US3032882A - Gun sight - Google Patents

Description

33-235 XR 3 a 032 9 882 SR y 1962 R; E. BAUER ETAL 3,032,882

GUN SIGHT Fil y 11, 1958 S-Sheets-Sheet 1 ,Kf'fl INVENTOR. RUSSELL E BIUEP [0 JOHN D. LO/Q/MEF? Arronuz l4 May 8, 1962 R. E. BAUER ETAL GUN SIGHT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 11, 1958 INVENTOR. RUSSELL BAUER BY JOHN D. LORIMER M/Yflw ATTORNEY Unite States Patent 3,032.882 GUN tilGllT Russell E. Bauer, Grosse lointe Woods, and John D.

Lorimcr, Birmingham, Mich assiguors to Cadillac Gage tompany, ioseville, MiclL, a corporation of Michigan Filed July 11, 1958, Scr. No. 748,023 4 Claims. (Cl. 33--47) Our invention relates to a telescopic gun sight, and particularly to a sight applicable in general use on heavy caliber arms. This sight is especially valuable for use in tanks and self-propelled artillery. A paramount purpose of the sight is to provide a supcrelevation angle to the gun; also, to reduce the mechanism and time involved in adjusting the gun for superelevation at a particular range with a particular type ammunition.

Heretotore, stereoscopic and coincidence type gun sights have been used to aid in estimating range. In a stereoscopic or coincident type sight, after the range has been estimated, it is computed and fed to the gun mechanism in accordance with supcrelevation requirements for a particular ammunition. The mechanism in such a sight is extremely complicated and costly, and considerable time is involved in operating the system and training a gunner. Therefore, it is an important object of this invention to provide a simple and straight-forward apparatus and method of sighting a gun and providing for a first round target hit.

It is also an object of the invention to provide different reticles for different ammunition by providing a simple mechanism that has ease of operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of gun sighting which will require a bare minimum of practice and training to obtain accurate results.

It is also an object to provide an apparatus and method of gun sighting using a minimum of moving parts.

It is also a motive to preserve the capability of speed and simplicity in operations required to lay the gun.

It is a further object to provide a sight requiring a minimum of space.

It is a further object to provide a sight requiring no stereoscopic perception.

In the attainment of the foregoing objectives, it is additionally the purpose of this invention to make the sight rugged throughout so that there will be a minimum tendency to become impaired by the rough usage and shocks to which it will be exposed.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention, as will appear or be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the gun sight installation in a tank and showing various targets in line of sight.

FIG. 2 is a representation of the left reticle.

FIG. 3 is a representation of the right reticle showing the points where the line of sight of the various four targets pass through.

FIG. 4 is a representation of the left reticle after the gun is elevated for supcrelevation.

FIG. 5 is a representation of the right reticle illustrating how we establish the sighting curve.

FIG. 6 illustrates how a target is sighted on the c'firved line of the right reticle.

FIG. 7 illustrates the sighting of the target on the right reticle when adjustments are made to utilize the complete reticle.

MG. 8 is a diagrammatical view of the optical system of the sight.

As previously indicated, the present invention is directed to a new and novel method and apparatus for sight 3,032,882 Patented May 8, 1962 ing a gun. Specifically describing the invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a tank turret 10 having a gun port 11 through which projects a gun barrel 12. Within the turret 10 is the gun breech 13 which is integral with the gun barrel 12. The gun 12 is so mounted on the turret that it may be elevated and depressed in relation to turret 10 in the conventional way. Also, the complete turret 10 carrying the gun 12 may revolve horizontally. It is also customary to provide a gunners seat 14 at the side of the gun slightly forward of the breech 13.

Attached to the gun breech 13 is a left and right telescopic tube sight 15 which extends out on both sides of the turret 10. The left telescope contains ocular eyepiece 18, viewing window 16, and a reticle 21 having a vertical line. The right telescope, which is optically separate from the left telescope, contains ocular eyepiece 19, viewing window 17, and provision for several reticles 22 having a predetermined curved line.

The tube 15 is either rigidly secured to the gun 12 or is linked by a parallelogram so that as the gun 12 is elevated through a certain angle, the tube 15 also will be rotated an equal angle. Also, the axis of the telescopic tube 15 must be held parallel to the trunnions 23 of the gun.

To operate the sight, the gunner looks through the left ocular eyepiece 18 only, which is a telescopic view through window 16, and traverses the gun until the vertical line in reticle 21 bisects the target. This is illustrated by FIG. 2 which shows a target 20 bisected by reticle 21 thorugh the center of the field of view. This vertical line in reticle 21 continues to bisect the target as the gun is moved in elevation because it is set at a right angle to the trunnions 23.

For the gunner to elevate the gun to the proper superelevation for a particular range and ammunition, he sights through the right telescopic ocular eyepiece 19, where he sees a predetermined curved reticle 22. He then elevates the gun until the curved reticle crosses the center of the target 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. With both the left telescopic vertical reticle 21, and the curved right telescopic reticle 22 crossing through the center of the target 20, the gun is automatically on target with the correct superelevation for a bit. It is to be noted that at no time is the gunner required to know the range of the target.

To arrive at the predetermined curve line or series of dots on the right reticle, an optical triangulation principle is employed. In FIG. 1, with the telescopic tube 15 acting as the base of a triangle, and line of sight through the left vertical reticle to the target forming an angle, the line of sight from the right window 17 to the target forms a triangle consisting of the three angles at 16, 17 and R R R and R depending on the range.

It is helpful in determining the curve to use targets at a known range, such as the target shown in FIG. 1, at ranges R R R and R By noting the points on the right reticle 22 where the line of sight for the various target ranges R R R and R pass through, the points can be plotted horizontally which correspond with range. This is shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 at points 1, 2, 3 and 4, corresponding to target ranges R R R and R respectively. After the points 1, 2, 3 and 4, corresponding to a known range, are determined on reticle 22, the sight may be used to determine range. This is true when the left reticle 21 is bisecting the target and a new target of unknown range is sighted. The range is determined on the right reticle 22, FIG. 3, depending on the point on the reticle on which it falls.

Using the ranging method shown above and knowing the particular ammunition to be used, ballistic ammunition curve data may be used to determine the proper supcrclcvntion angle at the various ranges in preparing the right reticle of the gun sight. lf the supcrclevation requirements otthe ammunition is 5 mils at 1000 yards, the gun must be elevated 5 mils above the line of sight to the target at Will) yards. The target will appear at a point I below the range marking of 1. This point is unuketl on the rcticle 22 at point 1 in FIG. 5 directly below poinl l. Points 2', 3 and 4, are found in a similar manner. It is to he noted that as the range increases, the superelevution increases, causing points at the longer ranges to lull considerably under the bore sight point 24, which is an arbitrary point in the field of view where the gun 12 is pointed.

When corresponding superclevution points are marked below the range points, a curve of dots is formed, or a line may be drawn through them forming an unbroken line. It is therefore evident that with a predetermined curve established by the above method. the un may be quickly aimed for a hit by traversing the turret until the left rcticle 21 crosses the target, and then elevating or depressing the gun to cross the curve of the right reticle 22.

To utilize the full field of view in the right telescopic viewing window 17, the lens are adjusted permitting the bore sight point 24 to be sighted in the upper right-hand quadrant as shown in FIG. 7. This permits the ballistic curve to be more nearly in the center of the field of view.

Since a tank may carry several types of ammunition. such as high explosive, armor piercing and shrapnel, each with different ballistic curves, various predetermined curves for the right reticlc are required. Therefore, provi sion in FIG. 8 is made where by turning on a light 25, the curve image on glass 26 will be superimposed in the field of view on the right reticle lens. in this method, the gunner may change his sight requirements for the particular ammunition simply by illuminating the reticle light opposite the proper curve. No moving parts are requircd for the changeover of the sight by this method.

Another method of superimposing a curve in the field of view on the right reticle lens is to provide a turret type mechanism within the right telescopic sight. This may consist of a disc containing several viewing ports. each with a difiercnt ballistic ammunition curve. To change from one ammunition to another, the operator will rotate the disc allowing the proper viewing port to interpose the ballistic curve within the telescopic tube.

From the preceding description, it should he observed that the invention may be used, if desired. to determine range. However, since the gunner is not required to know the range for placing the gun on target, he is able to concentrate more closely upon the adjustment of tire.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred examples thereof which give satisfactory results. it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A method of aiming a gun at a target of unknown range, and to provide for the superelevation required with a known ammunition, comprising the steps of sighting a target through a first telescopic sight attached to said gun for fixed relative movement therewith, bisccting said target with the vertical line reticlc of said telescopic sight, sighting said target through a second telescopic sight also attached to said gun for fixed relative movement therewith and also fixed relative movement with said first telescopic sight, and bisecting said target by a curved line reticle of said second telescopic sight.

2 .,A..mcthod g f aiming a gun ata target through a pair of telescopic sights which have been aligned with the bore sight point of the gun and rigidly fixed thereto, including traversing the gun until the vertical line reticle in a first telescopic sight bisects the target, elevating the gun in a vertical plane until the second telescopic sight bisects the target with a curved line rcticle, said first and second telescopic sights fixed in relative movement to each other.

3. A telescopic sighting device providing for superclcvation in the aiming of a gun, said device comprising, in combination, a support having a gun pivoted thereon for elevation and depression relative to said support, a telescopic sight tube arranged for maintaining fixed relative movement with said gun, said telescopic sight tube having a first and second telescope mounted therein, each having an ocular eyepiece and viewing window for separate viewing of a target, said viewing windows located at each end of the telescopic sight tube permitting a target to be viewed from two separate locations, said first telescope having a vertical line reticle mounted within its optical system to be viewed independent of said second telescope, and said second telescope having a curved line retiele mounted within its optical system to be viewed independent of said first telescope, said curved line being dependent on the particular supcrclcvation characteristics of the ammunition to be used, and means for interchanging the curved line within the optical system on said second telescope.

4. A gun-aiming device comprising; a first telescopic gun sight adapted to be viewed through independently and having a vertical line reticlc for aiming the gun in the horizontal plane, and a second telescopic gun sight adapted to be viewed through subsequent to sighting through said first telescopic gun sight and having a curved line rcticle for positioning the gun in the vertical plane, each telescopic gun sight mounted to move with the gun.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 609,256 Wyllic Aug. 16, 1898 1,135,787 Grauheding Apr. 13, 1915 1,289,534 Patterson Dec. 31, 1918 2,401,693 Luboshez June 4, 1946 2,422,710 Zaroodny June 24, 1947 2,595,750 Back May 6, 1952

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