Abstract:
The invention relates to an automatic loading process and system for a large-caliber weapon mounted on a ship and firing ammunition, constituted by charges and projectiles, at a high rate of fire. 
     The system comprises means allowing at least three isolated areas to be defined for the circulation of the ammunition, a first area in which the charges and projectiles and received and introduced into containers and a second area in which these containers are transferred into an intermediate magazine arranged between the weapon and the first area, and a third area where the weapon is actually loaded with the projectiles and charges, all of these areas being isolated from one another by resistant walls defining hatches providing a passage, and it comprises means to transfer the containers from the first area to the turret then the projectiles and charges into the weapon. 
     Application to artillery mounted on a ship.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The technical scope of the present invention is that of loading systems for a weapon mounted on a ship. 
     Weapons mounted on ships have a firing rate compatible with the maneuverability of the projectiles and their associated charges. The caliber is generally large and the handling means are placed in the vicinity of the weapon. If two-stage rounds—that is rounds formed of a separate projectile and charge—are handled, this is difficult to manage in the supply of the weapon. The problem is made more difficult if the charge is constituted by modules of different quicknesses. Furthermore, safety on a ship is not compatible with the presence of large quantities of propellant charges in the vicinity of the weapon. That part of the ship providing storage for such charges must therefore be isolated from the manoeuvre area of the gun crew and a safe transfer system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the present invention is to provide a loading system for a weapon present in an isolated space such as on a ship that offers a high level of safety. 
     The invention thus relates to an automatic loading process for a large caliber weapon mounted on a ship, wherein it comprises the following steps: 
     the weapon is separated from the storage magazine by isolated areas fitted with separation barriers, 
     the projectiles and the charges are placed in containers ensuring their protection and making them safe to handle, and 
     transfer means are provided to take the full and empty containers from one area to the other. 
     According to one embodiment, at least three separate areas are provided, a first area in which the magazine is supplied with projectiles and charges that are then introduced into containers, a second intermediate area in which the containers are transferred and a third area in which the weapon is supplied by the containers, these three areas being physically separated from one another. 
     According to another variant, the three areas are arranged vertically. 
     The invention also relates to an automatic loading system for a large caliber weapon mounted on a ship and firing rounds constituted by charges and projectiles, wherein it comprises means allowing at least three isolated areas to be defined for the circulation of the ammunition, a first area in which the charges and projectiles and received and introduced into the containers ensuring their protection and making them safe to handle, and second area in which these containers are transferred into an intermediate magazine arranged between the weapon and the first area, and a third area where the weapon is actually loaded with the projectiles and charges, all of these areas being isolated from one another by resistant walls defining hatches providing a passage, and wherein it comprises means to transfer the containers from the first area to the turret and the projectiles and charges into the weapon. 
     According to one embodiment, the magazines to receive the charges and projectiles are arranged in the first area so as to co-operate with first and second transfer means in the first area. 
     According to another embodiment, the magazines are constituted by an enclosure defining housings in which the charges and projectiles are stored and comprising second transfer means for the projectiles and charges in individual containers. 
     According to yet another embodiment, the second transfer means for the charges are constituted by a comb provided with gripping means and penetrating inside the magazine to transfer the charge modules into a transport container. 
     According to yet another embodiment, the second transfer means for the projectiles are constituted by a pusher transferring each projectile into a transport container. 
     According to yet another embodiment, the first transfer means arranged in the first area are constituted by at least one endless chain driving the charge and projectile containers between a starting loading position at one end and a final position at the other end. 
     Advantageously, the endless chain is mounted on a frame supporting the drive means for the endless chain, said frame being provided with third transfer means for the projectile and charge containers operating between the final position on the endless chain and an intermediate magazine arranged in the second area. 
     According to yet another embodiment, the third transfer means are constituted by at least one pusher ensuring the translation of the full containers enclosing the charges and projectiles and the empty containers, able to move between a rest position and an extension position. 
     Advantageously, a hatch is placed between the intermediate magazine and the first area whose opening is controlled by the pusher control. 
     Advantageously again, fourth transfer means integrated into the turret ensure the full containers of charges and projectiles and picked up from the intermediate magazine and moved towards the actual loading means of the weapon and the empty containers are transferred towards the intermediate magazine. 
     According to yet another embodiment, the weapon&#39;s loading means are constituted by a slide supporting a drum able to move with respect to the slide, said slide being mobile in elevation with respect to a structure (C) integral with the turret between a supply position where the drum receives the full containers and a delivery position for the projectiles and charges to the weapon. 
     Advantageously, the slide is integral in traverse rotation with the turret supporting the weapon. 
     The transfer means define four container flows, a flow of full projectile containers and a flow of full charge containers traveling from the magazine to the weapon, a flow of empty projectile containers and empty charge containers traveling from the weapon to the magazine. 
     A first advantage of the process and system according to the invention lies in the fact that the weapon may be supplied automatically without the need for an operator. 
     Another advantage lies in that a high firing rate may be obtained because of the simultaneous transportation of the projectile and the charge used to fire this projectile. 
     Yet another advantage lies in the safety procured by the separation into sectors or areas isolated from one another. 
     A further advantage lies in the availability of a store of projectiles and charges in the immediate vicinity of the turret ensuring great reactivity and the capacity to rapidly change targets. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other characteristics, particulars and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description given hereafter by way of illustration and in reference to the appended drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the organization of the system according to the invention, 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the system according to the invention, 
     FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the first transfer means, 
     FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of these means, 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show a view of the intermediate magazine, 
     FIG. 7 is a view of the weapon mounted in the turret, and 
     FIG. 8 shows one position of the turret with respect to the charge magazine. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As indicated previously, the invention proposes a loading process for a large caliber weapon (for example 155 mm) mounted on a ship, said weapon being automatically supplied to ensure a very high rate of fire. By high rate of fire, we mean 10 rounds per minute for this type of weapon. The fact of it being on a ship imposes very stringent safety rules whose aim is to ensure the safety of the ship even in the event of the breakdown or destruction of the weapon or its supply mechanisms. The invention aims to solve this problem by providing an arrangement of areas separated by protective barriers and the conveyance of the propellant charges and projectiles without the need for manual intervention. The protective barriers allow the areas to be isolated from one another with respect to an attack such as to prevent a fire from being communicated, for example, from one area to another, and thereby reducing transmission risks. The conveyance of the charges and projectiles aims to eliminate human intervention in the unstable environment constituted by a ship on the sea. Lastly, we point out that the propellant charges used are generally in the form of combustible bags or blocks (uni-modular charges) that represent a major pyrotechnic hazard for the ship. 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the system  1  according to the invention arranged in areas  2 ,  3  and  4  with transfer means going from one area to another. Three areas have been defined on the Figure but it goes without saying that the number of these areas may be multiplied to further increase the level of safety. But three areas according to the invention ensure the required level of safety. In the plane of the Figure, we can note a vertical arrangement although this does not constitute a limitation of the invention. A horizontal arrangement of the system according to the invention may naturally also be provided. The first area  2  is a storage area for a limited number of charges and projectiles. Area  2  may naturally be replenished if necessary from another storage unit not shown. Thus, area  2  limited by the lower deck  5  receives two magazines  6  and  7  arranged on either side of second lower transfer means  8  between area  2  and area  3 . In the Figure, magazines  6  and  7  are made integral with the lower transfer means using appropriate means and are provided with the means described hereafter to bring the charges and projectiles towards the transfer means  8 . The purpose of the first transfer means  8  is to move the charges and projectiles from the deck  5  to the middle deck  9 . The means  8  are dimensioned so as to connect decks  5  and  9  and in the present case we will speak of height since it is on a ship. 
     In area  3 , an intermediate magazine  10  has been arranged to receive the charges and projectiles. This area  3  and thus the magazine  10  are isolated between the middle deck  9  and the upper deck  11 . The latter may be the outer deck of the ship, for example. Decks  9  and  11  are isolated by a hatch  12  which, after closing, prevents any communication between these two decks. 
     In area  4 , the weapon  13  is positioned and fastened to the deck  11  isolated from area  3  by a hatch  14  so as to isolate area  4  from area  3  as explained previously. The weapon  13  comprises a cannon  15  mounted on a turret  16 . Conventionally, the cannon  15  is mobile in elevation with respect to the turret  16  which is itself mobile in traverse with respect to the deck  11  on a support ring  17 . According to one particularity of the invention, means C allow the projectiles and charges to be transferred from a low position in the vicinity of the hatch  14  to a high position to the rear of the cannon  15 . 
     We note that the first transfer means  8 , the hatch  12 , the magazine  10 , the hatch  14  and the means C are aligned during transfer operations along an axis (a). 
     FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the system according to the invention and illustrates the process according to the invention. The projectiles are transferred from the magazine  6  following a transfer line  18  towards a re-looping circuit  19  in a container co-operating with an endless chain  20  geared to the transfer means  8 . The position  100  shown in the Figure indicates the point at which a projectile is transferred into a container. This chain  20  brings the projectiles in their containers up to the high position  21  and they are transferred into the intermediate magazine  10 . Then the projectiles are transferred from the intermediate magazine  10  into the actual loading means of the weapon  13  integrating means C. This rising flow along the chain  20  allows a projectile inserted in its container to be raised and works in conjunction with a simultaneously descending flow of empty projectile containers. An analogous process is conducted to bring the projectiles in their containers in a rising flow from the magazine  7  to the weapon  13  by means of an endless chain  22  and the intermediate magazine  10 . Similarly, the chain  22  defines a descending flow of empty containers. In the Figure, we can see that the magazine  7  comprises six stacked sectors that correspond to the replenishment of six charge modules. 
     FIG. 3 shows the first lower transfer means  8  to which magazines  6  and  7  are harnessed. Magazine  6  is in the shape of a box integrating a revolving assembly  25  into which the projectiles  101  are introduced manually by an operator. An interface  28  allows said operator to validate the type of projectile introduced into the magazine  6 . Said assembly is able to receive  30  projectiles, for example. Each projectile  101  is held on the assembly  25  by clips  26  that provide constant pressure but that can be retracted so as to bring the projectile one by one to a selector  27  integral with the means  8 . Said selector provides an interface between the magazine  6  and the transfer chain  20  that is not able to be seen in this Figure. Said selector also incorporates second means allowing the projectiles to be transferred towards the chain. In a variant embodiment, the projectiles  101  are introduced into containers integral with the chain  20 . To this end, the selector  27  allows the projectile to be transferred in the axis of the empty container placed immediately above and incorporates a actuator that constitutes one of the second transfer means to introduce the projectile into the container. Naturally, the container incorporates means allowing the projectile to be held in place. This arrangement is advantageous in that the erratic movements of the ship have no influence on the projectile&#39;s position. 
     The charges  201  are placed in the magazine  7  that is positioned on a base  29 . The charges may be in the form of modules of the same dimension. For example, six modules may constitute a full charge such as is known in the scope of field artillery. A comb  30  constituting the other part of the second transfer means is made integral with means  8  and is able to move between the magazine  7  and the base  29  so as to pick up the modules  201  from the magazine to bring them to the base where they will be taken up by the chain  22  that can not be seen in the Figure. The base encloses a certain number of receptacles or containers in which the modules are introduced by means of the comb. Thus, the comb  30  may pick up a certain number of charge modules from the magazine  7 , generally between  3  and  6 , and transfer them into the container located at the lower level where they are retained. This operation may be controlled automatically by the fire control, that is to say the number of modules to form the constituted charge is selected according to operational needs. The module container (not shown) naturally incorporates means enabling it to co-operate with the comb  30 . 
     Means  8  are shown equipped with a protective frame enabling the chains  20  and  22  to be isolated from the external environment in area  2 . The magazine  7  may contain  180  modules, for example, allowing 30 firings at maximum range if six modules are used each time. The magazine  7  incorporates an interface  31  allowing the operator to control the magazine during manual refilling operations. The magazine  7  also incorporates six revolving assemblies fitted with receptacles immobilizing the modules. The system also incorporates a selector  32  co-operating with the comb  30  to transfer the modules  201  into a container integral with the chain  22 . A console  61  is provided for the selector  27  that allows an operator to control the operations to refill the containers with projectiles and charge modules. 
     This is an advantageous embodiment of the invention since the projectile and modules are transported in a container that ensures their protection and safe handling. 
     It is understood that the chains  20  and  22  connected, for example, to the same motorization means and constituting an integral part of the first transfer means allow the full containers to be raised and the empty containers to be lowered. 
     In FIG. 3, we see that the transfer means  8  constituting a lift incorporate a actuator  33  at the upper end allowing a full projectile container  102  and a full charge container  202  to be transferred towards the intermediate magazine as will be described hereafter and a actuator  34  fitted with a clip allowing the empty projectile container  102 ′ and the empty charge container  202 ′ to be taken from the intermediate magazine to be transferred towards the chain  22 . These actuators  33  and  34  constituted the third transfer means. 
     FIG. 4 shows a variant embodiment of the device in FIG. 3 in which the magazine  6  and selector  27  have been placed at a different upper level. 
     FIG. 5 shows the intermediate magazine  10  placed in area  3  and fastened to the middle deck  9 . This magazine  10  is in the form of a motorized receptacle  40  centered on the axis of the support ring  17  of the turret  16  delimiting, for example, twenty positions to receive the modules and projectile. These positions are spaced according to two concentric circles one of which receives the projectile containers and the other the module containers, enclosed in their containers  102  and  202 . Thus, two positions may be used to transfer a projectile-module assembly towards the turret  16 , eight positions to store four assemblies and the other ten positions corresponding to the places associated with each round required for the return of the empty containers from the turret and the arrival of the full containers at the receptacle  40 . In this figure, we can see the specific arrangement of the hatch  12  allowing the magazine  10  and the transfer means  8  to communicate with one another. Said hatch incorporates control means  41  activated according to a safety sequence. The receptacle  40  is raised on a base  42  integrating rotational drive means. It goes without saying that when the actuators  33  and  34  are activated, they introduce the module containers and projectile containers into the magazine drum  40  through the base  42 . Naturally, means to block the containers are provided in the receptacle  40 . 
     FIG. 6 gives a schematic view of the receptacle  40  revolving around its spindle  43 . The ten places shown are alternatively full and empty and we make note of positions  44 ,  45  and  46 . Position  44  of the projectile and module containers represents, for example, the position from which transfer is made towards the actual loading device of the weapon. This transfer is carried out using fourth means integrated in the turret as will be described hereafter. After closing the hatch  12 , said means are activated and successively or simultaneously transfer a full projectile container from the intermediate magazine to the weapon and an empty container from the turret to the intermediate magazine. An analogous process is repeated for the charge containers. The hatch  14  (FIG. 1) is thus closed and the receptacle  40  is driven in rotation so as to bring the empty position  45  into the transfer position. After firing and opening the hatch  14 , the empty containers are reintroduced into the magazine  40  in position  45  are rotating the receptacle. It goes without saying that after the transfer of the containers towards the turret, position  44  is replenished using transfer means  8 . The process is thus repeated to supply the weapon. 
     FIG. 7 shows the weapon  13  mounted on the turret  16  able to rotate with respect to the support ring  17 . The turret  13  conventionally supports the cannon  15  using a cradle and fitted with equilibrators  50 . The 155 mm type cannon is notably fitted with a muzzle brake  51  of a known type and a squib carrier  52  to fire the modules introduced into the cannon chamber. This structure is known in itself and does not require further description. The turret  16  is able to move in traverse around the support ring  17  and the cannon itself is mobile in elevation with respect to a notched quadrant  53 . The weapon is supplied with projectiles and modules as follows. A guiding structure or means C is fixed in the turret and is in the form of a cage shaped as the arc of a circle and incorporating two sides  54  and  55  joined together and receiving a loading slide  56 . This slide  56  is mounted sliding between a supply position at one end of the structure (C) shown in the figure, said lower position, and a loading position at the other end, said high position. Naturally, the slide  56  is activated by drive means that are not shown. During its displacement, the slide  56  drives a magazine drum  57  receiving the empty and full containers. In the lower position, the drum  57  may be supplied from the intermediate magazine  10  whatever the position of the turret in elevation or of the cannon in traverse. In fact, the drum  57  in the lower position is aligned with the shaft of the support ring  17  on which position  44  of the receptacle  40  is aligned. The turret is equipped with two actuators  58  and  59  constituting fourth transfer means co-operating with the drum  57  to take one  58  of the full containers from the intermediate magazine  40  to this drum  57  and the other  59  to transfer the empty containers from the drum to the magazine  40 . In the Figure, we see that the drum incorporates four spaces  60  two of which contain containers in the vicinity of the side  54  of the structure C and two of which are empty in the vicinity of the side  55 . The process is as follows. After the hatch  14  is opened (FIG.  1 ), the two actuators  57  and  58  are activated, one to take a container enclosing a projectile, for example, to introduce it into the drum  57  in the vicinity of the side  54 , whereas the other actuator pushes the empty container into the receptacle  40 . After this, the same operation is carried out to take a container enclosing charge modules and to bring back an empty container. When the drum  57  is equipped with two containers, one enclosing the projectile and the other the modules, the slide  56  is made to move up to the high position, that is to the rear of the cannon. Using an actuator not shown, the projectile is firstly transferred from the container towards the weapon chamber then the modules are transferred from the container to the chamber. The classical firing sequence may now begin. 
     FIG. 8 shows a top view of the turret  16  indicating the position of the magazine  7  that encloses the charge modules. We see that the turret  16  and thus the cannon  15  are able to move in traverse up to an angle of 125° on either side of a starting position around the elevation axis through point C. The cannon&#39;s  15  traverse axis X is also schematized in the Figure. We also see the offset position of the magazine  7  with respect to point C perpendicular to which the charges and projectiles must be brought.