Azimuth drive assembly

• US 4,579,036 A
• Filed: 09/21/1984
• Issued: 04/01/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics Land Systems Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: LeBlanc, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BENTLEY, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US06/652,934
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 89/36.13, 89/41.01, 89/41.02, 89/41.12, 74/625
• US Class Current: 89/41.12
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 27/20 Drives for turret movements

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein relates to an armored vehicle having a rotatable cupola or turret for rotating a weapons system to the target. A system for driving the turret through an arc of rotation includes a ring gear fixed to the vehicle body and a pinion gear fixed for relative rotation to the turret for engaging the ring gear. The pinion gear is driven by a hydraulic motor to rotate the pinion and ultimately drive the turret. Integrated with the hydraulic motor and the ring gear is a manual disconnect apparatus which provides for manual operation in lieu of the motorized operation of the pinion gear. This manual apparatus includes a series of gears and an actuating assembly for moving at least one of the gears between an operative mode when a manual drive train is connected with the pinion gear and an inoperative mode when the manual drive train is disconnected from the pinion gear.

Claims

1. An armored vehicle having a weapons system comprising:

a vehicle body;

a weapons system housing mounted on said vehicle body for relative rotation therewith;

said weapons system housing having a ring gear and said vehicle body having a pinion gear for engagement with said ring gear;

hydraulic motor means for rotating said pinion gear while in engagement with said ring gear to drive said weapons system housing rotatably along a path defined by the ring gear;

manual drive means including a manual drive gear connected to a hand operated wheel exposed for use by an operator, a main drive gear drivingly connected between said hydraulic motor means and said pinion gear, and an intermediate gear arranged for engagement with the manual drive gear and the main drive gear to transmit rotative movement of the manual drive gear to the main drive gear, disconnect means for moving the intermediate gear between an operative mode where rotative movement of the manual drive gear is transmitted by the intermediate gear to the main drive gear and an inoperative mode where the intermediate gear is disengaged from one of said manual drive gear and said main drive gear, said disconnect means including an intermediate gear shaft to which the intermediate gear is mounted, said intermediate gearshaft being arranged for movement between said operative and inoperative modes, bias means engaging said gear shaft and biasing said gear shaft toward the inoperative mode, locking means for locking said gear shaft in the operative mode, a manual gearshaft supporting said manual drive drive gear for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said main drive gear, said hand operated wheel secured to an exposed portion of said manual gearshaft for rotating said manual drive gear and thereby providing rotation of said main drive gear when said disconnect means places said intermediate gear in said operative mode, and means cooperating with said intermediate gear shaft for placing said hydraulic motor means in a no-load condition when said disconnect means is in said operative mode so as to allow without backload manual rotation of said hand operated wheel and said manual drive gear which through said intermediate gear provides drive to said main drive gear for driving said pinion gear when said hydraulic motor means is disabled.