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AssigneeFritz Werner Industrie-Ausrustungen GmbH
InventorLeonid ABEL
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The invention relates to an automated progressive ammunition, in particular cartridge, assembly apparatus (1) and method. The automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to the invention comprises a conveyor subsystem (4) and at least one assembly station (5). The at least one assembly station (5) comprises an actuator subsystem (8), a measurement subsystem (12) and a control subsystem (13). The conveyor subsystem (4) is adapted to transport the ammunition (2, 3) past the at least one assembly station (5) in an assembly direction (6) preferably along a rectilinear path. The actuator subsystem (8) is adapted to move a component (9), such as a powder or propellant (10) or a projectile (11), thereby adding the component to the ammunition. The component thus changes at least one physical parameter (P) of the ammunition. The measurement subsystem (12) is adapted to measure the at least one physical parameter and output a measurement signal (15), representative of the at least one physical parameter. In order to be able to meet very tight product specifications, and at the same time allow a quick change between the manufacture of different types of ammunition using the same apparatus (1), the subsystem (21) is adapted to control the actuator subsystem (8) depending on the measurement signal. The at least one assembly station (5) may, in particular, be a powder filling station (18) or a projectile insertion station (27) where powder (10) or a projectile (11) is added to the ammunition.
Automated progressive ammunition, in particular cartridge, assembly apparatus (1) comprising a conveyor subsystem (4) and at least one assembly station (5), the at least one assembly station comprising an actuator subsystem (8), a measurement subsystem(12) and a control subsystem (13), the conveyor subsystem (4) being adapted to transport ammunition (2, 3) past the at least one assembly station in an assembly direction (6), the actuator subsystem (8) being adapted to add a component (9) to the ammunition, the component changing at least one physical parameter (P) of the ammunition, the measurement subsystem (12) being adapted to measure the at least one physical parameter and output a measurement signal (15) representative of the at least one measured physical parameter, wherein the control subsystem (13) is adapted to control the actuator subsystem (8) depending on the measurement signal.
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to the previous claim, wherein the conveyer subsystem (4) is assembled as a loop (55) around two pulleys (50), which lie on an axis and are rotated by means of a driver (57).
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the measurement subsystem (12) comprises a net weighing apparatus (20a) which is arranged in the assembly direction (6) before the actuator subsystem (8) and a gross weighing apparatus (20b) which is arranged in the assembly direction (6) behind the actuator subsystem (8).
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the measurement subsystem (12) comprises a weighing apparatus (20a, 20b) which has a weighing cell (69) that is arranged in line with the conveyor subsystem (4).
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to the previous claim, wherein the weighing cell (69) is mounted flush to a transport plane (44) an which the ammunition (2, 3) stands while being pushed by the conveyor subsystem (4).
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the measurement subsystem (12) comprises a weighing apparatus (20a, 20b) comprising a weighing cell (69) and the apparatus comprises a transport device (120) adapted to separate the ammunition (2,3) from the conveyor subsystem (4) in order to pass them onto the weighing cell (69).
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to the previous claim, wherein conveyor subsystem (4) comprises a conveyor belt (41) configured to transport the ammunition (2,3) within compartments (42) and the transport device (120) comprises at least one transport wheel (122, 123) adapted to receive the ammunition (2, 3) from said compartments (42) and transport the ammunition (2,3) onto the weighing cell.
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to any one of the previous claims, which apparatus (1) comprises a projectile insertion station (27), the component (9) is a projectile (11) and the at least one physical parameter (P) is a length (L) of a cartridge (3) with an inserted projectile (11).
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to any one of the previous claims, which apparatus (1) comprises a plurality of assembly stations (5), wherein the conveyor subsystem (4) extends linearly at least sectionwise through the automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) and the assembly stations (5) are arranged rectilinearly one behind the other in the assembly direction (6).
Automated progressive ammunition assembly apparatus (1) according to any one of the previous claims, which apparatus (1) further comprises a horizontal bulkhead (66) which separates an upper manufacturing space (67), in which the conveyor subsystem (4) and at least one assembly station (5) are arranged, from a lower bottom space (68) in a dust-tight manner.
Automated progressive ammunition, in particular cartridge, assembly method comprising the steps of adding a component (9) to the ammunition (2, 3) thereby changing a physical parameter (P) of the ammunition (2,3), of automatically measuring the physical parameter and of automatically modifying the addition of the component depending on the measured physical parameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.