Armoured vehicle with winch

Abstract

 An armoured vehicle includes a chassis (2) in which is mounted a rotatable turret (4), said turret housing a winch (12). The winch (12), as well as being rotatable with the turret (4), is pivotal relative to the turret (4) about an axis (8) extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation (6) of the turret (4).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to armoured vehicles provided with winches whereby they are capable of being used as recovery vehicles.

[0002] Conventional armoured recovery vehicles incorporate a winch mounted in the hull of the vehicle, the rope of which can be attached to bogged in, disabled or broken down vehicles requiring rescue.

[0003] The manoeuvrability of such winches is, however, considerably restricted because of the limited movement that can take place within the hull of the associated vehicle. In order to align such a winch with a vehicle to be rescued, it is necessary either to manoeuvre the recovery vehicle as a whole into a suitable position relative to the disabled vehicle to enable attachment of the winch rope to said disabled vehicle, and/or to provide relatively complex and therefore expensive pulley systems or fairleads to direct the winch rope at desired angles relative to the horizontal and vertical and to enable attachment to the disabled vehicle to be rescued.

[0004] It would be desirable to be able to provide an armoured vehicle incorporating a winch less restricted in its movement compared with said known arrangements.

[0005] According to the present invention there is provided an armoured vehicle comprising a chassis on which is mounted a rotatable turret and, mounted in or on the turret, a winch pivotal about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the turret.

[0006] It will be appreciated that such a winch, as well as being pivotal about its associated transverse central axis, is rotatable through 360° with the turret about an upright axis, thus significantly improving its overall manoeuvrability relative to the chassis of the vehicle and obviating the necessity to align the recovery vehicle as a whole with the vehicle to be rescued and/or to provide the aforementioned pulleys, fairleads and the like.

[0007] Conveniently the winch is pivotal about trunnions mounted in the opposed cheekplates of the turret, which trunnions may be located at any convenient position in the turret.

[0008] For example, a main battle tank or like turretted combat vehicle may be converted to an armoured recovery vehicle according to the invention by locating the winch in the turret in place of the gun, using the existing gun mountings for the winch. Alternatively, the winch could be located in the turret of such a vehicle in addition to the gun on associated trunnion mountings.

[0009] Thus the turret may be adapted specifically to receive the winch or the winch may be located in place of, or together with, the gun of a conventional turret.

[0010] Preferably the winch is mounted in a trunnion block pivotal about said axis extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the turret.

[0011] The winch may be freely pivotal about said axis, or said pivoting movement of the winch may be driven by any one or more of manual, hydraulic or electrical drive means.

[0012] The turret may be freely rotatable about its central axis, or may be driven about said axis.

[0013] The rope storage drum associated with the winch may be integral with the winch and so move with the winch, or it may be mounted separately from the winch in a fixed position in the turret or in the chassis of the vehicle.

[0014] By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a vehicle according to the invention showing the mounting of a winch in a turret;

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly cut-away, of a vehicle according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view from above of the vehicle of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the winch and trunnion block of Fig. 1.

[0015] Referring to the drawings, the illustrated armoured recovery vehicle comprises a tracked hull 2 on which is mounted a turret 4 rotatable about a central vertical axis 6.

[0016] Mounted in the front regions of the turret 4 to be pivotal about an axis 8 extending transversely of the turret, is a trunnion block 10, said block 10 carrying a winch indicated generally at 12 having a rope storage drum (not shown) and from which extends a rope 14. A protective ballistic mantlet 16 is positioned in front of the winch 12.

[0017] Thus, as well as being pivotal with the block 10 about the transverse axis 8 over a wide angular range, the winch 12 can be rotated through 360° with the turret 4 about the axis 6 whereby the rope 14 can be positioned to extend in any lateral direction from the vehicle.

[0018] The mounting of the block 10 to the turret may be similar to that of a gun mounting, and may comprise, for example, a pair of opposed trunnions 18 located in opposed cheek plates of the turret and received within associated bearings in the block 10. Alternatively, the block 10 may be provided with opposed stub axles projecting axially therefrom to be received within associated bearings in the cheek plates or side walls of the turret.

[0019] The winch may be located other than at the front of the turret, for example at the rear, while two or more winches may be provided in a single turret. The or each winch may be located within or externally of the associated turret.

[0020] The winch 12 and block 10 may be freely pivotal about the axis 8 such that, on attachment of the rope 14 to a vehicle to be recovered, said rope and winch are angularly self-aligning relative to the turret 4, or said pivoting movement may be controlled, for example, manually, hydraulically, electrically or any combination thereof.

[0021] Similarly, the turret 4 may be freely rotatable about the axis 6 to be self-aligning on the application of a rotational force thereto, or rotation of said turret 4 may be under the control of, for example, a manual, hydraulic or electrical drive.

[0022] Thus there is provided an armoured recovery vehicle incorporating a substantially universally movable winch the rope from which can be positioned to extend in any lateral direction from the chassis or hull of the vehicle, and at any one of wide range of angles to either side of the horizontal.

[0023] Clearly such manoeuvrability of the winch overcomes the problems associated with existing recovery vehicles, in that there is no need to align the recovery vehicle chassis with the vehicle to be recovered - rotation of the turret on the chassis to align the winch with the vehicle is the only movement required - while the aforementioned pulley systems and fairleads for directing the winch rope at desired angles can also be dispensed with.

Claims

1. An armoured vehicle comprising a chassis (2) on which is mounted a rotatable turret (4) and characterised by a winch (12) mounted in or on the turret (4) to be rotatable therewith, the winch (12) being pivotal about an axis (8) extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation (6) of the turret (4).

2. An armoured vehicle as claimed in claim 1 in which the winch (12) is pivotal about trunnions (18) mounted in the opposed cheek plates of the turret (4).

3. An armoured vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the winch (12) is mounted in a trunnion block (10) pivotal about said axis (8) extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation (6) of the turret (4).

4. An armoured vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the winch (12) is freely pivotal about the axis (8) extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation (6) of the turret (4).

5. An armoured vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and including drive means for pivoting the winch (12) about the axis (8) extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation (6) of the turret (4).

6. An armoured vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 in which the turret (4) is freely rotatable about its axis of rotation (6).

7. An armoured vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 and including drive means for rotating the turret (4) about its axis of rotation (6).

8. An armoured vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and including a rope-storage drum associated with the winch (12), said drum being integral with the winch (12) to move therewith.

9. An armoured vehicle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and including a rope-storage drum associated with the winch (12), said drum being mounted separately from the winch (12) in a fixed position within the turret (4) or in the chassis (2) of the vehicle.

Drawing