Autoloader for military vehicle

An autoloading apparatus for loading and unloading cartridges having cases into or out of a gun having a breach block and mounted for pivotal movement about a substantial horizontal axis, comprising:

• locking means for selectively locking the gun in a predetermined position and unlocking the gun for pivotal movement about said horizontal axis;
• magazine conveying means for supporting a plurality of cartridges and having a load-unload station;
• load tray means mounted for pivotal movement between a substantially vertical position and a substantially horizontal position in alignment with the gun when locked;
• cartridge clamp means on said tray for movement between a cartridge clamping position and an open cartridge guiding position;
• rammer and extensible empty tray case ejecting means for ramming a cartridge on said load tray means into said gun and after firing to eject the empty cartridge case from said autoloading apparatus;
• power means for operating said gun locking means, said magazine conveyor, said load tray means, said cartridge clamping means and said rammer and extensible tray case and eject means;
• automated control means for sequentially locking the gun in said predetermined position, driving said magazine to position a selected cartridge at said load-unload station, translating said load tray into said load-unload station, moving the clamp means into gripping engagement with said selected cartridge, moving the tray and selected cartridge into alignment with the gun, moving the rammer for ramming the cartridge into the gun to be fired, closing the breach block, and unloading said locking means for releasing the gun to be aimed and fired;
• a rotatable turret mounted for rotation about a vertical axis;
• the gun and autoloader apparatus being supported by said turret, means defining a cartridge reload-eject port in said turret, means defining a reload hatch door movably mounted on said turret for opening and closing said reload-eject port, said load tray means including a rear restraint damper, a magazine housing having said magazine conveyor means therein and having a load-unload port therein, a magazine gate assembly having restraining arms movable between a closed and an open position in said load-unload port:
• wherein when a cartridge is to be loaded into the magazine conveyor from externally of said turret;
• said automatic control means sequentially opening said restraining arms, raising said load tray means into said substantially horizontal position in alignment with said gun, opening said reload hatch doors, and retracting said rear restraint damper;
• after one of said cartridges is manually inserted through said reload-eject port and is manually rammed onto said load tray means;
• said automatic control means sequentially extending said rear restraint dampener, lowering said load tray means, translating said load tray means into said magazine load-unload port, closing said load station restraining arms, opening said load tray cartridge clamps, translating said load tray means out of said load-unload port, and closing said cartridge clamp means while indexing said magazine conveyor and the cartridge away from said load-unload station.