Patent GB-1446917-A (GB)
Title: Loading device for tank-carried cannon
IPC: F41A9/16
Filed: 1973-11-16
Abstract: 1446917 Cartridge feeding RHEINMETALL GmbH 16 Nov 1973 [24 Nov 1972] 53377/73 Heading F3C Vertically stored cartridges 14, Fig. 1, are conveyed from the floor of a turret to a breech block 10 of a gun 12 by a lifting slide 22 on which a loading tray 32 for carrying a cartridge 14 is pivotally mounted. A coupling device, comprises a curved slide 60, Figs. 3 and 4, a control cam 62 for the lifting slide 22, a control cam 64 for the loading tray 32, and rods 66 which couple the curved slide 60 with the barrel of the gun. Driving control valves 65 and 92, Fig. 5, are provided for the slide 22 and the tray 32 respectively and enable the loading position to be adjusted to the elevation position of the gun's barrel. The slide 22 is guided by a column 20, Figs. 3 and 4, the column being fixed to roof 16 of the turret and to a flange 17, Fig. 1, of the turret is moved by an hydraulic motor 24 having a pinion 26, Fig. 5, which meshes with a rack 28 fixed to the column 20, and has a bearing 30 about which the tray is pivoted. The latter has a base 34, Fig. 4, with projections 36 which are received by recesses 38 in a platform 39, projections 40 being formed between the recesses 38, the projections 40 facilitating the transfer of a cartridge 14 from the platform 39 to the loading tray 32. The tray 32 is provided with a cartridge support 42 and a clamp 44, Fig. 3, by which a cartridge is secured to the support 42. Clamping is effected by a lever (not shown) on the base 34 of the tray 32, the lever being moved by the weight of the cartridge, and by a clip (not shown), the clamp 44 and the clip being released mechanically when the cartridge is positioned in the breech block 10. The cartridge is prevented from contacting the roof of the turret by a deflector cam 50, Fig. 4, on the column 20, a roller 54, connected by a crank 52 to the pin 30 of the tray 32, following the cam 50 and a centering cam 51, Fig. 2, pivoting the tray 32 during its return stroke. The deflector cam 50 becomes inoperative when the hydraulic control takes effect. The elevation and lowering movements of the barrel are scanned and then transferred to the cured slide 60 which then moves along the column 20. The actuating of the loading tray 32 is by an hydraulic cylinder and ram 70 which is pivoted at one end to the tray 32 and at the other end to the slide 22, Fig. 4. In operation a cartridge is placed on the tray 32 and locked in position and a main control valve 80, Fig. 5, is moved to "on". The slide 22 and the tray 32 are moved by the motor 24 and are arrested when roller pusher 63 of the valve 65 engages a portion 82 of the cam 62. The position of the slide 22 having been determined by the slide 60 also effects the movement of an equalizing bridge 86 which engages a cam 64 by its roller 88 and operates the valve 92 of the tray 32. This causes the cylinder 70 to be pressurized, throttling being effected by a device 98. A follow-up control system is provided by which actual movement of the loading tray is detected and transferred to the bridge 86. This is achieved by follow-up rods 94 and a roller which engages a follow-up cam 96 which is fixed to the loading tray 32. If the loading tray movement overtakes the movement of the slide 22, this movement is transferred, via the cam 96 and the rods 94, to the bridge 86 which moves the valve 92 to reduce the quantity of pressure supplied to the cylinder 70 so that the movement of the tray 32 is adjusted to that of the slide 22. After a pivoting angle of approximately 70 degrees, the roller of the rods 94 enters a recess of the cam 96, the valve 92 returns to its initial position and the cylinder 70 is connected with a fluid reservoir. The free end of the tray 32 engages the gun. The pivoting movement of the tray 32, corresponding to the stabilizing movements of the barrel is effected, according to the elevation movement of the gun, either by gravity acting on the loading tray or by a torque supplied by a motor 24. The rods 66 are arranged so that the pivoting movement of the barrel will lead to a displacement of the curved slide 60, enabling the cartridge to remain in the direction of the bore of the axis at all times when the follow-up process is effected. After the cartridge has been received by the breech block 10, the main valve 80 is moved to "off" and the loading tray 32 is pivoted to its original position and the slide 22 is returned.