the automated filling of at least two ammunition casings (13, 119) with propellant powder (11) for an automated production line for ammunition, comprising a movably mounted dosing buffer (9) with dosing recesses (15), in in which the propellant charge powder (11) can be temporarily stored, a scraper wall (17) which is arranged in relation to the dosing buffer (9) in such a way that when the metering buffer (9) is moved relative to the scraper wall (17), excess propellant powder (11) can be scraped off , characterized in that a cross-sectional dimension (e) of the wiper wall (17) in the direction of movement of the dosing buffer (9) is smaller than the diameter (d) of the dosing recesses (15). Device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the cross-sectional dimension (e) of the wiper wall (17) in the direction of movement of the dosing buffer (9) is at least 20% smaller than the diameter (d) of the dosing recesses (15). Device (1) according to claim 7 or 8, further characterized by a metering housing (5) having the stripper wall (17), to which the at least two ammunition cases (13, 119) can be docked in such a way that the at least two ammunition cases (13, 119) are arranged along a path, the dispensing device (3) being movable along an image of the path of ammunition casings (13, 119) and the direction of movement of the dosing buffer (9) being oriented transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the path of movement of the dispensing device (3). Device (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for the automated filling of at least two ammunition cases (13, 119) with propellant powder (11) for an automated production line for ammunition, comprising a dosing housing (5) to which the at least two ammunition cases (13 , 119) can be docked in such a way that the at least two ammunition casings (13, 119) are arranged along a path, and a dispensing device (3) which is arranged along an image of the path of ammunition casings (13, 119) for dispensing propellant powder (11). can be moved into the dosing housing (5), characterized in that the dispensing device (3) is pivotally mounted to carry out a pendulum movement. Device (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that a pendulum angle of the dispensing device (3) is less than 90° and in particular at least 45 ^° . Device (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that a speed profile of the pendulum movement depends on the pendulum angle, the fill level of propellant powder (11), the ammunition case volume and / or a parameter such as density, flowability, particle diameter and / or surface quality, of the propellant charge powder (11) is regulated. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized by sensors for detecting the fill level of propellant powder (11) and/or the ammunition casing volume and/or a particularly controllable drive assigned to the dispensing device (3). Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dispensing device (3) is designed to carry out a continuous back and forth movement, in particular along the image of the path of ammunition casings (13, 119), in particular a cycle of movement of the dispensing device ( 3) is coordinated with the timing of the automated production line. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized by a dosing buffer (9) which is movably mounted in particular relative to the dosing housing (5) and has dosing recesses (15) in which the propellant powder (11) can be temporarily stored and whose storage volume is adjustable. Device (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9 or 15, characterized in that the metering recesses (15) have an inner cross section that tapers at least in sections, in particular in a funnel-like manner. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) is set up to fill the at least two ammunition casings (13, 119) essentially simultaneously and/or in one work step, in particular the device (1 ) is also designed to fill the at least two ammunition cases (13, 119) in less than 5 s, in particular less than 4 s or less than 3 s. System for the automated production of ammunition, which consists of several ammunition parts, in particular a sleeve (13, 119), an ignition element (127), a projectile (121) and a propellant charge, comprising a device (1) designed according to one of the preceding claims. .