초록 ▼

A system for stowing and deploying a mortar from a transport vehicle employs a hoist mechanism, a support frame, a pair of guide arms and a barrel-support strut attached to a transport vehicle. The support frame is adapted to be temporarily engaged with the mortar barrel, the base plate and the pai

A system for stowing and deploying a mortar from a transport vehicle employs a hoist mechanism, a support frame, a pair of guide arms and a barrel-support strut attached to a transport vehicle. The support frame is adapted to be temporarily engaged with the mortar barrel, the base plate and the pair of stabilizer arms of the mortar to prevent relative motion between them during stowing and deployment. The hoist mechanism has a lift arm that pivots between a retracted and a deployed position. One end of the lift arm is hook shaped for detachable engagement with the support frame. A pair of guide arms extend in spaced parallel relation from the rear of the vehicle and serve to guide a trajectory of the mortar as it is being stowed or lowered to the ground.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A system for stowing and deploying a mortar from a transport vehicle, the mortar including a barrel mounted to a base-plate at a first end and a pair of stabilizers extending from the barrel proximate the second end, the system comprising: a support frame adapted to be remova

What is claimed is: 1. A system for stowing and deploying a mortar from a transport vehicle, the mortar including a barrel mounted to a base-plate at a first end and a pair of stabilizers extending from the barrel proximate the second end, the system comprising: a support frame adapted to be removably attached to the mortar; a lift arm operably coupled to the transport vehicle at a first end for pivoting movement about a first axis, the lift arm including a connector for selectively engaging the support frame; and a pair of adjustable guide arms operably mounted on the vehicle proximate the lift arm, said pair of adjustable guide arms providing an arcuate track for the support frame as the mortar traverses a rear section of the transport vehicle. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the support frame comprises: a cross member adapted to engage the lift arm and a barrel clamp suited to releasably secure the barrel of the mortar; a first and second side strut secured to the cross member at a first end and having a second end that includes a first and second abutment flange for interfacing with the base-plate, said first and second side struts further including first and second connector struts extending from the first and second side struts to connect with stabilizers of the mortar; a plate secured to the cross member and first and second side strut to maintain the first and second side strut in spaced apart relationship; and a mortar guide strut secured to first and second side strut proximate the abutment flange, the mortar guide strut including at opposing ends a first and second L-shaped strut for engagement with the guide arms as the mortar traverses the rear section of the transport vehicle. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the adjustable guide arms have a generally D-shape configuration with aligned arcuate portions extending in spaced parallel relation away from the transport vehicle, the arcuate portions providing a camming surface adapted to enter into temporary engagement with at least a portion of the support frame to guide the travel of the mortar while the lift arm is being pivoted between the deployed and the retracted position. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the adjustable guide arms are pivoted about a guide arm support, said guide arm support fixed to the transport vehicle. 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the guide arm support includes a hook positioned to block the movement of the mortar guide strut when the lift arm is at a deployed position. 6. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport vehicle is a self propelled vehicle of a towed vehicle. 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the lift arm is coupled to a motor mounted on the vehicle for powering selective movement of the mortar between the deployed and the stowed positions. 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the lift arm is operatively coupled with a hand crank by way of a strap to selectively rotate the lift arm about the first axis so as to move the mortar between the deployed position and the stowed position. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein a strap guide is disposed to prevent the strap from contact with lift arm. 10. The system of claim 1 wherein the connector of the lift arm is a hook adapted to detachably engage the support frame. 11. The system of claim 1 wherein the transport vehicle is equipped with a cargo bed extending between a front end and a rear end of the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the lift arm mounted with the first axis disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the cargo bed includes accommodations for the storing of ammunition suitable for use with the mortar. 13. The system of claim 11 wherein the cargo bed includes at least one drop down outrigger arm disposed proximate the rear end of the cargo bed, the outrigger arm being selectively deployable in a ground engaging mode for providing stability to the vehicle during operations for stowing and deploying of the mortar from the bed. 14. The system of claim 11 wherein the cargo bed includes a mortar barrel support strut, said mortar barrel support strut mounted to a subframe of the cargo bed at a first end and including a mortar barrel clamp at a second end. 15. A method of traversing a rear section of a vehicle with a fully assembled mortar, said mortar including a base plate attached to a first end of a mortar barrel, the barrel articulated with a pair of stabilizer arms, the method comprising the steps of: a) assembling the mortar; b) immobilizing the mortar so that the base plate, the barrel and the stabilizer arms are connected to a support frame whereby the base plate, the barrel, the stabilizer arms and the support frame move as a unitary body; c) rotating a pair of guide arms into a guide position from a stowed position; d) pivoting a lift arm to a deployed position from the stowed position, the lift arm being operably coupled to the transport vehicle for pivoting movement about a first axis between the stowed position and the deployed position, the lift arm configured to be detachably engaged to the support frame for moving the mortar between a stowed position onboard the vehicle and the deployed position off the vehicle; e) aligning the support frame with the guide arms for substantially constraining the travel of the mortar within a predefined path as the lift arm is extended to the deployed position; f) disconnecting the lift arm from the support frame; and f) removing the support frame from the mortar. 16. A method of claim 15 wherein the lift arm can be used to free the base plate after a fire mission when said base plate becomes partially buried due to a recoil force generated by firing the mortar. 17. A method of claim 15 further including securing a barrel clamp to the barrel when the mortar is in the stowed position and unsecuring the mortar clamp prior to pivoting the lift arm for deploying the mortar, said mortar clamp extending from a mortar guide strut disposed on a cargo bed of the vehicle. 18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of substantially constraining the travel of the mortar within predefined limits includes causing the mortar to follow a trajectory wherein all points of the mortar move in substantially parallel planes normal to a first axis and the mortar remains substantially free of contact with the transport vehicle between the deployed position and the stowed position. 19. The method of claim 15 wherein the guide arms include a pivot connection, said pivot connection mating with a guide arm support, said guide arm support disposed on the transport vehicle. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the guide arms have a D shape to direct the mortar in the support frame around the rear section of the vehicle. 21. The method of claim 15 wherein the support frame includes a pair of side struts that slidingly engage the guide arms so as to substantially restrain a swinging motion of the mortar and support frame during the step of pivoting the lift arm. 22. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of pivoting the lift arm includes coupling the lift arm to a motor for powering movement of the mortar between the use and the stowed positions. 23. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of pivoting the lift arm includes coupling the lift arm to a hand winch for powering movement of the mortar between the deployed position and the stowed position. 24. The method of claim 15 wherein the lift arm includes a hook, said hook mating with a bracket suitably disposed on the support frame. 25. A vehicle with a mortar deployment and storage system, said system for moving a fully assembled mortar into and out of a vehicle, the mortar including a base plate attached to a first end of a mortar barrel, the barrel articulated with a pair of stabilizer arms, the system including: means for immobilizing the fully assembled mortar so that said mortar can be moved as a unit; means for transporting the mortar from a stowed position on the vehicle to a deployed position off of the vehicle or transporting the mortar from a deployed position on the vehicle to a stowed position. 26. A vehicle with a mortar deployment and storage system of claim 25 wherein means for immobilizing the mortar includes a support frame, said support frame comprising: a cross member with a barrel clamp suited to releasably secure the barrel of the mortar; a first and second side strut secured to the cross member at a first end and having a second end that includes a first and second abutment flange for interfacing with the base-plate, said first and second side struts further including first and second connector struts extending from the first and second side struts to connect with stabilizers of the mortar; a plate secured to the cross member and first and second side strut to maintain the first and second side strut in spaced apart relationship; and a mortar guide strut secured to first and second side strut proximate the abutment flange, the mortar guide strut including at opposing ends a first and second L-shaped strut. 27. A vehicle with a mortar deployment and storage system of claim 26 wherein means for transporting the mortar from a stowed position on the vehicle to a deployed position off of the vehicle includes a lift arm operably coupled to the vehicle at a first end for pivoting movement about a first axis, the lift arm including a connector for selectively engaging the support frame; and a pair of adjustable guide arms operably mounted on the vehicle proximate the lift arm, said pair of adjustable guide arms providing an arcuate track for the support frame as the mortar traverses a rear section of the transport vehicle.