Submarine weapon handling system

A weapon handling system comprising:

• means defining a first weapon receiving unit adapted to receive a weapon and having a first plurality of grooves therein;
• means defining a plurality of first bands received in said first grooves and movably secured to said first unit for movement between an open position for receiving a weapon and a closed position for securing the weapon to said first unit;
• means defining a second weapon receiving unit adapted to receive the weapon and having a second plurality of grooves therein;
• means defining a plurality of second bands received in said second grooves and movably secured to said second unit for movement between an open position for receiving a weapon and a closed position for securing the weapon to said second unit;
• means defining band accommodating openings in said first and second units for loosely receiving portions of said second and first bands when said units are in abutting contact with the weapon;
• and
• means for moving said first bands between said closed positions to said open positions, and for moving said second bands from said open to said closed positions for releasing control of the weapon from said first unit to said second unit.

A weapon handling system comprising:

• a first weapon receiving tray adapted to receive an elongated weapon therein and having a plurality of first and second arcuate grooves therein;
• first spaced arcuate bands slidably received in said first grooves for movement between a weapon receiving position and a weapon clamping position;
• a second weapon receiving tray adapted to receive a weapon therein and having a plurality of third and fourth arcuate grooves therein;
• second spaced arcuate bands slidably received in said fourth grooves for movement between a weapon receiving position and a weapon clamping position;
• first drive means for moving said first tray toward said second tray into weapon receiving position with said first bands being received in said third grooves in said second tray and with said second bands being received in said second grooves in said first tray.

A weapon handling system comprising;

• an elongated stationary ramming tray adapted to receive a weapon, a plurality spaced ramming tray bands connected to said ramming tray, first power means for moving said ramming tray bands between an open weapon receiving position and a closed position securing a weapon to said ramming tray;
• an elongated storage tray adapted to receive a weapon, a plurality of spaced storage tray bands connected to said storage tray, a second power means for moving said storage tray bands between an open weapon receiving position and a closed position securing a weapon to said storage tray;
• an elongated transfer tray adapted to receive and transfer a weapon between said storage tray and said ramming tray, a plurality of spaced transfer tray bands connected to said transfer tray, third power means for moving said transfer tray bands between an open weapon receiving position and a closed position securing a weapon to said transfer tray;
• fourth power means for selectively moving said transfer tray along a transverse path spaced from said ramming tray and storage tray between a spaced position in alignment with said storage tray and said ramming tray;
• and
• fifth power means for moving said transfer tray in either direction normal to said transverse path.

A weapon handling method including a plurality of weapon supporting units having a plurality of weapon securing bands in each of said unit and having a weapon in a first unit, comprising the steps of:

• moving a plurality of first bands between an open position for receiving the weapon and a closed and locked position for clamping the weapon to said first unit;
• moving a second unit into abutting contact with the weapon in said first unit;
• retaining a plurality of of second bands in said second unit in an open position when said second unit is moving into contact with the weapon;
• closing said second bands around the weapon in the second unit;
• locking said second bands to said second unit for securing the weapon to said second unit;
• unlocking the first bands from said first unit;
• and
• moving the second unit and weapon away from the first unit.