Automated large caliber ammunition handling system

A system for automatically loading ammunition rounds into the breech of a cannon which is movable about elevation and azimuth axes and which has a loading axis aligned with the breech, wherein the loading axis moves in a loading axis plane when the cannon is moved in elevation comprising:

• a rotatable drum having an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to a plane in which the elevation and azimuth axes are included and having a plurality of storage chambers therein including an inner ring and an outer ring of storage chambers for storing an array of ammunition rounds,
• said drum being fixed in azimuth position relative to the cannon,
• means for shifting said array about said drum rotation axis so that the rounds are brought into alignment with an inner ring and an outer ring transfer position adjacent thereto,
• a cradle arm mounted on the elevation axis and free to rotate thereabout in a plane parallel to the loading axis plane,
• a round receiving tray disposed for pivotal movement on said cradle arm,
• means for driving said tray pivotally about an axis in said cradle arm rotation plane between either of said inner and outer transfer positions and a position in the loading axis plane,
• and means for driving said cradle arm rotationally between a position in which said tray may be pivoted to be aligned with the loading axis and a position in which the tray may be aligned in either of said transfer

An ammunition handling system for a large caliber cannon movable in azimuth and elevation and having a breech which moves in a breech elevation plane, wherein the breech is adapted to receive a projectile and a propellant charge, comprising:

• a projectile storage drum having a plurality of projectile storage sleeves therein;
• a propellant charge storage drum having a plurality of propellant charge storage sleeves therein;
• means for mounting said drums in fixed azimuthal relation with the cannon;
• a projectile cradle arm mounted for elevation rotation relative to the cannon;
• a propellant charge cradle arm mounted for elevation rotation independent of said projectile cradle arm and relative to the cannon;
• a projectile tray disposed for movement between a position aligned with ones of said projectile storage sleeves and a position aligned with the breech elevation plane;
• a propellant charge tray disposed for movement between a position aligned with ones of said propellant charge sleeves and a position aligned with the breech elevation plane;
• means for driving said trays between said sleeve and breech alignment positions;
• means for rotationally indexing said drums so that selected ones of said projectile and propellant charge sleeves are positioned in alignment with said trays;
• means mounted on said storage drums for moving the projectiles and the propellant charges from said projectile and propellant charge drums to said projectile and propellant charge trays respectively when said trays are aligned with said storage sleeves;
• means mounted on said projectile and propellant charge trays for sequentially transferring the projectiles and the propellant charges from said trays to the breech when aligned with said breech,
• and computer means for continuously interrogating the positions of and coupled to said means for indexing, means for moving, means for driving and means for transferring and for providing appropriate sequential and simultaneous actuating commands for the same so that projectiles and propellant charges are moved from said sleeves into the breech.

A system for rapidly transferring a series of projectiles and propellant charges to a breech of a large caliber cannon mounted on a carriage which is movable in azimuth, comprising:

• means mounted on the carriage for holding a plurality of projectiles and propellant charges and for bringing ones thereof to projectile and propellant charge transfer positions, said last named means including a projectile drum having a plurality of projectile storage sleeves therein, a propellant charge drum having a plurality of propellant charge storage sleeves therein, and means indexing said drums rotationally to bring storage sleeves containing projectiles and propellant charges to said respective projectile and propellant charge transfer positions;
• a projectile transfer tray disposed for movement between a receiving position aligned with said projectile transfer position and a loading position aligned with the breech;
• a propellant charge transfer tray disposed for movement between a receiving position aligned with said propellant charge transfer position and said loading position;
• means for transferring projectiles and propellant charges from said means for holding to said projectile transfer tray and said propellant charge transfer tray respectively when said trays are in said receiving positions;
• means for loading said projectiles and propellant charges into the breech when said respective transfer trays are in said loading position;
• and
• means for positioning said transfer trays at said receiving and loading positions;
• said projectile and propellant charge drums each having an inner and an outer ring of storage sleeves at said transfer positions and said means for positioning said transfer trays including a selector operating to position said trays selectively at inner and outer receiving positions.

A system for rapidly transferring a series of projectiles and propellant charges to a breech of a large caliber cannon mounted on a carriage which is movable in azimuth, the cannon being movable on the carriage about a cannon elevation axis, comprising:

• means mounted on the carriage for holding a plurality of projectiles and propellant charges and for bringing ones thereof to projectile and propellant charge transfer positions;
• a projectile transfer tray disposed for movement between a receiving position aligned with said projectile transfer position and a loading position aligned with the breech;
• a propellant charge transfer tray disposed for movement between a receiving position aligned with said propellant charge transfer position and said loading position;
• means for transferring projectiles and propellant charges from said means for holding to said projectile transfer tray and said propellant charge transfer tray respectively when said trays are in said receiving positions;
• means for loading said projectiles and propellant charges into the breech from said transfer trays when said respective transfer trays are in said loading position;
• and
• means for positioning said transfer trays at said receiving and loading positions;
• said means for holding including a drum;
• said means for positioning said transfer trays including a pair of cradle arms mounted for rotational movement about the cannon elevation axis, a transfer tray arm rotatably mounted on each of said cradle arms and having the associated tray attached thereto and providing tray movement between a raised position and a lowered position, said raised position coinciding with said receiving position when said cradle arm is at the elevation of said drum and said lowered position coinciding with said loading position when said cradle arm is aligned in elevation with the cannon, means for driving said cradle arms between the position in alignment with the cannon and the position at the elevation of said drum, and means for driving said tray arm between said raised and lowered positions;
• and computer means for continuously interrogating the positions of and commanding actuation of said means for holding, transfer trays, means for transferring, means for loading and means for positioning in appropriate sequential and simultaneous fashion so that a succession of projectiles and propellant charges are positioned within the breech.

A method of transferring ammunition round components from inner and outer projectile and propellant receiving positions at a store for projectiles and propellant charges into the breech of a cannon from a loading position aligned therewith, wherein projectile and propellant charge trays are rotatably mounted on projectile and propellant charge cradle arms rotatable about the cannon elevation axis, comprising the steps of

• selecting between the inner and the outer projectile receiving positions,
• aligning the projectile cradle arm with the store elevation when the projectile tray is aligned with the arc including the selected projectile receiving position,
• indexing the projectile store to bring the next projectile into alignment with the selected projectile receiving position,
• selecting between the inner and the outer propellant receiving positions,
• rotating the propellant tray into alignment with the arc including the selected propellant receiving position,
• urging the projectile into the transfer tray from the store,
• aligning the propellant cradle arm with the store elevation,
• indexing the propellant store to bring the next propellant charge into alignment with the selected propellant receiving position,
• aligning the projectile cradle arm with the current cannon elevation,
• urging the propellant charge into the transfer tray from the store,
• opening the cannon breech,
• rotating the projectile tray on the projectile cradle arm into the loading position,
• aligning the propellant charge cradle arm with the current cannon elevation,
• loading the projectile into the breech,
• making the next selection between inner and outer projectile receiving positions,
• rotating the projectile tray into alignment with the arc including the next selected projectile receiving position,
• rotating the propellant tray on the propellant cradle arm into the loading position,
• loading the propellant charge into the breech,
• making the next selection between inner and outer propellant receiving positions,
• rotating the propellant tray into alignment with the arc including the next selected propellant receiving position, and
• closing the cannon breech.