EP0493762A2 - Equilibrator device for a gun, especially a big calibre gun with a long barrel - Google Patents

Abstract

An equilibrator device for a gun, especially a large-calibre gun with a long barrel. The gun possesses a part (1) which is pivotable in elevation and contains the gun barrel and which is mounted via trunnions (8) in a fixed frame (6), for example a tank turret, the centre of gravity (7) of the pivotable part (1) being located outside the axis of rotation of the trunnions (8). A torque counteracting the unbalance moment is generated in that the pivotable part (1) of the gun is connected via a flexible pull element (2) to the piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder (3) which is arranged on the fixed frame and the interior of which is connected to a pressure accumulator (4). The flexible pull element (2) is guided via a curved segment (5) of predetermined curved form, connected to the pivotable part (1) of the gun and defining the effective force lever arm (r), for the purpose of adapting the counteracting torque to the unbalance moment. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to an imbalance compensation device for a weapon, in particular a large-caliber weapon with a long barrel, with the features from the preamble of patent claim 1.

Such an unbalance compensation device is described, for example, in DE-AS 1 097 319. In this known device, a roller chain serves as a flexible tension element, and the curve segment that determines the effective power lever arm is provided with a toothing. A tension spring connected on the one hand to the flexible tension element and on the other hand to the fixed frame serves as the device for generating an actuating force.

A similarly constructed imbalance compensating device is described in DE-PS 36 33 375, in which a spring or a system of springs also serves as a device for generating an actuating force, means for moving the point of application of the spring on the fixed frame being provided, which one Have control loop, on the basis of which the pitch angle of the fixed frame is taken into account when balancing the unbalance.

It has been found that the unbalance compensation devices that work with springs or spring systems, because of the large spring travel, especially with large straightening angles, involve considerable space problems and have high dead weights.

Unbalance compensating devices are also known in which the unbalance moment is compensated for by pneumatic cylinders which, for example in the case of a main battle tank, are articulated on the weapon well before the pivot point of the shield pin and are therefore outside the armored protection of the turret.

It is also known to convert the unbalance moment into a pressure acting in a hydropneumatic storage system.

In DE-OS 37 32 745 an unbalance compensation device is described, which has a pneumatic cylinder, the interior of which is connected to a temperature-dependent pressure change of the gas compensating device, which comprises a pressure regulator connected to a compressed gas source. With such a device, it is possible to achieve temperature compensation of the torque counteracting the imbalance torque.

As a result of the linkage kinematics of such devices, which is carried out, for example, by means of a crank mechanism on the pivotable weapon part, large residual imbalances remain, which have to be applied by the leveling drive or a manual drive.

The invention has for its object to provide an unbalance compensation device with the features from the preamble of claim 1 so that with a low weight with little volume over the entire elevation angle range, an almost complete compensation of the unbalance moment is achieved and also the possibility is opened to additionally achieve temperature compensation.

This object is achieved according to the invention with the features from the characterizing part of patent claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the device according to the invention are described in the subclaims.

The invention is based on an unbalance compensation device in which the flexible tension element is guided over a curve segment which determines the effective power lever arm through the predetermined curve shape, as a result of which a good adjustment of the compensation torque to the unbalance moment is possible. However, not a spring or a system of springs is used as the device for generating an actuating force, but rather a pneumatic cylinder in connection with a pressure accumulator.

It has been found that the dead weight and installation volume of the device can be considerably reduced in this way. Furthermore, a particularly advantageous embodiment of the unbalance compensation device according to the invention, which is described in claims 2 and 3, opens up the simplest means of achieving temperature compensation of the compensation torque by compensating for the pressure drop occurring at low temperatures and the pressure increase automatically by means of an additionally switchable pressure accumulator when the temperature rises again is compensated by appropriate control of valves and thus the working pressure of the pneumatic cylinder can be kept constant over the entire working temperature range.

The balancing device according to the invention is primarily intended for use with heavy, large-caliber weapons, but is in no way limited to this type of application. Even with medium-weight and light weapons and weapons that are aimed by hand, the compensation device can be used to great advantage to reduce the leveling forces.

The fixed frame in which the pivotable part of the weapon containing the weapon barrel is mounted can be the carriage of a gun or the turret housing of a self-propelled howitzer or a battle tank.

Depending on the size of the weapon imbalance and the available space, one or more imbalance compensation devices according to the invention can be used on a weapon.

Exemplary embodiments of an imbalance compensation device according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1

in Seitenansicht eine im Turmgehäuse eines Kampfpanzers gelagerte Waffe mit einer Unbalance-Ausgleichsvorrichtung;

Fig. 2

in einem Schaltplan den pneumatischen Teil der Unbalance-Ausgleichsvorrichtung nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

in einem Schaltplan analog Fig. 2 eine zweite Ausführungsform des pneumatischen Teils einer Unbalance-Ausgleichsvorrichtung nach Fig. 1;

Fig. 4

in einer graphischen Darstellung die Unbalance-Kurve der Waffe zusammen mit der Kennlinie der Ausgleichsvorrichtung;

Fig. 5

in einer Teildarstellung eine mögliche Kurvenform des Kurvensegments der Unbalance-Ausgleichsvorrichtung nach Fig. 1 bis 3.

The drawings show:

Fig. 1

in side view a weapon stored in the turret housing of a main battle tank with an imbalance compensation device;

Fig. 2

in a circuit diagram the pneumatic part of the unbalance compensation device according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

in a circuit diagram analogous to FIG. 2, a second embodiment of the pneumatic part of an unbalance compensation device according to FIG. 1;

Fig. 4

the imbalance curve of the weapon together with the characteristic curve of the compensation device in a graphical representation;

Fig. 5

a partial representation of a possible curve shape of the curve segment of the unbalance compensation device according to FIGS. 1 to 3.

Fig. 1 shows a highly schematic representation of the weapon system stored in the turret housing 6 of a main battle tank (not shown in the rest), the pivoting part 1 consisting of the weapon barrel and cradle body being represented by the weapon system, which is formed by shield pins 8 in the fixed frame, that is to say which forms the mount Tower 6, is pivotally mounted in the elevation direction and can be pivoted by a directional drive, not shown, of a known type. The unbalance compensation device has a pneumatic cylinder 3 fastened to the tower roof, the piston rod 3.1 of which is connected to a flexible tension element, for example a wire rope 2, the other end of which is connected to the pivotable part 1 of the weapon is connected and is guided over a cam disc connected to the pivotable part 1 of the weapon. The guide over the cam 5 has the result that a predetermined effective power lever arm r is assigned to each angular position of the pivotable part 1 of the weapon, which corresponds to the respective distance of the point of application of the tension element 2 on the cam 5 from the axis of rotation of the shield pin 8. The formation of the curve of this cam plate 5 is explained below.

The interior of the pneumatic cylinder 3 is connected to a pressure accumulator 4 via a line 9. This pneumatic system is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 1, the position of the pivotable part 1 of the weapon is shown at elevation O and indicated at dashed lines at an elevated elevation angle.

FIG. 2 shows the pneumatic system of the unbalance compensation device according to FIG. 1 in an embodiment without temperature compensation. The pneumatic cylinder 3 is connected to the pressure accumulator 4 via a line 9, into which a manual valve 10 is switched on. Furthermore, the pressure accumulator 4 is connected to a filling and test connection 11. The hand valve 10 serves as a shut-off valve for maintenance and repair work.

The embodiment of the pneumatic system shown in FIG. 3 allows temperature compensation. The components of the embodiment according to FIG. 3 which are identical to the embodiment according to FIG. 2 are designated there with the same reference numbers.

The first pressure accumulator 4 with the filling and test connection 11 is connected to the interior of the pneumatic cylinder 3 via a first control valve 12.1 and the line 9 containing the manual valve 10.1. In addition, a second pressure accumulator 13 is connected in parallel with the first pressure accumulator 4 to the line 9 via a second control valve 12.2, with a further manual valve 10.2 being connected in parallel with the second control valve 12.2. A manometer 14 is used to control the pressure in line 9. The two control valves 12.1 and 12.2 are activated as a function of the pressure in line 9. The preload pressure of the second pressure accumulator 13 is set to a value which is higher than the preload pressure of the first pressure accumulator 4. The first control valve 12.1 is designed such that it opens in one position and acts in a second position as a check valve blocking in the direction of the first pressure accumulator 4. The second control valve 12.2 is designed such that it opens in a first position and in a second position acts as a check valve blocking in the direction of the pneumatic cylinder 3 or line 9. If a drop in the working pressure is detected as a result of the temperature drop on the manometer 14, the second pressure accumulator 13 can be switched on briefly by opening the manual valve 10.2 and the setpoint value of the pressure can thus be set again. The pressure can be checked on the manometer 14. The manual valve 10.2 is closed again immediately after the setpoint has been set.

The two control valves 12.1 and 12.2 automatically operate when the system heats up beyond the normal temperature range. In the event of a pressure rise in line 9 which exceeds a predetermined pressure value, the first control valve 12.1 is switched into the second position controlled so that it closes and blocks the pressure accumulator 4. At the same time, the second control valve 12.2 is controlled into the first position, so that the excess pressure volume is absorbed by the second pressure accumulator 13. The filling of the memories 4 and 13 takes place in each case by the downward movement of the weapon and corresponding actuation of the pneumatic cylinder 3. When the weapon is moved upward, the pressure in line 9 drops again, with the result that the second control valve 12.2 is in the second position is controlled, ie closes and the first control valve 12.1 is controlled into the first position and thus opens. The system now works again in the normal temperature range in which it is connected to the pressure accumulator 4.

In the following, it is explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 how the characteristic curve of the compensation device can be adapted to the imbalance curve of the weapon by appropriately shaping the curve on the curve segment 5.

According to known relationships, the following applies to the unbalance moment: MU = g · G · s · cos α.

g =

Erdbeschleunigung

G =

Waffengewicht

s =

Abstand des Schwerpunktes 7 der Waffe von der Achse des Schildzapfens 8;

α =

Elevationswinkel.

Here is:

g =

Acceleration due to gravity

G =

Weapon weight

s =

Distance of the center of gravity 7 of the weapon from the axis of the shield pin 8;

α =

Elevation angle.

The following applies to the compensation torque: Ma = r · pi · A.

r =

Länge des wirksamen Hebelarms an der Kurvenscheibe 5

pi =

wirksamer Arbeitsdruck

A =

wirksame Kolbenfläche.

Here is:

r =

Length of the effective lever arm on the cam disc 5

pi =

effective working pressure

A =

effective piston area.

In the case of complete compensation, the following must apply to all elevation angles: MU (α) = MA (α), where both moments are to be understood as functions of the elevation angle.

In der nachfolgenden Tabelle werden für ein konkretes Ausführungsbeispiel mit zwei baugleichen, an der Waffe angreifenden Ausgleichsvorrichtungen aus der oben angegebenen Beziehung ermittelte Werte für die Größe r bei verschiedenen Elevationswinkel angegeben, aus denen die Form des Kurvensegmentes berechnet und als homogene Kurve ausgelegt wurde, die in Fig. 5 dargestellt ist. r [mm] : 475 480 500 510 510 483 430 350 300 α [^o] : -2,5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 65 This results in the following relationship for the effective lever arm and thus the respective distance of a curve point on the curve segment 5 from the pivot point in the axis of the shield pin 8:

In the following table, values for the size r at various elevation angles, determined from the relationship given above, are given for a specific exemplary embodiment with two equalizing devices acting on the weapon, from which the shape of the curve segment was calculated and designed as a homogeneous curve, which in Fig. 5 is shown. r [mm]: 475 480 500 510 510 483 430 350 300 α [ ^o ]: -2.5 0 10th 20th 30th 40 50 60 65

4 shows the curve of the imbalance moment of the weapon in a curve I and the counter-torque of the compensating device in a curve II as a function of the elevation angle α. The curve for the unbalance moment follows a cosine function, as indicated above, and it can be clearly seen from FIG. 4 that the curve for the counter-torque succeeds very well to the curve for the unbalance over a wide range of elevation angles - Approach torque so that only small differential torques remain, which must be compensated for by the directional drive.

The following advantages can be achieved with the compensation device described:
The installation and removal of the compensation device is possible in the lowest weapon position or in the lashing position, since the pressure accumulators can be installed so that they can be switched off, or the system can be depressurized;
the individual components are light in weight and have a small construction volume. This creates a good stowage option in the tower under armored protection;
When using two structurally identical compensating devices, there is a safety redundancy with positive effects on the directional drive, namely a halving of the holding torque and a halving of the breaking tooth forces on the leveling gear;
only a smaller overall ratio of the directional drive is required;
the weight of the directional drive can be reduced;
higher straightening speeds with lower power consumption are possible;
only small manual forces are required for manual straightening.

Claims (4)

Unbalance compensation device for a weapon, in particular a large-caliber weapon with a long barrel, with a part which can be pivoted in the elevation direction and contains the weapon barrel and which is mounted on shield pins in a fixed frame, the center of gravity of the pivotable part lying outside the axis of rotation of the shield pins which generates a torque counteracting the imbalance torque, in that the pivotable part of the weapon is connected via a flexible pulling element to a device for generating a positioning force arranged on the fixed frame, the flexible pulling element being connected to the device by means of a device connected to the pivotable part of the weapon Effective power lever arm-determining curve segment is guided with a predetermined curve shape, characterized in that the device for generating an actuating force has a pneumatic cylinder (3), the piston rod (3.1) of which is connected to the flexible tension element (2) and the interior of which is connected to a pressure accumulator (4 ) connected. Unbalance compensation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the interior of the pneumatic cylinder (3) can additionally be connected via an actuating valve (10.2) to a second pressure accumulator (13), the preload pressure of which is higher than the preload pressure of the first pressure accumulator (4). Unbalance compensation device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first pressure accumulator (4) is connected via a first control valve (12.1) to the pneumatic cylinder (3) which opens in a first position and in a second position acts as a check valve blocking in the direction of the first pressure accumulator, while the second pressure accumulator (13) is connected via a second control valve (12.2) to the pneumatic cylinder (3) which opens in a first position and in a second position as in the direction of the pneumatic cylinder (3) blocking check valve, both control valves (12.1, 12.2) can be controlled by the pressure prevailing on the pneumatic cylinder (3) such that when the actuating valve (10.2) is closed, the first control valve (12.1) is below a predetermined pressure value in the first position and the second control valve (12.2) in the second position, while if this pressure value is exceeded, the first control valve (12.1) is reversed into the second position and the second control valve (12.2) into the first position. Unbalance compensation device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the flexible tension element (2) is designed as a steel cable.

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