EP0017591B1 - Fighting vehicle with an automatically fed gun - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Fighting vehicle comprising a superstructure (1) within which is located a fixed magazine (12) for storing ammunition, a gun (5) mounted to swivel about a horizontal axis on the superstructure (1), at the rear of which is mounted to articulate an oscillating block (6) containing a spare ammunition magazine (7) and capable of moving so as to come up against the superstructure (1) in a reloading position in which the movable magazine (7) positions itself in the extension of the fixed magazine (12) so as to allow the transfer of a fresh reserve of ammunition, characterized in that the oscillating block (6) is associated with a mechanism for rotational displacement, making it possible to direct it independently of the gun (5) so as to bring the movable magazine (7) into the re-loading position on the fixed magazine (12) whilst the gun (5) remains in the firing position.

Description

The invention relates to an automatically fed cannon combat vehicle, the barrel of which is orientable around a vertical axis and around a horizontal axis and connected at its rear to a mobile ammunition magazine, rechargeable during combat, closed by sheets and called oscillating mass.

In such vehicles, for example tanks, the mobile ammunition magazine arranged in the oscillating mass contains a relatively small number of projectiles, for example five projectiles placed inside the magazine in the housings of a mechanism for handling of the projectiles which makes it possible to bring them successively to the barrel loading position.

When the magazine linked to the oscillating mass or mobile magazine is empty, it is necessary to reload it by removing ammunition from the magazine located inside the tank, or fixed magazine, containing a much greater number of munitions .

This stationary magazine contains an ammunition handling device in the housings of which the projectiles are arranged for their delivery one by one at the exit of the store, when the handling device is moved step by step.

To carry out this reloading it is necessary to move the tank away from the combat zone and to carry out this maneuver in a calm place, since this maneuver supposes that the personnel of the tank operates the reloading from the outside by taking the projectiles at the exit of the stationary magazine and by refilling with these projectiles the mobile magazine.

The disadvantage is obviously to make the tank unavailable for a more or less long time.

In patent application FR-A-2,301,798, the barrel and the oscillating mass which carries an auxiliary magazine tilt around the orientation axis in elevation to a substantially vertical reloading position for which the entry of the auxiliary store is located in the extension of vertical corridors in which the ammunition coming from the hold is hoisted by winches before entering the auxiliary store. Such a device, intended for a large fixed turret, is not applicable to a battle tank.

On the other hand, the patent application, FR-A-2,288,292 relates to a combat tank in which the oscillating mass linked to the barrel carries an auxiliary magazine. The assembly can move vertically between a lowered position for which the barrel is fixed to the chassis and a raised position which allows pointing in elevation. In the lowered position, the mobile magazine is applied against a reserve of ammunition secured to the chassis, which allows, in this position, the reloading of the mobile magazine.

Furthermore, the two parts of the magazine connected respectively to the barrel and to the chassis of the vehicle can be articulated on hinges with horizontal axes which allows them to be folded upwards to avoid hitting an obstacle when the tank goes in reverse. .

Such a device, which requires the complete lowering of the barrel and of the oscillating mass against the chassis of the tank in the reloading position has the disadvantage of making it clear to the enemy that the tank is replenishing its auxiliary magazine and is therefore vulnerable.

The invention overcomes this drawback thanks to another arrangement which makes it possible to reload the mobile magazine while leaving the barrel in the firing position, so as not to attract attention.

According to the invention, the oscillating mass, mounted articulated on the rear part of the barrel, is associated with a rotation displacement mechanism allowing it to be oriented independently of the barrel to bring the mobile magazine into the reloading position on the fixed magazine then the barrel remains in the firing position.

On the other hand, it may be necessary to have several kinds of projectiles depending on the type of element opposed by the opponent. In this case, there are generally several fixed magazines inside the tank containing projectiles of different types. However, to quickly carry out a change of projectile inside the mobile magazine, the stationary magazine is not directly accessible at the place of combat, as explained above.

In patent applications FR-A-2,301,798 and 2,288,292, the mobile magazine comprises two parts which are each related to a part of the stationary magazine and can therefore be supplied with ammunition of different types. However, we cannot intervene on this choice, each part of the mobile store can only be supplied with ammunition from the part of the fixed store which corresponds to it.

According to an essential characteristic of the invention, the mobile magazine comprises, like the fixed magazine, a handling device constituted by guide walls associated with a set of step-by-step displacement members arranged so that, in the position of reloading, the ammunition passes by meshing from the upper part of the fixed magazine to the lower part of the mobile magazine to be supported by all of the displacement members thereof.

The handling devices can transport the projectiles in one direction or the other, which allows, if necessary, to reintegrate in the fixed store ammunition already introduced in a mobile store.

In addition, the mobile magazine comprises a device for transferring each munition from an exit position from the mobile magazine to a loading position in the axis of the barrel, placed in the plane of symmetry of the mobile magazine and able to oscillate from side to side. other of it for the transfer to the loading position of ammunition from one or other of the parts of the mobile magazine and for the transfer of ammunition from one part to another of the mobile magazine.

In this way, it is possible to fill all of the two parts of the mobile magazine with ammunition of a single type coming from one of the stationary magazines, by passing these munitions through the loading position.

• La figure 1 représente une vue en élévation avec coupe partielle du char d'assaut, le canon étant en position de tir.
• La figure 2 représente une coupe suivant A-A de la figurel, montrant les deux magasins fixes disposés à l'intérieur du char et le magasin mobile en position de rechargement sur les magasins fixes.
• La figure 3 représente une vue agrandie de la partie supérieure des magasins fixes et du magasin mobile dans une coupe analogue à la coupe A-A.

In order to clearly understand the invention, an embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of nonlimiting example in the case where the armored vehicle is a tank equipped with a 120 mm cannon placed superstructure on the tank.

• Figure 1 shows an elevational view with partial section of the tank, the gun being in the firing position.
• FIG. 2 represents a section along AA of the figurel, showing the two fixed magazines arranged inside the tank and the mobile magazine in the reloading position on the fixed magazines.
• FIG. 3 represents an enlarged view of the upper part of the fixed stores and of the mobile store in a section similar to section AA.

The tank represented in FIG. 1 comprises a superstructure 1, a track 2 for its movement on the ground 3 and a barrel 4 mounted on the superstructure 1.

The barrel 4 is mounted orientable in elevation and in deposit on the superstructure of the tank by means of a hinge 5 and comprises at its rear part an oscillating mass 6 inside which is disposed the reserve of ammunition 7 which comes to be in position loading for their introduction into firing position 9 at the entrance to the barrel.

The oscillating mass 6 is constituted by a container made of shielding sheet visible in section in FIG. 2.

The interior of the oscillating mass constitutes the mobile magazine where the projectiles (here five in number) occupy at a given moment the positions 7a, 7b, 7d and 7e.

The oscillating mass is not entirely rigid with respect to the gun and it can be brought into the loading position, while the gun remains practically in the firing position, so that the enemy cannot realize that the tank is in replenishment position which prohibits any offensive action. For this, one can imagine a mobile magazine arranged inside an oscillating mass mounted articulated on the rear part of the barrel and associated with a rotary movement mechanism to bring it into the loading position, the barrel remaining stationary or making a reduced displacement in rotation.

The structure of the store and its handling device will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

The lower part of the mobile magazine is closed by removable sheets having circular arc sections 10a and 10b shown in section in Figures 2 and 3.

When the oscillating mass linked to the barrel 4 is in the position shown in FIG. 1 where the barrel is in firing position, the two closing plates 10a and 10b are folded down so that the movable magazine is completely closed downwards. The oscillating weight is then perfectly sealed.

On the contrary, when the mobile magazine is in the reloading position on the fixed magazines 12a and 12b as shown in FIG. 2, the sheets 10a and 10b are raised inside the box to leave the base of the mobile magazine open.

Similarly, the stationary magazines 12a and 12b arranged inside the tank have at their upper part two closing plates with profiles in an arc of a circle 14a and 14b which can be raised in the closed position as visible in FIG. 1 or on the contrary. lowered to the open position as shown in Figure 2.

Each of the stationary magazines comprises an ammunition handling device which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3, in the housings of which ammunition 15 of a first type is disposed with regard to magazine 12a and ammunition 16 of a second type with regard to the store 12b.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the fixed magazine and the mobile magazine inside which the projectiles circulate between various storage positions and the loading position in the mobile magazine.

In FIG. 3, the mobile magazine has been shown in the loading position above the fixed magazines, while the closing plates of both the fixed magazines and the mobile magazine are in the open position.

The fixed stores have, in addition to their closing plates, shielding sheets 20, 21 and 22 which form the enclosure of these stores and which constitute a part of the superstructure of the tank.

Inside the enclosure of these stores are arranged guide walls of the ammunition 24 and 25 of curved shape along the path of the ammunition inside the store and constituting the fixed part of the ammunition handling device.

Inside the corridors formed by these curved walls 24 and 25 the ammunition 15 (or 16) are driven in a movement of movement step by step by sets of Maltese crosses 26 and 27 (for the store 12a) made integral with 'axes of rotation 30 and 31 which make it possible to carry out rotational movements step by step at Maltese crosses whose branches have a curvature matching the curvature of the lateral surface of the ammunition.

In FIG. 3, the profile has only been shown of a Maltese cross, but in reality the different Maltese crosses aligned on the axes 30 and 31 have different profiles since the projectiles are not entirely of cylindrical shape but include conical and ogival parts.

The two sets of Maltese crosses 26 and 27 are arranged relative to each other by axes 30 and 31 so that when a projectile is in position 15b, it is taken up by both two sets of Maltese crosses so that the next rotation of these two Maltese crosses by a quarter turn can bring the projectile into position 15c where it is fully supported by the set of Maltese crosses 27.

It is therefore understood that the progression of the projectiles thanks to the handling devices constituted by the sets of Maltese crosses and the corridors is carried out step by step at each of the synchronized rotations of the sets of Maltese crosses by a quarter of a turn.

In this way the projectile 1 5a comes to take the position of the projectile 1 5b which itself takes the position of the projectile 1 5c.

The mobile magazine consists of two parts which are each located above one of the magazines 12a and 12b and each of these parts is entirely symmetrical with respect to the plane of separation of the two magazines 12a and 12b.

Inside the oscillating mass, the mobile magazine comprises a handling device constituted by a set of Maltese crosses 35 secured to an axis 37 which can be rotated to drive all of the Maltese crosses in a rotation step by step, each step having an amplitude of a quarter turn.

The other part of the fully symmetrical store also includes a set of Maltese crosses which can be driven in a rotational movement in synchronism or independently of the rotational movement of the Maltese crosses in the first part of the store.

The mobile magazine also includes in each of these symmetrical parts two guides constituted by curved walls in an arc. One of these walls 38 constitutes the external guide and the other wall 40 constitutes the internal guide of the projectiles.

When the mobile magazine inside the oscillating mass is placed above the fixed magazines as shown in FIG. 3, the sets of Maltese crosses 35 (and their symmetrical ones) are arranged relative to the sets of Maltese crosses 27 arranged in the upper part of the fixed magazines, so that the projectile passes from position 15c to the upper part of the fixed magazine in position 7e to the lower part of the mobile magazine where it is fully supported by all of the crosses from Malta 35 from the mobile store. The projectile is then entirely inside the mobile magazine.

The Maltese crosses of the sets 27 and 35 are arranged on the axes 31 and 37 respectively so that the Maltese crosses are not placed one opposite the other so that the two sets can carry out a meshing transport of the projectile.

The projectiles progress in the mobile magazine step by step, when the Maltese cross assembly 35 performs successive quarter-turn rotations, until the projectile arrives in position 7f where it comes into contact with a support tilting constituted by a set of elementary supports 41 mounted on an axis 42 which can oscillate by 45 ° on either side of the plane of symmetry of the mobile magazine.

The 45 ° tilting of the supports 41 between their position shown in FIG. 3 and the vertical position makes it possible to bring the projectile from position 7f to position 7c, or loading position, in which the projectile can be pushed into the direction of the axis of the barrel 43 perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3.

In the same way by a rotation on the other side of the plane of symmetry, the tilting device 41 can bring a projectile from the second part of the mobile magazine into the loading position 7c.

A tilting guide 45 is also fixed to a tilting axis 46 rotatably mounted in the outer guide 38.

This tilting guide 45 can be brought into position 45a or into position 45b, position 45a allowing the supply of the projectile in position 7f and position 45b of the tilting guide, supplying in position 7c of the projectile which was previously in position 7f.

The other symmetrical part of the mobile magazine obviously has the same oscillating guide for similar movements in the second part of the magazine.

Handling devices, both fixed magazines and mobile magazines are capable of transporting projectiles in one direction or the other, the Maltese cross devices being mounted on axes which can be turned step by step. quarter turn one way or the other.

In this way we can imagine any type of maneuver allowing the loading of any projectile into the barrel or the re integration in ammunition stores already introduced in mobile stores in case one wishes to change the type of ammunition.

It is also possible to fill all of the two parts of the mobile magazine with ammunition of a single type coming from one of the stationary magazines by passing this ammunition coming from one of the parts of the mobile magazine through the position of loading and tilting the devices 41 to bring them into the second part of the mobile store.

At the end of the mobile magazine reloading operation, the rotation of the barrel down allows the mobile magazine to be raised. Simply fold the closure plates 10a and 10b to ensure protection.

The closing plates of the fixed magazines 14a and 14b are also closed and the tank is again in the combat position with its mobile magazine inside the oscillating mass fully stocked with ammunition.

However, the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described, on the contrary it includes all the variants thereof and one can imagine modifications of details without departing from the scope of the invention.

This is how it is possible to imagine handling devices different from the Maltese cross devices and guide walls which have just been described and in particular any step-by-step handling device could be used.

We have described a device comprising two fixed magazines and a mobile magazine comprising two symmetrical parts each arranged above a fixed magazine, but it is obviously possible to envisage more complex devices comprising a greater number of fixed magazines with a magazine. mobile in several parts allowing the passage of projectiles from stationary magazines to the mobile magazine. One can also imagine a mobile store made up of several moving parts independently of each other to come into position on the upper part of the corresponding fixed stores.

We have described a transfer device arranged in the mobile magazine and constituted by support elements oscillating thanks to an axis for the transfer of ammunition from one part of the mobile magazine to the other or for putting in the loading position of these. ammunition but it is also possible to use instead of this oscillating device Maltese crosses as for transport devices, or other transfer devices of any type.

The invention applies to any armored combat vehicle comprising a cannon with which is associated a mobile magazine for projectiles and stationary magazines inside the armored vehicle.

Claims (7)

1. Fighting vehicle comprising a superstructure (1) within which is located a fixed magazine (12) for storing ammunition, a gun (5) mounted to swivel about a horizontal axis on the superstructure (1), at the rear of which is mounted to articulate an oscillating block (6) containing a spare ammunition magazine (7) and capable of moving so as to come up against the superstructure (1) in a reloading position in which the movable magazine (7) positions itself in the extension of the fixed magazine (12) so as to allow the transfer of a fresh reserve of ammunition, characterised in that the oscillating block (6) is associated with a mechanism for rotational displacement, making it possible to direct it independently of the gun (5) so as to bring the movable magazine (7) into the reloading position on the fixed magazine (12) whilst the gun (5) remains in the firing position.

2. Fighting vehicle according to Claim 1, in which the fixed magazine (14) has an ammunition handling device consisting of a channel limited by guide walls (24, 25) and associated with an assembly of members (26, 27) for controlling the step-by-step displacement of the ammunition, characterised in that the movable magazine (7) comprises a handling device consisting of guide walls (38, 40), associated with an assembly of members (32) for step-by-step displacement, and arranged in such a way that, in the reloading position, the ammunition passes as a result of engagement from the upper part of the fixed magazine (14) to the lower part of the movable magazine (7) to be taken up by the assembly of displacement members (35) of the latter.

3. Fighting vehicle according to one of Claims 1 and 2, characterised in that it contains at least two fixed magazines (12a, 12b) located on either side of a separating plane and each provided with a handling device (24, 25, 26, 27), and that the movable magazine (7) comprises two parts which are symmetrical in relation to the said separating plane and which are each located respectively above one of the fixed magazines (12a, 12).

4. Fighting vehicle according to Claim 1, characterised in that the movable magazine (7) contains a device (41) for transferring each piece of ammunition from a position (7f) of exit from the movable magazine to a loading position (7c) in the axis of the gun.

5. Fighting vehicle according to Claims 3 and 5, characterised in that the movable magazine (7) contains a single transfer device (41) which can oscillate on either side of the plane of symmetry of the movable magazine for transferring into the loading position (7c) the ammunition coming from one or other of the parts of the movable magazine and for transferring the ammunition from one part of the magazine (7) to another.

6. Fighting vehicle according to one of Claims 4 and 5, characterised in that a part (45) of the guide devices (24, 25) associated with the members (32) for displacing the handling device of the movable magazine (7) is displaceable between two positions (45a, 45b) for guiding the ammunition, on the one hand, during displacements for reloading the movable magazine (7) and, on the other hand, during displacements for putting the ammunition into the loading position (7c) in the axis of the gun.

7. Fighting vehicle according to one of Claims 5 and 6, characterised in that the movable magazine (7) comprises several parts movable independently of one another so as to come into the reloading position on the upper part of the corresponding fixed magazines (12a, 12b).

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