Patent Publication Number: US-2013233193-A1

Title: Weapon stand

Description:
This invention relates to a weapon stand and particularly to a stand for supporting a man-portable charge. 
     It is well known to deploy weapons on a portable weapon stand which may either be positioned manually with respect to a target or transported by a remotely controllable vehicle (RCV) to the required firing position. A portable weapon stand must hold the weapon securely and provide sufficient support to maintain the aim during firing. Additionally a weapon stand to be transported by RCV must also hold the weapon securely to withstand the vibration of the vehicle moving across uneven terrain. However, it is also desirable for such a stand to be compact and lightweight for storage and carriage purposes and to be easy and quick to assemble and deploy. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a lightweight, compact, simple and user friendly portable weapon stand. 
     Accordingly the present invention provides a disposable portable weapon stand fashioned from stiff, resilient sheet material, wherein the stand is in the form of an open ended triangular cylinder having three walls, and wherein one wall is provided with an opening adapted to receive a charge and the other two walls are provided with a central cutout through which a charge can be fired. 
     The triangular shape gives the stand a low centre of gravity when a charge is positioned in the stand making it stable and difficult to topple over. 
     Conveniently the stand is fashioned from a unitary blank of foldable sheet material. This can be achieved by providing one wall with at least one tab designed to engage in at least one slot provided in another wall to enable the stand to be assembled into triangular form. The advantage of a flatpacked design is that it minimises the volume required for storage and carriage whilst the slot and tab design facilitates rapid deployment, easy assembly, minimal training and cheap manufacture. 
     A plurality of lengths of elastic cord can be provided across the opening to provide a rapid yet secure means of securing a charge to the stand. The elastic cord can be threaded through holes punched close to the perimeter of the opening. When a charge is inserted in the opening the elastic cord is stretched over the charge to secure it in position. An additional advantage is that the elastic cord can be used to hold the stand in a folded flat configuration prior to use, for example by providing narrow tabs or restraining cleats in the walls with which the elastic can be held in stretched engagement. 
     An elongate tab extending away from the triangular cylinder can be held by the gripper arm of a RCV. The grip can be improved by adhering a pad of soft foam, rubber or similar material to the end of the elongate tab. 
     Preferably the stand is made from a lightweight material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, card or other similar sheet material of suitable thickness to provide adequate support to the relevant sized charge. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that the stand is scalable to suit different size charges and that by selecting different materials and sheet thicknesses the optimal strength and weight can be chosen. 
     The stand is conveniently used to deploy small circular shaped charges at a short stand-off distance from the ground or other surface and can optionally be provided with anchoring means such as peg holes to secure the stand to the ground. 
    
    
     
       The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a blank from which the weapon stand of the invention is fashioned; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the weapon stand of the invention folded prior to use; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating the blank of  FIG. 1  assembled to form a weapon stand. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows a blank  1  suitable for assembling a weapon stand. It is fabricated from polypropylene sheet material of 3 mm thickness and is designed to support a circular shaped charge of approximately 10 cm diameter. The blank comprises three panels  2 ,  3 ,  4 , separated and defined by transversely extending fold or score lines  10  machined into the sheet. An opening  5  adapted to hold the desired shaped charge is provided in panel  2  and a cutout  6  through which a shaped charge can be fired is provided across panels  3  and  4 . In this embodiment tab  7  acts as both the fastening tab to engage in slot  8  and the carrying tab. Tab  7  bears a rubber pad  9  adhered to its end to provide a more secure grip for a RCV gripper arm. 
     The blank  1  is threaded with two lengths of elastic cord  12  extending across the opening  5 . The elastic cord  12  is threaded through holes  14  punched close to the perimeter of the opening  5 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the blank  1  after having been folded along the transverse fold or score lines  10  into a flat configuration suitable for storage and carriage. In this configuration the elastic cord  12  can be used to secure the panels  2 ,  3 ,  4 , prior to use, for example by providing narrow tabs or restraining cleats on the edges of the panels over which the elastic can be stretched (not shown). 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the blank  1  after having been folded along the transverse fold or score lines  10  to form an open ended triangular cylinder wherein panels  2 ,  3 ,  4  form the three walls. Tab  7  has been engaged through slot  8  to hold the stand in rigid shape suitable for use as a weapon stand. Tab  7  extends beyond the triangular shape of the stand to form a carrying tab particularly for use with the gripper arm of a RCV. 
       FIG. 3  also illustrates a shaped charge  15  positioned within the stand and held in place by stretching the elastic cord  12  across the shaped charge  15  and looping around the detonator holder  16 . 
     In use, the soldier assembles the stand and secures a shaped charge into the opening as shown in  FIG. 3 . The assembled stand can be manually positioned, for example on the ground adjacent an improvised explosive device, or can be transported by RCV using the carrying tab to the firing position. The size and configuration of the stand ensures that the shaped charge is securely supported at a suitable stand-off distance. On initiation the shaped charge fires through the cutout, however the stand is destroyed and is not retrieved for reuse. 
     The person skilled in the art will appreciate that opening  5  can be designed to accommodate other types of charge and that other blanks can be devised to perform the invention.