U.S. patent application number 11/569967 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-06 for gun mount.
Invention is credited to Elazar Avirbrach, Eyal Berkovich, Shimon Chachamian, Yehuda Kiperwas.
Application Number | 20080053300 11/569967 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35463405 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080053300 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Berkovich; Eyal ; et
al. |
March 6, 2008 |
Gun Mount
Abstract
A folding weapon mount installed on the deck of a carrier
vehicle. In one folding configuration the profile of the vehicle,
mount and mounted weapon is lowest with respect to the profile
obtained in an upright configuration. The folding is achieved by
the rotation of a threaded shaft which changes the distance between
two parallel lower axes. Appropriate legs pivotally respectively
connect each lower axis to one parallel upper axis serving also as
a weapon bearing cross bar.
Inventors: |
Berkovich; Eyal; (Haifa,
IL) ; Chachamian; Shimon; (Kiriat Hayim, IL) ;
Avirbrach; Elazar; (Carmiel, IL) ; Kiperwas;
Yehuda; (Kiriat Yam, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YORAM TSIVION
P.O. BOX 1307
PARDES HANNA
37111
IL
|
Family ID: |
35463405 |
Appl. No.: |
11/569967 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
June 2, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IL05/00583 |
371 Date: |
December 3, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
89/40.01 ;
235/400 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 23/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
089/040.01 ;
235/400 |
International
Class: |
F41A 23/00 20060101
F41A023/00; G06G 7/80 20060101 G06G007/80 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 3, 2004 |
IL |
162336 |
Claims
1. A folding weapon mount for bearing at least one weapon, wherein
said mount is installed on the deck of a carrier vehicle such that
in one configuration the profile of the vehicle and mount and
mounted weapon is low with respect to the profile obtained in an
upright configuration of said mount, said mount comprising:
parallel front and a rear lower axes; an upper axis serving as a
weapon bearing cross-bar; a weapon support connected with said
upper axis, at least one threaded shaft for changing the distance
between said lower axes, and legs connected to said lower axes for
sustaining said weapon bearing cross-bar.
2. A folding weapon mount as in claim 1 and wherein said at least
one threaded shaft is connected to a mechanical actuator.
3. A folding weapon mount as in claim 2 and wherein said actuator
is an electric motor.
4. A method for changing the distance of at least one weapon from
the deck of the carrier vehicle vertically, wherein a folding
weapon mount supports said at least one weapon, and wherein a
weapon bearing cross-bar of said mount is lowered and raised by the
rotation of at least one threaded shaft.
5. A folding weapon mount for bearing at least one weapon on a
carrier vehicle, wherein a firing control system thereof collects
information related to at least one of the group containing
distance from target, weapon inclination, horizontal weapon angle
and folding state of said folding mount, and wherein said firing
control system calculates angular parameters which are fed to a set
of actuators to regulate the configuration of the folding weapon
mount and the weapon.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is in the field of mounts for weapons.
More specifically the invention relates to vehicle mounting of
guns, light cannons and missiles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Mounting of weapons on vehicles is implemented in cases in
which the vehicle is to take part in combat or defensive activity.
Typical combat vehicles are personnel carriers and armoured
personnel carriers. In the art there are several types of weapons
mounted on combat vehicles, such weapons are rocket launchers
machine guns of various types, light cannons, grenade launchers
etc. Crew carriers such as armoured crew carriers are often
required to be transported to sites of action. Actual transport may
be effected by boarding the vehicle on a carrier boat or a pane. In
such case it may be beneficial to lower the profile of the vehicle
and external mount. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,409 a turret for
mounting weapons an a carrier vehicle deck is disclosed, in which
the mount is easily convertible from a prostrate to upright
position, in which the weapon mounted is easily controlled by
crewmen.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] FIG. 1A is a schematic side view of an armoured carrier on
which a mounted gun is installed in accordance with the present
invention, configured in a prostrate position;
[0004] FIG. 1B is a schematic side view of an armoured carrier on
which a mounted gun is installed in accordance with the present
invention, configured in an upright position;
[0005] FIG. 1C is a schematic side view of an armoured carrier on
which a mounted gun is installed in accordance with the present
invention, configured in an upright position, with gun pointing
upwards;
[0006] FIG. 2A is a schematic isometric view of gun mounted in a
mount of the invention;
[0007] FIG. 2B is a schematic isometric view of gun as in FIG. 2A,
with legs separated by the action of threaded shaft.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic isometric view of a gun mounted in a
receptacle integrated in the upper axis of the mount in a prostrate
configuration;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of a gun mounted in a
mount of the invention with two guide bars and two threaded
shafts;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric view of a gun mounted in a
mount of the invention demonstrating the rotation mechanisms of aim
control.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic description of the sources of
geometric variability defining the position of the weapon in a
mount of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0012] In accordance with the present invention, a weapon such as a
machine gun, a missile launcher, a light cannon, a medium cannon or
a combination thereof, is installed in a configurable mount. As
described schematically in FIGS. 1A-C to which reference is now
made, the folding weapon mount of the invention is capable of
changing configuration. In FIG. 1A, the folding weapon mount (FWM)
20, supported by turret 22 forms a part of the payload of armoured
vehicle 24. It is set to a full prostrate configuration, in which
gun 26 is at its lowest available position. In FIG. 1B mount has
been contracted in order to raise the gun 26 well above the surface
of the armoured vehicle's deck on which it is installed. In FIG.
1C, a particular aspect of the invention is demonstrated
schematically. According to this aspect, the gun 26 is tilted
pointing upwards to a very high elevation angle around a pivot 28.
This high elevation angle, allows for large super-elevation angles
or for firing at high angle targets to be achieved.
[0013] The FWM of the invention uses a screw thread as the driving
mechanism of contracting the legs as is described schematically in
FIGS. 2A-2B to which reference is now made. As can be seen in FIG.
2A, gun 40 is supported by a support 41 mounted on the weapon
bearing cross bar (WBCB) 42. Leg 44 is set at an angle with leg 46,
such that the legs are separated at a distance 48 at the bottom.
The distance is kept by virtue of thread shaft 50. Shaft 50 is
rotatable by virtue of the coupling to electric motor 52. In FIG.
2B the shaft 50 has rotated such that the distance 48 has
increased. Legs 44 and 46 sustaining the WBCB have separated by
rotating around pivot 52 being coaxial with WBCB 42. The
contraction mechanism is explained further with reference to FIG.
3. Gun 70 is installed in receptacle 72, typically referred to as a
cradle. Threaded shaft 74 has a journal at one end inserted in
cylindrical bearing 76 whereas at the other end, the threaded shaft
74 is inserted in threaded cylinder 78. The rotation of threaded
shaft 74 causes legs 80 and 82 either to spread apart or contract,
changing angle a correspondingly. In this prostrate position, the
gun and mount installed on an armoured carrier vehicle is more
easily loaded in a carrier platform, such as an air carrier or a
ferryboat.
[0014] In FIG. 4 to which reference is now made, gun 92 is shown,
installed in a receptacle 94 on a mount manufactured in accordance
with a preferred embodiment of the invention. Two aligning beams 96
are disposed connecting between the front lower axis 98 and rear
lower axis 100. Threaded shafts 102 are inserted as journals in to
respective cylindrical bearings 104. An upper axis of the mount
(the WBCB) has a pivot extension 106 for coupling to an electric
actuator (not shown). The entire construction and mounted gun are
installed on a turret 108. In some embodiment of the invention the
front lower axis 98 is fixed to the turret or to the deck of the
carrying vehicle, for example by a bolt 110. The threaded shafts
can be rotated by electric or mechanical actuators or manually, for
example, by the use of a wrench. In some embodiments the actuator
is connected permanently to the threaded shafts, in such a case,
the folding state of the mount can be changed at any time, unless a
specific configuration becomes fixed. In some embodiments
provisions are made to install more than one weapon on the same
mount, for example rocket launchers and a heavy machine gun.
[0015] In FIG. 5 to which reference is now made, the vertical angle
of rotation provided by the turret is described by double headed
arrow 120. Rotating of the weapon around the horizontal axis 122 is
carried out preferably by the action of an actuator (not shown)
linked to pivot extension 124 of the WBCB 122.
[0016] Firing Control and Crew Safety
[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the FWM and
weapons installed therein are completely controllable from inside
the carrying vehicle. The crew may be concealed inside the vehicle
and yet completely control the activity of the weapon and FWM by
remote control mechanism. Thus, the actuators governing the
horizontal angle and vertical angle of the weapon are fully
controlled from inside the carrier. In another aspect of the
invention, target acquisition and firing control is also provided
through an electronic control system.
[0018] In FIG. 6 to which reference is now made, a scheme shows the
sources of information fed into and integrated by firing control
system 128. The configurational and positioning data of the FWM
utilized is typically inclination angle 130, horizontal angle 132
and folding state 136. As a consequence, the firing control system
is able to calculate at any state the required parameter associated
with the acquisition of a target. Another input apparatus
advantageously applied to such a mount is a range finder 138, the
output of which can be fed automatically to the firing control
system. Thus for a specific folding state, the elevation angle
required could be different for different folding states.
Information related to the state of the FWM can be obtained from
sensors attached or associated with the FWM, for example a north
finding device can serve as a horizontal angle source, an
inclinometer can serve as inclination data source. In a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, a relative position of the FWM
with respect to the carrying vehicle is obtained by using angular
sensors of the resolver type. The data of such sensors is accurate
and reliable. Advantageously, the firing control system is digital,
requiring that all position data obtained from the sensors is
digitized prior to sending to the firing control system. The firing
control system can be programmed to include information regarding
safety zones, in which firing of the mounted weapons is prohibited.
The firing control system feeds positioning control signals to the
set of actuators 140 regulating the configuration of the FWM and
the weapon, in order to bring the whole system to a position such
that the target is aimed at properly, taking in consideration
proper elevation angle and prohibited zones.
[0019] Benefits of a Mount Embodying the Invention
[0020] As described above, the use of a mount of the invention adds
an additional degree of freedom to the firing control system. Thus
the elevation angle computed for a specific target relates to not
only to the static positioning of the weapon relative to a deck of
the carrier vehicle, but also of the instantaneous folding state o
the FWM. The benefit is especially noticeable in built up areas in
which the buildings and other artifacts aimed at or obstructing the
line of sight to a target may be very close to the carrying
vehicle, such that the folding state affect the actual capability
of sighing a specific target or otherwise have an appreciable
effect on the firing angle by changing the distance of the weapon
from the deck of the carrier vehicle vertically. In open areas, the
FWM may be folded down to reduce the profile of the crew carrier
harboring the FWM, thus decreasing the chances of exposure.
[0021] The folding mechanism of the instant invention based on a
threaded shaft is very robust and can be used to raise or lower
light to relatively heavy weapons either manually or mechanically
by the use of an actuator. If the actuator as in some embodiment is
an electric motor, actuation can be controlled remotely and even
during travel or even battle.
* * * * *