US2933020A - Tilt tray - Google Patents

Description

A ril 19, 1960 Filed Nov. 20, 1957 E. W. HAMMER, JR

TILT TRAY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

EDMOND W. HAMMER JR.

April 19, 1960 E. w. HAMMER, JR 2,933,020

, TILT TRAY Filed Nov. 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

IN V EN TOR.

EDMOND W. HAMMER JR.

w amlmcpzamzg wi wh April 19, 1960 E. w. HAMMER, JR

TILT TRAY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 20, 1957 INVENTOR. EDMOND W. HAMMER JR.

BY I Q2. amd, A9 4}. W

April 19, 1960 E. w. HAMMER, JR

TILT TRAY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 20, 1957 2. mm 6 z INVENTOR. EDMOND W. HAMMER JR. BY azaWa M} 4 wardly in the process of being loaded oh the tray. In-

asmuch as the convex surfaces of the tray and finger define a circular segment of more than 180 degrees, it is obvious that movement of the round in a lateral direction would be prevented when the finger is held in a normal fixed position relative to the tray, as shown in Figures 3 and 8 of the drawings. A leaf spring 23 is mounted on the tray 11 is a manner to engage one end 25 of the finger and bias the finger to a normal round engaging position. A stop 27 is provided on the tray for engaging the finger within a slot 29 provided in the end 25 of the finger thereby to limit rotative movement of the finger in the one direction. Rotativemovement in the opposite direction is limited by movement of the spring 23 but is suificient to allow the round to clear the tray and finger as it rolls onto the rammer trough once the finger is released by the locking means.

In order to prevent rearward movement of the round once it is loaded on the tray or cradle 11, there is provided a retractable member 31 located at the rear portion of the cradle. The retractable member or stop comprises a detent which is mounted for slidable movement within a sleeve member 33 carried by the cradle and disposed in a position whereby the detent is capable of movement in directions, toward and away from the arcuate axis of the cradle, in the manner more particularly shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. A spring member 35 is located within the sleeve which functions to bias the detent to a normal position extending outwardly of the sleeve through an opening 37 in the cradle. The free end 39 of the detent is rounded for the purpose of cooperation with the external surface 24 of the round which will cause it to retract within the sleeve as the round is moved forwardly onto the cradle. Once the round has assumed a loaded position on the tray, the base 41 of the round will be located immediately forward of the retractable member and the latter will be forced outwardly from the sleeve by the spring 35 to serve as a stop thereby preventing rearward movement of the round.

The cradle or tray is pivotally mounted for movement between a normal ammunition-receiving or loading position, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings and a delivery or release position, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. The tray is so disposed in the normal loading position that the center of gravity of the combined masses of the ammunition and the cradle or tray is located on that side of a vertical plane passing through the pivotal axis of the tray toward the delivery position of the tray and above a horizontal plane passing through that axis. Thus, it will be observed that, unless the cradle is held in a fixed position while in the loading position, the weight of the combined masses would be sufiicient to rotate the cradle from the loading position to the delivery position. In order to influence return of the cradle to its normal loading position, a spring member 43 is provided and connected in any conven ent manner between one of the brackets 13 and the cradle, as shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. The cradle spring 43 is so arranged tthat it is constantly under tension and, upon movement of the cradle to the delivery position, the tension will be increased. The parameters of the cradle spring are so selected that they will influence the cradle to return to its normal loading position after delivery of the ammunition round to the ramming trough but they are not sufiicient as to overcome the additional weight of the round while it is disposed upon the cradle of the tilt tray apparatus.

In order to limit rotation of the cradle beyond in tended limits of the loading and delivery positions it is essential to provide suitable stops. In order to limit rotative movement of the cradle beyond the load-receiving position, a stop 45 is provided in any convenient manner on one of the brackets 13 which will engage the cradle and arrest further movement thereof beyond the intended load-receiving position, as shown in Figure 4 7 of the drawings. In order to restrict the cradle against movement beyond the intended delivery position, there is provided another stop 47 disposed in any convenient manner on one of the brackets 13 which will engage the cradle and arrest movement thereof beyond the intended delivery position, as shown in Figures 4 and 7 of the drawings.

The pivotal axis of the cradle is provided by a shaft 49 journaled in the brackets 13 attached to the rammer casting, as more particularly shown in Figure 9 of the drawings. The cradleis provided with a plurality of arms 51 which extend downwardly therefrom each arm having an opening 53 adjacent to the lower ends thereof.

A sleeve 55 is mounted within each of the openings and the respective sleeves are disposed in axial alignment in order to receive the pivotal shaft 4? which extends through all of the sleeve members. The sleeves are disposed in spaced apart relation along the shaft and in spaced apart relation to the brackets in such positions as to allow freedom of movement of the cradle together with the pivot shaft in axial directions and relative to the brackets. A resilient member 57 is provided between the sleeves immediately forward of each bracket and the bracket to function as a buffer member. On the opposide side of each bracket a compression spring 59 is provided on the pivot shaft between the rear portion of the bracket and the next adjacent sleeve disposed to the rear of the bracket. The compression springs function to bias the shaft 49 together With the cradle mounted thereon in a rearward direction limited only by the resilient members disposed between the bracket and the sleeve members immediately forward of the brackets.

With this arrangement, it will be observed that any force which tends to drive the cradle forwardly, such as a force imparted by loading an ammunition round on the cradle when such round is restricted against forward movement by the concave surfaces of the finger 19 and the tray 11, will tend to drive the cradle and pivot shaft forwardly against the compression springs 59. Such a forwardly driving force will be opposed by the compression springs and the compression springs will tend to return the cradle and the pivot shaft to its normal position, as shown in Figure 9 of the drawings. Thus, the arrangement effects a buffer action which has the advantage of preventing damage to the ammunition round as well as the loading device.

The loading device is provided with a releasable locking arrangement for locking the cradle and finger in the normal load-receiving position. The releasable locking means comprises a pair of rods 61, 63 which are slidably carried by extensions or arms 65 attached in convenient manner to the cradle. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings one 61 of the rods is distending into an opening 69 provided in a forward bracket 71 also carried by the cradle. The rearward ends 73, 75 of each shaft are connected by a suitable handle 77. A compressionspring 79, 81 is disposed on each shaft 61, 63 between a sleeve member 33, 85 attached to each shaft and an adjacent extension 65, in the manner particularly shown in Figures land 9 of the drawings. The compression springs function to bias the shafts in a forward direction. The forward ends of the shafts are tapered, as at 87 in Figure 10 of the drawings, to facilitate inserting the ends into openings provided respectively in the finger-and cradle members when the loading device is disposed in the normal load-receiving position. Thus, the ends of the shaft will prevent the cradle and the finger from rotating about their respective pivotal axes until the shafts are withdrawn sufliciently to release the parts.

,From the foregoing, it will be observed that the loading device of the present invention will be found to operate as follows. In order to load the device, an ammunition round is brought to the rear of the loading device usually in a handcart (not shown) with the round resting on the trough of the cart. The edge of the cart trough adjacent to the forward end of the round is then placed in convenient manner in abutment with the cradle 11 of the loading device. The round is then manually pushed off the cart onto the cradle. The forward movement of the round will cause the ogive of the round to engage the retractable stop 31 and force it downwardly into the sleeve 33. The round is then free to continue to move forwardly until it is stopped by the concave surfaces of the finger l9 andthe tray 11 at the forward end of the cradle. Once the base 41 of the round passes over the retractable stop, the retractable stop is released and will be forced outwardly of the sleeve to prevent the round from sliding backward. During this operation the forward impact force applied to the finger and cradle is absorbed by the 2 compression springs 59 on the cradle pivotal axis. When it is desired to deliver or transfer the round to the ramming device at the rear of the gun, a member of the gun crew pulls backwardly on the handle 77 thereby withdrawing the upper and lower rods or shafts 61, 63 attachedthereto from engagement with the finger and cradle respectively. The finger and cradle are, therefore, free to rotate about the respective pivotal axes and the weight of the round is sufficient to overcome the force of the cradle return spring 43 thereby to rotate the cradle and round toward the delivery position. In the delivery position, the round is free to roll off the cradle onto the rammer trough due to the free- I dom of movement of the finger which no longer prevents lateral movement of the round on the cradle.

Once the round is delivered to the rammer trough tension of the cradle return spring 43 will influence the crade to its normal load-receiving position and the finger spring 23 will influence the finger to its normal load-receiving position. When the cradle reaches the load-receiving position, the shafts of the releasable locking means will be urged forwardly by the springs 79, 81 to dispose the ends of the shafts into the openings pro vided in the cradle and the finger thereby locking the apparatus in condition for receiving the next round.

It will, be apparent from the above description to persons skilled in the art that the disclosed invention provides an efficient arrangement for transferring a relatively heavy mass from one position to another. By employing the weight of the mass to effect movement of the device from one position to another, the apparatus is rendered semiautomatic. those persons skilled in the 'art that the arrangement is capable of adaptation to applications other than the particular ordnance application herein disclosed. Therefore, it is desired that the present invention shall not be limited except insofar asis made necessary by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A loading device for transferring a mass from a receiving position to a delivery position comprising a tray pivotally mounted for oscillating movement between a receiving position and a delivery position, the pivotal,

axis of said tray being disposed beneath said tray and parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, the center of gravity of said tray being disposed on that side of the It will also be apparent to tray pivotal axis toward said delivery position, resilient means connected with said tray for normally biasing said tray to the receiving position, releasable locking means connected with said tray for controlling movement there of, and movement of said tray toward the delivery position being responsive to the release of said tray for movement thereof solely under the influence of the weight of the mass.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 and wherein said loading device includes a finger pivotally carried by said tray and disposed in a position to limit forward and lateral movement of the mass on the tray, and wherein said locking means is connected also with said finger in a manner to effect release of said finger and said tray.

3. The inventionas defined in claim 2 and wherein the pivotal connection for said tray includes buffer means for absorbing shock imparted while loading said mass on said tray.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 and wherein said loading device includes means carried by said tray constituting a stop to prevent backward movement of said mass after being loaded on said tray.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said stop means is mounted for slidable movement relative to said tray, said stop means being disposed retractable from said tray in response to loading said mass on said tray.

6. A device for transferring ammunition from a receiving point to the loading axis of a gun comprising a cradle pivotally mounted for swinging movement in directions transverse to the loading axis with the pivotal axis of said cradle disposed parallel to said loading axis, said cradle being so disposed that the center of gravity thereof is located on that side of a vertical plane extending through the cradle pivotal axis toward the loading axis and above a horizontal plane extendingthrough the cradle pivotal axis, means carried by said cradle limiting movement of the ammunition while disposed on said cradle, resilient means connected with said'cradle for biasing said cradle to a normal ammunition receiving position remote from the loading axis, and releasable locking means connected with said cradle for controlling pivotal movement of said cradle.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said limiting means includes a finger pivotally carried by said cradle and disposed to engage the outer surface of the ammunition in a manner to limit forward and lateral movement of the ammunition on the cradle and a retractable stop on said cradle for limiting rearward movement of the ammunition while on the cradle, and wherein said releasable locking means includes means connected with said finger for release of said finger and said cradle.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 and wherein the pivotal connection of said cradle includes buffer means for absorbing shock imparted while loading said ammunition on said cradle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,138,149 Reichard May 4, 1915 1,332,763 Schneider Mar. 2, 1920 2,851,928 Hultgren et al Sept. 16, 1958 V FOREIGN PATENTS 17,610 Great Britain Of 1902

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