Ammunition transfer system

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6679159
  • Patent Number
    6,679,159
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, October 31, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 20, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
An ammunition transfer system and method of loading a weapon wherein the rate of ammunition transfer and the consequent rate of fire of the weapon is independent of the azimuth angle of the weapon. In a preferred embodiment, the invention includes a multiple cell ammunition cradle system for a weapon having a carriage and a barrel. The system includes at least one ammunition hoist and a cradle operably coupled to the carriage. The cradle is selectively positionable in a charging position and a loading position. The cradle has a carrier, which may be a rotor with a plurality of cells, each cell adapted to receive an ammunition round. The rotor is rotatable about a rotor axis, and is controllably positionable so that each cell is selectively alignable with the ammunition hoist when the cradle is positioned in the charging position and so that each cell is selectively alignable with the barrel when the cradle is positioned in the loading position. The ammunition transfer system of the present invention is suitable for handling any type of ammunition including separate, semi-fixed, or fixed ammunition, and may also be used to handle rocket propelled or precision guided munitions. It is anticipated that the ammunition handling system, when used with a major caliber gun, may allow firing rates of ten rounds per minute and more.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention pertains to systems for transferring ammunition for weapons, and more specifically, it pertains to ammunition transfer systems for weapons mounted on carriages.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Ships have been used as weapons platforms for centuries. In modern times, warships mounting major caliber guns are often used for heavy bombardment of targets on shore. The emphasis on design of warships in the past has often focused on mounting a relatively large number of guns on a single platform due to the high cost involved with building large ships with the capability of supporting even one major caliber weapon. It was possible for such a ship to maintain a high rate of fire overall due to the large number of weapons.




Warships of today are often used to support limited engagements in which it is necessary for the weapons to have pinpoint accuracy in order to minimize collateral damage to non-military targets, and to provide close fire support for troops on the ground. Due to the relatively high cost of weapons with the desired degree of accuracy, it is desirable to develop weapons with a high rate of fire so as to minimize the need for large numbers on a single platform.




Ammunition rounds for major caliber weapons normally comprise a projectile round, a propellant charge round and a primer round or other igniting means. Separate ammunition is a term that refers to systems in which the three rounds are separately provided and are combined at the weapon. The term semi-fixed ammunition refers to systems in which the primer and the propellant are packaged together, and the term fixed ammunition refers to systems in which all three rounds are packaged together. Ammunition rounds for major caliber guns are normally of the separate or semi-fixed ammunition type. In addition, other weapons may use ammunition rounds in the form of torpedoes, rockets or other precision guided munitions, either in a single package or as separate rounds. For the purposes of this application, the term ammunition round is used interchangeably to refer to complete ammunition rounds as well as any separate portion thereof.




Weapons are usually mounted in turrets or carriages on a warship, and the tube or barrel of the weapon is generally controllable in elevation as well as in azimuth, referred to as train. The term elevation axis refers to the axis about which the weapon rotates in elevation, and the term train axis refers to the axis about which the weapon rotates in azimuth. Ammunition rounds are normally supplied to the carriages from magazines located deep in the hull through one or more ammunition handling systems. Such ammunition handling systems are well known.




Examples of previous ammunition handling systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,218,930 to Girouard, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,122,967 to Johnson, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,209 to Scheurich et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,862 to Wiethoff, et. al., each of which is hereby fully incorporated herein by reference. In each of these systems, ammunition is supplied to the gun by a method known in the art as “off-axis loading”, meaning that the ammunition rounds are supplied vertically to the carriage with a hoist located along an axis offset from the train axis of the gun.




A simplified diagram of a common type of off-axis loading system is depicted in FIG.


7


. Off-axis loading is desirable in part because it allows a system to use multiple hoists and multiple gun cradles, thereby improving the rate of fire from that achievable with an on-axis loading system. Since the azimuth of the gun breech and cradle varies with the azimuth of the weapon in an off-axis loading system, however, a complex mechanism is required to receive the ammunition round from the off-axis hoist, transfer it the distance from the hoist to the cradle of the weapon, and align it with the breech so it can be loaded into the weapon. The necessity to “follow” the train motion of the weapon makes the firing rate of the weapon dependant on the azimuth of the weapon, and thus can cause a significant negative impact on the rate of fire at certain azimuths.




What is needed is an off-axis loading type ammunition transfer system that enables a constant rate of fire at all weapon azimuths.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention includes an ammunition transfer system for an off-axis loaded weapon, wherein the rate of ammunition transfer and the consequent rate of fire of the weapon is independent of the azimuth angle of the weapon. The benefits of off-axis loading are accordingly provided, without the degradation of the weapon rate of fire at certain weapon azimuths. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is a carrier assembly having a rotor with a plurality of ammunition cells formed therein. Each of the ammunition cells is alignable with the train axis of the weapon so that an ammunition round may be loaded into the cell, and is also alignable with a transfer axis that is off-set from the train axis. A pivoting cradle is also provided which can be aligned with the transfer axis. When the ammunition cell containing an ammunition round is aligned with the transfer axis and the cradle is also aligned with the transfer axis, the ammunition round may be transferred from the ammunition cell to the cradle. The cradle may then be swung into position proximate the breech of the weapon, the ammunition round rammed into the breech, and the weapon fired. The ammunition transfer system of the present invention is suitable for handling any type of ammunition including separate, semi-fixed, or fixed ammunition, and may also be used to handle rocket propelled or precision guided munitions. It is anticipated that the ammunition handling system of the present invention, when used with a major caliber gun, may enable firing rates of ten rounds per minute and more.




Thus, the invention may be characterized in one embodiment as an ammunition transfer system for a weapon having a carriage. The system comprises an ammunition hoist positioned along a charging axis, a cradle operably coupled to the carriage and capable of being positioned along a transfer axis, and a carrier operably coupled to the carriage. The carrier has at least one cell adapted to receive an ammunition round. The cell is controllably alternately positionable along the charging axis to receive the ammunition round and along the transfer axis to discharge the ammunition round to the cradle.




The invention may also be characterized as method for loading a weapon, the weapon being rotatable on a carriage. The method may comprise first providing ammunition transfer system comprising an ammunition hoist disposed along a charging axis, a cradle operably coupled to the carrier and capable of being positioned along a transfer axis, and a carrier fixed to the carriage, the carrier having at least one cell adapted to receive an ammunition round. The cell is selectively alternately positionable along the charging axis to receive an ammunition round and the transfer axis to discharge the ammunition round to the cradle. The method also includes the steps of positioning the carrier so that the cell is aligned with the charging axis, loading an ammunition round in the cell, positioning the carrier so that the cell is aligned with the transfer axis, positioning the cradle along the transfer axis, and transferring the ammunition round from the cell to the cradle along the transfer axis.




The invention may also be characterized as a weapon with an ammunition handling system. The weapon comprises a carriage, a barrel mounted on the carriage and positioned along a loading axis, an ammunition hoist positioned along a charging axis, a cradle operably coupled to the carriage and capable of being positioned along a transfer axis and along the charging axis, and a carrier attached to the carriage and having a plurality of ammunition cells adapted to receive an ammunition round. Each of the plurality of ammunition cells is positionable along the charging axis to receive the ammunition round and along the transfer axis to discharge the ammunition round into the cradle.




Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a cut-away perspective view of the ammunition transfer system of the present invention with a weapon;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the ammunition transfer system of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a front elevation of the ammunition transfer system;





FIG. 4

is a top plan view of the weapon and ammunition transfer system;





FIG. 5

is a side sectional view of the weapon and ammunition transfer system;





FIG. 6

is a partial sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the ammunition transfer system of the present invention; and





FIG. 7

is a partial, perspective view of a prior art off-axis loading system.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS





FIG. 1

shows a weapon


10


and an embodiment of the ammunition transfer system


12


of the present invention. Weapon


10


, depicted as a major caliber gun, generally includes carriage


14


, elevating structure


16


, and barrel


18


. Barrel


18


has a bore


20


, and a firing chamber


22


, both presenting loading axis


24


. Elevating structure


16


has breech portion


26


, which generally includes gun barrel housing


28


and breech block


30


. Gun barrel housing


28


is supported by slide


32


, which is slidingly mounted in guides


34


. Slide


32


is movable in a reciprocating fashion between proximal end


36


and distal end


38


of guides


34


. Breech block


30


may be positioned at defined proximal and distal locations that close or open, respectively, firing chamber


22


. When gun barrel housing


28


is positioned at proximal end


36


of guides


34


, an ammunition round


40


disposed in cradle


42


may be interposed in axial alignment with loading axis


24


behind gun barrel housing


28


and in front of distal end


46


of breech block


30


. Ammunition round


40


may then be rammed into firing chamber


22


. Proximal movement of breech block


30


rams the round and closes firing chamber


22


, enabling the weapon to be fired.




Elevating structure


16


is pivotably mounted on trunnion supports


48


, which bear on carriage


14


. Trunnion supports


48


enable rotation of elevating structure


16


about elevation axis


50


, thereby enabling barrel


18


to be elevated to any desired angle. Carriage


14


is mounted for rotational movement about train axis


52


so as to enable weapon


10


to be trained at any desired azimuth angle. The periphery


54


of carriage


14


bears upon a corresponding bearing assembly


56


mounted on the ship structure to enable the rotational movement.




Ammunition transfer system


12


generally includes cradle


42


and carrier assembly


58


. Cradle


42


includes lower support portion


60


and upper guide portion


62


, which together define a cylindrical enclosure


64


for ammunition round


40


. The cylindrical enclosure


64


presents a longitudinal axis


66


. Cradle


42


is pivotably mounted about elevation axis


50


. Cradle


42


may be positioned in the upright, transfer position depicted in

FIG. 1

, wherein cradle


42


presents a transfer axis


67


, co-axial with longitudinal axis


66


. Cradle


42


may be pivoted through carriage opening


68


, to a loading position wherein longitudinal axis


66


of cradle


42


aligns with loading axis


24


of bore


20


.




Carrier assembly


58


generally includes casing portion


72


, shaft


74


, and rotor


76


. Rotor


76


has a central hub portion


78


, which is rotationally mounted on shaft


74


about carrier axis


80


. Lobe portions


82


extend radially outward from hub portion


78


. A single ammunition cell


84


is disposed at the end of each lobe portion


82


. As depicted in

FIG. 1

, rotor


76


has two directly opposed ammunition cells


84


, disposed


180


rotational degrees apart. With each


180


degrees of rotation of rotor


76


, each ammunition cell


84


is alternatively positioned in alignment with top opening


86


in top


88


of casing portion


72


, or in alignment with bottom opening


92


in bottom


94


of casing portion


72


.




The top


88


of carrier assembly


58


is fixed to one end of beam


96


. The other end of beam


96


is fixed to the underside of carriage


14


. Carrier assembly


58


is positioned and dimensioned so that bottom opening


92


is aligned with a charging axis


98


presented by a vertical ammunition hoist


100


. Charging axis


98


of hoist


100


is coaxial with train axis


52


of the weapon


10


. Carrier assembly


58


rotates with carriage


14


, and as a result, bottom opening


92


of casing portion


72


is constantly aligned with train axis


52


and the charging axis


98


of ammunition hoist


100


, regardless of the azimuthal position of weapon


10


.




Top opening


86


is positioned so as to align with transfer axis


67


presented by cradle


42


when the cradle is disposed in the transfer position as depicted in FIG.


1


. Because carrier assembly


58


rotates with carriage


14


, top opening


86


is maintained in a fixed relationship relative to cradle


42


, and transfer axis


67


is always aligned with top opening


86


whenever cradle


42


is positioned in the transfer position, regardless of the azimuthal position of the weapon


10


.




Rotor


76


is equipped with a power actuator, such as an electric or hydraulic motor, and is positionable in each of two rotational positions 180 degrees apart, so that each ammunition cell


84


is alternately aligned with top opening


86


or bottom opening


92


. In operation, an ammunition round


40


is vertically lifted from ammunition hoist


100


through bottom opening


92


along charging axis


98


, and is received by the aligned ammunition cell


84


. Cradle


42


is positioned in the transfer position as depicted in

FIG. 1

, presenting transfer axis


67


. Rotor


76


is then rotated 180 degrees so that the same ammunition cell


84


is aligned with top opening


86


and transfer axis


67


. Ammunition round


40


is then lifted upward through top opening


86


and is received in the cylindrical enclosure


64


of cradle


42


. Cradle


42


is then pivoted upward about elevation axis


50


so that longitudinal axis


66


of cradle


42


is coaxial with loading axis


24


of bore


20


. Proximal movement of breech block


30


then rams the ammunition round into firing chamber


22


, thus readying the weapon for firing.




Although rotor


76


has two ammunition cells


84


in the embodiment depicted in

FIG. 1

, any number of ammunition cells may be provided so long as each ammunition cell can be selectively aligned with charging axis


98


and transfer axis


67


as described. For example, four ammunition cells may be disposed 90 degrees apart on rotor


76


with four selectable rotational positions.




The present invention enables off axis loading of weapon


10


with a fixed sequence of movements that is not dependant on the relative azimuth of the weapon


10


. Because rounds can be fired as quickly as they can be transferred into cradle


42


, the cradle pivoted into position, the round rammed into the firing chamber


22


, and the gun fired, uniformly high rates of fire may be achieved. It is anticipated that rates of fire of


10


or more rounds per minute are achievable with the invention.




With suitable apparatus to arrange separate components as they are placed in the ammunition hoist, the ammunition transfer system of the present invention may used to handle any type of ammunition round, whether fixed, semi-fixed or separate. The ammunition transfer system may also be used to handle rocket propelled and precision guided munitions. Although weapon


10


is depicted here as a major caliber gun, it is contemplated that the present invention may be usable with all types of weapons. For example, barrel


18


may be a barrel as depicted, a torpedo tube, a rocket launcher cell and rail assembly, or other type of firing or launching element having a similar function. Thus, in a weapon wherein such other type of element is used to fire, guide or launch a munition, missile, projectile, bomb, or other weapon, such element shall be deemed to define a barrel.





FIG. 6

depicts an alternative embodiment of the ammunition transfer system of the present invention. The rotary carrier assembly of the embodiments described above has been replaced with linear carrier assembly


102


. In this embodiment, as ammunition rounds


40


are loaded through bottom opening


104


, they are captured by a suitable conveyor assembly and conveyed in the direction of cradle opening


106


. The conveyor assembly may be any known conveyor assembly suitable for the purpose such as, for example, that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,900, a copy of which is fully incorporated herein by reference. Ammunition rounds


40


may then be loaded into cradle


42


through cradle opening


106


as before.




Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.



Claims
  • 1. An ammunition transfer system for a weapon, the weapon having a carriage and a barrel, the system comprising:an ammunition hoist presenting a charging axis; a cradle operably coupled to the carriage and positionable in a transfer position and a loading position, said cradle presenting a transfer axis when positioned in said transfer position; and a carrier operably coupled to the carriage and having a plurality of ammunition cells adapted to receive an ammunition round, each of said plurality of ammunition cells being positionable in substantial axial alignment with the charging axis to receive the ammunition round and in substantial axial alignment with the transfer axis to discharge the ammunition round into said cradle.
  • 2. The ammunition transfer system of claim 1, wherein the ammunition round is a fixed round, a projectile, a propellant package, a primer, or a propellant/primer package.
  • 3. The ammunition transfer system of claim 1, wherein said barrel presents a loading axis, and wherein said cradle is positioned in substantial axial alignment with the loading axis when said cradle is positioned in said loading position.
  • 4. An ammunition transfer system for a weapon having a carriage, the system comprising:an ammunition hoist presenting a charging axis; a cradle operably coupled to the carriage and positionable in a transfer position and a loading position, said cradle presenting a transfer axis when positioned in said transfer position; and a carrier operably coupled to the carriage and having at least one cell adapted to receive an ammunition round, said at least one cell controllably alternately positionable along the charging axis to receive the ammunition round and along the transfer axis to discharge the ammunition round to said cradle.
  • 5. The ammunition transfer system of claim 4, wherein the ammunition round is a fixed round, a projectile, a propellant package, a primer, or a propellant/primer package.
  • 6. The ammunition transfer system of claim 5, wherein said weapon has a barrel presenting a loading axis, and wherein said cradle is aligned with the loading axis when positioned in the loading position.
  • 7. An ammunition transfer system for a weapon having a carriage, the system comprising:an ammunition hoist presenting a charging axis; a cradle operably coupled to the carriage and positionable in a transfer position and a loading position, said cradle presenting a transfer axis when positioned in said transfer position, said transfer axis being offset and oriented substantially parallel with the charging axis; and means for transferring an ammunition round from said ammunition hoist to said cradle.
  • 8. The ammunition transfer system of claim 7, wherein said means for transferring an ammunition round from said ammunition hoist to said cradle comprises a carrier having at least one cell adapted to receive an ammunition round, said at least one cell being positionable along the charging axis to receive an ammunition round and along the transfer axis to discharge said ammunition round to the cradle.
  • 9. The ammunition transfer system of claim 8, wherein said carrier has a plurality of cells, each adapted to receive an ammunition round.
  • 10. The ammunition transfer system of claim 7, wherein said means for transferring an ammunition round from said ammunition hoist to said cradle comprises a linear conveyor.
  • 11. The ammunition transfer system of claim 7, wherein the ammunition round is a fixed round, a projectile, a propellant package, a primer, or a propellant/primer package.
  • 12. The ammunition transfer system of claim 10, wherein said weapon has a barrel presenting a loading axis, and wherein said cradle is aligned with the loading axis when positioned in said loading position.
  • 13. A method for loading a weapon, the weapon being rotatable on a carriage, the method comprising the steps of:providing an ammunition transfer system comprising an ammunition hoist presenting a charging axis, a cradle operably coupled to the carrier and presenting a transfer axis, and a carrier fixed to the carriage, said carrier having at least one cell adapted to receive an ammunition round, said at least one cell selectively alternately positionable along the charging axis to receive an ammunition round and the transfer axis to discharge the ammunition round to said cradle; positioning the carrier so that said at least one cell is aligned with the charging axis and loading an ammunition round in said at least one cell along the charging axis; positioning the carrier so that said at least one cell is aligned with the transfer axis; positioning said cradle along the transfer axis; and transferring said ammunition round from said at least one cell to said cradle along the transfer axis.
  • 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said weapon has a barrel presenting a loading axis, wherein said cradle aligned with the loading axis when positioned in said loading position, and wherein the method further comprises the step of positioning said cradle in the loading position.
  • 15. An apparatus for transferring an ammunition round from an ammunition hoist to a cradle of a weapon mounted on a carriage, the ammunition hoist presenting a charging axis, the cradle presenting a transfer axis, the apparatus comprising a carrier assembly rotationally fixed with respect to the carriage, said carrier assembly having at least one ammunition cell selectively operably positionable in alignment with the charging axis to receive the ammunition round, and in alignment with the transfer axis to discharge the ammunition round to the cradle.
  • 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said carrier assembly comprises a rotor selectively rotatable about a carrier axis, said at least one ammunition cell being formed in said rotor.
  • 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said carrier assembly comprises a linear conveyor.
  • 18. A weapon with ammunition handling system comprising:a carriage; a barrel mounted on the carriage and presenting a loading axis; an ammunition hoist presenting a charging axis; a cradle operably coupled to the carriage and capable of being positioned in a transfer position and a loading position, said cradle presenting a transfer axis when positioned in said transfer position; and a carrier attached to the carriage and having a plurality of ammunition cells adapted to receive an ammunition round, each of said plurality of ammunition cells being positionable along the charging axis to receive the ammunition round and along the transfer axis to discharge the ammunition round into said cradle.
  • 19. The weapon and ammunition handling system of claim 18, wherein the ammunition round is a fixed round, a projectile, a propellant package, a primer, or a propellant/primer package.
  • 20. The weapon and ammunition handling system of claim 18, wherein said cradle is aligned with the loading axis when positioned in said loading position.
  • 21. A method for transferring ammunition to a weapon comprising the steps of:providing means for transferring an ammunition round from an ammunition hoist presenting a charging axis to a movable cradle presenting a transfer axis, said means having at least one ammunition cell presenting a longitudinal axis; aligning said longitudinal axis of said ammunition cell with said charging axis; lifting the round from said ammunition hoist into said ammunition cell; aligning said longitudinal axis of said ammunition cell with said transfer axis; and lifting the round into said pivotable cradle.
  • 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said weapon has a firing chamber and a barrel with a bore, said bore presenting a loading axis, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of positioning said cradle with the longitudinal axis in alignment with the loading axis, and ramming the round into said firing chamber.
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4457209 Scheurich et al. Jul 1984 A
4481862 Wiethoff et al. Nov 1984 A
4706544 Zielinski et al. Nov 1987 A
4730536 Nordmann Mar 1988 A
4763559 Bouillon Aug 1988 A
4838144 Bierwirth et al. Jun 1989 A
4947728 Muhlhausen et al. Aug 1990 A
5773747 Tellander et al. Jun 1998 A
5811721 Anderson et al. Sep 1998 A
5880395 Krumm et al. Mar 1999 A
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