EP0890817A1 - Loading system for a mortar - Google Patents

Abstract

The system for loading a mortar which requires loading through the barrel (T) includes a transfer device (D) mounted on the barrel. This transfers the munitions (M) from the lower part of the mortar, up to the mouth of the barrel. The system includes a magazine (B) and a drive mechanism which is intended to rotate the magazine, and by use of a latch transfer the munitions into position in the barrel. The drive mechanism comprises a support which is movable to translate parallel to the tube, with a latch mechanism movable between two positions, holding and locking the munition in position. The magazine comprises a cylindrical barrel which is rotated by a motor.

Description

The present invention relates to mortars and more specifically their loading.

It is known to load mortars with loading by the mouth, to have transfer means integral with the mortar tube, which, when ammunition is placed in a place provided for this effect, transfer it to the top of the tube then, after placing it in the extension of the tube, introduce it into the mouth of the tube.

This way of operating improves loading, both in which concerns the ease that the speed of operations, compared to classic manual loading. Nevertheless the installation of the ammunition is delicate and slows down the rate of fire.

The object of the present invention is to avoid or, at the very least, to reduce this drawback.

This is achieved by providing the mortar, in addition to the means of transfer indicated above, from an ammunition store directly mounted on the mortar and capable of supplying one by one ammunition to the means transfer.

According to the invention, a system such as described, in particular, in claim 1 of this document.

• la figure 1, un mortier selon l'art connu,
• la figure 2, un schéma montrant des étapes successives du processus de chargement avec un mortier comme celui de la figure 1,
• la figure 3, une vue partielle schématique, relative au mortier selon la figure 1,
• les figures 4 et 6, des mortiers selon l'invention,
• les figures 5, 8, 9, des vues partielles schématiques relatives au mortier selon la figure 4,
• la figure 7, une vue partielle schématique, relative au mortier selon la figure 6,
• les figures 10 et 11, des vues partielles schématiques relatives aux mortiers selon les figures 4 et 6.

The present invention will be better understood and other characteristics will appear with the aid of the description below and of the figures relating thereto which represent:

• FIG. 1, a mortar according to known art,
• FIG. 2, a diagram showing successive stages of the loading process with a mortar like that of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3, a partial schematic view, relating to the mortar according to FIG. 1,
• FIGS. 4 and 6, mortars according to the invention,
• FIGS. 5, 8, 9, schematic partial views relating to the mortar according to FIG. 4,
• FIG. 7, a partial schematic view, relating to the mortar according to FIG. 6,
• FIGS. 10 and 11, partial schematic views relating to the mortars according to FIGS. 4 and 6.

In the different figures the corresponding elements are designated by the same references.

Figure 1 shows a mortar according to known art with its base rotary, S, its tilting tube, T, and its various accessories including ammunition transfer means comprising a movable gutter, G ' on rails, R1 R2, and a device, D, with double articulated parallelogram and clamps, mounted on two slides, only one of which, H2, is visible on the figure. In Figure 1 the gutter G 'is shown in the high position.

• une première fois, en une position Ma qui est celle qu'occupe la munition au moment où elle est déposée dans la gouttière G', cette dernière étant vue en coupe,
• une deuxième fois, en une position Mb où la gouttière étant arrivée en position haute par un mouvement de translation parallèle au tube du mortier et le dispositif D à double parallélogramme articulé et pinces étant en position basse, la munition est prise entre les pinces du dispositif,
• une troisième fois, en une position Mc où le dispositif D est en position haute mais où le double parallélogramme n'a pas été actionné,
• une quatrième fois, en une position Md où le double parallélogramme a été actionné, déplaçant la munition pour la placer dans le prolongement du tube T, à proche distance de la bouche du mortier.

Figure 2 is a schematic view showing the mortar of Figure 1 stripped of its covering in sheets. In this figure an ammunition M is represented four times:

• a first time, in a position Ma which is that occupied by the ammunition when it is deposited in the gutter G ', the latter being seen in section,
• a second time, in a position Mb where the gutter having arrived in the high position by a translational movement parallel to the mortar tube and the device D with double articulated parallelogram and clamps being in the low position, the ammunition is taken between the clamps of the device ,
• a third time, in a position Mc where the device D is in the high position but where the double parallelogram has not been actuated,
• a fourth time, in a position Md where the double parallelogram was actuated, moving the ammunition to place it in the extension of the tube T, close to the mouth of the mortar.

The loading process takes place with passage of the ammunition successively in positions Ma, Mb, Mc, Md then, without modify the position of the double parallelogram, device D moves back to its slide; the ammunition thus enters the mouth of the mortar and, when pressed down enough, the clamps open and the ammunition slides by itself towards the bottom of the tube T.

It should be noted that, as long as the ammunition M rests in the gutter G ', it is retained laterally by the edges of the gutter G' and prevented from sliding backwards by a stop Gb on which comes support a striped crown, protruding, Mo, suitable for ammunition used. These different elements appear on the view shown schematically in section according to Figure 3; on this view was also shown a cylinder P which drives the gutter G 'in the movement of translation parallel to the cannon which was discussed earlier.

It should be noted that the ammunition described being a rifled ammunition, intended for a striped tube, must be positioned precisely; for that the gutter G has, at the location provided for the protuberance Mo, a metallic finger which is placed between two scratches of the protuberance when ammunition is placed in the gutter.

Figure 4 shows a mortar according to the invention. It is a mortar of the type of that according to Figure 1 but equipped, in its part low, of a store for six munitions, and the store is constituted by a barrel B. This barrel is distinguished from a revolver barrel by its form, its functioning and its function. By its shape because it does not surround not, laterally, completely ammunition but lets them exceed on its periphery; this barrel presents, for this, six open housings as appears from its sectional view schematically according to Figure 5. By its functioning because, if it turns well around an axis, Be, this axis is driven by a Bm axis motor to which it is coupled by a Bt chain transmission; the engine and the chain appear in the figure 5. By its function because it is intended to deposit one by one its ammunition in a place of the mortar corresponding to the position Ma according to FIG. 2 and, then, the ammunition thus deposited deviates from the position Ma and therefore from the barrel, in an ascending movement followed by an introduction into the mouth of the mortar as described using FIG. 2; the barrel therefore does not surround the ammunition when it is fired.

It should be observed, in Figure 4, that in fact the ammunition placed in the barrel are only surrounded for more than 180 degrees, and therefore retained laterally, only over about a third of their length, thanks to growths such as Ba, Bb separated by a transverse groove Br, whose role will be explained later; it should also be noted that the cut according to Figure 5 was made at these growths.

Figure 6 shows another mortar according to the invention. This is there still a mortar of the type according to FIG. 1 but equipped, in its lower part, a store for ten ammunition, and this store is constituted by a charger C. This charger is seen in cross section schematic in Figure 7. It differs from a rifle magazine or pistol by gutters, Cg1 ... Cg10, which envelop the ammunition of the same way as the barrel housings according to Figures 4 and 5. It is also distinguished by a training of gutters from a Cm axis motor which rotates an axis, Ca, thanks to a first chain transmission, Ct1; the mechanical axis Ca is integral with a first wheel Cr1 with an axis parallel to that of a second wheel Cr2 and a second chain transmission, Ct2, stretched in support between the two wheels, drives the gutters Cg1 ... Cg10.

Figures 8 and 9 are schematic sectional views which show how, in the mortar according to FIG. 4, the transfer of ammunition, M, from barrel B to a gutter G. gutter G, from the point of view of its position in the mortar and from the point of view of its transfer function of a munition parallel to the tube of the mortar, corresponds exactly to the gutter G 'of the mortar according to the Figure 1. On the other hand, while the gutter G 'was in one piece, the gutter G is articulated; it has a part Gf integral with rails R1, R2 which correspond to the rails R1, R2 according to FIG. 1 and a part Gm coupled to the Gf part to constitute a bistable articulation capable therefore to take two stable equilibrium positions. The Gf part corresponds to a gutter deprived of one of its two lateral edges for, as it appears in figure 8, allow the arrival of the ammunition in the gutter ; the Gm part is there to compensate for the absence of a lateral edge in playing the role of a lock which, in association with the rest of the gutter, prevents lateral movement of the ammunition. The bistable joint conventionally comprises a spring Gr stretched between two points, one, at the left end of the spring, is integral with the fixed part Gf and the other of which is integral with the movable part. A tilting axis parallel to the rails R1, R2 completes this bistable articulation; it allows the Gm part to rotate around the Gf part and is located in the surface swept by the spring Gr during the passage of the articulation from a position stable to each other.

The two stable positions of the joint are respectively shown in Figures 8 and 9: waiting position for arrival of the ammunition M in FIG. 8 and, after a tilting due to the arrival of the ammunition M against the Gm part of the gutter, locking position in figure 9.

Figure 10, by comparison with Figure 3, shows modifications to the means of transfer of ammunition for adapt to operation with barrel or charger.

In Figure 10 the ammunition M is shown in a position which would be intermediate between positions Ma and Mb according to Figure 2 and which corresponds to the moment when the device D with double parallelogram just grab it on the gutter. Ammunition M is still maintained laterally in the gutter G with the lock Gf in the position of the figure 9. Now it should be noted that, in its translational movement up to get to where it is in Figure 10, the whole ammunition gutter is passed over a latch L fixed on the tube. This latch comprises a part Lm pivoting about a horizontal axis, perpendicular to the direction of translation of the munition, a stop Lb located just before the pivoting part and a spring Lr hooked, at one end, to the tube and, at the other end, to the pivoting part; the three elements Lm, Lb, Lr of the latch L are arranged so that the part Lm struck by the lower part of the lock Gm, during the translation of the munition M towards high, disappears then comes back against the stop Lb; on the other hand, when the Gutter G goes back to look for another ammunition, the part Lm cannot be erased because it is blocked by the stop Lb; however, where it is struck in the downward movement by the lock Gm, the Lm part has an inclined part which forces the lock to go up and enter the waiting position as shown in solid lines in the figure 11.

Although placed in the waiting position, the Gm lock can, when lowering movement enter the barrel until it is positioned level of the groove Br described using FIG. 4; he benefits for that of the space left free in the barrel by the ammunition which has just been translated to the top of the mortar.

And as soon as the lock placed in the waiting position reaches the level of the groove Br, as described using FIG. 4, the barrel can turn to bring new ammunition to the gutter G; Following these operations are illustrated by FIGS. 11 then 8 then 9; Note, on this subject, that in the example described the rotation of the barrel takes place, seen bottom, counter-clockwise.

Regarding Figures 8, 9 and 11 it should be noted that what is represented this is what an observer of the barrel and the gutter if the part of the barrel below the groove Br was removed and that the lock Gm was at the level of the groove; it should be noted more that, in FIG. 11, the latch L has been shown and the part of the latch GM that hits the latch was drawn in broken lines in the position where it comes into contact with the latch, i.e. in the position of locking.

The barrel is loaded with the device D with double parallelogram in a position close to that corresponding to the ammunition Mb in FIG. 2 but, of course, without ammunition in the device and with the device folded over the tube; this position of the device D to the advantage of leaving free access to the barrel. The barrel can then be loaded from above by filling all housing apart from the one where the lock is located, the latter being in waiting position as in Figure 11; to complete loading just rotate the barrel a sixth of a turn: the lock comes in contact with one of the munitions as in figure 9 and leaves the possibility of introducing a sixth ammunition into the housing it occupied before the barrel turns.

With regard to the charger C in FIGS. 6 and 7, its loading is as for the barrel: from above with the device D with double parallelogram placed in the extension of the tube mortar.

The present invention is not limited to the examples described, it applies in particular to the case where the ammunition store can be slightly away from the mortar body to release the lock and therefore allow full loading without rotation of the magazine to the introduction of the last round. The store can also be completely removable.

The store can also be of capacity and / or form different from those of the stores described above.

The invention is equally applicable to the loading of mortars smooth as scratched mortars.

Claims (4)

System for loading a mortar with loading by the mouth, comprising transfer means (G, D) mounted on the tube mortar to transfer, one by one, ammunition (M) from the game mortar down to the inside of the mortar tube (T), characterized by what it has an ammunition store (B; C) which equips the mortar in its lower part, in that this store is provided with a device (Bm, Bt; Cm; Ct1, Ct2, Ca, Cr1, Cr2) to bring one to one the ammunition at a predetermined location and in that the transfer means include hooking means (Gm, Gr) for take the ammunition one by one from the store, at the location predetermined. Charging system according to claim 1, in which the transfer means comprise a support (G) movable in a translational movement parallel to the tube, characterized in that the attachment means (Gm, Gr) comprise a moving part (Gm) secured to the support, this movable part being movable between two positions, a waiting position and a locking position, and this part mobile being tilted in the locked position by the ammunition when the ammunition arrives at the predetermined location. Charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the magazine is a barrel (B) whose axis is driven by a engine (Bm). Charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the magazine is a magazine (C) for receiving ammunition in predetermined housings (Cg1-Cg10) and in that the device drive (Ct1, Ct2, Ca, Cr1, Cr2) has a motor (Cm) for move the slots in the charger.

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