STABILIZED INTEGRATED COMMANDER'S WEAPON STATION FOR COMBAT ARMORED VEHICLE

• US 20150267989A1
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merrill Technologies Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Merrill Aviation, Inc. (Merrill Technologies Group)
• Inventors: Hobson, James C., Huszti, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,371,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/24 Turret gun mountings feeding, loading or guiding ammunition F41A9/00; mechanical elevating or traversing systems for turret guns F41A27/18
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 27/16 using raceway bearings, e.g. for supporting the turret
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 27/24 Elevating gear F41A27/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 27/30 Stabilisation or compensation systems, e.g. compensating for barrel weight or wind force on the barrel
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/165 using a TV-monitor
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/22 for vehicle-borne armament, e.g. on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/04 Armour construction in general F41H5/00

Abstract

A weapon station includes a low profile adapter and rotating platform. The low profile adapter is mountable on numerous vehicles or structures, including armored combat vehicles, and mounted concentrically with an operator ingress and egress. The low profile adapter may be mountable on optical sights, such as periscopes. The rotating platform is mounted on the low profile adapter and concentric with the operator ingress and egress and is rotatable about an azimuth axis. The weapon station includes a weapon that can be fired in stabilized, power, and manual modes. The weapon can be fired from within the vehicle in stabilized and power modes, and an operator can fire the weapon manually without leaving the protection of the operator ingress and egress. The weapon station does not obstruct a line-of-sight through optical sights and affords an operator enhanced protection during combat engagements due to its ingress/egress-centric configuration.

Claims

1. A weapon station mountable on a vehicle having an operator ingress and egress, comprising:

a base housing mounted on said vehicle and concentrically with said operator ingress and egress;

at least one periscope, said periscope having an upper portion and a lower portion, said base housing configured to retain said lower portion of said periscope;

a low profile adapter mounted on said base housing and concentrically with said operator ingress and egress, said low profile adapter configured to retain said upper portion of said periscope;

a rotating platform mounted on said low profile adapter and concentrically with said operator ingress and egress, said rotating platform rotatable about an azimuth axis; and

a weapon mounted on said rotating platform, wherein said weapon station does not obstruct views through said periscope.

2. The weapon station of claim 1, wherein said vehicle is an armored combat vehicle.

3. The weapon station of claim 1, wherein a Commander'"'"'s Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) is mounted on said vehicle, said CITV having an unobstructed 180 degree forward field of regard.

4. The weapon station of claim 1, wherein said weapon may be operated in at least one of a power mode, a stabilized mode, and a manual mode.

5. The weapon station of claim 1, wherein said rotating platform may be driven about an azimuth axis in at least one of said power mode and said manual mode.

6. The weapon station of claim 1, wherein said low profile adapter includes multiple hand grips to assist an operator with ingress and egress from said operator ingress and egress.

7. The weapon station of claim 1, wherein said operator ingress and egress is a hatch opening of said armored combat vehicle.

8. The weapon station of claim 1, wherein said weapon can be fired from within said vehicle.

9. The weapon station of claim 1, wherein said weapon can be fired by an operator from said operator ingress and egress.

10. A weapon station mountable on a structure having an operator ingress and egress, comprising:

a low profile adapter mounted on said structure and concentrically with said operator ingress and egress;

a rotating platform mounted on said low profile adapter and concentrically with said operator ingress and egress, said rotating platform rotatable about an azimuth axis;

a weapon mounted on said rotating platform, said weapon capable of being operated in at least one of a power mode, a stabilized mode, and a manual mode; and

wherein said weapon is capable of being fired in said manual mode by an operator without leaving said operator ingress and egress.

11. The weapon station of claim 10, wherein said structure is an armored combat vehicle.

12. The weapon station of claim 10, wherein a Commander'"'"'s Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) is mounted on said structure, said CITV having an unobstructed 180 degree forward field of regard.

13. The weapon station of claim 10, wherein said rotating platform may be driven about an azimuth axis in at least one of said power mode and said manual mode.

14. The weapon station of claim 10, wherein said weapon can be fired from within said structure.

15. The weapon station of claim 10, wherein said low profile adapter is configured to retain at least one periscope.

16. A method for mounting a weapon station on a structure having an operator ingress and egress, comprising the steps of:

mounting a low profile adapter to said structure, said low profile adapter mounted concentrically with said operator ingress and egress; and

mounting a rotating platform on said low profile adapter and concentrically with said operator ingress and egress, said rotating platform having a weapon cradle for retaining a weapon, said rotating platform rotatable about an azimuth axis.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein an operator can fire said weapon from said operator ingress and egress.

18. A weapon station, comprising:

an elevation mode select mechanism for selecting an elevation mode of operation to adjust a weapon in an elevation direction, including at least one of a stabilized mode, a power mode, and a manual mode;

a mode select input adjustable to select at least two of said elevation mode of operation;

an eccentric connected to and driven by said mode select input, said eccentric rotatable as said mode select handle is adjusted;

a translating mechanism having an eccentric connecting end and a linking end, said eccentric connecting end connected to said eccentric, wherein said translating mechanism translates as said eccentric is rotated;

at least one toggle link having a first linking end and a second linking end, said first linking end linked to said linking end of said translating mechanism;

a fulcrum having a first fulcrum arm extending from said fulcrum and a second fulcrum arm extending opposite said first fulcrum arm, said first fulcrum arm linked to said second linking end of said toggle link, wherein said first fulcrum arm and said second fulcrum arm pivot about said fulcrum when forces caused by the translation of said translating mechanism are exerted on said toggle link; and

a tie rod having a linking end and a connecting end opposite said linking end, said linking end of said tie rod linked to said second fulcrum arm, and said connecting end of said tie rod connected to said elevation drive assembly, said elevation drive assembly configured to rotate about a main pivot point to engage an elevation output pinion with a sector gear to operate said weapon in said power mode position and to disengage said elevation output pinion with said sector gear to operate said weapon in said manual mode position.

19. A method for disengaging an elevation drive assembly to switch a weapon from a power mode to a manual mode of operation, comprising the steps of:

adjusting a mode select input thereby causing an eccentric to rotate, said eccentric connected to an extending eccentric arm;

translating said extending eccentric arm as said eccentric rotates, causing a telescopic sleeve fixedly attached to said extending eccentric arm to also translate;

translating a critical linkage point as said extending eccentric arm and said telescopic sleeve translate, releasing tension in a plurality of toggle links;

pivoting a plurality of fulcrum arms about a fulcrum as tension in said plurality of toggle links is relieved,

rotating said elevation drive assembly about a main pivot point as said plurality of fulcrum arms pivot about said fulcrum; and

disengaging an elevation output pinion from being in meshing communication with a sector gear as said elevation drive assembly is rotated about said main pivot point.

20. A weapon station, comprising:

an optical sighting unit for aiming a weapon;

an azimuth adjustment assembly for adjusting said optical sighting unit in an azimuth axis, comprising;

a support bracket for supporting said optical sighting unit, said support bracket having a horizontal flat plate and a vertical flat plate, said vertical flat plate having a front side and a back side;

an intermediate support bracket attached to said back side of said vertical flat plate, said intermediate support bracket having a first end and a second end;

an azimuth flex hinge for permitting said azimuth adjustment assembly to flex during azimuth adjustment of said optical sighting unit, said azimuth flex hinge fixedly attached to said first end of said intermediate support bracket;

a sight base disc fixedly attached to said azimuth flex hinge;

said sight base disc having a sight base disc extending portion that extends from said sight base disc opposite the fixed attachment of said azimuth flex hinge and said sight base disc;

an azimuth adjustment screw assembly, comprising;

an azimuth adjustment screw having a external right hand threaded portion and an external left hand threaded portion, and said azimuth adjustment screw having a head portion and an end portion opposite said head portion;

a top wedge block having an internal right handed threaded portion for receiving said external right hand threaded portion of said azimuth adjustment screw;

a bottom wedge block having an internal left handed threaded portion for receiving said external left hand threaded portion of said azimuth adjustment screw;

a plurality of inclined ramps that allow said top wedge block and said bottom wedge block to be adjusted;

wherein said azimuth adjustment screw is adjustable to rotate said optical sighting unit about an azimuth axis by adjusting said top wedge block and said bottom wedge block, causing said azimuth adjustment hinge to flex and a distance between said intermediate support bracket and said extending portion of said sight base disc to be altered, thus causing said optical sighting unit to rotate about an azimuth axis; and

a clamping member for clamping said first end of said intermediate bracket and said sight base disc extending portion for locking said azimuth adjustment screw assembly in place.