Arrangement of an elevation device for a vehicle mounted weapon system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12332009-B2
Application number	US-202218547863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2022
Priority date	Feb 26, 2021
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement for an elevation device of a vehicle mounted weapon system. The weapon system comprise a weapon and a feeding chute. Said elevation device is arranged to allow elevation movement of the weapon about an elevation axis. Said elevation is performed in connection to sides of said elevation device about said elevation axis. Said feeding chute is configured to be arranged in connection to one side. Said arrangement comprises an arc-shaped sector bearing device of a bearing configuration for facilitating said elevation. Said bearing device is arranged in connection to a front portion at said one side at a radial distance from said elevation axis so as to provide space for said feeding chute on said one side in connection to said elevation axis. The invention also relates to a vehicle with an arrangement according to the present invention.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An arrangement of an elevation device for a vehicle mounted weapon system, the weapon system comprising a weapon with a gun barrel, and a feeding chute for feeding ammunition to the weapon, said elevation device being arranged to allow elevation movement of the gun barrel about an elevation axis, said elevation device having a front portion front of said elevation axis and a rear portion rear of said elevation axis, said elevation device having a first side and an opposite second side, the weapon having a main extension, running between said sides from the rear portion to the front portion, the gun barrel projecting through a front side of the front portion in a forward direction, said elevation being performed in connection to said sides about said elevation axis transversal to the main extension of said weapon, said feeding chute being configured to be arranged in connection to said first side, said elevation device comprising a bearing configuration for facilitating said elevation of said weapon about the elevation axis, said arrangement comprising an arc-shaped sector bearing device of said bearing configuration, said bearing device being arranged in connection to the front portion at said first side at a radial distance from said elevation axis so as to provide space for said feeding chute on said first side in connection to said elevation axis.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said sector bearing device comprises an arc-shaped groove and a set of rollers, wherein said set of rollers are configured to be arranged within said groove, said arc-shaped groove and set of rollers being arranged such that relative movement of said rollers and said groove are provided in connection to elevation movement.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said sector bearing device comprises a bearing housing with an arc-shaped groove, said bearing housing being configured to constitute a fixed portion of said elevation device, fixedly arranged relative to an elevation member of said elevation device, said elevation member providing said elevation movement, said sector bearing device further comprising a bearing member arranged at said elevation member in connection to said first side of the elevation device, and a set of rollers distributed along and attached to said bearing member, said bearing housing being arranged in connection to said bearing member such that said set of rollers fit within said arc-shaped groove and are allowed to move within said groove in connection to elevation movement.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 , wherein said sector bearing device comprises a sealing arrangement comprising a sealing device arranged in connection to said arc-shaped groove and configured to face and be arranged against an outer side of said bearing member so as to provide low friction sealing between said bearing housing and bearing member and allow movement of said bearing member relative to said bearing housing in connection to elevation movement.

5. The arrangement of claim 4 , wherein said sealing member is configured be received in a slot running along said arc-shaped groove, said sealing member comprising a compressible strip member arranged in the bottom of said slot providing a spring function, and a low friction sealing member configured to face and be arranged against said outer side of said bearing member with a first side for said low friction sealing, and configured to, with the opposite side, press against said compressible strip member so as to provide a compressed state for efficient sealing between said bearing housing and bearing member.

6. The arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the elevation device with said arrangement is configured to be arranged within a turret of a vehicle mounted weapon system for which the arrangement is intended, the weapon system comprising the weapon mounted to a turret via the elevation device, the elevation device being fixedly mounted to said turret via said bearing housing.

7. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein said elevation device is configured to provide elevation of the weapon between a maximum elevation angle and minimum elevation angle, wherein said arc-shaped groove has an extension so as to allow movement of said set of rollers within said groove within a range between said maximum elevation angle and minimum elevation angle.

8. The arrangement of claim 2 , wherein said arc-shaped groove has a rear wall portion with an inner side configured to face in the forward direction, and a front wall portion with an inner side configured to face in the rear direction, wherein said rear wall portion and front wall portion are arranged with a distance between said inner sides and are running parallel with an arc-shaped extension.

9. The arrangement according to of claim 8 , wherein the distance between said inner sides of said rear wall portion and front wall portion is slightly larger than the diameter of the respective roller of said set of rollers configured to be distributed along and attached to said bearing member and received within said arc-shaped groove so as to allow rolling of said rollers against an inner side of said inner sides.

10. The arrangement of claim 8 , wherein said set of rollers comprises recoil rollers configured to be arranged in connection to the inner side of said rear wall portion so as to take up recoil load of the weapon, and return rollers configured to be arranged in connection to the inner side of said front wall portion so as to take up return load of the weapon.

11. The arrangement of claim 5 , wherein rollers configured to be arranged in connection to one of said inner sides of said arc-shaped groove are configured to be fixedly arranged with regard to the radial position and rollers configured to be arranged to the opposite inner side of said arc-shaped groove are adjustably arranged with regard to the radial position so as to facilitate providing a desirable clearance in rear and forward direction.

12. The arrangement of claim 11 , wherein said sector bearing device comprises an adjustment arrangement arranged in connection to said bearing member so as to facilitate adjustment of said adjustably arranged rollers.

13. The arrangement of claim 12 , wherein said adjustment arrangement comprises a set of adjustment tongues provided by recesses in said bearing member, said adjustably arranged rollers being configured to be attached to said adjustment tongues, said adjustment arrangement further comprising a set of screw joint members, wherein each screw joint member of said set of screw joint members is arranged in connection to an adjustment tongue of said set of adjustment tongues such that, by providing a screw force against that adjustment tongue, adjustment of said tongue is provided such that the radial position of the thus attached roller is moved closer to an inner side of said arc-shaped groove.

14. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein said set of adjustment tongues with said adjustable rollers are distributed along said bearing member in pairs facing each other, wherein said fixed rollers are configured to be attached at the end of pairs of adjustment tongues.

15. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein said set of adjustment tongues are shaped so as to facilitate providing an essentially equal stiffness of the sector bearing device in rear and forward direction.

16. The arrangement of claim 13 , wherein said set of adjustment tongues comprises an attachment portion for attaching said adjustable roller and a base portion for said adjustment, wherein the thickness of said base portion is adapted so as to facilitate providin

Assignees

• Bae Systems Haegglunds Ab

Inventors

• Eriksson Claes
• Grenwald Johnny

Classifications

• F41A9/57

  Flexible chutes, e.g. for guiding belted ammunition from the magazine to the gun · CPC title

• B62D55/06

  with tracks without ground wheels · CPC title

• F41A9/00

  Feeding or loading of ammunition ({conveying ammunition through pipes by the action of flowing gases B65G51/025} ; adaptations for feeding or loading missiles from magazines in air guns F41B11/50); Magazines; Guiding means for the extracting of cartridges (cartridge extractors or ejectors F41A15/00) · CPC title

• F41A27/08

  Bearings, e.g. trunnions; Brakes or blocking arrangements · CPC title

• F41A23/24

  Turret gun mountings (feeding, loading or guiding ammunition F41A9/00; mechanical elevating or traversing systems for turret guns F41A27/18) · CPC title