Abstract:
A retractable turret rotatable on a platform, including an active system orientable in vertically extendable elevation, and in azimuth, a protective cowling for the active system and for closing a caisson, wherein the turret includes, for vertically extendable deployment and rotation of the active system, first and second arms forming a deformable quadrilateral on either side of the active system, a first manual means for controlling deployment of the active system by activating the first arm, and a second manual means for controlling the orientation in vertically extended elevation and in horizontal azimuth of the active system by moving the second arm.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The scope of the present invention is that of light turrets mounted on a platform. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Light turrets are known which equip a platform (vehicle, building, . . . ) and which are intended to support an active system constituted by offensive or defensive weapons and/or offset viewing means such as sights or a camera. Devices are also known of the cannon type that have several barrels mounted in alignment. These are not orientable and have a substantial rigid structure able to withstand the loads. Deployable weapon systems are also known, but these weapon systems may not be reloaded from inside a vehicle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention thus relates to a light turret mounted so as to be able to retract and incorporating manual deployment means so as to bring it into its position of use. 
     The invention relates to a retractable light turret mounted able to rotate on a platform, comprising an active system orientable in elevation and in azimuth, a protective cowling for the active system closing a caisson, wherein it incorporates means to deploy the active system constituted by a first and a second arm forming a deformable parallelogram arranged on either side of the active system and elevation and azimuth aiming means for said active system, the deployment being controlled by a first manual means activating the first arm, the orientation in elevation and in azimuth of the active system being controlled by a second manual means activating the second arm. 
     According to one characteristic of the invention, the first arm is linked in rotation to a shaft integral with a support fixed to the caisson. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the first manual means are constituted by a pinion and worm assembly linked to a control organ to orient the active system in azimuth. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the worm is integral with the shaft and thus with the first arm and the pinion is integral with the control organ. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the control organ can be maneuvered laterally to drive the pinion in rotation which then drives the worm. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the second arm is linked in rotation with an angular member in the form of an L integral in rotation with a support fixed to the caisson, one end of the L being linked to this second arm and the other end to a maneuvering handwheel used to orient said active system in elevation. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the cowling is linked to the active system by means of at least one fastening lug forming a hinge, spring means being provided that enable the cowling to be pivoted so as to disengage a front face of the active system in its deployed position. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the handwheel can be maneuvered in two directions, one in a horizontal plane to position the active system in azimuth or in direction and the other in a vertical plane to position the active system in elevation or in altitude. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the caisson forms a closed enclosure providing sealing between the exterior and the interior of the platform, the caisson incorporating an opening that is closed by a shutter providing access to the active system when the latter is in its retracted position. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the active system may be oriented in elevation at an angle of between −10° and 60°. 
     A first advantage of the light turret according to the invention lies in the fact that it occupies a reduced volume and because of this makes ammunition reloading possible in all positions and over the complete turning area. 
     Another advantage of the invention lies in the fact that no electrical energy is necessary to bring the light turret into its elevation and azimuth positions. 
     Yet another advantage of the invention lies in the fact that orientation in elevation only requires traction and extension movements of moderate amplitude that may be easily performed by an operator even within a small space. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics, particulars and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given hereafter by way of illustration and with reference to the perspective views in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows the light turret according to the invention, in its retracted position, 
         FIG. 2  shows the light turret according to the invention, in its deployed position, 
         FIG. 3  shows the light turret according to the invention oriented in elevation in an extremely low position, 
         FIG. 4  shows the light turret oriented in elevation in an extremely high position, 
         FIG. 5  is a view showing the interior of the light turret, and 
         FIG. 6  is a view showing the lower wall of the light turret. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     It is known that light turrets are able to support one or several active systems. These systems may be viewing means, weapons or defense means. In the embodiments described hereafter, this active system is represented by a multibarrel unit enabling projectiles to be fired (for example masking or decoy projectiles). Naturally, this example is in no way limitative and this multibarrel unit may be replaced by any other active system. The light turrets are intended to equip a platform such as a vehicle or a fixed structure like a building, where the exterior is differentiated from the interior. 
       FIG. 1  shows a section of a light turret  1  according to the invention fixed onto a platform  2  by means of a bearing  3  enabling a rotation of 360° of this turret. Naturally, sealing means (not shown), for example a seal ring, are provided between the turret  1  and the platform  2  so as to insulate the interior of the platform  2  from the exterior. The light turret comprises a caisson  4  enclosing an active system  5  to which it is connected by a deformable quadrilateral which is sometimes a parallelogram. The caisson  4  is closed by a protective cowling  6  that is fastened to the active system  5  by a fastening lug  7  that constitutes a hinge. Spring means  43  are provided between the cowling  6  and a rear lug  8  integral with the active system  5 . Thus, when the system  5  is deployed, the cowling  6  pivots on its hinge and tips over through the action of the spring  43 . Such an arrangement enables the front face of the active system  5  to be disengaged. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the system  5  is shown in its retracted position and the spring  43  is stretched. 
     The active system  5  is here constituted by a unit with launcher tubes  41  enclosing ammunition and closed at the rear by a breech  9 . In the Figure, the breech  9  is shown in the open position being linked to the unit by a hinge  10 . In the open position, the unit is accessible for loading ammunition via the interior of the platform  2  where the turret crew is located. The mobile breech  9  comprising a percussion system is locked at the rear part of the unit and ensures the firing chain for the ammunition selected. Unlocking means enable this mobile breech to be unlocked. 
     The deformable quadrilateral, sometimes parallelogram, is constituted by an assembly of arms arranged on either side of the system  5 . In the section  FIG. 1 , only one pair of arms can be seen, a first arm  11  and a second one  12 . This quadrilateral constitutes the deployment means for the active system  5  to take it from the vertically retracted or closed position shown in this Figure to a vertically extended deployed position described hereafter. The arms  11  and  12  are linked to the system  5  by hinges, respectively  13  and  14 , and to the caisson  4  by hinges, respectively  15  and  16 . 
     The first arm  11  is integral with a shaft  17  ( FIG. 5 ) that pivots at hinges  15  with respect to two supports  18  fastened to the caisson  4  (see  FIG. 5 ). The hinge  16  of the second arm  12  is linked to an angular member  19  that is in the form of an L pivoting on a shaft  20   a  integral with a support  20  fastened to the caisson  4 . One end  21  of the L is linked to the second arm  12  by a hinge  16  and the other end  22  is integral with a maneuvering handwheel  23  to orient said active system  5  in elevation. 
     The handwheel  23  can be maneuvered in two directions Y and Z. 
     Along direction Y, which is substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the plane of  FIG. 1 , the handwheel  23  is fixed with respect to the caisson  4 . It is thus possible to make the caisson  4  pivots manually on the bearing  3  so as to orient the caisson  4  (as well as the system  5 ) in azimuth (or in direction). The bearing  3  enables pivoting of 360°. Thus, the system  4  may be oriented in azimuth at any time by the crewmember inside the platform and this in any direction. 
     In direction Z, which is substantially vertical and in the plane of  FIG. 1 , the handwheel  23  that is integral with the angular member  19  is able to pivot around shaft  20   a  to move the second arm  12  as will be explained hereafter and thereby orient the system  5  in elevation (or in altitude). 
     The parallelogram may furthermore be deformed to pass from the retracted position shown in  FIG. 1  to the deployed position shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     For this, first manual means enable the first arm  11  to be pivoted on its hinge  15 . The first manual means  24  are constituted by an assembly comprising a pinion  31  meshing with a worm  30 . 
     The worm  30  is integral with shaft  17  ( FIG. 15 ) which is itself integral with the first arm  11 . A rotation of the worm  30  thus drives the pivoting of the arm  11  on hinges  15  with respect to supports  18 . 
     The pinion  31  is integral in rotation with a shaft  32  that is able to pivot with respect to the caisson  4  on bearings (not shown). Shaft  32  is furthermore integral with a control organ  25  equipped with a handle  25   a . Acting manually on the handle  25   a  enables the control organ  25  to be pivoted in a horizontal plane (arrows S 1 , S 2 — FIG. 5 ) thereby making shaft  32  turn on its bearings as well as pinion  31 . 
     For improved clarity in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the control organ  25  has been shown in a middle position. It is clear that this organ is able to pivot with shaft  32  in directions S 1  and S 2  only until the handle  25   a  butts on a diametral bar  42  integral with the handwheel  23 . 
     So as to use the maximal angular range for the organ  25 , the latter is thus found with its handle  25   a  pressing against the bar  42  in its retracted and deployed positions. A first direction S 1  will thus be the maneuvering direction to deploy the system  5  and the opposite direction S 2  will be that used to retract the system  5 . The angular range of the organ  25  will thus be of approximately 90°. The Expert will define the pinion  31  and worm  30  such that a pivoting of the control organ  25  by an angle of around 80 to 90° ensures the full deployment of the system. 
     The pinion  31  is engaged in the worm  30 . By its rotation, it thus makes the latter rotate thereby causing the first arm  11  to rotate and the system  5  to be deployed out of the caisson  4 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the system  5  in the deployed position. This Figure shows the worm  30  fixed to the arm  11  and the pinion  31  integral with the shaft  32 , pivoting with respect to the caisson  4  and integral with the control organ  25 . By activating the organ  25 , the pinion  31  is driven in rotation and consequently the first arm  11  passes from the retracted position shown in  FIG. 1  to the deployed position shown in  FIG. 2 . In this Figure, the cover  6  can be seen to have tipped over with respect to the system  5  via the action of the spring  43 . This cover thus occupies its second position and thereby avoids any interference between the ejected ammunition and the cover  6 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a deployed position of the system  5  with a low orientation in elevation, position in which the handwheel  23  has been tipped in direction Z 1  thanks to the rotation of the angular member  19  around the shaft  20   a  through a slot  44  in the caisson  4 . The angular member thus drives the second arm  12  in translation into an extreme high position without any modification to the position of the first arm  11 . This rotation enables the system  5  to be positioned at a negative elevation angle of around −5° with respect to the horizontal. Naturally, the system  5  may be oriented in any intermediate position. 
       FIG. 4  shows a deployed position of the system  5  with a high elevation orientation, such position in which the handwheel  23  has been maneuvered in elevation in direction Z 2  thanks to the rotation of the angular member  19  around the shaft  20   a . The angular member  19  thus makes the second arm  12  translate into an extreme low position without any modification of the position of the first arm  11 . This rotation enables the system  5  to be positioned at an elevation angle of around +60°. Once again, the system  5  can be oriented in any intermediate position. 
     The light turret according to the invention can be seen to take the active system from a retracted position into a deployed position (thanks to the organ  25 ) and furthermore it enables the elevation of the system to be set (using the handwheel  23 ) at an angular range of between −5° and +60° with an azimuth of 360°. 
     The elevation setting may be made from any azimuth position of the system by means of simple manual maneuvering of the handwheel  23 . Thus, by adding the angular member  19  to the second arm  12 , the orientation in elevation is ensured whilst maintaining the compactness of the assembly in order to house it in the caisson  4 . 
     The manual controls  23  and  25  of the active system  5  mean that no means requiring the use of electrical energy are necessary, thereby making the turret available whatever the circumstances. 
       FIG. 5  shows a view allowing the interior of the caisson  4  to be seen. In this Figure, the system  5  is in the deployed position and the caisson  4  is provided with an opening  40  by means of which the system  5  may be reloaded with ammunition from the inside of the turret after its breech  9  has been retracted. This opening  40  may be closed by a shutter, not shown, so as to seal the caisson  4  closed. The second arms  12   a  and  12   b  may also be seen that are linked to the angular members  19   a  and  19   b , only one of which  19   a  may be seen in this Figure, which is linked to the support  20  and passes through the slot  44  to occupy the two extreme positions indicated previously. In this embodiment, the first arms  11  are in the form of a U-shaped frame  11   a  fixed on either side of the cover  6 , such frame being linked with the shaft  17  by a single arm  11   b . This embodiment enables a single system  24  to be implemented formed of a pinion  31  and worm  30  without any modification of its functioning. 
       FIG. 6  shows the turret from below where the handwheel  23 , control organ  25 , angular members  19   a  and  19   b  integral with a diametral bar  42  fixed to the handwheel  23  and a slot  44  can be seen. The lugs  7  used to fasten the system  5  to the cowling  6  and the multi launcher tubes  41  may also be seen. The embodiment of the frame  11   a  is also visible. This Figure also shows the end of the shaft  32  onto which the control organ  25  is fastened. 
     Some skilled in the art will determine simply the embodiment of the arms constituting the parallelogram so as to ensure the necessary resistance to absorb the ammunition firing strains. This ammunition may be identical or different, of the same caliber or of a different caliber.