Patent ID: 7013790

Claim:
A system comprising: a weapon support cage ( 11 ) having a frame ( 11 a ) and a lift platform ( 14 ) attached to the frame ( 11 a ) for raising and lowering a weapon ( 12 ), and having a retractable roof ( 15 ) for covering the weapon ( 12 ) when the weapon is in its lowered position, and also having means ( 16 ) for deploying and retracting the roof ( 15 ), the weapon support cage ( 11 ) responsive to hoist control signals for raising and lowering the lift platform ( 14 ) and for retracting and deploying the roof ( 15 ); and an operator control station ( 40 ) for providing the hoist control signals; characterized in that the roof ( 15 ) is made substantially of a hard material ( 15 a ) and is provided as a bendable structure such that the roof can be rolled from a flat configuration to a rolled up configuration and conversely, and the roof is rolled up as it is retracted; further characterized in that the roof ( 15 ) is deployed and retracted using a hydraulic motor ( 16 ); and further characterized in that the hydraulic motor ( 16 ) is provided with hydraulic fluid at a plurality of pressures so as to provide a corresponding plurality of motor speeds at a given load.