US3242814A - Loading device for loading a magazine of a gun - Google Patents

Description

March 29, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON LOADING DEVICE FOR LOADING A MAGAZINE OF A GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1964 INVENTOR. ARENT GUS 774V CARLSSON BY MM Mb W A TTORNE J March 29, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON 3,242,814

LOADING DEVICE FOR LOADING A MAGAZINE OF A GUN Filed NOV. 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /8 IN VEN TOR.

AREA/7' GUSWW CARL S S ON A T rag/vs 7's United States Patent 3,242,814 LOADING DEVICE FOR LOADING A MAGAZINE OF A GUN Arent Gustav Carlsson, Karlskoga, Sweden, assignor to Aktieboiaget Bofors, Bofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,557 Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 19, 1963, 12,776/63 12 Claims. (CI. 89-46) The present invention relates to a device for loading a magazine for rounds of ammunition for use in a gun.

More particularly, the invention relates to a device for use in combination with a gun provided wtih a hoist including a crane boom arranged above the magazine of the gun and protruding rearward of the gun in an essentially horizontal direction. The hoisting device further includes a hoist trolley traveling forward along the boom for bringing one or more rounds contained in a supply or storage case into a position above the magazine of the gun and backward for bringing the emptied case back to the rear end of the boom, the trolley comprising a hoist with which the case, after having been brought forward along the boom, is lowered down into the magazine for depositing rounds contained therein.

When supplying rounds to the ready magazine by means of a hoist, it is essential that the rounds be deposited in a predetermined position in the magazine in the shortest possible time.

According to the invention, a rapid filling of the magazine is attained by providing a hoist which comprises a supply caseguiding device including a catch arm array comprising at least one catch arm located below the crane boom and pivotal in a vertical direction about a hinge at the forward end of the arm and forward of the magazine. The rear end of said catch arm comprises a coupling means for disengageable attachment of said end of the arm to a mating coupling means of the supply case.

In a preferred embodiment the catch arm is so arranged below the crane boom that in its rest positionthat is to say, when not in engagement with a supply caseit is held by a retaining means in a position in which it automatically engages the mating coupling means of the supply case when the case is brought forward along the crane boom carried by the hoist trolley, said retaining means being releasable by a release means arranged on the case so as to allow the catch arm to swing downward.

The catch arm or each catch arm on the case-guiding device according to the invention has a length between the hinge thereof and the coupling means for holding the case such that the case, when lowered from the crane boom by means of the trolley hoist, is brought down into the magazine to deposit the round or rounds in a correct position in the magazine.

In the preferred embodiment the case-guiding device and the case itself are provided with means for automatically interconnecting the catch arm array and the case before lowering the case and for releasing the interconnection thus obtained after the rounds are deposited in the magazine by means of the case and the emptied case is hoisted. For this purpose the case is provided with a single lifting eye for the hoist book which is arranged preferably centrally on top of the case. The top of the case also mounts runners, such as rollers, which are disposed rearward of the lifting eye in reference to the gun. The rollers extend upwardly for cooperation with a guide track located on the bottom side of the crane boom. The top side of the case, preferably near the forward edge thereof, is further provided with abutment means cooperating with the catch arm array so that upon lifting of the case by means of the hoist close to the crane boom at the rear end thereof and upon then swinging of the forward end of the case toward the track underneath the crane boom by pivoting the case about the runners, the abutment means will enter between the catch arm or catch arms of the catch arm array and protrude above the same as the case is brought forward along the boom. When the case has been moved forward so far that said abutment means occupy the position above the catch arm or catch arms, the releasable retaining means for the catch arms are released, for instance, by said abutment means also acting as release means for the retaining means. The catch arm array can now swing downward into engagement with the case. The coupling means of the catch arm array may simply comprise a hook at the rear end of each catch arm, which hook engages a pivot pin secured to the case when the pivot pin is in a position to be engageable with the hook when the catch arm array swings downward as the case is lowered. Upon further lowering of the case by means of the hoist, the case will finally enter the magazine, while being held in a correct position by the catch arm array.

When the rounds contained in the case are deposited in the magazine, the case is again hoisted tightly against the crane boom, and finally swings upward with its front end whereby the runners act as pivots, the case taking the catch arm array with it into a position in which the engagement between the coupling means of the case and the catch arm array are released. When the case is thereafter brought backward along the crane boom, the catch arm array is locked against downward movement by the retaining means acting between the catch arm array and the crane boom.

The invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of a gun equipped with an ammunition-loading device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of the loading de vice; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the crane boom and other parts of the loading device.

Broadly, FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the rear part of a gun provided with a magazine for rounds of ammunition located on the elevational system of the gun, and a crane boom located above the magazine and extending rearward of the magazine, FIG. 1 further showing supply or storage case suspended from a hoist trolley running on tracks in the crane boom. The catch arm array according to the invention is shown in a position for catching the case when the same is brought forward by means of the hoist trolley to a position above the magazine.

FIG. 2 shows in greater detail parts of the catch arm array, comprising two catch arms, in three different positions, namely, (A) in a position for catching a case brought forward along the crane boom, (B) in a position during lowering of the case by means of the hoist, and (C) in a position after the case has again been hoisted and before the catch arm array returns into position A as the case is brought backward along the boom.

FIG. 3 shows details of the crane boom and the device according to the invention while a supply case, here schematically illustrated as a box, is lowered by means of the hoist.

Referring now in greater detail to the figures, the illustrated gun comprises a mobile carriage 1 movable by means of track chains 2 and chain wheels 3. The carriage carries the elevational system of the gun, which is pivotally suspended in conventional horizontal pivot bearings and is pivotal about the elevational axis of the gun, indicated at 5. The elevational system comprises the gun barrel 4, an ammunition magazine 6, and further, conventional means (not illustrated) for operating the gun and arranged within an enclosure 7 and in connection with the magazine 6.

The hoisting device for conveying rounds from rearward of the gun to the magazine thereof is arranged above magazine 6 and enclosure 7. It comprises a crane boom 8, a trolley hoist 9 for lifting a case 10 including rounds 11 by means of a hoist rope 13 attached to a lifting eye 12, arranged on top of the case, and for moving the case to the magazine 6 for loading the magazine. This loading is to be effected with the elevational system elevated to a predetermined elevational angle, for instance, 35 to 40. For this purpose the crane boom 8 extends a distance behind the magazine 6, which in FIG. 1 is shown in its position for loading. The crane boom is mounted on the gun by means of a front support 15, located at the forward end 14 of the boom, and a rear support, constituted by two bars 16 straddling the magazine 6 and attached to the crane boom 8 and the elevating system by means of joints 17 and 18, respectively.

The catch arm array according to the invention comprises two mutually parallel catch arms 20 and is arranged below the crane boom 3 adjacent the forward end 14 thereof and pivotal about an axis 21 in a hinge 22, which is attached to the boom. The catch arms extend backward sufficiently to guide the case 10 into the proper position in relation to the magazine 6 when the case, after having been brought into engagement with the catch arm array, is lowered by means of the hoist 9.

The catch arms each include at their rear ends a coupling member comprising a hook 23, and the case 10 is provided with mating coupling members, shown as pivot pins 24. A releasable retaining means 25 for holding the catch arms in a position (position A of FIG. '2) relative to the crane boom, in which position the pivot pins 24 are automatically engageable with the hooks of the catch arms, is arranged adjacent the rear end of each or one of the catch arms. The retaining means is released when the case is brought forward along the boom, leaving the catch arms free to swing downward toward the magazine, together with the case, as the same is lowered by means of the hoist.

The retaining means 25, which is shown more in detail in FIG. 2, comprises a bell crank lever 27 carried by a pivot pin 26 on catch arms 20, said lever 27 including an arm 27b terminating in a nose 27a, and an actuating arm 27c. The actuating arm extends backwards and is located above the top surface of catch arms 20 and positioned for coaction with a release means 28 on the upper side of the case in front of the pivot pins 24 when the case is moved forward along the boom. The lever 27 coacts with a lug or nose 29 on the boom 8, the nose 27a being forced by a spring 30 into engagement with lug 29 in the position of catch arms 20 indicated by A, in which the catch arms occupy a position for engaging a case 10 brought forward along the boom.

When the case, after having been lifted up against the crane boom sufficiently to engage from below a rail 32 of the boom with rollers 31 or other abutment means arranged on the case behind the lifting eye 12, is moved forward along the boom, the release means 28, which in this position is located immediately below the rail 32, will protrude between and above the catch arms 20, which are held in the position A of FIG. 2, and move toward and into engagement with arm 270 of the lever 27, thereby lifting the actuating arm and thus releasing the engagement of the retaining means. When now the case is lowered by means of the hoist, the catch arms are swung downward due to the action of the release means 28, which also act as gripping means cooperating with the upper side of the catch arms, as can best be seen in FIG. 3. As a result, the hooks 23 engage the pivot pins 24 of the case, which are located relative to the release means 28 so as to be in positions for being engaged by the hooks 23 when the retaining means is released by the forward movement of the case, whereupon the catch arms swing downwardly druing the first part of the lowering of the Case.

The upper side of each catch arm is provided with a nose 33 against which the release means 28 is forced as soon as the nose 27a on arm 27b is disengaged from the lug 29 as the case is lowered, thus providing for a further hold of the case relative to the catch arms. When the case is further lowered by means of the hoist, as illustrated at B in FIG. 2, the case is guided into a discharge position relative to the magazine, held therein by the hooks 23 and pressed against the nose 33 by the arm 270.

After the rounds are released from the case and are deposited in the magazine, the case is again lifted by means of the hoist and guided by the catch arms upward toward the crane boom until the rollers 31 finally abut from below against rail 32. The case, when further lifted by the hoist, now swings about its rollers 31, whereby the coupling between the hooks 23 of the catch arms and the pivot pins 24 on the case is disengaged and the catch arms are simultaneously swung upward into the position indicated by C in FIG. 2. In this position of the catch arms, the arm 270 is actuated by the lug 29, so that arm 270 is lifted against the action of the spring 30, thereby freeing the release means 28 from its position between arm 27c and nose 33, whereafter the case is moved backward along the crane boom by means of the hoist trolley.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention, it will be undersood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for loading rounds of ammunition into a magazine mounted on a gun, said loading device comprising, in combination, a case for a supply of rounds, a crane boom mounted on the gun above the magazine thereof and extending rearwardly of the gun, a trolley supported by said boom for travel along the length thereof in either direction, a hoisting means suspended from said trolley for movement in unison with the same and connectible to said round supply case for moving the same by means of said trolley between a forward position substantially above the magazine and a rearward position at the rear end of the boom and for lowering and lifting the case in reference to the magazine, and guide means for said supply case, said guide means comprising a catch arm, pivot means mounted forward of said magazine in reference to the rear end of the boom and supporting one end of said arm for pivoting the same in a substantially perpendicular plane, and releasable coupling means including a coupling member on the other end of said arm and a second coupling member on said supply case for moving said supply case into a discharge position in reference to said magazine by moving the case into a position in which said coupling members are in engagement and pivoting said arm in said substantially perpendicular plane.

2. A loading device according to claim 1, wherein said arm is mounted on said boom extending below the same.

3. A loading device according to claim 1 and comprising releasable retaining means on said arm, said retaining means being engageable with said boom for retaining the arm in a position relative to the boom in which the coupling member on the arm is engageable with the coupling member on the case when the latter is moved along the boom into a coupling position relative to the arm, and release means engageable with said retaining means for releasing the same.

4. A loading device according to claim 3, wherein said retaining means comprise a latch member pivotally mounted on said arm for movement between a latching position in which the arm is latched to the boom and a release position in which the arm is released from the boom, and an actuating member operable by the release means and coacting with said latch member for moving the same from its latching position into its release position, and wherein said release means comprises a release member protruding from the case for engagement with said actuating member to operate the latter when the case is lifted close to the boom and moved along the boom into a position engaging the actuating member.

5. A loading device according to claim 4, wherein a bell crank lever is pivotally mounted on said arm, one arm of said lever constituting said latch member and the other arm said actuating member, and wherein said release member comprises an arm extending upwardly from the top of the case for engagement with said actuating lever arm to pivot the lever into a position in which the latch arm of the lever is released from the boom.

6. A loading device according to claim and comprising spring means urging said latch arm of the lever into engagement with the boom and said release arm into engagement with said catch arm for releasably locking the case to the catch arm.

7. A loading device according to claim 6 and comprising a protrusion on said catch arm, said spring means urging said release arm against said protrusion.

8. A loading device according to claim 3 and comprising a case suspension member for releasably attaching the case to said hoisting means, said suspension member being secured to the top of the case substantially at the center thereof, said release means being mounted on the top of the case forwardly of said suspension member in reference to said magazine.

9. A loading device according to claim 3 and comprising a case suspension member for releasably attaching the case to the hoisting means, said suspension member being secured to the top of the case substantially at the center thereof, said release means being mounted on the top of the case forwardly of said suspension member in reference to said magazine, and a guide member mounted on the top of the case rearwardly of said suspension member, said guide member being engageable with said boom when the case is lifted close to the boom for guiding the case along the boom.

10. A loading device according to claim 9 and comprising a guide rail mounted on the bottom side of the boom, said guide rail being engageable with said guide member for guiding the latter.

11. A loading device according to claim 10, wherein said guide member is in the form of a roller.

12. A loading device according to claim 1 and comprising a guide rail extending along the bottom surface of the boom, a retaining means on said arm coacting with the boom for holding said arm substantially parallel to said guide rail, release means on said case coacting with the retaining means when the case is placed in a position in which the coupling members are engageable with each other, a suspension member on the case for securing the same to the hoisting means, a first abutment member mounted on the case forward of said suspension member in reference to the rear end of the boom, said abutment member being engageable with an upper surface portion of said arm, a second abutment member mounted on said case rearward of said suspension member, said second abutment member coacting with said guide rail for pivoting said case, upon lifting the same by the hoisting means into a predetermined position of lift in reference to the boom in which said first abutment member protrudes above the coupling member of the arm for engaging the upper surface of the arm, said coupling member secured to the case being disposed thereon between said first abutment member and said suspension member.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

FRED C. MATTERN, IR., Primary Examiner.

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Claims (1)

1. A DEVICE FOR LOADING ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION INTO A MAGAZINE MOUNTED ON A GUN, SAID LOADING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CASE FOR A SUPPLY OF ROUNDS, A CRANE BOOM MOUNTED ON THE GUN ABOVE THE MAGAZINE THEREOF AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY OF THE GUN, A TROLLEY SUPPORTED BY SAID BOOM FOR TRAVEL ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF IN EITHER DIRECTION, A HOISTING MEANS SUSPENDED FROM SAID TROLLEY FOR MOVEMENT IN UNISON WITH THE SAME AND CONNECTIBLE TO SAID ROUND SUPPLY CASE FOR MOVING THE SAME BY MEANS OF SAID TROLLEY BETWEEN A FORWARD POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE MAGAZINE AND A REARWARD POSITION AT THE REAR END OF THE BOOM AND FOR LOWERING AND LIFTING THE CASE IN REFERENCE TO THE MAGAZINE, AND GUIDE MEANS FOR SAID SUPPLY CASE, SAID GUIDE MEANS COMPRISING A CATCH ARM, PIVOT MEANS MOUNTED FORWARD OF SAID MAGAZINE IN REFERENCE TO THE REAR END OF THE BOOM AND SUPPORTING ONE END OF SAID ARM FOR PIVOTING THE SAME IN A SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANE, AND RELEASABALE COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING A COUPLING MEMBER ON THE OTHER END OF SAID ARM AND A SECOND COUPLING MEMBER ON SAID SUPPLY CASE FOR MOVING SAID SUPPLY CASE INTO A DISCHARGE POSITION IN REFERENCE TO SAID MAGAZINE BY MOVING THE CASE INTO A POSITION IN WHICH SAID COUPLING MEMBERS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT AND PIVOTING SAID ARM IN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANE.

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