Gun barrel with different sets of guide rails for storing objects of different calibers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gun barrel 10 with a convertible guide rail set, wherein the gun barrel 10 has primary guide rails for a first caliber that are fixedly connected to the gun barrel 10, wherein the primary guide rails comprise at least a lower primary guide rail 11, a starboard primary guide rail 12 and a port primary guide rail 13, characterized in that fastening elements 40 are arranged in the gun barrel 10 in addition to the lower primary guide rail 11, the starboard primary guide rail 12 and the port primary guide rail 13, wherein the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one protective set 20, wherein the protective set 20 has six protective elements, wherein the protective elements can be arranged on the fastening elements 40 and, in the arranged state, completely cover the fastening elements 40.wherein the protective elements are no higher than the primary guide rails and thus do not affect the first caliber, wherein the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one guide set 30, wherein the guide set 30 can be arranged on the fastening elements 40 and, in the arranged state, the guide set 30 assumes the function of the guide rail, wherein the guide set 30 is designed for a second caliber, wherein the second caliber is smaller than the first caliber.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a gun barrel with a convertible guide rail set to enable the storage of weapons of different calibers in one gun barrel.

[0002] A submarine typically has six to ten gun tubes. Each gun tube is designed for a specific caliber; most NATO gun tubes are designed for heavyweight torpedoes with a caliber of 533 mm. The gun tube, which usually has a slightly larger diameter, features guide rails to hold the weapon within the tube and guide it during ejection. To deploy a smaller weapon from a gun tube, the gun tube and its forward section must be modified accordingly. This is very complex and, due to the necessary modifications to the forward section, is only possible while in port. Even if a gun tube is modified for such a reduced caliber, there may still be a need to store a weapon of that reduced caliber in another gun tube not specifically designed for that caliber.The other gun barrel, however, is in principle equipped for firing a weapon with the original larger caliber.

[0003] From DE 10 2014 015 970 A1 a bracket and a gun barrel with a bracket are known.

[0004] A variable holding device is known from DE 10 2015 204 742 A1.

[0005] The DD 301 045 A7 is known to have a mine ejection system.

[0006] From DE 10 2011 013 020 B3 a storage and guidance device for weapons and containers in a military ship and in particular in a submarine is known.

[0007] A torpedo is known to have come from the DE 28 45 085 A1.

[0008] An underwater torpedo ejection device is known from DE 544 173 A.

[0009] The goal is to easily convert a gun barrel to accommodate smaller caliber weapons. The challenge lies in providing the necessary stability, as well as the simplest possible alignment and positioning of the reducing guide rails. A crucial aspect is ensuring that even smaller caliber weapons are stored in a shock-resistant manner.

[0010] The object of the invention is to provide a weapon barrel with a convertible guide rail set.

[0011] This problem is solved by the weapon barrel with the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous further developments are described in the dependent claims, the following description, and the drawings.

[0012] The weapon tube according to the invention is designed with an interchangeable set of guide rails for storing weapons of different calibers. A weapon or other object that can be deployed through a weapon tube, such as a storage container, has a cylindrical shape. The caliber is the diameter of this cylindrical body. The caliber is smaller than the diameter of the weapon tube and thus describes the size of the circular cross-section required for storing or guiding the weapon. The weapon tube has primary guide rails for a first caliber that are fixedly connected to it. This first caliber is therefore the largest caliber, since these primary guide rails are fixed to the weapon tube, meaning that any additional components can only reduce the caliber. Furthermore, these primary guide rails are precisely adjusted during assembly so that they themselves can be used as a reference.The primary guide rails comprise at least one lower primary guide rail, one starboard primary guide rail, and one port primary guide rail. Additionally, the primary guide rails include an upper primary guide rail, which incorporates the guide for the retaining lug and the retaining pawl. Therefore, the upper primary guide rail is preferably left unchanged in the following description, thus reducing the caliber from the bottom up while keeping it constant at the top. This design is essentially implemented in all modern gun barrels.

[0013] According to the invention, the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one guide set. Fastening elements are arranged in the gun barrel. These fastening elements differ from the primary fastening elements with which the primary guide rails can be attached. The guide set can be arranged on the fastening elements, and in this arrangement, the guide set assumes the function of the guide rail. The guide set is designed for a second caliber, the second caliber being smaller than the first. With the guide set, the gun barrel can thus be quickly and easily converted to a second, smaller caliber. Since this only affects the gun barrel, it is intended primarily for storage and less so for firing weapons.

[0014] It can be provided that the guide surfaces of the primary guide rails in the gun barrel are arranged along a first imaginary circle with the diameter of the first caliber, and after assembly of the guide set, the guide surfaces of the leading rails are arranged along a second imaginary circle with the diameter of the second caliber. The centers of the first and second imaginary circles may not coincide with the center of the cross-section of the tubular gun barrel in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gun barrel. In particular, the distances between the centers of the first and second imaginary circles are also not identical, but may be spaced apart by a distance in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gun barrel, where this distance may be half the difference in diameter between the two calibers.Preferably, the top point of the first imaginary circle and the second imaginary circle are the same, so that the upper guide rail with the retaining latch retains its function.

[0015] In another embodiment of the invention, the fastening elements are welded-on internally threaded bushings. Primary fastening elements are often used today as welded-on internally threaded bushings for primary guide rails, so that the fastening elements and primary fastening elements are preferably designed identically. The use of welded-on internally threaded bushings has the advantage that the gun barrel, which is itself part of the pressure body, does not need to be drilled, for example, and can therefore be made thinner. The use of the same fastening elements as the primary fastening elements for primary guide rails and the convertible guide rail set is advantageous because it achieves the same stability and allows for efficient joint installation.

[0016] In a further embodiment of the invention, the guide set is positively connected to the primary guide rails. Since the primary guide rails are precisely aligned, a secure and reliable alignment can be easily achieved by positively connecting the guide set to the primary guide rails. For this purpose, the guide set can, for example, be arranged bridging the gap between the primary guide rails and thus positively encircle them. This results in very good alignment, so that the precision of the alignment of the primary guide rails can essentially be transferred to the guide set.

[0017] According to the invention, the primary guide rails are covered by the guide set in the assembled state. This covering enables optimal leaning, which in turn optimally transfers the adjustment of the primary guide rails to the guide set.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the invention, the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one protective set. Currently, only primary fastening elements are arranged and connected exclusively under and to the lower primary guide rail, the starboard primary guide rail, and the port primary guide rail to secure them. This means that additional fastening elements are installed inside the gun barrel to fulfill an additional fastening function. These fastening elements would therefore be readily accessible during normal operation and could, for example, pose an additional obstacle for personnel working inside the gun barrel. These additional fastening elements, which are not connected to the primary guide rails, are not present in the prior art. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one protective set.This protective set allows the weapon barrel to be operated with its original caliber while simultaneously covering the mounting hardware. The set comprises six protective elements. These elements can be positioned over the mounting hardware and, when in place, completely cover it. This ensures the mounting hardware is covered and poses no risk of injury to personnel working inside the weapon barrel. The protective elements are no higher than the primary guide rails and therefore do not affect the initial caliber.

[0019] In a further embodiment of the invention, the fastening elements are arranged next to the lower primary guide rail, the starboard primary guide rail, and the port primary guide rail. Their spatial proximity facilitates the use of the primary guide rails for adjustment in a simple manner.

[0020] In a further embodiment of the invention, the protective assembly comprises an upper starboard protective element and an upper port protective element. The upper starboard protective element is arranged above the starboard primary guide rail, and the upper port protective element is arranged above the port primary guide rail. The guide assembly comprises a starboard guide element and a port guide element. The starboard guide element and the port guide element each have at least one connecting element. The upper starboard protective element and the upper port protective element each have at least one connecting recess, the connecting recesses being designed to receive the connecting elements. This means that during a conversion, the upper starboard protective element and the upper port protective element can remain in the gun barrel and do not need to be installed or removed during the conversion, which significantly reduces the conversion time.Similarly, the protective element located on the lower primary guide rail can also be designed in this way. It can be positioned on either the starboard or port side of the lower primary guide rail, since, unlike the lateral primary guide rails, there is no difference due to gravity in this respect.

[0021] In a further embodiment of the invention, the connecting recesses have an opening and a triangular base shape that widens behind the opening. This allows, for example, an elongated connecting element, for example with a rectangular cross-section, to be inserted approximately horizontally and then positioned in its final position above the primary guide rail by folding down the protective element, such that the connecting element can no longer be removed through the opening. This creates a simple and secure connection without the need for, for example, screws, which significantly reduces changeover time.

[0022] In a further embodiment of the invention, the protective assembly and the guide assembly are modularly constructed along the length of the gun barrel. The length of a gun barrel is typically around 10 meters. Furthermore, the diameter is usually just over half a meter (533 mm caliber being the most common size within NATO), so a person has limited freedom of movement for assembly. Therefore, it is advantageous if the elements to be mounted or removed are shorter than the gun barrel. For example, three elements can be arranged lengthwise one behind the other to form a continuous, but modular, guide rail. However, it is also possible to install the modules at intervals, whereby the distances should be significantly smaller than the length of the weapon being stored.A heavyweight torpedo has a length of around 7 m, but mines are significantly shorter, so the intended purpose, which is determined by the desired reduced caliber, can also be taken into account when dimensioning the distances.

[0023] In a further embodiment of the invention, the guide assembly is composed of support elements and sliding elements. The support elements are connected to the fastening elements. The sliding elements are arranged on the side of the support elements opposite the fastening elements and are connected to the support elements. This offers particular advantages when the caliber is significantly reduced. Firstly, the design allows for considerable weight savings. Secondly, the support elements can be made of metal, for example, and the sliding elements of plastic, such as polyethylene. This enables further optimizations in terms of weight and sliding properties.

[0024] In a further embodiment of the invention, the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one additional guide set. This additional guide set can be arranged on the mounting elements and, when arranged, assumes the function of the guide rail. The additional guide set is designed for a third caliber, wherein the third caliber is smaller than the first caliber and different from the second caliber. All previously mentioned further embodiments for the guide set are also applicable to the additional guide set. Likewise, further embodiments for additional calibers can be provided.

[0025] The weapon barrel according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. Fig. 1 first exemplary gun barrel Fig. 2. First exemplary gun barrel with protective set Fig. 3 First exemplary gun barrel with guide set Fig. 4 lower area after Fig. 2 in detail Fig. 5 Connection recess and connecting element, before installation Fig. 6 Connection recess and connecting element during installation Fig. 7 Connection recess and connecting element, after installation Fig. 8 support elements and sliding elements in the gun barrel Fig. 9 support elements and sliding elements without gun barrel

[0026] In Fig. Figure 1 shows an exemplary gun tube 10 without the protective set 20 or guide set 30. Particularly visible are the lower primary guide rail 11, the starboard primary guide rail 12, and the port primary guide rail 13, as well as the retaining latch 14. These are connected to the gun tube 10 via primary fastening elements 42. This corresponds to the state of the art. However, in addition to the lower primary guide rail 11, the starboard primary guide rail 12, and the port primary guide rail 13, the gun tube 10 also has fastening elements 40. Fig. 2 is this weapon tube 10 with an exemplary protection set 20 and in Fig. 3 with an exemplary guideline 30 shown. In Fig. Figure 3 clearly shows the caliber reduction. Additionally, in Fig. 3. It is easy to see that the retaining latch is still unchanged and can therefore continue to securely hold a stored weapon for 90 minutes.

[0027] An enlarged section from the lower area of Fig. 2 is in Fig. Figure 4 shows the fastening elements 40 and the primary fastening elements 42 more clearly. These welded internal threads create a connection between the wall of the weapon tube 10 and the lower primary guide rail 11, as well as the protective assembly 20. It can also be seen that the protective assembly 20 is slightly lower than the lower primary guide rail 11, so that a weapon 90 slides exclusively on the lower primary guide rail 11.

[0028] In Fig. 5, Fig. 6 and Fig. Figure 7 shows an assembly sequence for another exemplary guide set 30. An upper starboard protective element 21, which has connecting recesses 50, is arranged above the starboard primary guide rail 12. This allows the upper starboard protective element 21 to remain in place even during the assembly of the starboard guide element 31, which significantly speeds up the conversion, as can be seen in the sequence. Rod-shaped connecting elements 60 of the starboard guide element 31 are inserted approximately horizontally into the connecting recesses 50. By subsequently folding down the starboard guide element 31, the connecting elements 60 pivot upwards so that they no longer fit through the openings of the connecting recesses 50. Thus, the starboard guide element 31 only needs to be attached to the fastening elements 40 below the starboard primary guide rail 12, which approximately halves the conversion time.

[0029] In Fig. 8 and Fig. Figure 9 shows another alternative guide set 30, wherein the guide set 30 consists of support elements 70 and sliding elements 80, the base of the support elements 80 fitting around the primary guide rails and thus being precisely aligned, thereby also precisely aligning the sliding elements 80, which enables the storage and guidance of a weapon 90 to be reliably enabled. Reference sign 10 gun barrels 11 lower primary guide rail 12 Starboard primary guide rail 13 Port primary guide rail 14 retaining latch 20 protection set 21 upper starboard protection element 30 Guide set 31 Starboard guidance element 40 Fastening element 42 Primary fastening element 50 Connection recess 60 connecting element 70 support element 80 sliding element 90 weapon

Claims

[1] Gun tube (10) with a convertible guide rail set, wherein the gun tube (10) has primary guide rails for a first caliber fixedly connected to the gun tube (10), wherein the primary guide rails comprise at least one lower primary guide rail (11), one starboard primary guide rail (12) and one port primary guide rail (13), wherein the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one guide set (30), wherein fastening elements (40) are arranged in the gun tube (10) such that the guide set (30) can be arranged on the fastening elements (40) and, in the arranged state, the guide set (30) assumes the function of the guide rail, wherein the guide set (30) is designed for a second caliber, wherein the second caliber is smaller than the first caliber, and wherein the guide set and the primary guide rails remain in the tube simultaneously. characterized bythat the primary guide rails are covered by the guide set (30) when assembled. [2] Weapon barrel (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the fastening elements (40) are welded-on internal threaded bushings. [3] Weapon barrel (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the guide set (30) is positively connected to the primary guide rails. [4] Weapon barrel (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one guard set (20), wherein the guard set (20) has six guard elements, wherein the guard elements can be arranged on the fastening elements (40) and, in the arranged state, completely cover the fastening elements (40), wherein the guard elements are not higher than the primary guide rails and thus do not affect the first caliber, wherein the convertible guide rail set comprises at least one guide set (30), wherein the guide set (30) can be arranged on the fastening elements (40). [5] Weapon tube (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the guard set (20) has an upper starboard guard element (21) and an upper port guard element, wherein the upper starboard guard element (21) is arranged above the starboard primary guide rail (12) and the upper port guard element is arranged above the port primary guide rail (13), wherein the guide set (30) has a starboard guide element (31) and a port guide element, wherein the starboard guide element (31) and the port guide element each have at least one connecting element (60), wherein the upper starboard guard element (21) and the upper port guard element each have at least one connecting recess (50) for receiving the connecting elements (60). [6] Weapon tube (10) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the connecting recesses (50) have an opening and a triangular base shape that widens behind the opening. [7] Weapon tube (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the protective set (20) and the guide set (30) are modularly constructed in the longitudinal direction of the weapon tube (10). [8] Weapon tube (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the guide set (30) is composed of support elements (70) and sliding elements (80), wherein the support elements (70) are connected to the fastening elements (40), wherein the sliding elements (80) are arranged on the side of the support elements (70) opposite the fastening elements (40) and are connected to the support elements (70). [9] Weapon barrel (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the convertible guide rail set has at least one further guide set, wherein the further guide set can be arranged on the fastening elements (40) and in the arranged state the further guide set takes over the function of the guide rail, wherein the further guide set is designed for a third caliber, wherein the third caliber is smaller than the first caliber and different from the second caliber.

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