Rotary storage magazine

In an ordnance apparatus having a generally horizontal deck, a pair of munitions storage bays below the deck, and at least one weapon on the deck, a pair of rotary storage magazines usable below deck level on both sides of the apparatus, at locations symmetrically disposed with respect to the centerline of the apparatus, such that munitions may be stored and thereafter quickly delivered on an as-needed basis to intermediate positions for the reloading of the weapon, comprising fore and aft multi-armed rotary support devices disposed in respective munitions storage bays immediately below deck level a spaced distance apart, which distance is less than the length of the munitions to be stored, the respective pairs of rotary support devices each having the same number of support arms, such that a like number of munitions disposed in a generally parallel array may reside between corresponding support arms of each of the fore and aft rotary support devices, the members of each pair of said rotary support devices being rotatable together, and having a common axis of rotation generally parallel to the centerline of the apparatus, independent means for driving each respective pair of rotary support devices in the inboard rotative direction during the loading of munitions into the respective storage magazine, and for driving said rotary support devices in the outboard direction during the delivery of the munitions to the deck level of the vehicle, and a respective munition transporter contained between the fore and aft rotary support devices constituting each pair of said rotary support devices, which munition transporter is spaced laterally from the axis of rotation of the respective rotary support device, each said munition transporter being in the form of an elevator having an upper and a lower operative position, such that it can selectively move munitions down to the respective pair of said multi-armed rotary support devices during the loading of the respective storage magazine, and up away from said multi-armed rotary support devices during the delivery of munitions for the loading of the weapon, each elevator, when in its lowered position, being located between circumferentially adjacent munition storage locations.

In an ordnance apparatus having a generally horizontally disposed deck, a munitions storage bay below the deck, and a weapon on the deck;

• a rotary storage magazine operably disposed in said munitions storage bay, so that munitions may be stored and thereafter quickly delivered on an as-needed basis to an intermediate position for the reloading of the weapon, means defining a generally rectangular opening in said deck, directly above a portion of said rotary storage magazine, said rotary storage magazine comprising multi-armed rotary support devices disposed in a fore and aft relationship immediately below deck level in said munitions storage bay, said rotary support devices being located a spaced distance apart, which distance is less than the length of the munitions to be stored, said rotary support devices each having the same number of support arms, such that a like number of munitions disposed in a generally parallel array may reside between corresponding support arms of the fore and aft rotary support devices, said rotary support devices being rotatably together, and having a common axis of rotation, that is disposed in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal centerline of the apparatus, means in said munitions storage bay for driving said rotary support devices in one rotative direction during the loading of munitions down through said deck opening into the storage magazine, and for driving said rotary support devices in the opposite direction during the upward delivery of the munitions for reloading of the weapon, and a munition transporter in the form of an elevator having upper and lower functional positions and operating entirely from a below-deck location, said munition transporter being disposed generally alongside said rotary support devices, and serving to move munitions down through said deck opening to said rotary support devices during the loading of the storage magazine, and up from said rotary support devices and through said rectangular deck opening during the delivery of munitions for the loading of the weapon, said elevator, when in its lowered position, being located between circumferentially adjacent munition storage locations.

In a vehicle or structure having a generally horizontal deck, a munitions storage bay below the deck, and a weapon on the deck, a rotary storage magazine usable so that munitions may be stored and thereafter quickly delivered on an as needed basis to an intermediate position for the reloading of a deck weapon, said rotary storage magazine comprising fore and aft multi-armed rotary support devices disposed below deck level in a munitions storage bay, said rotary support devices being located a spaced distance apart, which distance is less than the length of the munitions to be stored, said rotary support devices each having the same number of support arms, such that a like number of munitions disposed in a generally parallel array may reside between corresponding support arms of the fore and aft rotary support devices, said rotary support devices being rotatable together, and having a common axis of rotation disposed in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle or structure, means in said munitions storage bay for driving said support devices in one rotative direction during the loading of munitions into the storage magazine, and for driving said rotary support devices in the opposite direction during the delivery of the munitions for reloading of the weapon, and a munition transporter usable for moving munitions to said multi-armed rotary support devices during the loading of the storage magazine, and away from said multi-armed rotary support devices during the delivery of munitions for the unloading of the weapon, said rotary support devices being mounted directly below an unbroken section of deck, and alongside an elongate lateral opening in the side of the vehicle or structure, and a munition transporter in the form of a below deck lateral conveyor serving to move munitions one at a time through said lateral opening during the loading of the storage magazine, and to redeliver munitions one at a time through said lateral opening during the phase in which the weapon is to be reloaded, the moving of munitions by said lateral conveyor being in a lateral direction spaced vertically from said axis of rotation of said rotary support devices between a munition storage location in said storage magazine and a location immediately outside said lateral opening, said lateral conveyor further serving to move munitions in a vertical direction between said outside location and a location at deck level.

In a vehicle or structure having a generally horizontal deck, a pair of munitions storage bays below the deck, and at least one weapon on the deck, a pair of rotary storage magazines usable so that munitions may be stored and thereafter quickly delivered on an as needed basis to respective intermediate positions for the reloading of one or more deck weapons, said rotary storage magazines each including respective pairs of fore and aft multi-armed rotary support devices disposed below deck level in respective munitions storage bays, the rotary support devices of each pair being located a spaced distance apart, which distance is less than the length of the munitions to be stored, said rotary support devices each having the same number of support arms, such that a like number of munitions disposed in a generally parallel array may reside between corresponding support arms of each pair of fore and aft rotary support devices, the rotary support devices of each pair being rotatable together, and having a common axis of rotation disposed in substantial parallelism with the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle or structure, means in each of said munitions storage bays for driving the respective rotary support device in one rotative direction during the loading of munitions into the storage magazine, and for driving each said rotary support device in the opposite direction during the delivery of the munitions for reloading of the weapon, each pair of rotary support devices being mounted directly below an unbroken section of deck, and alongside an elongate lateral opening in the side of the vehicle or structure, and a respective munition transporter in the form of a below deck lateral conveyor serving to move munitions one at a time through said lateral opening during the loading of the storage magazine, and to redeliver munitions one at a time through said lateral opening during the phase in which the weapon is to be reloaded, the moving of munitions by each said lateral conveyor being in a lateral direction spaced vertically from said axis of rotation of said rotary support devices between a munition storage location in said storage magazine and a location immediately outside said lateral opening, each said lateral conveyor further serving to move munitions in a vertical direction between said outside location and a location at deck level.