Rapid Loading System For Missiles

Abstract

This invention relates to the feeding of missiles to missile launchers and more particularly to a system comprising a support member for at least one missile container, translation means for fetching each missile carried by said supporting member from a waiting position to a loading position in contact with the launcher by a rotational movement in a plane perpendicular to the missile axis, first temporary latching means of the supporting member with the translation means during the common movements thereof, second temporary latching means of the launcher with the supporting member in the loading position, and means for establishing electrical connections between the launcher and each container and/or missile in the loaded position thereof.

Description

The loading of missiles on to missile launchers, which are usually fast with a turret carried by a vehicle, is commonly effected by hoisting means or by bulky and heavy devices which load the missiles through the agency of articulated or deployable arms and generally involves manual handling operations and delicate adjustments.

The subject system of this invention loads missiles into a turret without manual intervention or problems of precision, the adjustment being made once and for all and both the loading and subsequent ejection of the missile containers after launching being effected with great rapidity.

The system permits simultaneous loading of several missiles, it being possible for the number of missiles loaded to be doubled through the use of a second symmetrical and identical system.

An unusual feature of the system according to this invention is that loading is effected laterally by a rotating motion in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the missile or missiles, the loading system being fixed to the stationary portion of the turret, which stationary portion may be the frame of a vehicle.

The description which follows with reference to the accompanying non-limitative exemplary drawings will give a clear understanding of how the invention can be carried into practice.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a vehicle equipped with a radar turret armed with missiles, comprising a loading system according to a first embodiment of the invention, the centre of rotation of which lies in the plane defined by the axes of the two missiles in the loaded position ;

FIG. 2 is a corresponding view of a loading system according to a second embodiment of the invention that rotates about an axis parallel to the plane defined by the axes of the two missiles ;

FIG. 3 is a perspective showing of the loading system schematically depicted in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view of FIG. 3, showing the method of attachment of the missile support to the loading arm ;

FIGS. 5 and 5a are respective detail views of an alternative embodiment of the system of FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the interconnecting member for two missile containers of the subject system of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the guiding cavities of the container interconnecting member ;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the arrangement for securing the container interconnecting member to the launcher ;

FIG. 9 is an external side elevation view of the launcher forming part of the turret ;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the launcher of FIG. 9 ;

FIGS. 11 and 12 are schematic sectional views showing details of the means provided for guiding and securing the missiles to the launcher of FIGS. 9 and 10 ; and

FIG. 13 is an external end view showing in greater detail the arrangement of the ejection arms of the launcher of FIGS. 9 and 10.

Reference is first had to FIG. 1 for a showing of a vehicle 1 equipped with a radar 2 and four missiles 3, 3', 3", 3'" (shown in front elevation), which radar and missiles are part of a turret 1' revolving about a substantially vertical axis 4-5. Two symmetrically identical loading systems 6, 6' are arranged on either side of the vehicle. Loading system 6, which is fixed to the frame of vehicle 1, comprises an axle 7 about which rotates an arm 8 which assumes positions of missile retrieval 8', standby 8" and loading 8, the missiles 3 and 3' being shifted from the arm to launcher 9 by a transfer operation to be described hereinbelow.

Referring now to FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 designates the vehicle equipped with a turret 10' revolving about a substantially vertical axis 11-12 and including for exemplary purposes a radar 13, four missiles 14, 15, 16, 17 and a loading system the portion 18 of which is rigid with the frame of vehicle 10 and includes an axle 19 about which rotate arms 20 and 21 made fast with a member 22 by means of pins 23 and 24.

Said arms are rotated by a source of energy such as an electric motor 25.

The subject system of this invention is designed :

1. to fetch the missile containers 14 and 15 into a vertical position against the launcher 26 even though rotation axis 19 does not lie in the plane defined by the axes 27 and 28 of missiles 14 and 15 ;

2. and so that the ultimate phase of the bodily rotation of the two missile containers and their interconnecting member, prior to setting the missiles on the launcher, should consist of a translational motion enabling the various transfer operations to be performed and most notably the plugging-in of the electrical connections.

This transformation of ordinary rotating motion about axle 19 into an approximate translation (which is in reality a circular path of very large radius the curvature of which can be disregarded for short distances of travel) will be better understood by consideration of FIGS. 3 and 5 in relation to FIG. 2.

FIGS. 3, 5 and 5 show the stationary portion 18 comprising electric motor 25, axle 19, arms 20 and 21 pivotally connected at 23 and 24 to support 22, and the same arm arrangement at 38-39.

Arms 21 and 39 including angled extensions (a) [only one is identified in the drawing] are connected to cranks 40-41 which likewise rotate about axle 19 and are connected to said arms 21 and 39 through the agency of spring washers 42. Extensions (a) of arms 21 and 39 obviously need not necessarily be integral therewith, and could be separate elements so long as they move with arms 21 and 39 about the stationary pivot axis.

The missiles revolve in a pure circle about axle 19 until crank 40 contacts the stop 43 fast with the stationary portion. At this point, upon arms 20 and 21 continuing to rotate and only the cranks 40 and 41 being arrested by the stops 43, the member 22 (together with interconnecting member 30 and the missile containers) describes a different path consisting of two combined rotations so determined as to generate, over a short distance, a near-straight path perpendicular to the plane containing the axes of the missiles when the latter are laid on the launcher.

FIGS. 5 and 5a [a vertical sectional view through the axis of (b)] show a practical embodiment of a drive connection operating in accordance with the principal of the present invention. This drive connection includes the arm (a) which may be integral with element 21 or be secured thereto so as to move with said element about stationary pivot axis 19. The arm (a) is provided with a stud or pin member (b) extending into a recess (c) formed in element 40. The recess (c) contains suitable resilient means, such as a compression spring 42 adapted to urge member (b) towards the bottom of recess (c). Reference letter (d) indicates a plate member interposed between 42 and (b) to reduce the friction therebetween. Since spring 42 is progressively compressed during the movement of element 21 from the position shown in FIG. 5 towards the right, it is clear that the degree of compressibility of spring 42 must be such as to allow the corresponding upward motion of member (b). It is obvious that the resilient means may as well consist of a pile of flexible metal diaphrams or of a block of elastically deformable material, such as a rubber and the like.

It should also be appreciated that element 21 of the parallelogram is keyed or otherwise secured to the rotatable drive shaft 19 which is supported by two suitable cylindrical bearings 19a and 19b having the stop means 43 thereon.

FIG. 4 shows in solid lines a detail view of the member 22 provided with attachment means for interconnecting member 30. These means include two hooks 44 and 45 pivotally mounted at 46 and 47 and urged by a tension spring 48 into a latching position.

The missile container interconnecting member 30 shown in dot-dash lines comprises an opening 49 and a rod 50 continuously urged into the latched position shown by a spring under compression 51. It will readily be appreciated that a thrust exerted on rod 50 in the direction of the arrow f1 will cause springs 44, 45 to pivot about their axles into the unlatched position.

FIG. 6 shows in detail the manner of fastening interconnecting member 30 with the missile containers, the latter being provided with lugs 52 to which interconnecting member 30 is fixed by means of pins 52'.

Essentially, interconnecting member 30 comprises a beam-forming central portion 31 and four extensions 31a for attachment to the missile container lugs.

Central portion 31 is provided with two female guide cones 54 (FIG. 7) and with two openings 55, 56 for passage of the hooks 44, 45 of member 22 (FIGS. 4 and 7).

FIG. 8 shows the manner in which dowels 57 (for restraining interconnecting member 30 to the launcher) are fixed to central portion 31 of interconnecting member 30 by means of bolts 58.

FIGS. 9 and 10 depict the launcher 32 mounted on the turret through the agency of a flange 59.

Launcher 32 basically comprises :

a body portion 60 in the form of a hollow triangular beam (see section through XI--XI in FIG. 11 and section through XII--XII of FIG. 9 in FIG. 12) ;

four hydraulic jacks 61-62-63-64 with double pistons 65-66-67-68 respectively ;

two guide pins 69-70 of eccentric cylindro-conical shape ;

four torsion bars 71-72-73-74 provided with arms 75 and rollers 76 (FIGS. 10 and 13) ;

and a set of electrical connections 77 (FIG. 9).

The principle of operation of the subject loading system of this invention is as follows :

With the missile previously loaded on to the turret having been fired and their containers ejected, the turret is appropriately trained in elevation and azimuth.

The loading arms, previously supplied with missiles united by their interconnecting member 30, begin their upward rotation responsively to electric motors 25.

A little before the end of this rotation, cranks 40 contact fixed stops 43 and thereafter the motion of the missiles and the interconnecting member is the result of two combined rotations, whereby their path becomes substantially straight.

The following operations are then performed in succession :

1. Preguidance of interconnecting member 30 on the pins 69, 70 of launcher 32.

2. The torsion bars 71, 72, 73, 74 begin to be set under tension by the containers contacting rollers 76.

3. The latching hooks 44 and 45 are released by the thrust exerted on rod 50 in contact with launcher 32.

4. Engagement over pins 69, 70.

5. Plugging in of electrical connections 77.

6. At the end of travel, clamping of the dowels 57 of interconnecting member 30 between the two jacks 65, 66 and 67, 68.

At this point the missile transfer operation is terminated and the loading arms can redescend to be supplied with fresh missiles.

After the missiles have been fired, all that is necessary in order to eject the empty containers is to cancel the clamping effect of jacks 61, 62, 63, 64, with the torsion bars, which bear against the containers through the medium of the arms 75 and the rollers 76 of torsion bears 71, 72, 73, 74, thrusting the empty containers guided by pins 69, 70 away from the launcher 32.

It is likewise possible, if necessary, to unload missile containers by means of the loading arms. This can be effected, after the arms have been placed in contact with interconnecting member 30 on launcher 32, by cancelling the effect of jacks 61, 62, 63, 64 as described precedingly, and by cancelling the unlatching effect or rod 50 by any convenient means, whereupon the hooks 44 and 45 automatically effect the latching process by virtue of their appropriate shape.

It will readily be appreciated that operation of the system may be either automatic or semi-automatic and be controlled from outside or inside the carrier vehicle or from a turret-bearing bunker, as well as in a harmful atmosphere provided that the vehicle itself is protected thereagainst. The loading time can be made very short since it is solely dependent on the source used to power rotation of the arms, thereby enabling very rpaid loadings to be made.

It goes without saying that many changes and substitutions may be made in the exemplary embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A missile loading and firing or launching device adapted to be movable relative to a loading position and having support means for carrying at least one missile container and transferring said missile container to a firing or launching position, comprising: means for moving said support means from a rest position into transfer engagement with said firing device; said means comprising a loading assembly of opposite pairs or sets of articulated parallelograms each having a plurality of mutually cooperatively associated elements; a first one of said elements of each of said pairs being mounted for pivotal motion about a stationary axis extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said firing device when said firing device is in the loading position; a second of said elements being mounted for pivotal motion about said stationary axis, a third yoke or common element being pivotably connected to the ends of said first elements opposite said stationary axis, and to the ends of a fourth element pivotably connected to an end of said second element opposite said stationary axis; a drive connection between said first element and said second element, said drive connection including resilient means arranged to urge said first and second elements towards a position in which they form an angle of substantially 90.degree. therebetween; motor means operatively connected to said first elements for moving said loading assembly along an arcuate path, and stop means disposed in the path of said second elements for stopping the motion of said second elements about just prior to said support means approaching the loading position of said firing device so as to produce, upon pivotal motion of said first element relative to said stopped second element and effective to move said support means against the action of said resilient means into transfer engagement with said firing device, a near-straight line path for said support means. pg,9

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said support means comprises a transfer member adapted to receive a pair of missile containers, means for fastening said containers to said transfer members, releasable means for locking said transfer member to said third element of said assembly with said containers in proper transfer position thereof, and controllable means for interconnecting said transfer member and said firing device upon transfer engagement thereof.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said releasable locking means comprises temporary latching means having hooks pivotally mounted on said common element engaging with catches provided on the interconnecting supporting member, and a rod supported by said interconnecting supporting member cooperating with the latching device and acting upon the pivotally mounted hooks thereby unlatching same from the interconnecting supporting member when the missiles are in the loaded position on the launching device.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said temporary latching means for latching the launching device with the interconnecting member includes a set of jacks supported by the launching device and adapted to clamp dowel members fast with the interconnecting member.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the launching device includes a set of torsion bars placed under tension when the missiles are positioned on the launching device and which repulse the missiles together with the supporting member when the same is unlatched from the launching device.