Double-action rammer

Abstract

In an apparatus and method for separate rapid ramming of shells and propellant charges in a heavy artillery gun in which shells and propellant charges, up to the loading operation are separately stored and separately fed to each respective ramming position in the barrel of the gun, the gun includes two magazines disposed one on each side of the barrel of the gun and the loading apparatus for transferring shells and propellant charges to the breech of the barrel. The loading apparatus includes at least one loading cradle with a first track for shells and a second track for propellant charges, each track having a free-flight rammer. The loading cradle is inwardly pivotally mounted between a replenishment position on a side of the gun barrel and in immediate association with a magazine from which the shells and the propellant charges are loaded into the respective tracks and a ramming position in which the first and second tracks are alternately aligned with the main axis of the gun barrel for separately and successively throwing by the free-flight rammer the shells and propellant charges along their respective tracks into their ramming position in the gun barrel. The magazines and the loading cradle are connected with an elevating system of the gun to follow its movements and are therefore be always parallel with the main axis of the gun barrel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.