Method and apparatus for moving cartridged ammunition from a hull magazine to a turret magazine

Abstract

To reduce the space required within the rotatable turret housing 24 of an armored vehicle for transferring cartridged ammunition 3 from a magazine 4 in the hull to a magazine 10 in the turret, the gun barrel 1, which is pivotal about a cradle axis 2, is used as a transporting means for the change of ammunition. To transport the cartridged ammunition 3 into the chamber 15 of the gun barrel, the ammunition 3 of the hull magazine 4 in the removal position 5 is arranged at an angle within vehicle hull 23 so that the ammunition 3 forms a straight line 7 with the bore axis 6 of the gun barrel 1, which has been raised by an elevation angle .alpha. with respect to the horizontal. To guide the cartridged ammunition 3 in the region of the recoil path s of the barrel 1, pivotal conduits or spacers 11, 12 are fastened to hull magazine 4 and to turret magazine 10. The gun barrel 1 serves as the transporting means, on the one hand, to replenish the cartridged ammunition 3 in the turret magazine 10 from the supply of ammunition in the hull magazine 4 and, on the other hand, to replenish the hull magazine 4 in the reverse direction of transport. For the longitudinal transport of the cartridged ammunition 3 into and out of chamber 15 of gun barrel 1, ramming devices 16, 17 are provided at turret magazine 10 and at hull magazine 4, respectively.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.