Disturbed-gun aiming system
First Claim
1. A gun-sighting system particularly for stationary use or for use on a moving vehicle and as long as a gun operator keeps the system sighted on a given selected target, said system comprising:
- a gun and a gun-supporting platform with motor-operated means for adjustably training the bore axis of said gun in azimuth and in elevation with respect to said platform,range-finding sighting apparatus fixedly mounted to said platform and establishing a sighting alignment with respect to which said gun is adjustably trainable by said motor-operated means,means for mounting said platform for an operator to train said platform and said range-finding sighting apparatus in azimuth and in elevation, whereby to enable the operator to so train his sighting alignment as to keep the same continuously on the selected target, said apparatus providing continuously updated electrical-output signals of range data on the sighting alignment,sensor means associated with said platform-mounting means for producing output signals reflecting instantaneous azimuth and elevation condition of said platform with respect to said platform-mounting means,means including a computer connected for response to output signals of said sensor means and for response to said output signals of range data, said computer means being programmed to compute and to provide an output of data signals for ballistic correction of said gun with respect to said platform, anddrive connections responding to the gun-training data output signals of said computer for correctively driving said motor-operated means,whereby, as long as the operator so continuously trains the gun platform as to continuously keep his sight aimed on the target, ballistic corrections will be automatically made in the bore-axis orientation of the gun.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A manually movable gun is mounted to a platform with a limited range of correctional computer-controlled updated reorientation in azimuth and in elevation with respect to the platform. The platform fixedly mounts a sighting-rangefinder system, so that correctional reorientation of the gun is a correctional reorientation with respect to the sighting axis of the sighting/rangefinder system. The platform is mounted for two-axis freedom to be moved in azimuth and in elevation. The gunner must so move the gun platform, and at the same time thereby so move his sight, that the sighting alignment is kept on the target. In the course of such movement to keep the sighting line on the target, sensors and detectors of target range and of the components of platform movement in its mount, as well as sensors of other ballistic parameters, feed their output to circuitry including a computer. The computer derives range rate and the two components of the orientation rate of the platform, and provides a calculated output of the necessary two components of trim adjustment of the gun with respect to its mounting platform. Such correctional adjustments are effected by computer control of trim-adjustment motors, in azimuth and in elevation, while the operator keeps his sighting line on the target. The loop of computer calculation in response to updating sensor outputs and range and bearing data is so fast as to reduce the near-insignificance of the time delay of computer calculation and motordriven correctional orientation of the gun, as long as the operator keeps his sight in line on the target. He therefore need not wait to fire a machine-gun burst even while the correctional adjustments are still being made.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A gun-sighting system particularly for stationary use or for use on a moving vehicle and as long as a gun operator keeps the system sighted on a given selected target, said system comprising:
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a gun and a gun-supporting platform with motor-operated means for adjustably training the bore axis of said gun in azimuth and in elevation with respect to said platform, range-finding sighting apparatus fixedly mounted to said platform and establishing a sighting alignment with respect to which said gun is adjustably trainable by said motor-operated means, means for mounting said platform for an operator to train said platform and said range-finding sighting apparatus in azimuth and in elevation, whereby to enable the operator to so train his sighting alignment as to keep the same continuously on the selected target, said apparatus providing continuously updated electrical-output signals of range data on the sighting alignment, sensor means associated with said platform-mounting means for producing output signals reflecting instantaneous azimuth and elevation condition of said platform with respect to said platform-mounting means, means including a computer connected for response to output signals of said sensor means and for response to said output signals of range data, said computer means being programmed to compute and to provide an output of data signals for ballistic correction of said gun with respect to said platform, and drive connections responding to the gun-training data output signals of said computer for correctively driving said motor-operated means, whereby, as long as the operator so continuously trains the gun platform as to continuously keep his sight aimed on the target, ballistic corrections will be automatically made in the bore-axis orientation of the gun. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification