Patent ID: 7159504
Filing Date: 2007-01-09
Classification: F41A

Abstract:
1. A firing module, comprising: a housing mountable on a carrier structure so as to be rotatable in azimuth; a heavy weapon mounted in said housing so as to be pivotable in elevation about a trunnion; a shell supply mechanism that operates fully automatically for supplying shells to said weapon, wherein said shell supply mechanism is provided with a shell transfer arm that is pivotably mounted on said trunnion, wherein a shell ram having a loading tray is disposed on a free end of said shell transfer arm, and wherein said shell transfer arm is pivotable between a raised position, in which said loading tray is aligned with a gun bore axis of said weapon, parallel to a plane of elevation, and a lowered position, in which said loading tray is essentially vertical; a shell transporter having a shell transport arm, on a free end of which is provided a gripping mechanism for grasping a respective shell that is vertically stored in at least one ammunition magazine, tip pointing upwardly, and for supplying said shell from said shell transporter, to said loading tray, in said lowered position of said shell transfer arm, wherein said at least one ammunition magazine and said shell transporter are disposed in said housing in a region ahead of said trunnion, and wherein said loading tray, on said shell transfer arm, is pivotable about a pivot axis, which in said lowered position of said shell transfer arm is essentially vertical, by at least 180° between a receiving position, which opens to a region ahead of said trunnion, and a delivery position, which opens to a region behind said trunnion; at least one propellant charge magazine disposed in said housing in a region next to or behind said trunnion; and a propellant charge supply mechanism that operates fully automatically and is disposed in said housing for supplying propellant charges to said weapon, wherein said propellant charge supply mechanism is provided with a propellant charge supply tray; having a propellant charge ram, and wherein said propellant charge supply tray is pivotable into a region behind said weapon and in alignment with said gun bore axis of said weapon.