Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A9/00—Feeding or loading of ammunition; Magazines; Guiding means for the extracting of cartridges
  • F41A9/01—Feeding of unbelted ammunition
  • F41A9/06—Feeding of unbelted ammunition using cyclically moving conveyors, i.e. conveyors having ammunition pusher or carrier elements which are emptied or disengaged from the ammunition during the return stroke
  • F41A9/09—Movable ammunition carriers or loading trays, e.g. for feeding from magazines
  • F41A9/20—Movable ammunition carriers or loading trays, e.g. for feeding from magazines sliding, e.g. reciprocating
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
  • F41A9/00—Feeding or loading of ammunition; Magazines; Guiding means for the extracting of cartridges
  • F41A9/37—Feeding two or more kinds of ammunition to the same gun; Feeding from two sides

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and device for feeding on command the desired type of projectile from any elective compartment of a compartment magazine to an artillery gun.
• the present invention means that the projectile magazine of an artillery gun is divided into a number of groups of adjacent compartments in which the various projectiles are stowed parallel to each other and parallel to, and preferably to the side of, the gun barrel.
• the purpose of the present invention is to offer a new type of projectile magazine providing compact stowage of projectiles while also enabling projectiles of different types to be available at almost instant notice for firing.
• the device as claimed in the present invention also enables projectiles to be stowed forward of the breech opening of the artillery gun it means that one can avoid the complete gun from being excessively tail heavy.
• the present invention is namely based on the magazine being divided into a number of groups of compa ⁇ ments located after each other in which the projectiles are stowed parallel to each other and parallel to the barrel of the artillery gun.
• Future artillery will also be characterised by a significant increase in the availability of new types of special projectiles, which is why the number of types of projectile that at any point in time must be instantly available will be considerably larger than it is today. Certain coming new types of projectile may also be expected to be extremely long since extra long ranges will require extra long, slim projectiles. Future requirements will consequently include a need not only to handle many different types of projectile but also to handle projectiles of entirely different lengths.
• the result of the present invention is a device that is well suited to meeting all these requirements.
• the present invention can thus be defined as a method and device for use in artillery guns equipped with preferably fully or semi-automatic loading systems for feeding the desired projectile from a specially designed compartment magazine.
• the type of compartment magazine involved may namely consist of several groups of compartments located after each other and parallel to the barrel of the artillery gun but where one or more of the groups may very well be located forward or aft of the breech opening. The problem then is not only to always be able to feed the correct projectile from the correct compartment to the loading pendulum of the artillery gun. but also to do this in the shortest possible time and with the fewest possible number of intermediate steps.
• this is achieved by the desired projectile being retrieved from the relevant compartment via an outfeed aperture in the base of the compartment, after which the projectile is transported linearly in one plane under all the compartments by a special linear feed module operating both longitudinally and laterally forwards and/or rearwards and/or transversely until it reaches a special transfer or outfeed position where, possibly via a hoist as an intermediate stage, the projectile is transferred to the loading pendulum of the gun.
• a special linear feed module operating both longitudinally and laterally forwards and/or rearwards and/or transversely until it reaches a special transfer or outfeed position where, possibly via a hoist as an intermediate stage, the projectile is transferred to the loading pendulum of the gun.
• the latter may be of a completely conventional type.
• the linear feed module By locating the linear feed module for conveying the projectile longitudinally and laterally below the compartments in the magazine the linear feed module occupies only a limited space while also being well protected. Furthermore, the number of moving parts is also limited. If transport of the projectile between the magazine and the projectile transporter also requires projectile motion in the vertical plane, as would probably be required in most cases, this can be achieved by incorporating an articulated lift in the linear feed module for example.
• the magazine compartments in the device as claimed in the invention may, moreover, be relatively elementary as owing to the individual weight of the projectiles the compartments do not need to be equipped with any feed springs or other feed device.
• the only moving parts that are in principle necessary for each compartment are a lower retaining device level with each outfeed aperture.
• This retaining device shall enable retrieval of the projectile that is in the bottom position in the compartment, and shall enable replenishment of new projectiles one-by- one from the projectile transporter parked thereunder. It shall also ensure that during retrieval only one projectile is transferred to the projectile transporter at a time.
• the retaming device may be mechanically designed in a large number of different ways which is why in the following text it will only be defined in terms of how it shall function.
• the retaining device is re-activated as soon as the new projectile has been lifted above the retaining level. If the intention instead is to retrieve a projectile from the compartment in question the retaining device is either de-activated or retracted to the side in a similar manner as soon as the projectile transporter cradle has reached the projectile at the bottom of the compartment and has lifted it sufficiently to remove the load from the retaining device. It is then kept retracted to the side until the widest section of the projectile has passed the retaining level whereby the retaining device is re-activated to secure the next projectile.
• the projectile transporter lift shall start to lower and when it is below the lowest point of the magazine the projectile transporter can move longitudinally and/or laterally to the desired position in the form of a transfer position for the loading pendulum of the gun, or to another magazine position.
• the retaining device as such may, for example, consist of retractable flaps or catches.
• the projectile transporter must incorporate a lift function that has at least a lifting height equivalent to just over the widest diameter of a projectile and that has sufficient lifting force to lift all the projectiles in a compartment. Further, it must not occupy too much space and must be particularly robust and quick. All these requirements can be satisfied by an articulated shear-type lift.
• Figure 1 shows an exploded view of an artillery gun mounted in an armoured turret and equipped with the compartment magazine characteristic of the invention
• FIG. 2 to a larger scale shows the main features of the device as claimed in the invention.
• FIG 3 shows the basic operating principle of the linear feed module
• Figure 4 shows a cross-section through a magazine compartment of the type characteristicfor the invention in which some of the components incorporated are illustrated, and
• Figure 5 finally and to a larger scale shows a projectile transporter incorporating an articulated lift of a type proposed for inclusion in the device as claimed in the invention.
• Parts shown on more than one figure have the same designation irrespective of scale and projection.
• the artillery gun designated 1 in the figures whose barrel 2 is only partially visible has a breech opening 3.
• the mounting and components for elevation of the gun 1 have been excluded from the figures.
• the artillery gun 1 is mounted in an armoured turret 4 whose external contours are indicated by broken lines.
• the left side of the armoured turret 4 has been left empty, but in reality it would house a completely automatic system for the retrieval and feeding of propellant charges. As this has nothing to do with the present invention it has been excluded.
• the projectile magazine is housed in the right side of the turret 4.
• the magazine comprises ten compartments of various height depending on the shape of the turret.
• the ten compartments are arranged in three groups 5-7 each containing three, three and four compartments respectively (from front to rear) and with the barrel 2 of the artillery gun 1 parallel to the compartments.
• the rearmost of these groups 7 has been provided with JSujjr_cjpmpartments while both the other two groups 5 and 6 must allow space for the mounting of the gun and its loading pendulum and consequently these have only been provided with three compartments each.
• Figures 1 and 4 show all the compartments in group 7 filled with projectiles while Figure 2 shows five projectiles in compartment 8 while the other compartments 9, 10 and 11 are empty.
• compartment groups 5 and 6 have been excluded from Figure 2 to enable the main parts of the linear feed module underneath the magazine to become visible.
• the linear feed module is best illustrated in Figure 3, while its location beneath all the magazine compartments is best illustrated in Figure 4.
• the linear feed module comprises two longitudinal feed guides 12 and 13 located under the compartment magazine and arranged in parallel with the barrel of the artillery gun.
• the area between the longitudinal feed guides covers the entire area under the compartment magazine plus a little more.
• the projectile transporter 14 is mechanically drivable along longitudinal feed guides 12 and 13.
• the main constituents of the projectile transporter 14 are two parallel linear lateral feed brackets 16 and 17 that are drivable along longitudinal feed guides 12 and 13 in the two directions indicated by the double-ended arrow 33.
• Linear lateral feed brackets 16 and 17 are interconnected by two tubular lateral feed shafts 18 and 19 along which the actual projectile cradle 20 is drivable, i.e. always lateral to the longitudinal feed guides 12 and 13.
• a projectile 21 is already located in the projectile cradle 20.
• There is an electric lateral feed motor 22 which via a first drive belt 23, an integral mitre gear 24, and a second drive belt 25 drives the projectile cradle 20 along lateral feed shafts 18 and 19 in the two directions indicated by the double-ended arrow 26.
• the projectile cradle 20 can thus assume any position desired between longitudinal feed guides 12 and 13, i.e. it can be parked under any compartment in groups 5-7. Furthermore, it has a transfer position 31 on the inside of compartment group 6. This will now be described in more detail with reference to Figure 4.
• the complete chain of functions for the device as claimed in the invention is that one selects the compartment from which a projectile shall be retrieved, after which the projectile transporter 14 is driven along longitudinal feed guides 12 and 13 and lateral feed shafts 18 and 19 by feed motors 15 and 22 respectively until it is positioned directly under the relevant compartment after which the lowermost projectile in the compartment is retrieved in the manner previously described.
• the projectile is transported to the breech opening 3 by, for example, flick-ramming.
• the projectile transporter 20 has deposited a projectile it moves to the next retrieval position.
• Replenishment of the various compartments with new projectiles is preferably via a special replenishment/emptying hatch through which there is direct access from outside with the numerous stop positions of the projectile transporter. It is possible to make a direct connection between the projectile transporter and the projectile resupply boom of the dedicated resupply vehicle.
• Figure 4 shows section IN-IV mainly through compartment group 6 in Figure 1.
• longitudinal feed guides 12 and 13 have been excluded from Figure 1 where the projectile transporter is only indicated, reference is also made to the section marking in Figure 2.
• compartment group 6 is illustrated with its three compartments 27, 28 and 29 containing as shown four, four and three projectiles respectively. At the lowest section of each compartment there are two mobile, command-controlled catches 30 located opposite each other. Their purpose is to retain the projectiles in their respective compartments.
• the projectile transporter 14 With its two lateral feed shafts 18 and 19, and the projectile cradle 20 are also visible in the figure. All the projectiles in the magazine are designated 34, while the projectile on the projectile transporter 14 is designated 21 just as it is in Figures 1 and 2.
• the projectile cradle 20 comprises an upper transfer tray 35 and a lower carrier beam 36. These two parts are in turn interconnected by an articulated lift 37 comprising two pairs of intersecting lift arms and a linear actuator — not illustrated — built onto beam 36.
• the linear actuator may consist of a hydraulic piston, a nut and bolt, and an electric motor or other known mechanical device that when required propels the lower ends of the lift arms towards or away from each other to raise or lower the transfer tray 35.
• the projectile transporter 14 is parked below compartment 27.
• the intention is to add the projectile 21 to the magazine.
• the articulated lift 37 has started to lift the projectile 21 into compartment 27.
• catches 30 are released from their load they retract to the position shown in the figure where they remain until projectile 21 is completely inside the compartment. Then they return to their retaining position after which the articulated lift 37 lowers transfer tray 35 which can then pass between the catches of which there are four in reality per compartment.
• the transfer tray is raised until the lowermost projectile is lifted free from the catches 30 which then open for precisely the time required for the widest section of the projectile to pass after which they close to retain the remaining projectiles in the compartment. Thereafter the retrieved projectile is transferred to the position on the left indicated by broken lines where there is a hoist 39 consisting of the actual hoist drive unit 40 that may consist of worm drives, rigid link chains or equivalent. There are two hoist arms 41 (and 42) located on the hoist drive unit, of which only 41 is visible in the figure, that can be actuated through an arc as indicated by arrow 43.
• the retrieved projectile In its lower leftmost position indicated by broken lines in the figure the retrieved projectile is located immediately above the hoist arms (41, 42) and when the hoist drive unit 40 is actuated the said hoist arms hoist the projectile to the uppermost position of the hoist where the tipping function indicated by arrow 43 tips the projectile into the loading pendulum 32 of the gun.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20404821

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (5)

Citations (5)

• 1996
  • 1996-12-02 SE SE9604420A patent/SE507935C2/sv unknown
• 1997
  • 1997-12-01 WO PCT/SE1997/002006 patent/WO1998025095A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1997-12-02 ZA ZA9710821A patent/ZA9710821B/xx unknown

Patent Citations (5)

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