Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a turret for a tank which is
rotatably arranged in relation to the tank chassis and which supports a
large-calibre firearm.
The purpose oE the invention is pri~arily to provide for a con-
struction of a tank which notwithstanding a high position given to the
large-calibre fireann permits the tank hull in other respects to be given a
low profile, which makes it difficult to hit by enemy fire. At the same
time, the invention is also to ensure that the disposition of the space for
the crew and equipment can be made in a simple and uncomplicated way with
optimal utilization of the spaces in the tank allotted to this purpose and
optimal line of sîght between the crew members.
Thus, according to the invention, there is provided an improved
turret structure for an armored vehicle comprising:
~ a low profile turret mounted for traversing movement in said vehicle,
r. said turret having an upper portion sized to extend only slightly above the
~ top of said vehicle;
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!" a fire-arm carrier mounted on said upper portion of said turret and
~ provided with side portions for supporting a firearm, the vertical height
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of said side portions substantially exceeding the height of said upper por-
20 tion;
first box-shaped frame means mounted in said vehicle for supporting said
turret for traversing movement in said vehicle;
a crew support station suspended from said turret through said frame
means and within said vehicle, for traversing movement with said turret;
ring means rotatably mounted on said turret for traversing movement
i;~ relative to both said turret and said vehicle; and
~i a loading pendulum pivotably supported on said ring means so that said
pendulum may be rotated toward and away from a firearm mounted on said
~ carrier and may traverse with said ring means.
'. 30 Also, according to the invention, there is provided an improved
,; turret structure for an armored vehicle, comprising:
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a lower profile turret mounted for traversing movement in an outer
frame of said vehicle, said turret having an upper portion sized to extend
only slightly a~ove the top of said vehicle and a lower annular frame
portion of a ~ox-shaped cross-section extending downwardly from said upper
portion into said vehicle;
a fire-arm carrier mounted on said upper portion of said turret and
provided with.side portions for supporting a fire-arm, the vertical height
of said side portions substantially exceeding the height of said upper
portion;
annular frame means of box-shaped cross-section attached to said outer
frame of said vehicle and surrounding said turret for supporting said
turret for traversing movement in said vehicle, with said frame means
includîng a portion extendîng parallel to and spaced from said lower frame .
portion to position a turret drive assembly therebetween; and a crew support ~ .
station suspended from said lower, hox-shaped annular frame portion
through.said ~ox-shaped annular frame means and wîthin said vehicle, for
traversing movement with.said turret.
, Emb.odiments of the invention will now be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in whîch:
. 20 Figure la shDwa, in elevation, a tank embodying the invention,
Figure 1~ shows, in a sectional elevation, parts of the tank .
. sho~m in Figure 1, according to a first embodiment of the invention, -~
,~ Figure 2, în elevation and partly in cross-section, shows parts
of a second em~odiment,
Figure 3, în plan view, shows certain parts comprised in Figure 2,
Figure 4, in a wide-angle perspective, shows the parts of the tank
~: to w~ich.the inventîon relates.
In Figures la and lb the hull of a tank is designated 1, and a
large-calibre firearm carried ~y the tank has been designated 2. The tank
is provided with a miniturret with. small external dimensions, particularly
ver-
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tically. The turret 3 has upper parts with a limited extent above the other
parts of the top of the tank, so that the turret essentially adapts itself
to the top of the tank. The turret also hag parts extending down into the
tank chassis, via which the turret is rotatably supported in the tank. Also
the parts extending downwards have a limited extent, so that, if a person
enters the turret from the inside so that the top of his head will be close
to the ceiling of the turret, the bottom of the turret will essentially be
on a level with the neck or shoulders of the person. The turret is moreover
supported in relation to a frame 4 in the tank chassis via a ball bearing 5.
On its upper side, the turret has a carrier with two side parts 6, in which
the elevating trunnions 7 of the firearm are supported.
Under the turret, a crew station is located inside the space in
the tank. The crew station has the form of a unit comprising a seat 8 for
the person in question and a foot plate 9 in connection with the seat. The
unit also comprises a fastening member 10 in which the seat and foot plat~
are fastened and by means of which the seat and foot plate are connected to
! ~ the turret 3. The fastening member is fixed to the turret at the parts of
this which extend downwards, by means of welding, fastening with bolts or
the like. A sight 11 and an aiming device 12 are also connected to the tur-
ret so that, like the seat and the foot plate, they follow the traversing
movements of the turret. The turret is provided with side viewing apertures
i 13 arranged at openings in the side parts 6 of the carrier.
A slip-ring gear 15 is located in the crew space in which, however,
the seat is not supported. 16 and 17 indicate the motor and the rod for the
elevating function of the firearm. Said motor and rod with the relevant gear
mechanism are located behind the fastening member and follow the traversing
movements of the firearm.
;~ The tank is provided with a loading pendulum 18 arranged outside
, (on top of) the tank which can be actuated between a fetching position at a
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magazine 19 and a rammung position at the rear of the firearm. For the
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swinging up of this pendulwn, the turret is provided w:ith a mechanism com-
prising a catch 20 fastened at one end of a straight gear rack 21 which can
be actuated by means of a driving shaft on a driving motor located inside
the tank. The gear rack is supported in a special recess in the tank and
the tank also has a projection 22, which is elongate and rectangular, and is
intended to protect the mechanism from foreign objects. The loading pendu-
lum which is arranged not only so that it can be raised, but can also be
swl~ng in a lateral plane so that it can assume various traverse positions
independent of the tank chassis and the firearm, is made with a block 23,
which can coact with the catch 20 in a lateral position of the loading pend-
ulum which coincides with the lateral position of the firearm.
In the fetching position, which also constitutes the rest position,
the pendulum is arranged in a housing 24 provided on the tank chassis which
is provided with hatch covers 25 which can be opened and closed. The loading
pendulum has a part 26 for supporting the rounds, and an arm 27 having one
of its ends rotatably supported on a supporting shaft 28 which extends at
right angles to the plane of Figure la, the other end of arm 27 being provid-
ed with a fork-shaped section, the prongs of which extend on either side of
the part 26 and are attached thereto. The support has springs arranged so
that when the pendulum swings up, the part 26 will be essentially parallel
to the longitudinal axis of the firearm. The part 26 consists of an armour
tube which is made with a longitudinal slot at its upper end to provide for
coa~tion with a rammer at the firearm. The armour tube is open at its ends,
and on~the front side it is provided with an extended bottom section. The
loading pendulum can be raised from the position shown in Figure la (fetch-
ing position) by means of a hydraulic cylinder 32a which can coact with
the arm 27. It is possible for the loading pendulum to swing in the travers-
ing plane by means of a ring 30 which is rotatable in relation to both
the turret 3 and the tank chassis around the traversing axis 31 of the
firearm. The loading pendulum is supported on said ring with a trunnion
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support which is known in i~self, and the block 23 is rigidly fastened to
the arm 27. The loading pendulum is raised with the lifting cylinder 32a
from the rest position to a position where it can coact with a fixed, circu~
lar slide track 32, by means of a roller 33 or the like on the arm 27. In
order to provide for lowering to the rest position, during which lowering
the arm 27 must be able to cross the slide track 32, the slide track is made
with a lowerable part located where the arm 27 extends to the rest position.
The actuation of the lifting cyclinder of the arm 27 will thus take place
via the lowerable part of the slide track and the roller 33. The loading
pendulum will work in a space between the top of the tank and the bottom of
the firearm.
The magazine is of the external type, which can be raised by means
of a hydraulic cylinder l9a in order to prevent damage in case the tank
should run into a ditch or the like. In the horizontal direction, the maga-
~ine is rigidly fastened in relation to the tank chassis. The magazine is
moreover fastened in such a way that its front edge is located somewhat to
the rear of the rear end of the firearm, so that the loading pendulum will
be adjustable with one of its ends to the maga~ine. The magazine has one or ~ ;
two feed-out positions. In the case where there is one ~eed-out position,
the rest position of the pendulum is distinct, while in the case of there
being two feed-out positions on the maga3ine, the pendulum can be set at an
angle in the housing for coaction with the feed-out position in question.
The magazine is made with a known rammer which feeds the round~ point flrst,
f~om the maga~ine to the loading pendulum. ~
The recoil jacket of the firearm ]s provided with hatch covers 35, ~ -
which can be raised. Said hatch covers coact with hatch covers 36 connected ~
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; to the breech ring of the firearm, the covers 35 and 36 being located on ~ .
different levels, so that when the firearm recoils they can slide over each
other. Said covers can be raised by the loading pendulum. At its rear end,
the recoil jacket is provided with a hatch cover 37 for empty cartridge
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cases, which cover 37 can be raised ~rom inside by means of the cartridge
cases and is closed by its own weight. Upon the ejection of the empty cart-
ridge cases the covers 35 and 36 form a trough for the cases. The hatch
covers 35-37 form an efficient seal against entry of foreign objects. ~t
the recoil jacket the firearm is provided with a two-stage rammer, which is
Icnown in itself, and which operates with smooth ramming. Ramming in two
stages is necessary as the firearm must permit a certain longitudinal dis-
placement for the part of the loading pendulum which carries the round, due
to the fact that the elevation centres of the firearm and the loading pendu-
lum are different.
The turret is also made with mechanical catches 3~a and 38b which
are intended to function when the loading pendulum, after having fetched a
round has sought the angle of traverse of the firearm. In the present case,
the catches have the form of studs in the tank chassis (38a) and the turret
(38b) which can coact with holes in the ring 30. Said catches can be re-
leased when the loading pendulum, after it has transferred the round to the
firearm, returns to fetch a new round from the magazine. Said catches are
connected to electro-magnets or hydraulic valves, by means of which the
ca*ches can be released.
~ 20 Figures 2 and 3 are intended to show parts to which the invention
5 ~ relates in more detail. The frame 4 has a box-shaped cross-section. The
.
r ring 3~ is provided with an external gear arc via which the ring can be actu-
~ ated by means of a motor, the shaft of which is designated 39.
'!;~ The shaft 39, with its gear wheel, is arranged at an opening in
the frame ~. The turret 1 is made with a roof of heavy armour plate, and in
. order to achieve a rigid design, the par*s extending downwards are made box-
, shaped with inner and outer walls la and lb and with a bottom parc lc. At
~; the upper parts the turret is provided with a flange with a triangular cross-
section with a hori~ontal par'c ld, an oblique part le and a vertical part lf.
,~ 30 The flange extends with an overlapping part lg over the ring 30 which is
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supported on the outside of the vertical part lf by means of ball bearings
40 and 41. At its parts which extend downwards, the turret is provided with
an outer gear arc via which the turret is rotatable by a driving motor 42
with driving shaft and gear wheel, 43 and 44, respectively.
The member 10 consists of a beam which in its cross-section is
box and arc shaped. At its lower end, the member is fastened to the seat
and foot plate, and at its upper end to the part lc in the turret. The
member extends 1/4 - 1/3 of the perimeter of part lc. The motor 16 and the ;
shaft 17 for the elevating movements of the firearm are fastened to the
member 10 via a distribution gear 45 (Figure la3.
Briefly, the e~uipment described above functions in the follGwing ~ -
manner. The gun layer is assumed to be tracking a target, and the firearm
îs to be loaded with a round from the maga~ine. It is also assumed that in -~
the magazine the round is in the feed-out position. The rammer of the maga- `
zine moves the round, point first, into the loading pendulum. When the round -~
has been inserted in the pendulum, this is raised out of the housing by means
of the lifting cylinder 32a so that the pendulum can swing up into the tra~
versing plane, supported on the slide track 32 via its roller 33 on the arm
27. The swinging in the traversing plane then continues until the loading
pendulum has a position in traverse which coincides with the traverse posi-
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;~ tion of the firearm, and the catches 38a and 38b are then activated. The
loading pendulum is then raised to the ramming position by means of the catch ;
23. When the two-stage rammer has moved the round out of the loading pendu-
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lum at the firearm, the loading pendulum can be returned in the reverse order ;~
to the magaæine position to fetch a new round, etc. In conjunction with the
ramming, in accordance with the above, the catches 38a and 38b are released.
The guidance of the loading pendulum is then handled so that, regardless of
the traversing position of the firearm, it will always take the shortest way
~ from the magaæine (the firearm) to the firearm (the maga~ine~. This guidance
30 can be carried out by means of microswitches, stops, etc., not shown in de- ; -
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The driving motors for the turret, loading pendulum, rammers etc.
can consist of hydraulic or electric motors, and in the electric case *he
driving can take place par~ly or entirely by means of the batteries of the
tank, so that the driving will be independent of whether or not the tank is
running.
Through the construction shown, it is thus possible to obtain an
appropriate suspension of the firearm and possibilities of traversing the
firearm, at the same time as the profile of the tank under the firearm can
be kept low, and the space inside the tank can be used in an optimal way.
10 The power consumption for the traversing of the firearm will also be reason-
able.
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